Sarah Stephenson

Sarah Stephenson is a blind trans woman, keynote speaker and inclusion leader, widely recognised as Founder of Seeing Things Differently and a senior equality professional with more than 20 years’ experience across public and higher education. She is known for delivering powerful, human-centred keynotes that connect lived experience with practical leadership insight, and for completing the London Marathon as a blind runner in support of LGBTQ+ causes.

Sarah’s early career was rooted in advocacy, policy and frontline support. After completing a BA (Hons) in Communication Studies at Nottingham Trent University, she began working at RNIB as a Policy and Campaigns Liaison Officer, where she developed a strong understanding of disability rights, access and structural inequality. She then moved into higher education, holding disability advisory roles at Nottingham Trent University, the University of Birmingham and the University of Nottingham. Across these roles, Sarah worked directly with students, academics and professional services teams, translating policy into meaningful adjustments and building trust in complex environments. Losing her sight later in life, alongside navigating her gender transition, became formative experiences that reshaped how she understood resilience, identity and belonging, both personally and professionally.

Her career achievements reflect sustained leadership and influence. Sarah spent over five years at the University of Oxford, serving as Staff Disability Adviser and later as Interim Joint Head of Equality and Diversity, where she led work on disability, LGBTQ+ inclusion, bullying and harassment during a period of institutional change. Alongside her university leadership, she founded Simply Equality, a social enterprise committed to breaking down barriers for disabled and LGBTQIA+ people at work through speaking, training and consultancy. Departing the company in 2026, Sarah adjusted her focus, bringing together her speaking and writing around how people experience voice, belonging, and alignment within organisations. She founded Seeing Things Differently to explore such topics, creating a space for when deeper, more personal questions arise when things begin to shift. For International Transgender Day of Visibility 2025, Sarah featured in 'Trans Is Human', a striking photo series created by Jake and Hannah Graf, sharing her story as a blind trans woman, inclusion leader and marathon runner whose work centres humanity, resilience and impact.

As a keynote speaker, Sarah is hired for her clarity, warmth and credibility. Through her work with Seeing Things Differently, she asks, 'what do people change, suppress or carry in order to survive, succeed and belong?' and 'what happens when those adaptations begin to cost more than they give back?', allowing her to explore adaptation, identity, voice, dignity and the hidden cost of coping. Sarah brings audiences back to the human core of these challenges, showing how compassion, perspective and purpose drive performance and wellbeing. Her talks leave people reflecting on what they will do differently, not just what they have learned. For conferences and leadership events seeking authenticity, insight and action, Sarah delivers conversations that resonate long after the event ends.