Sarah Stephenson-Hunter

Sarah Stephenson-Hunter is a blind trans woman, LGBT keynote speaker and the Founder and Director of Simply Equality, a social enterprise dedicated to breaking down barriers for Disabled and LGBTQIA+ people at work. With more than 20 years’ experience across public and higher education, Sarah brings credibility, warmth and depth to every conversation. Her work centres on resilience, identity and inclusive culture, shaped by both lived experience and senior leadership responsibility. Audiences connect with Sarah because she speaks plainly and honestly, offering insight that feels human, grounded and useful.

Across her career, Sarah has held a number of influential roles, including Interim Joint Head of Equality and Diversity at the University of Oxford and Staff Disability Adviser and LGBTQ+ Lead. In these positions, she led institutional policy and practice on disability inclusion, trans equality, bullying and harassment, while supporting staff and students through complex personal and organisational change. Sarah has also delivered equality training, consultancy and keynote talks for a wide range of organisations, including universities, professional services firms, insurers and national charities. Her approach is practical and compassionate, helping leaders turn intention into everyday behaviour.

Alongside her professional leadership, Sarah’s personal achievements add a powerful layer to her work. After losing her sight and later transitioning, she rebuilt her career while becoming a visible advocate for inclusion. She completed the London Marathon as a blind runner, raising funds for LGBTQ+ causes and challenging assumptions about capability, dependence and resilience. These experiences inform her ability to speak credibly about pressure, perseverance and what it takes to keep going when progress feels uncertain. Sarah appears in Trans Is Human, a photography project created by Jake and Hannah Graf for International Transgender Day of Visibility, spotlighting her work as a blind trans woman, inclusion leader and marathon runner committed to equality and change.

As a speaker, Sarah is thoughtful, engaging and quietly compelling. She uses real examples from her life and career to explore how people navigate change, build trust and find purpose, even when circumstances are difficult. One moment that often resonates is her marathon training, which she uses to illustrate patience, partnership and adapting expectations without lowering ambition. Organisations value Sarah for her ability to handle sensitive topics with empathy and clarity, leaving audiences with confidence, perspective and practical steps towards more inclusive, resilient cultures.