Jo is an educator, researcher, speaker, and expert in disability-inclusive design.
Dr. Jo Gooding trained at the Royal College of Art and Northumbria University and has taught at universities across the UK and USA. She is a contributor to the BBC, the Science Museum, the V&A, and professional and academic journals. Jo now uses her skills and experience in creative education to create real-world impact.
Dr. Jo Gooding (she/her) is experienced in directing research strategy, delivering reviews, mentoring creative entrepreneurs, and facilitating knowledge transfer activities. Expertise includes creativity, design innovation methods, and disability-led design.
Jo became fascinated by the design of disability objects when she was researching the history of NHS glasses. She saw that changes in the delivery of ophthalmic services brought a revolution in eyewear. Spectacles are now seen as accessories rather than merely medical devices. Her own experience of living with Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) informed her mission to support the advancement of inclusive design.
Jo contributes to innovation and design networks relating to Inclusive Design. She is co-founder of StyleAbility, a member of the Disability Steering group at Northumbria University, Zinc Fellow, and member of the advisory board for the Tiffany Antosz Foundation for Disability Arts. Jo trained as a design historian at the Royal College of Art and Victoria and Albert Museum and has a doctorate in design from Northumbria University. In her early career, she taught design students at a variety of institutions across North East England and has also worked in the museum sector.
Jo became fascinated by the design of disability objects when she was researching the history of NHS glasses. She saw that changes in delivery of ophthalmic services brought a revolution in eyewear. Spectacles are now seen as accessories rather than merely medical devices.
Dr Jo Gooding 