Claire Parker

Claire is a committed community activist, campaigning for the rights of other blind and partially sighted people and to make it so disabled people in Sunderland and the North East can live independently.

At college, she campaigned with fellow students to get accessible computers provided so that she could get the qualifications to get to university where she studied Health and Social Care. She has worked tirelessly for local organisations like Sight Service and the Gateshead Access Panel as a volunteer, speaking up for others and fighting against injustice where she has come across it.

A stalwart RNIB campaigner, Claire has given her time as a Campaign Coordinator for Sunderland, travelling to London to lobby her local MP, speaking at events about benefit cuts with policy experts and achieved significant improvements like audio announcements and better assisted travel on the local Metro system. Aside also trying to getting improvements for local health services, Claire has also always supported here mum, who is also visually impaired, and shown she always puts the interests and needs of others before herself. She is a Wearside community hero, and deserves a place as a torchbearer for what she has achieved despite the challenges that have faced her.