Ten years ago, the idea of making a living out of posting videos to YouTube would have seemed absurd.

Now, however, the life of a full-time YouTuber has become as normal a profession as anything else.

Many YouTube stars call Sussex home; Emma Blackery, Felix Kjellberg and Lily Melrose are just some of them.

One up and coming internet star who is making a name for herself is Jessica Kellgren-Fozard.

The 29-year-old began her YouTube activities in 2011 but it wasn’t until recently that she broke into the spotlight.

Jessica is a rare breed; a woman who is a proud member of the deaf, disabled and LGBTQ communities.

She suffers from Hereditary Neuropathy with Liability to Pressure Palsy (HNPP), Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD), and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), combined genetic disorders and disabilities that causes weakness in her soft tissue and paralysis of her nerves.

This, in turn, makes her deaf and also causes fatigue and pain, as well as a proneness to dislocations.

As if that weren’t enough Jessica adds: “I also can’t eat sugar, gluten or lactose, which, let’s be honest, is the real drama here because I love cheesecake.”

Her work on YouTube reflects the communities she is part of and her passion to bring awareness to them.

Having started out following her passion for classic films, her early videos were focused on film reviews – combining nicely with the film degree she was studying for.

“I never discussed my disabilities on the channel or ‘outed myself’ as being disabled. I’d previously dealt with online bullying about my disability after appearing in a BBC show about disabled models and I was scared it would restart,” Jessica said.

“It was quite an odd decision: I would talk about how great a film’s soundtrack was because I had read it somewhere – I’m deaf, I have no clue.”

Jessica continues to say that she would still get abuse online for her mispronunciation of words or her “weird face” – she was recovering from semi-paralysis of her face at the time.

Jessica decided to steer into the skid and create a YouTube space where people in similar situations would have a place where they could feel represented, as well as educate those who want to understand more about what she goes through on a daily basis.

She also thinks there needs to be more representation of the groups she associates herself with, especially in the mainstream: “There is definitely not enough deaf and disabled representation in the media, and the LGBTQ+ representation is also not great – can we please have a lesbian character who doesn’t die? – but when we try to find the intersection between gay and disabled, it’s simply non-existent.

She says this lack of representation in the media left her feeling quite isolated when growing up with all these questions about herself.

“It’s hard to picture something you’ve never seen,” she says.

“I want to let younger queer or disabled people know that their future isn’t just about ‘coping’, it’s also about having fun.”

Jessica says she has been pleased with the feedback she has received since changing the content of her channel: “The response towards my videos is generally heart warming and positive, especially compared to other YouTubers.

“I often get comments from fellow disabled or gay people who thank me for my videos and how they have helped them see life in a more positive light.”

There is also no room on Jessica’s channel for hate of any kind. She says: “You always get the occasional homophobe or ableist comment, that is part of being in the online world, but hate always gets blocked. I want my channel to be a safe space for everyone.”

Jessica, for a long time, was like many other YouTubers, waiting for a big break.

Hers came somewhat out of the blue last year.

Her video, Why I Don’t Sound Deaf, was added to a YouTube playlist and garnered worldwide notice. To date, it has received more than 3.2 million views and saw Jessica’s subscriber number sky-rocket to 250,000.

“It brought an overwhelmingly positive amount of comments from people who found my channel to be relatable, positive and unique,” Jessica said of her sudden spike in popularity.

As well as entertaining and educating people on YouTube, Jessica also takes to the stage to do public speaking; talking to people about her disabilities, the pride she has in being part of the LGBTQ community, fashion and wellbeing.

With all this under her belt it’s no surprise she was invited out to California for VidCon 2018, one of the biggest gatherings of online personalities in the world.

She took part in talks and panels and says she felt proud to be able to represent her communities at the conference.

She says: “I felt it was such a positive move to have inclusion of a disabled YouTuber in a fashion panel rather than just on ones about disability.

“I was also part of a creator chat, which is like a meet and greet but you are able to have a chat with small group of fans who have questions for you.

“Both went incredibly well, but the most amazing experience was meeting all the other creators.”

Collaborations with fellow YouTubers Ash Hardell and Annie Segarra took place, with Jessica urging eyes to stick on her channel for those.

Doing all this work would be shattering for anyone, but for Jessica it is even tougher to manage.

She says that the trickiest part of the job is managing her schedule, but she still loves it: “I can’t have a regular full-time schedule, so making sure I meet all my deadlines with brands and at the same time keeping a regular upload schedule is always challenging.

“It’s the perfect job for me, however, as it gives me total control over my schedule and my content – great when you have health issues.”

Jessica takes time during our chat to thank her fans for continuing to inspire her.

She also adds a special mention to her wife Claudia: “She sees my disabilities the way I do; as just a part of me.

“A lot of young disabled people think they will not have a chance at romantic love.

“It’s important to show in my videos that Claudia’s love isn’t because or despite my disability, is just another part of who I am.”

With her popularity soaring Jessica is set for a number of other appearances this summer, away from her YouTube.

She will be appearing in Cosmopolitan UK as part of a panel discussing the LGBTQ+ community, and is set to appear at Summer in the City, the UK’s biggest gathering of Youtube and online stars.

I ask what makes Jessica want to keep fighting to ensure the communities she is part of are represented on social media sites.

Her answer is very simple: “Representation matters because it reduces alienation – something all too prevalent in the gay and disabled spheres.

“Too often disabled people are unsexed and not shown as having healthy, adult relationships. All too often LGBTQ+ relationships fall into tropes or are seen as being too ‘adult’ for family friendly viewing.

“My goal is to prove disabled people are not tragic figures and that we can be fun and fabulous.”