MEET OUR LIVED EXPERIENCE ADVISORY GROUP

The Lived Experience Advisory Group is made up of people with lvied experience across disability, chronic illness, and/or neurodivergence. Together, they will help inform and test out new products at ByStorm, ensuring that we are designing products with disabled folks (not just for).

Woman in a black top with a floral background

LINDSAY
When my disability took a turn for the worst I remember taking a step back from beauty because of my lack of energy & how hard doing makeup suddenly became.

Person wearing a purple floral shirt against a plain background

KAT
At the same time I was discovering makeup as a teen, I was getting sicker. Makeup was a way I could find myself, feel confident, and creative, through the pain and fatigue.

Woman wearing a red and white checkered shirt against a plain background

ANASTASIA
Is a professional MUA who learnt what accessibliity in beauty looks after her diagnosis, considering sensory, pain, and low spoons days.

Person in a pink sweatshirt holding a phone with a colorful case, sitting indoors.

RAE
Before finding ByStorm's accessible beauty tools I wouldn’t wear black mascara because my grip isn’t the best. Sometimes just putting lip gloss on or having your nails painted can brighten up your day even if you’re really struggling.

Close-up of a person with curly hair wearing a dark jacket.

MADDY
Is a queer, nonbinary, auDHD disabled artist, parent, carer, and OT student living on Ngunnawal/Ngambri country. "Even with strong supprt, managing disability can feel like a full-time job."

Close-up of a person with makeup, wearing earrings, against a neutral background.

CHARLEE JADE
is a Makeup Loving Sociology & Criminology Student!
“Accessibility impacts people’s lives immensely it’s so much bigger than ‘just’ makeup.”

Person in a wheelchair wearing a red top and blue jeans sitting outdoors with greenery around.

SARAH LLOYD
Is a disabled queer content creator. They've been chronically ill since their teen years and have struggled with slowly losing the ability to do fun makeup looks.

Person wearing glasses and black top

RACHEL
“Accessible beauty matters to me because everyone deserves to engage in self-care and self-expression without unnecessary obstacles.”

Person with pink hair holding a colorful walking stick against a light background

JOSIE
Lives with multiple chronic illness, and being autistic means having various mobility issues and sensory aversions. Makeup for Jo is a tool for self-expression and creative outlet.

Person with pink hair wearing a black sweater and spiked necklace indoors.

LARA
“I deal with rheumatic pain and the coordination issues associated with being autistic, so even on a good day I struggle with precision in my makeup application.”

Woman with long blonde hair wearing a black top

SARAH JOYCE
“In 2016, meningococcal disease left me fighting for my life. I’m now a keynote speaker and disability advocate, and model which is why accessibility in beauty is deeply personal and important to me.”

Person with colorful eye makeup on a blue and purple gradient background

ALECIA
“I see first-hand the urgent need for accessibility in every aspect of life, beauty is an area that is often overlooked.”

L . E . A. G

Woman with dark hair wearing a suit

AMANDA
is a disability advocate who shares the raw, unfiltered, and sometimes darkly funny reality of living with debilitating disabilities.

Woman with blonde hair and a black leather jacket in a modern living room.

EMILY
is a Mental health nurse and lived experience advocate. Living with complex chronic conditions, Emily brings both professional insight and personal understanding to improving systems of care.

Woman sitting on a couch holding a red vintage telephone

MAGGIE
“I love all things beauty and all things accessibility! I have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome which makes my joints a struggle to work with, especially my wrists!”

Woman sitting on a chair with a gray background

PHILIPPA
“Acquiring a physical disability taught me that beauty isn’t about perfection or concealment. It’s expression, unique identity, culture, and self-care.”P

Woman standing on a cruise ship deck with ocean view

CHARLIE KENNEDY
“Accessibility in beauty matters to me because disabled people deserve radical inclusion, dignity, and joy in all aspects of life. We deserve to feel beautiful.”

Woman in a blue dress sitting in a wheelchair against a blue background

TAYLA
Is an artist, writer, model and disability advocate with lived experience with a rare neuromuscular condition, in which her muscles weaken and paralyze with use.

Person wearing a colorful patterned shirt with a blurred background

FELICITY
"As an AuDHDer with multiple chronic illness, I love the way that beauty can help with self-expression, but without accessibility this isn't an option for all."

Woman holding a bouquet of blue flowers against a plain background

HAYLEY
"Accessibility in beauty matters because everyone deserves to feel confident and included. Beauty should adapt to people, not the other way around."

Person with pink hair sitting in a wheelchair against a white background

JAIMIE
"i wholeheartedly believe there is beauty in every body and that everyone should feel like they in the fashion and beauty space. So let's make it happen!"

Woman wearing a black dress with sheer sleeves against a gray background

SHENDEL
"Cerebral palsy has been the catalyst in my story that has allowed me to share my story. After being diagnosed at the age of 2, and learning how to navigate the challenges that come with it."

Woman sitting with flowers on a pink background

SAFFY
"Growing up autistic meant that many traditional skincare and beauty treatments were hard for me. I struggled with tying my hair up due to fine motor skills delays, and lots of makeup products caused sensory issues."

Woman wearing glasses and a light gray blazer with a decorative item in her hand, against a neutral background.

HOLLY
Add a summary of the media here.Loves makeup and creativity, and also has a physical disability affecting the use of her hands. Accessing makeup without struggle is so important for self-confidence and independence.

Frequently asked questions

  • The Lived Experience Advisory Group (LEAG) is a group of people with disability and chronic illness who sit at the centre of how ByStorm designs. They were a group of people who were all applied and were hand-selected because they represent different lived experiences in the disability and chronic illness community.

    They help us pressure-test ideas, spot barriers early, and make sure what we build works in real life, not just in a pretty product render.

    In short: we design with the disability community, not for it.

  • Because if you’re making products for the disability community, they need to be made with the community. We live by: “Nothing about us without us.”

    For too long, the beauty industry has treated accessibility like a last-minute add-on, not a design requirement.

    LEAG exists so ByStorm doesn’t design from assumptions. It keeps lived experience at the centre, so the people who understand the barriers are shaping the solutions.

    Lived experience is expertise. Better design starts there.

  • LEAG is made up of people with a wide range of physical, neurological, and fatigue-related lived experience, including conditions that can impact everyday tasks and beauty routines. We intentionally built the group to reflectintersectional lived experience, because disability doesn’t show up in one “type” of body or one kind of life.

  • LEAG helps shape the full ByStorm experience, not just the product.

    They contribute to things like:

    • how the product feels and works, including comfort, grip, and ease of use
    • prototype feedback, including what’s working, what’s not, and what needs a rethink
    • packaging and opening, so it’s genuinely easy to open and handle
    • instructions and information, so they’re clear, accessible, and usable
    • our brand voice and messaging, including the words we use, what we stand for, and how we show up

    Their insights help us make better decisions earlier, move faster, and avoid designing for an imaginary “standard user”.

  • Because accessibility in beauty has been ignored for too long, and the cost of that is paid in daily frustration, exclusion, and lost independence

    LEAG matters because it keeps ByStorm accountable to real life. It means we’re not guessing what “accessible” looks like, we’re building it alongside the people who actually live the barriers .Accessibility isn’t a trend for us. It’s the baseline.