Rebecca Joskow

Tell us a bit about yourself   

I’m Rebecca Joskow, originally from Northern Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. I’ve been involved in the disability space since I was 14, starting with leadership roles in Best Buddies and later leading a community programme called Doing Art Together (DARTT).  

I went on to study Cognitive Science at the University of Pennsylvania, where I deepened my understanding of language and the mind and continued my volunteer work and research with communities.  

After graduating, I worked as an Associate Program Manager for Special Education, managing a caseload of over 50 children, writing Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), and advocating for the services they needed from the Departments of Education and Health.  

During my Master’s, I also worked part-time at Uncommon, an early-stage tech startup that supports neurodivergent teens, where I served as the Strategic Projects Lead. 

What does your current role involve?   

I currently live in London and work with the Research and Delivery team at the Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) across a portfolio of international consultancy projects focused on disability inclusion and assistive technology (AT). My work includes: 

• Conducting qualitative and quantitative research (e.g., interviews, workshops, thematic analysis, reporting)
• Providing strategic and operational consultancy for project delivery and technical assistance to partners
• Producing technical and policy reports that translate research into actionable insights
• Supporting inclusive research design, methodologies, and delivery processes 

I’ll be travelling to India with the team soon to present our findings on improving access to assistive care and technology in a state in northeast India, a project I'm really excited about. 

What do you find most fulfilling about your work? 

Getting to work directly with communities and seeing the real-world impact of our research and projects. 

Has there been a common thread in your career so far? 

Definitely. I’ve taken a non-traditional career path—working in diverse settings from vocational rehabilitation, clinical research, and inclusive education to tech startups and now international development. Whether working with children with physical or learning disabilities, non-speaking autistic adults, or neurodivergent teens, the common threads have been disability inclusion, community engagement, and a drive to create positive social change. 

A parent once wrote me a note saying: “When you ever feel doubting or lost, just remember who you are at your core and how much that can make a difference.” That message, and my own lived experience, continues to guide my work today. 

Why did you choose to study the MSc in Disability, Design and Innovation (DDI) at UCL? 

Working in schools was rewarding but often frustrating due to bureaucracy and the limited prioritisation of special education. I realised I wanted to move from working within systems to helping innovate and change them. My fascination with AAC and assistive technology naturally led me to the DDI program.  

It was an amazing experience that felt deeply aligned with my values. I loved the hands-on, user-centered approach—co-designing with real users and learning through the practical case studies drawn from GDI Hub’s global work.  

What was your favourite module and why? 

Innovation for a Fairer World. I was drawn to this course after taking Future Global Technologies for Disability and Development, which explored the “why” behind technology, something that really resonated with my social science background. I was particularly interested in how technology and innovation intersect with international development and humanitarian work, especially in assistive technology.  

The teaching by Victoria Austin and Catherine Holloway, two of GDI Hub’s co-founders, was incredibly inspiring, as were the guest speakers from UNICEF, Google, Amnesty International, the International Paralympic Committee, and the WHO. 

What did you explore in your dissertation? 

My dissertation was inspired by the Innovation for a Fairer World course and a case study on Ahlan Sim Sim, a disability-inclusive educational media program providing psychosocial support for children in the Middle East.  

I examined “what works” for digital AT for autistic people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)—identifying barriers, opportunities, and gaps through stakeholder insights and centering the voices of autistic people themselves. 

Key findings included: 

• Applying universal design principles, especially flexibility in use, by offering multiple formats (e.g., transcripts alongside videos), which benefit both autistic users and those in low-data environments.
• The importance of digitally enabled systems, not reinventing the wheel, but using digital tools to strengthen existing supports and connect services under one unified approach.
• Recognising that the disability model used in design matters—in LMICs, addressing stigma and community attitudes is as important as the technology itself.  

What facilities did you use as a student? 

I enjoyed the Aquatics Centre gym, student yoga classes, UCL main and science libraries, Senate House Library, the Institute of Making and the Institute Bar. 

What are your favourite spots around UCL East? 

GoodGym Newham volunteering, running around Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, and evenings at Crate Brewery along the canal. 

One of my favourite parts of the year was when some of my friends from the DDI program and I went to the Paris Paralympics after finishing our dissertations. We also got to visit the Accessibility Discovery Centre at the Google office in London. 

The information on this page reflects the graduate's status at the time of publication (November 2025).