Press kit

Emma Barker is a Derby-based PhD researcher at the University of Derby, Miss Pageant Queen UK 2026 National Finalist, representing Derbyshire, an autism and SEND advocate, public speaker and official Ambassador for Treetops Hospice. Her mission is simple: making the invisible, visible, so that every quiet voice knows it belongs in the room.

Emma Barker is a Derby-based PhD researcher at the University of Derby, Miss Pageant Queen UK 2026 National Finalist, representing Derbyshire, an autism and SEND advocate, public speaker and official Ambassador for Treetops Hospice.

As an autistic woman, Emma knows first-hand what it feels like to go unseen. Her work is built around one idea: making the invisible, visible. Whether she is studying, on a pageant stage or speaking to a room full of people, Emma uses visibility to create visibility for autistic people, for families navigating special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and for anyone who has ever felt unseen.

Alongside her doctoral research at the University of Derby, which began in January 2026 and looks at how aftercare following an autism diagnosis in adulthood can be improved, Emma competes in pageantry and is a Miss Pageant Queen UK 2026 National Finalist, representing Derbyshire. She treats the stage as a platform for a serious message, and uses it to speak about autism acceptance and belonging.

Emma is an official Ambassador for Treetops Hospice, and she has given a motivational speech for the mental health charity Rethink Mental Illness. She is available for talks, judging, events and partnerships across the UK.