Lucinda Ritchie (Seaford 2010–2012) has been named in the Disability Power 100 2023 (digital and tech category) as one of the 100 most influential disabled people in the UK.

The Disability Power 100 celebrates ambition and achievement, and plays a role in changing society by recognising the strengths and talents of disabled people who are pioneers, changemakers and influencers.

Lucinda, whose father and two of her cousins went to Seaford, has a number of complex conditions, of which Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is one. Her voice began to deteriorate in 2017, and in 2018 she started using Eye Gaze, a piece of technology that detects eye movement through a camera/tracker. It allows people to communicate, do things like play games and control computers and their environment, such as being able to turn lights on and off.

Lucinda said: “Having disabled role models and advocates is highly important for changing society. The more people are recognised for their achievement in increasing accessibility, the more awareness society will have. This helps with accessibility on a wider scale, and ultimately societal changes.”

The 100 finalists were selected by an independent judging panel chaired by Andrew Miller MBE from more than 1,500 public nominations. The winners will be announced shortly. Previous winners have included comedian and presenter Alex Brooker, campaigner and peer Baroness Jane Campbell, BBC disability journalist Nikki Fox.