As CTO, Ryan is responsible for leading and directing Texthelp’s team of engineers to deliver assistive technology and accessibility products that are used by tens of millions of people every day around the world. With a customer base that spans government organizations, educational institutions and corporates alike, he ensures that Texthelp’s products are safe, secure and easy to use.

Texthelp believes in a world where difference, disability or language are no longer barriers. It is focused on helping all people learn, understand and communicate through the use of digital inclusion and accessibility tools.

Having started his career as a software developer, Ryan is passionate about all aspects of technology and the innovations that can be created with it. He carries this enthusiasm across Texthelp’s suite of products and hopes to help even more people around the globe to understand and be understood.

Believing it’s important to have purpose and give back, Ryan regards himself as incredibly fortunate to work in a sector that has such a positive impact on society, while using technologies that are so compelling to work with.

I’m Rita Isaac; I joined the CIPD 2022 as an L&D coordinator, and shortly after, I took on the co-lead of our Disability and Neurodiversity ERG (employee resources group).

I am neurodivergent myself and, having been only diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 34 and realising I didn’t know enough about it, I set out to join the ERG and help drive the work to educate myself and others in topics related to disability and neurodiversity.
Being dyslexic and having ADHD, I find the Read&Write technology very helpful and was thrilled to support its implementation organisation-wide to contribute to the inclusive work culture at CIPD, as people don’t need to ask for it to access it, it is available to everyone from day 1.

I’m also Portuguese, a visual artist, a problem-solver, and have a quirky sense of humour. I’ve been told my laughter is my best and worst trait, as I laugh wholeheartedly and often loud.

Robert has a background in assistive and accessible technology, having worked as a support worker and consultant for over five years before joining Policy Connect in 2017.

Now Director of Policy at Policy Connect, Robert oversees the organisation's strategy on policy and engagement. He also directs their ATech Policy Lab, which brings together disabled people, researchers, and the tech sector to design evidence-based policy to make technology work for everyone. His team supports the APPG for Assistive Technology, which is now in its sixth year of raising the profile of this agenda within Parliament. Currently, Robert chairs the Department for Education’s Assistive Technology Engagement Group.

Robert himself is dyslexic and was first introduced to assistive and accessible technology when he received support from the Disabled Student’s Allowance as an undergraduate.

Larissa Minner, is Neurodivergent and has spoken about neuro- inclusion to organizations like PayPal, Autism Society of Texas, University of Texas (UT) at Austin, Safe Alliance. She teaches CEUs and speaks on multiple platforms. Larissa is an ACT LEND Alumna at UT where she devised and created a multi award winning, including national award, research study on healthcare in autistic and non- autistic adults. Larissa has also written chapters on neurodivergence and is a very active advocate and public speaker in neurodivergent communities. She is a research associate at UT's Texas Center of Disability studies where she leads a research advisory committee.

I struggled with dyslexia all throughout school until I found a way of revising that involved turning my school notes into comic strip stories. The visuals and narrative were much more effective for my
memory and comprehension than I could have imagined and I ended up getting my first Grade A at school. Since 2016, I have set up Dekko Comics Ltd - which turns my revision technique into resources and strategies for others who are like me. Our mottos are “entertainment before education” and “using more than just words to communicate information with.”