A WOMAN from Ashton-under-Lyne who left teaching after developing long Covid is preparing to step onto a fashion runway for the first time.
It’s part of what organisers describe as Manchester’s most inclusive catwalk show to date.
Rebecca Lad, 34, will be among 16 disabled and chronically ill models taking part in the Disability Pride Catwalk at Aviva Studios on June 27.
The former head of music says she signed up after spotting a casting call on Instagram and decided it was time to challenge herself after years of adapting to life with a long-term health condition.
Rebecca, who first became ill in 2021, hopes taking part will help promote body confidence and challenge stereotypes around disability and fashion.
She said: “I first fell ill in 2021 when I was in my late 20s and was really sick for months. I recovered to around 80 per cent but then fell ill again in September 2024 and had a five month relapse. I still live with fatigue and brain fog.
“Before I contracted Covid, I used to exercise a lot, enjoying regular pole fitness and aerial hoop classes. I can’t do that anymore and have gained a lot of weight.”
Rebecca says her changing body has made shopping for clothes increasingly difficult, particularly as mainstream fashion often fails to reflect the experiences of many women living with illness or disability.
“Even the ‘plus size’ models are a size 14 and have impossibly flat stomachs,” she said. “It makes women like myself feel wrong, but this is the body I’m in, it’s the only one I’ve got and I’m sick of shaming it when its strength is the reason I was able to recover as much as I have.”
After leaving a teaching career spanning a decade, Rebecca is now studying with the British Academy of Fashion Design and hopes to launch her own accessories business later this year. Her longer-term ambition is to create Indian-Western fusion bridal and occasion wear.
The Disability Pride Catwalk will feature models ranging in age from their 20s to their 50s, all of whom are disabled or living with chronic illness.
They will showcase designs from Manchester fashion label RECONDITION, whose clothing has been created specifically with disabled people in mind. Features include wheelchair-friendly pockets, ring-pull zips for people with limited dexterity and sleeves designed to accommodate prosthetic limbs and medical equipment.
The brand was founded in 2025 by Manchester Metropolitan University graduate Ellie Brown, after her own experience of using a wheelchair following a serious ankle injury.
Ellie said: “The Disability Pride Catwalk is a safe space for people to celebrate bodies of all kinds whilst enjoying the atmosphere and experience of a runway show.
“I also hope the event will provoke useful discussions about how fashion – and society as a whole – can take more accountability for inclusivity.”
According to government figures, around one in four people in the UK live with a disability, rising to almost half among those of state pension age.
For Rebecca, the catwalk is about far more than fashion. It is an opportunity to celebrate resilience, challenge perceptions and encourage others to embrace themselves.
Her message is simple: love the skin you’re in.
The Disability Pride Catwalk takes place at Aviva Studios, Manchester, on Saturday, June 27 from 6pm to 8pm. Admission is free and tickets can be booked here: https://factoryinternational.org/whats-on/disability-pride-catwalk/