Shelley Cowan
Nominee Profile
Location: Ireland Wood
I am honoured and humbled to be nominated for work I am passionate about: improving accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities. I bring nearly 30 years of lived experience of disability, including 12 years confined to bed and 10 years as a wheelchair user, which deeply shapes my perspective and the solutions I create.
I founded JustUs, a not-for-profit organisation that creates inclusive, accessible social spaces for adults with disabilities. Through this, I have built a strong community that reduces isolation and enables hundreds of people, along with their carers, families, and friends, to connect and participate fully.
I also founded Access Avenue International Limited, where I work with organisations to embed accessibility into their environments, services, and customer experience. My focus is on moving beyond compliance to deliver practical, real-world inclusion.
Building on my research and international engagement with disabled travellers, I am developing Travel Ease, an innovative platform providing verified, user-led accessible travel solutions. It addresses a clear gap by removing uncertainty and significantly reducing the time and stress involved in finding suitable accommodation.
I have been recognised as a Community Champion and as Northern Ireland’s first Purple Tuesday Ambassador, and I advise the Accessible Hospitality Alliance, influencing improvements across the tourism and hospitality sectors.
My work is driven by a clear purpose: to ensure accessibility is embedded, not added, and that people with disabilities have equal access to opportunities, experiences, and environments.
I founded JustUs, a not-for-profit organisation that creates inclusive, accessible social spaces for adults with disabilities. Through this, I have built a strong community that reduces isolation and enables hundreds of people, along with their carers, families, and friends, to connect and participate fully.
I also founded Access Avenue International Limited, where I work with organisations to embed accessibility into their environments, services, and customer experience. My focus is on moving beyond compliance to deliver practical, real-world inclusion.
Building on my research and international engagement with disabled travellers, I am developing Travel Ease, an innovative platform providing verified, user-led accessible travel solutions. It addresses a clear gap by removing uncertainty and significantly reducing the time and stress involved in finding suitable accommodation.
I have been recognised as a Community Champion and as Northern Ireland’s first Purple Tuesday Ambassador, and I advise the Accessible Hospitality Alliance, influencing improvements across the tourism and hospitality sectors.
My work is driven by a clear purpose: to ensure accessibility is embedded, not added, and that people with disabilities have equal access to opportunities, experiences, and environments.