Emma Purcell is a disabled journalist and freelance writer whose work is shaped by lived experience and a clear sense of purpose. Over more than ten years, she’s built a career in journalism while also challenging the barriers that too often keep disabled people out of the conversation. Through articles, interviews, and public speaking, Emma has become a recognisable voice in disability media—sharing not only her story, but making space for others whose voices are often ignored.
Her work at Disability Horizons, her blog Rock For Disability, and her latest venture Crip Life™, Emma continues to empower others by sharing stories that educate, inspire, and advocate for real change.
My early aspirations towards a career in journalism
I’ve had a love of writing for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I enjoyed writing stories and poems, dreaming of becoming the next JK Rowling.
As a child, I always thought I wanted to become a teacher, but as I reached my teenage years and suffered the tragic loss of my eyesight, I came to realise that teaching wasn’t the safest career for me. As I worked through my GCSEs and A-levels, I knew English was my strongest subject and naturally leaned toward a future in writing and media — making journalism the perfect fit.
Discovering Disability Horizons
It all began in 2012 when I was 18 and studying English, Media, and Film Studies at A-level. At the time, I was receiving mobility training and was introduced to the online magazine Disability Horizons. After browsing the website and seeing a call for voluntary writers, I reached out — and as they say, the rest is history!
My first pitch was an accessibility review of my experience at Reading Festival 2012, bet my first published piece was a review of the satirical show The Last Leg during the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
From there, I regularly contributed, writing on various topics and eventually becoming one of the main editors and writers by 2020. Over 11 years, I published over 300 articles with Disability Horizons.
While I initially aspired to be a music journalist, particularly reviewing gigs and interviewing bands — a passion I pursued through my blog Rock For Disability — my path evolved into something even more impactful.
Seeking employment in journalism
After completing my journalism degree in 2016, I applied for hundreds of jobs in journalism, media, and PR. Sadly, success was hard to come by. Journalism is a competitive industry, but I also believe my disability may have played a part in facing rejection, despite the inclusive promises made by companies like BBC, Channel 4, and ITV.
Although I often reached the interview stage, feedback was rare, and opportunities remained elusive. Thankfully, I could continue building my writing portfolio with Disability Horizons and my personal blogging.
Becoming a freelance journalist
In mid-2019, I explored becoming a freelance journalist — working from home, setting flexible hours, and writing for multiple publications. I attended freelance workshops, joined a journalism mentoring scheme, and pitched to several publications.
However, freelancing was more challenging than I anticipated. Preparing pitches with no guarantee of acceptance was exhausting.
Despite the hurdles, I was fortunate to have one article commissioned by PosAbility Magazine in 2021, covering the lack of audio description across Netflix content — though sadly the article is no longer available online.
By this point, my role at Disability Horizons grew more frequent with fair freelance pay, which made pitching elsewhere less urgent.
In March 2023, when Disability Horizons closed, I faced a crossroads. I wasn’t keen to return to the cycle of endless pitching, which could cause physical and mental fatigue due to my disability.
Instead, with the support of Joanna — my former colleague — we decided to launch our own platform: Crip Life™.
Launching Crip Life™ and building a disability community
Crip Life™ was born out of our shared passion for journalism, campaigning, and disability advocacy. We wanted to create a platform that would bring extraordinary content to a broader disabled community, using our skills and knowledge to expand into new areas.
In just two years, we have:
- Published over 270 articles
- Collaborated with over two dozen businesses and organisations through our “Pay What You Can” advertising model
- Reached 2,000 monthly website visitors
- Grown to more than 2,000 combined social media followers
- Amassed over 680 newsletter subscribers
All of this has been achieved with just the two of us, working remotely from opposite ends of the country with minimal funding. Best of all, we are our own bosses, making independent decisions on the content we publish.
Although my route wasn’t conventional, I’m proud to say I have successfully built a career as a freelance journalist.
Breaking barriers as a disabled journalist
In my early career in journalism, I resisted focusing solely on disability content. I wanted to branch into music, entertainment, and beyond. But over time, I realised that writing about disability isn’t something to shy away from — it’s something to celebrate.
Understanding life with a disability and sharing those experiences through journalism is powerful. It helps educate the wider world, provides support and advice to disabled individuals and their families, and fosters a strong, united community.
Without the opportunities I’ve had over the last 13 years, I wouldn’t have met so many incredible disabled people or realised just how much we are capable of achieving.
I hope that my continues to break barriers, raise awareness, and show the world the true potential of the disabled community.
Head to Crip Life™ to view more work from Emma Purcell and follow Crip Life™ on Facebook, Threads, Instagram and LinkedIn.