Brighton YouTuber and Hove MP discuss disability issues

Jessica Kellgren-Fozard, from Brighton, has two genetic disabilities, hereditary neuropathy with pressure palsies and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and documents her life on YouTube with almost one million subscribers tuning in.

Hereditary neuropathy with pressure palsies causes “numbness, tingling and muscle weakness in the limbs”, while Ehlers-Danlos syndrome are a “group of rare inherited conditions that affect connective tissue”, according to the NHS website.

On Tuesday, March 29, Jessica met with MP for Hove, Peter Kyle, who is dyslexic and has the reading age of an eight-year-old child.

Peter and Jessica covered a range of topics during their meeting

The pair discussed the representation of disabled people in creative industries and politics.

“I may be disabled and in pain, but my life is still full of laughter and joy and it's important to show that as well, which is where YouTube comes in,” said Jessica.

“It allows me to create my own representative media, build a community that brings together people who feel marginalised and alone, and have a job telling stories which fits around my disability.

"I've always known I wanted to be a visual storyteller, but I felt that there wasn’t a place for me in traditional film and television because of my disabilities.

“After all, despite the fact that around one fifth of the population has a disability or health condition, only 0.06 per cent of people featured in UK adverts do.”

Both Peter and Jessica support YouTube's campaign

Peter spoke with Jessica about how she creates relatable content, as the duo showed their support for YouTube’s nationwide “Creative Britain” campaign – “with new research highlighting the need for fairer representation in the media and access to the creative industries, for all people in the UK, regardless of their location or background," according to the video website.

YouTube’s findings report that 43 per cent of people in the UK don't think that they see people in broadcast television who accurately represent people from their region.

“Meeting Jessica was the true meaning of inspirational,” said Peter.

“She has broken barriers and found success when the odds were stacked against her and I hope many, many others can be motivated by her.

“We now live in a world where anything should, and can, be possible for anyone and everyone, and that's why I'm also happy to support YouTube's Creative Britain campaign.

“The ability to communicate and to be creative in a place where my dyslexia doesn't matter is a great place to be, and I hope this campaign and my work with Jessica touches many more people in Hove and way beyond.”

Jessica's YouTube billboard at Brighton railway station

Jessica's new billboard supporting YouTube's campaign can be found at Brighton railway station.

She opened up about how she first started her YouTube channel, and acknowledged her wife, who gave her the support to go for it.

Reflecting on what Jessica told herself when launching the platform, she said she aimed just to be open and talk about herself: “Maybe this will relate to someone - and it did”.