Adult Advisory Board
Peter Cherry
Peter Cherry is a passionate volunteer for the Dyscalculia Network, where he serves as co-chair of the Adults with Dyscalculia Advisory Board.
His drive to raise awareness and advocate for dyscalculia has led him to write about his experiences in letters to the Guardian, in an article for Frame Magazine, and to be interviewed for pieces on dyscalculia in BBC News, BBC Sussex and the i Paper. He has ambitions to write a book on dyscalculia. Peter works as Assistant Director at the British Institute at Ankara and holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from University of Edinburgh.
Amelia Shipton
Amelia Shipton is a mental health researcher (MRes (Master of Research) with Distinction in Mental Health) and actor with a particular interest in co-production, youth voice, and evidence-informed practice. She has contributed to research, service development, and strategic decision-making across the mental health sector.
She is Co-Chair of the Dyscalculia Network Adult Advisory Board and Chair of the Youth Board at Mental Health Innovations. She is passionate about ensuring the voices of young people and those with lived experience of dyscalculia are meaningfully reflected in research, services, and policy.
Emily Gee
Emily Gee is part of The Dyscalculia Network Advisory Board since 2022, as well she is a board member for the British Dyslexia Association:
Dyscalculia Advisory Board: she is the only dyscalculic and youngest board member. Emily began her journey spreading awareness about her dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dyspraxia journey back in 2018. She has shared her story on BBC Radio 5 Live, YouTube, Podcasts, Facebook, Twitter, the i Paper Newspaper and Webinars. Emily studied Musical Theatre at the University of Winchester; she graduated in 2020. Emily’s goal is to change the education system to be more understanding and inclusive to dyslexia, dyspraxia, and dyscalculia.
Sylvie Nachilyango
Hey there! I’m Sylvie, I am a Career Coach, but my professional background is in commercial and residential property development/construction. As a Career Coach, I’m passionate about helping jobseekers turn their interviews into job offers, because I recognise that many of us never had any formal education on successful job hunting. At 19, I was diagnosed with Dyscalculia.
It was a tough road to acceptance of my diagnosis, but I have since triumphed over various personal and professional challenges despite being Dyscalculic. Life became less frustrating once I accepted that I am simply ‘wired’ this way, which is why I proudly serve on the Adult Advisory Board of the Dyscalculia Network. Outside of running my career coaching business (Career-Minded Circles) and my day job in property, I love to travel or unwinding on the sofa with a book or binge-watching my all-time favourite TV show, Gilmore Girls.
Joe Deary
After being diagnosed with dyscalculia in 2023, Joe looked back on his self-taught strategies that have helped him navigate school and work since 1990. These techniques reflect his adaptability and determination. In his voluntary role on the Dyscalculia Network’s Advisory Board, Joe is a strong advocate for adults who identify their dyscalculia later in life.
He stresses the need for workplace support and collaborates with the Network to create tools and advice that assist dyscalculic adults in their careers. Joe is driven to ensure that workplaces not only recognise but also value neurodiversity. Professionally successful in data management, Joe is challenging the conventional belief that dyscalculia is only a hindrance.
He demonstrates how dyscalculia can be an asset, as many living with the debilitating impact if dyscalculia develop compensatory skills like heightened spatial awareness and pattern recognition. These skills are vital in data management for interpreting and visualizing data. Joe’s approach to problem-solving, focusing on qualitative insights and broader patterns, brings unique and creative solutions to the field and should indicate life beyond diagnosis.
Stella Hassan
Hi! My name is Stella Hassan and I’m at university. I was diagnosed with dyscalculia in primary school. I quickly learnt that no-one really knew about it – and therefore people struggled to support me. I want to change this, I want children and adults with dyscalculia to feel empowered to share they have dyscalculia – and I want the general population to understand it better.
That’s why I’m thrilled to be on the Adult Advisory Board, I wish for dyscalculia to become as understood as other learning difficulties such as dyslexia or ADHD. I am also interested in dyscalculia research. For example, while dyscalculia is defined as a numeracy-based learning difficulty, I’m interested in exploring whether the language used in mathematical problem-solving—particularly in exams like GCSE maths—creates additional, unnecessary barriers for individuals with dyscalculia. As a Speech and Language Therapy student, I’m curious about whether modifying language complexity could better support access to learning and assessment for individuals who struggle with numbers.
Jane McFadyen
Jane McFadyen is a Senior content designer working on UK government services designed to help millions of people. Jane has co-created a cross government collaboration to raise awareness of dyscalculia and provide design guidance with an accessibility poster.
