🎙️ Thick No More – Season 1 Finale with Katherine Perry

This week marks the end of Season 1 of Thick No More and it couldn’t be wrapped up by anyone more fitting than Katherine Perry. Katherine is a dynamic leader, strategist, and advocate whose personal story of growing up with dyslexia and dyscalculia has shaped a career dedicated to accessibility, inclusion, and challenging stigma.

She’s best known for her time as CEO of BATA (the British Assistive Technology Association), where she drove forward conversations about assistive technology, policy, and real-world change for learners and workers with diverse needs. But behind the leadership title is a deeply personal story of childhood struggles, red crosses on the page, messages of “not being good enough,” and the long journey from stigma to strength.

In this episode, Katherine and I go deep into:

✨ Early school years – the first moments she felt different in the classroom, the shame tied to red pens and marks, and how those experiences planted both coping strategies and scars.

✨ Diagnosis in the 90s – what it was like to be assessed for dyslexia and dyscalculia at a time when many teachers still denied these differences even existed, and how early interventions shaped her path.

✨ Home life and the word “thick” – the messages about intelligence and achievement she absorbed, the echoes of her father’s unrecognised dyslexia, and what she would gently say to parents today in similar situations.

✨ Breaking cycles of shame – we discuss the idea that “hurt people hurt people” and how unhealed experiences of dyslexic shame can ripple through generations unless we confront, heal, and reshape the narrative.

✨ Tools vs. culture – why assistive technology alone is never enough without cultural change in schools and workplaces. Katherine explains what it really takes to help people thrive: safety, kindness, and environments free from humiliation.

✨ Living with dyscalculia – often less understood than dyslexia, Katherine opens up about how it has affected her life and the strategies she’s developed to work around it.

✨ Redefining worth – why intelligence does not equal value, and what healthier measures of “success” could look like for both children and adults.

✨ Performance anxiety – the triggers Katherine has faced, how over-prepping can backfire, and what genuinely helps her when it’s time to step up and speak.

✨ A message to late or undiagnosed adults – for listeners still masking, copying, and quietly exhausted, Katherine offers one kind, practical step to take today.

And of course, we end with the question every guest answers: What does “Thick No More” mean to you? Katherine’s answer is powerful, challenging, and rooted in the belief that words like “thick” are not just outdated labels, but slurs that our community deserves to throw out once and for all.

This is not just a conversation about dyslexia or dyscalculia it’s about shame, resilience, community, and reclaiming identity. It’s about recognising that “worth ≠ grades,” and that no one should have to carry labels that diminish their potential.

As we close Season 1, I want to thank Katherine for her honesty, her courage, and her leadership. I also want to thank all of you the parents, educators, tech leaders, and countless listeners around the world who have joined this journey. Your messages, shares, and stories prove one thing: we are not alone.

Thick No More. No labels. No limits.

👉 Arenova.app launches mid-October on iOS & Android

Preregister at arenova.app before October 13th to enter the prize draw to win a mystery retro football shirt

(And if you’re posting on LinkedIn, it would be amazing if you could tag @arenova.app so people can find us easily )

Find Katherine Perry on Linkedin

👉 Follow Thick No More on your favourite podcast platform to get notified when Season 2 drops.

🎙 Thick No More – Episode with Ben Sutcliffe

In this episode of Thick No More, Jay sits down with Ben Sutcliffe, a man whose story is one of resilience, community, and purpose.

Diagnosed with epilepsy as a teenager, Ben’s world changed overnight. The label carried stigma, misunderstanding, and daily fears of seizures but what could have been a lifetime defined by limits became a story of transformation. Thanks to unwavering support from family, loyal friends, and his own determination, Ben learned to live beyond the diagnosis.

Today, Ben is Director of Executive Projects at Caudwell Children, a UK charity dedicated to changing the lives of disabled and neurodivergent children. For over 17 years, he has poured his skills and lived experience into advocacy, fundraising, and direct support that empowers families to thrive.

In our conversation, Ben shares:
✨ His memories of being diagnosed at 17 and the mental and emotional toll of epilepsy.
✨ The role of true friends and family who stood by him through anger, frustration, and setbacks.
✨ How his parents’ belief in service and resilience shaped his own purpose.
✨ The mission of Caudwell Children and how they open doors of possibility for children across the UK.
✨ A moving story of Tilly Griffiths, a young girl whose powered wheelchair opened not just mobility but a future full of ambition including Stanford University and Disney.
✨ Why stigma still lingers in society and how schools and communities can help break it down.
✨ His vision for the future: more face-to-face, community-based support for families, and expanding services for neurodivergent children.

Ben’s journey reminds us of a simple but powerful truth: a diagnosis does not define you it can light the fire of your purpose. His story is a call to look past labels, believe in potential, and work together to break down barriers.

💡 “Thick No More” to Ben means that moment when someone looks past the stigma and sees your potential—reminding you to believe in yourself too.

🔗 How to Connect & Support
🌐 Visit Caudwell Children – learn more about their work and how you can support.
💬 Use the online chat on the website for direct questions and guidance.
📱 Reach out via Caudwell Children’s social media channels the team responds to all messages.
🙌 Get involved: Volunteer, fundraise, or partner with Caudwell Children to make an impact.

🎧 Tune in for a story of resilience, impact, and hope and hear how Ben’s journey proves that none of us should ever be defined by a label.

Laura Horn’s journey is one of survival, resilience, and transformation. Growing up with childhood trauma, family struggles, and poverty, Laura found herself battling addiction, living with PTSD, and carrying labels without the support she desperately needed.

But this is not a story about defeat it’s about rising. Diagnosed later in life with ADHD and autism, Laura reframed her past and began to unlock the strengths hidden within her neurodivergence. Through writing and poetry, she discovered a way to process pain and turn it into something extraordinary.

In this raw and moving conversation, Laura shares:

• Childhood trauma, loss, and being left without support after tragedy

• Addiction, rock bottom, and the pivotal moment that sparked change

• Living with PTSD and later discovering ADHD & autism

• How poetry, creativity, and nature became lifelines for healing

• Why “Thick No More” means breaking free of labels and reclaiming your brilliance

Laura is now a coach, therapist, and author who helps others navigate trauma and unlock their strengths. Her story proves that even in the darkest of times, hope and creativity can lead to transformation.

📚 Explore Laura’s work:

• Website: www.creatingchangeiemt.com

• Poems on Travel: Amazon UK

• Poems of the Goddess: Amazon UK

👉 If this episode resonates, please share it with someone who needs to hear Laura’s story.