UCL: Academic named as one of BBC 100 Women 2021

Dr Boys was recognised for her work combining architecture with activism, raising awareness of how our everyday activities can be used to support people with disabilities. She co-founded the Matrix Feminist Design Collective in the 1980s and is one of the authors of ‘Making Space: Women and the Man-Made Environment’.

She is co-director of The DisOrdinary Architecture project, which is a platform bringing together disabled artists with built environment students, educators and practitioners to encourage innovation in access and inclusion in the design of our surroundings.

Dr Boys said: “It’s such an honour to be on this list with so many fantastic women from across the world. I’m pleased to see design activism – and particularly the work of The DisOrdinary Architecture Project – being recognised as a small part of making our built environment a more equal and inclusive place.”

The DisOrdinary Architecture Project has collaborated with The Bartlett over a number of years, including being commissioned for, and running, an ‘Architecture Beyond Sight’ foundation course for blind and partially sighted people who are interested in becoming architects, and – most recently – a similar project in development for deaf and hard of hearing people called ‘Vibrant Spaces’.

The BBC 100 Women list this year is highlighting those who are using their influence to bring positive change in society and culture around the world.