I am deeply shocked and saddened to hear of Ruth’s passing. Such a loss. My deepest condolences to her family and to all her loved ones.

I so have enjoyed our work together Ruth, and your unbeatable outrage, as well as sense of humour, in the face of so much ongoing ignorance and continuous challenging of powerful people who should already know better and are taking too long to reflect and listen, to make a difference to the lives of disabled people, disabled women, survivors of abuse. I can hear you say, when invited to endless ‘consultations’ to ‘specific groups’: “So they invite disabled people here, Black people there, migrants here, gay people there, like we can’t all be all of that in one body”. Your commitment to intersectionality, to including everyone, to challenge everyone, to ongoing reflection on how we can all do better…

It has been an honour, a privilege and a pleasure to meet you, to work with you, and I am so very sorry that we never managed our wander through the Wetlands, as we planned after the pandemic, for a ‘proper in person chat and a coffee’. Your voice stays with me, going forward, always forward. Rest in power, dear sister. Safe journey to a giant.

With love and solidarity,

Isabel