Lorraine is a freelance international development consultant specialising in the area of social exclusion. Her particular interest is in the situation faced by disabled people in developing countries. Lorraine initially worked as a teacher in London but for the past thirteen years has been involved in the overseas development sector.

She worked as a community development advisor for eight years in the East African countries of Uganda and Tanzania but for the past five years has been specifically involved in disability and development. During this time she has run many awareness raising courses and provided advisory support to international NGOs to help improve their capacity to include disabled people in their work. This work has involved travelling extensively throughout sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and South-East Asia. Lorraine has also just completed two years as Chair of the British Overseas Network for Development (BOND) Disability and Development working group and has written several articles in support of mainstreaming disability.

More recently Lorraine has been working with the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) as a Disability Advisor to the Equity and Rights Team. This has been to support important policy-level changes taking place both in the UK and overseas in promotion of the inclusion of marginalised groups in development.

Outside of work Lorraine enjoys mountain walking, bird-watching, playing squash and photography.

Lorraine is herself profoundly deaf.