‘If I was prime minister, I’d want people to spend a week experiencing the world as a deaf person’

If you were prime minister for the afternoon, what would you do? Big Issue is asking people that very question our interview series PM For the PM. Georgia Meacham, a deaf actor, model and advocate 

Big Issue: What’s the first thing you’d fix if you suddenly found yourself in high office?

Georgia Meacham: Access, but not in a tokenistic, box-ticking way. I’d make communication access a non-negotiable across the UK. Subtitles that actually work, interpreters that are properly funded and workplaces that don’t make deaf people feel like an afterthought. It’s wild that in 2026, basic inclusion still feels like a bonus rather than a standard. 

What big issue from your childhood had an impact on you?

Feeling like I was always slightly out of sync with the world around me. Being deaf meant I often had to work twice as hard just to feel included, whether that was in classrooms, friendships, or social situations. It’s shaped me in every way. It’s made me resilient, kinder but also very aware of how isolating the world can be when it’s not designed for you. 

What would your leadership style be?

I’d lead with empathy first, actually listening, not just hearing. I really admire people who use their platform to amplify others, not just themselves. Jane Goodall is someone I always looked up to. Her kindness, patience, and the way she dedicated her life to advocating for living beings beyond herself is, to me, one of the most inspiring things. 

Who would you call on a red telephone and what would you want to tell them?

I’d call the people making decisions about accessibility and inclusion. I’d want them to spend a week experiencing the world as a deaf person, no shortcuts, no adjustments they wouldn’t normally have. Because real understanding and change comes from lived experience.

Read more:

• Adeel Akhtar: ‘If I were prime minister I’d find all the shouting a bit stressful’
• Prime minister is a job for the odd fishes
• Keir Starmer writes for Big Issue: ‘It’s about time we rebalanced the system to give renters more power’

Who would you award a knighthood to?

Someone working in disability advocacy who’s changed lives quietly, without recognition. There are so many teachers, mentors and advocates who give young people confidence at such a crucial age. When a young person feels seen, it can change the entire direction of their life. 

What’s your big idea to save the world?
A kinder way of living, thinking beyond yourself in the choices you make every day. I’m drawn to acting and advocacy because it gives a voice to people who aren’t always heard, and I choose to live vegan because animals can’t speak for themselves. So for me, it all comes back to the same thing: pausing to consider another perspective and putting yourself in their position, through empathy and education. 

If answering these questions has convinced you to stand for election, what’s your slogan?

Be kind to all kinds. 

Georgia Meacham is supporting RNID’s ‘It does matter’ campaign for Deaf Awareness Week. Find out more at rnid.org.uk

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. 

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