Councillor Kirsten Hearn

For sixteen years Kirsten was an Equality specialist and senior manager in local government including at Haringey.  Since 2000 she has worked as an empowerment coaching and equality training consultant, primarily working across the public and not for profit sector. She has been a disability rights activist for 35 years.

Kirsten has been a non-executive director at national and regional level for the last 15 years.  She is an independent member of the Parole Board, a member of the Disabled Passengers Transport Advisory Committee and a board member of Stay Safe East, a London-based Disabled people’s organisation tackling disability Hate Crime and domestic violence.

Previous roles include: Chair of Inclusion London, Deputy chair of the EHRC Disability Committee, Member of Transport for London Board, Independent Member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, non executive member of the Office for Disability Issues Disability Delivery board, vice chair and a trustee of the consortium of LGBT Community and Voluntary organisations,member of the Arts Council England Independent Disability Equality Advisory Group, and founder member of Equality 2025 (the UK Advisory Network on Disability Equality). 

Kirsten has two fine art degrees, is a Neuro-Linguistic Master Practitioner and NLP coach.  She is also a stand-up comic, singer, musician, writer, sculptor, broadcaster, tree-lover and bird-fancier.

Kirsten is a blind lesbian and campaigner for peace, human rights and justice and is a supporter of non-violent direct action.  Her mission in life is to celebrate the lives of and promote the rights of disadvantaged people at every opportunity.