Meet StoryLab's bright inaugural cohort

and find out who's at the heart of this collaborative mentorship programme by Reframing Disability and News Verifier Africa

Dear Readers,

My heart is full after a delightful weekly session with the StoryLab participants. I’m so grateful that an idea seeding in my mind for years is finally taking shape, so beautifully!

Being able to do something you’re passionate about is not easy when it isn’t backed by funding and requires a big time investment. Deciding to run this programme was a hard call for me. I kept worrying it might not be sustainable, both financially and in terms of scalability.

But a few thoughts turned that decision around.

I’ve come to realise that if you are privileged, it’s meaningful to use that privilege to be of service to others. And no matter how small, every action counts.

So I thought, “If I don’t take the leap, I’ll never know what’s possible!”

When Zainab Sanni of News Verifier Africa heard of the idea, she was equally excited, and I found my accountability buddy and a partner to do this together with.

Here are Zainab’s thoughts about the programme so far:

“StoryLab represents what I believe mentorship should be: practical, supportive, and transformative. I have had the privilege of working alongside incredibly talented early-career journalists, and what genuinely excites me is seeing participants apply what they learn in real time, watching their confidence grow as each week passes. The practical focus of the programme means we are building actual skills, overcoming real challenges, and creating pathways for diverse voices that our industry desperately needs.”

Thank you, Zainab, for being my partner in this labour of love!

And if my passion hasn’t already come across, my feelings about StoryLab participants are below:

“Every session with them is a joy! I’m blown away by their passion for journalism, sincerity in the stories they want to tell, and eagerness to learn. StoryLab has become a space to exchange ideas, share knowledge, and be in community with talented disabled journalists from around the world.”

[Reframing Disability Logo ID: On a bright purple background, two white hand illustrations form an open rectangular frame. Inside the frame, the words ‘Reframing Disability’ are written in white text, symbolising a fresh perspective on disability.]

Introducing Freya Wilkinson, Rachel Swift, Shreya Bansal, and Harry Smith!

[ID: A gallery of mugshots of the four StoryLab participants, with their names, and a caption in the centre, “Meet Our StoryLab 2025 Cohort”. Description of individual photos follows the introductions.]

Freya Wilkinson, United Kingdom

Freya is a documentary filmmaker and writer based in London. Her work explores the quieter side of daily life and the hidden costs of trying to belong in environments that are not built for everyone. She is particularly interested in disability, identity and the ways personal stories can reveal broader social patterns. Freya studied Factual Development and Production at the National Film and Television School, where she began exploring her own experiences of autism through film. Her short But You Don’t Look Autistic? looked at the realities of late diagnosis in women and how these stories are often overlooked in public conversations. It is available upon request; to view, please contact Freya at f.cl.wilkinson@gmail.com.

Through StoryLab, Freya is building on her interest in writing and journalism that brings nuance, empathy and visibility to disabled experiences that are too often missed in mainstream coverage.

[ID: Freya is smiling in sunglasses, long brown hair and a black crochet top, leaning against a white wall. The lower part of the photo bears purple and green streaks, with Freya Wilkinson written in white.]

Freya says: “I’m excited to use StoryLab as a space to grow my voice as a writer and learn how to shape my ideas into stories that really connect.”

Rachel Swift, United States

Rachel is a United States-based journalist and essayist whose work explores the disruptive and devastating impact, and liberatory potential, of chronic illness and disability on individuals and communities. She has written for local and regional publications in Chicago, Northern Virginia, and Rhode Island. She holds a bachelor’s degree in gender studies from the University of Chicago and attended George Mason University’s creative writing MFA program as a fiction writer. She has lived with long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) since 2020. You can follow her work on Substack.

Rachel has reported on the long COVID crisis and COVID-cautious community for the Rhode Island weekly newspaper, The Providence Eye. She has penned features on technology and culture and seasonal depression for Chicago’s Newcity Magazine, in addition to covering Chicago’s theater scene and conducting interviews with local authors. She writes about her experiences with chronic illness and disability in her Substack newsletter.

[ID: Rachel is a white woman with long blue-green hair, wearing a black tank top and a blue pendant necklace. She is outdoors in the sunshine with vibrant greenery visible behind her. The bottom of the photo bears purple and green streaks, with Rachel SWIFT written in white.]

Rachel says: “I am excited for the opportunity to grow as a writer, researcher, and storyteller as part of the StoryLab mentorship program. It has been a gift to get feedback on my work from experienced mentors. I also appreciate the opportunity to be in community with a cohort of disabled journalists from around the world who are working on urgent and exciting stories.”

Shreya Bansal, India

Shreya is a reporter and media researcher based in New Delhi, India, currently working on land rights in rural northern India. Her work focuses on human rights, people’s movements and culture. She has worked with various newsrooms in India and across the globe, covering race, gender and disability. She has also contributed to media critique and analysis, focusing on ‘how stories are told.’ Shreya has a keen interest in developing a more ethical and sensitive news media. Her stories have won a special mention from the Laadli Media Awards for gender-sensitive reporting. Check out her portfolio and get to know her better.

[ID: Shreya, an Indian woman with shoulder-length black hair, is standing in a forest with greenery around her. She is dressed in blue jeans and a black shirt with big colourful embroidery. The bottom of the photo bears purple and green streaks, with Shreya BANSAL written in white.]

Shreya says: “The Story Lab mentorship is a step towards making journalism and storytelling more inclusive of different disabilities. It also provides various disabled writers around the globe with the opportunity to interact with one another and support each other’s work. The mentorship will enable us to publish more nuanced and sensitive work on stories about disability. I look forward to what this unique mentorship can do for all of us!”

Harry Smith, United Kingdom

Harry is an early-career journalist and a recent winner of The Guardian’s Positive Action Scheme. In August, he earned a Certificate in Foundation Journalism from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ).

Specialising in interviewing, Harry brings a distinctive style that combines thoughtful analysis with an approachable, conversational tone. He believes good journalism is rooted in empathy—connecting audiences to broader issues through personal stories.

Harry credits this outlook to his own background as a disabled man, applying the self-advocacy skills developed in his life to telling others’ stories with tact, sensitivity, and skill.

He sees opportunities like StoryLab as a chance to learn from journalists who, like him, have turned lived experience into a journalistic strength.

Harry has written extensively on disability representation and its reception by society. His work includes features for the Media Diversity Institute and CripLife magazine. Additionally, he has profiled several British Paralympians during the Paris 2024 Summer Games, as well as other key disability advocates who have found success in their respective fields, such as Formula 2 and 3 commentator Chris McCarthy

[ID: Harry is a young white man with short black hair and a cropped beard. He’s standing against a wooden wall, wearing a navy blue shirt and smiling into the camera. The bottom of the photo bears purple and green streaks, with Harry SMITH written in white.]

Harry says: “StoryLab offers the chance to learn from other disabled journalists who are equally passionate, each bringing their own unique experiences. Freelancing, like disability, can sometimes feel isolating. StoryLab has helped me realise that while we may not all be in the same boat, we are moving through the same storm together.”

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That’s all for today, folx! I hope you’ll cheer the participants and share your thoughts with me. Just hit reply or engage with me on LinkedIn and Instagram. Reframing Disability has an Instagram account too - follow and engage!

Warmly,

Priti