After years of being dismissed by the medical system, Abi Chapman—now Chief Executive of Accessify UK—found herself fighting for her life. This near-fatal event became a turning point, inspiring her to launch a multi-award-winning accessibility movement focused on embedding lived experience into research, policy, and service design.
Abi’s journey began in 2017 with a sudden cardiac event and a 12-foot fall that nearly killed her. Living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Abi had long struggled with misdiagnosis and inadequate care. At 29, her health was spiralling—but instead of giving up, she chose to fight back.
That fight became a mission. Today, Abi leads Accessify UK, a multidisciplinary think tank tackling systemic healthcare barriers through human-centred design. Her personal trauma became the foundation for building the world she once needed.
Before her health crisis, Abi studied at Croydon School of Art. When she returned to education, her original degree programme had been discontinued. A chance meeting with a former tutor redirected her path to the London College of Communication (LCC), where she pursued a degree in Design for Social Innovation. Despite undergoing surgeries and facing a global pandemic, Abi graduated and went on to specialise in accessibility during her Master’s degree.
This passion led her to launch The Accessibility Project, focused on inclusive design. Though the project expanded into broader community health efforts, Abi felt her original mission was drifting. In 2024, acceptance into LCC’s business incubator—LCC Accelerate—gave her the opportunity to relaunch and refocus her vision. Accessify UK was born.
From the outset, Accessify UK sparked change, championing inclusive research, policy, and service design. Abi’s work has since earned national recognition; in 2024, she was named her university’s number one future founder.
Yet, for Abi, this journey isn’t about awards—it’s about justice. She continues to live with chronic disability and always will. Today, she lectures, delivers workshops, and speaks on stages and in communities, using storytelling as a tool to connect and dismantle barriers.
For Abi, this isn’t just a career. It’s her life’s work. Because accessibility and inclusion don’t just improve lives—they save them.