That work was launched on the GOV.UK Design in Government blog series, with the most read post in 2022. Since publication, the poster has been translated into German, informed updates to the NHS Service Manual, discussed on UX Podcasts and shared worldwide. With a single-minded focus on providing user-centric design to all her work, Jane is a passionate advocate for accessibility and inclusion.
Laura Parker
Laura Parker is a content designer with dyscalculia and dyslexia. She campaigns for accessible numbers (accessiblenumbers.com) and works with organisations to improve services for people who need help with numbers. Her work has positively impacted central government and the NHS.
Ynes
Ynés is eighteen years old and is from England, Spain and Switzerland. Currently she lives in Cairo, Egypt but has lived in China and Abu Dhabi over the past few years.
Ynés was diagnosed with Dyscalculia right before she left the UK to move to Abu Dhabi when she was nine. She is passionate about raising awareness of Dyscalculia and is the youngest member of the Dyscalculia Network Adult Advisory Board whom she also represents on the National Neurodiversity Youth Council.
Mia
Mia is a theatre maker, musician, actor and facilitator from Weston-super-Mare.
She was diagnosed with dyscalculia at the age of 10 years old. It wasn’t until leaving education when she finally started to talk more openly about dyscalculia. This inspired her to make her one-woman musical comedy show called ‘I Don’t Have A Maths GCSE’ to talk about her own experience with dyscalculia whilst helping to raise awareness for others. Currently, she is arranging to tour the show across the UK.
Scott Carnell
Hi! My name is Scott. I am a drummer, poet, actor, and short fiction writer. I was formally diagnosed with Dyscalculia by a specialist assessor when I was sixteen years of age and living in France. It was during that time that I started my journey of raising awareness of Dyscalculia in my school as nobody had ever heard of it. When I was younger, I thought that having Dyscalculia was an experience that was unique to me. However, since discovering the Dyscalculia Network, I have realised that there is a community of people who are just like me. I am so excited to be apart of the incredible work they are doing.
Since graduating University, I have had to jump over different hurdles and overcome different challenges in order to access the support that I need in order for me to succeed in employment. My main ambition is to showcase support that is readily available so that other people do not have to go through what I have been through. I want neurodiverse people to have the tools to succeed in the workplace right from the start. I want Dyscalculia to be just as widely recognised as Dyslexia.
Anaid Adán González
Anaid is a Year 1 teacher with a BA Hons in Education Studies and a strong foundation in Early Years and Montessori education. Diagnosed with Dyscalculia at 25, she has a deep understanding of the challenges some children face with math. This personal experience drives her passion for helping students overcome similar struggles through creative, hands-on teaching methods that make learning math both accessible and fun.
Anaid is committed to fostering an inclusive classroom where every child feels confident, supported, and inspired to reach their full potential.
Emily Lynn-Graham
Emily Lynn-Graham is deeply committed to raising awareness of dyscalculia, having received a late diagnosis as an adult. She is a Policy Researcher for a national charity and holds a PhD in the Sociology of Religion from Lancaster University.
Despite living with dyscalculia her whole life, Emily spent many years masking this part of her identity. It wasn’t until she transitioned into her policy career – where number-based tasks became a big aspect of her role – that she began to confront her challenges more openly and seek support.
Now, Emily is dedicated to challenging the stigma surrounding dyscalculia and creating spaces where others never feel the isolation she once experienced. She is particularly passionate about improving workplace support so that people with dyscalculia can thrive in their careers without fear or shame. As an Adult Advisory Board member, she hopes to draw on her policy expertise, research background, and advocacy skills to drive meaningful change, raise awareness, and build greater understanding of dyscalculia. Above all, Emily is passionate about empowering others with dyscalculia to embrace their identity with confidence – because being dyscalculic is not a weakness, but a difference to be understood, respected, and valued.
Cassea Steele
That is why I joined the adult advisory board to raise awareness of what dyscalculia is, so others do not have to wait until they are in secondary school to find out, as well as highlighting to others that even if you have dyscalculia, you can still achieve great things.
Charlotte Baars
Charlotte Baars is a social sciences student from Bath, passionate about raising awareness around dyscalculia and making the systemic change needed to create an accessible education system.
After a lifelong struggle with maths, Charlotte was diagnosed with dyscalculia in year 11 while in the midst of GCSE preparation, ending years of feeling ashamed and isolated. Aiming to improve the educational experience for future students, they have published an article on Dyscalculia for Shout Out UK, spoken at UCL’s Institute of Education, and represented the Dyscalculia Network on the National Neurodiversity Youth Council.
Charlotte is also an actor and playwright with a passion for telling underrepresented stories, holding a Diploma in Musical Theatre from the London College of Music. Being a member of the Adult Advisory Board is an exciting opportunity for Charlotte to give back to the Network and to continue working toward a better future for people with dyscalculia.
