2026 Shortlisted Nominee
Positive Role Model Award: Disability
Katy Deacon is a Chartered Engineer, Fellow, and Vice President of the IET. Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at 32, she pivoted her expertise as a wheelchair user into inclusive design, founding Towards Belonging Ltd and developing BelongifAI, an AI-driven platform for accessible lifetime homes. A former IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year (2006) and Karen Burt Award winner (2009), her innovations include an award-winning renewable energy toolkit. Recognised as the 2025 Disability Personality of the Year and listed in the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100, Katy is also a Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor, driving innovation, representation, and belonging to ensure the built environment works for everyone.