Why I Started DesignAbility Education

I came into education because I wanted to change the experience for students who, like me, didn’t fit the system.

Because of my dyslexia — and later recognising traits of ADHD — I struggled to keep up, often feeling out of place. The lessons that worked for me were the ones that felt different: creative, engaging, and full of energy. Sitting and copying from a board never worked for me, and I now know I wasn’t alone in that.

My understanding of neurodiversity isn’t just professional — it’s lived. My son has been diagnosed as autistic, and my partner has also received a diagnosis. This has only deepened my belief that the challenges many young people face in education are not about ability, but about a system that doesn’t always recognise or support different ways of thinking and learning.

Founder's Story

I’m Jennifer, founder of DesignAbility Education.
Since 2010, I’ve worked in education, driven by my own experiences of struggling within a system that didn’t work for me. With lived experience of dyslexia and neurodiversity, I’m passionate about creating more inclusive, hands-on approaches to learning — where young people can build confidence, develop real skills, and succeed in ways that work for them.

After training as a teacher, I worked across a wide range of settings and saw first-hand how students who struggled in traditional lessons became engaged when learning was relevant, creative and real.

My experience in SEN, SEMH and alternative provision settings was a turning point. These environments felt familiar — because I recognised something of myself in the students I was working with.

That’s where DesignAbility Education truly began. Its purpose is to create a different kind of learning experience — one that is practical, inclusive, and built around how young people actually learn.

My grandad told me as a child:

“The best thing about making something is the satisfaction of stepping back and saying, I made that.”

That’s what I want for every young person — confidence, pride, and belief in themselves.