Frances Akinde

Assistive Technology Trainer

Frances has worked in education for over 20 years, originally as an Art & Photography teacher but she has also taught food technology, design technology and textiles.

After discovering in her forties that she was neurodiverse (dyslexia and ADHD) and had a hearing impairment, Frances left her job in special education and decided to retrain so that she could support other people who might need some support with learning.

As well as being an AT trainer for D&A, Frances am also an education consultant supporting children with additional needs in schools and an anti-racism coach for schools with Leeds Beckett University. She have 5 boys, including twins, 3 of whom have studied at different universities.

Frances am a visual artist and enjoy being creative in a variety of ways namely through textiles, painting, and photography. Her current phase is creating memory boxes inspired by African textiles and infinity scarves. From September 2023 she will also be training to be an art therapist.

Frances enjoys being in nature, especially in a forest (she loves anywhere where there are trees) or on a beach (she enjoys sitting quietly watching the sea.) Frances am a terrible singer and dancer but these are still my two favourite things to do badly.