When Moriarty-Simmonds was born, her parents were unprepared to deal with the challenges of her disability, as the education regarding her condition was limited at the time.

More people began advocating for the right for disabled children to learn, and Simmons was able to receive proper education.

“Rosie has tackled the compelling issues of “how do you brush your hair” “who helps you in the house?” “how do you get from your wheelchair into bed?” and even “how do you pick your nose!” Although she was often annoyed at these questions, Simmonds always told it like it was, using honesty and vulnerability to educate children on her disability.

She believes that disability awareness has come a long way since her childhood, and mentions how she feels grateful for the progress society has made.

Rosaleen Moriarty-Simmonds had even been turned down from some institutions because they couldn’t accommodate to her wheelchair, said the UK disability month page, adding to the difficulties of getting a good education.

But she has now utilized her education to get jobs and make a mark on the world, informing others about how unfairly disabled people are treated.

[12] Going to this university helped her to become very accomplished in her life and soon after graduating, she worked as an executive officer in the civil service, with many more opportunities to come.

And because of the education she got, leading to one of the many jobs she could get, she was able to bring issues of inequality and disabled people being treated unfairly, to many Wales business and entertainment groups.

“it was 1970 before disabled children had the right to an education.”[10] Working hard and achieving a BSc in psychology also helped her future activism opportunities.

Her advocacy work with disability awareness aims to impact the world and her education and degree have helped her reach that.

[16] This shows in Rosaleen Moriarty-Simmonds' experience as she was the only disabled person at Cardiff University to completely finish college and get their degree.

As a disabled woman during the mid to late 1900s, Moriarty-Simmonds faced discrimination on a daily basis, making it very difficult to get hired.

She was turned down from the NHS, the National Health Service in England and Lansdowne Hospital due to constant discrimination against her disability.

[17] Eventually, she was able to secure a position as a civil servant and began working at Companies House, an executive agency of the British government.

She operated her consultancy firm from home, providing expert advice on disability law to the local government, national assembly, Cardiff council and a range of other organizations.

[18]Additionally, she maintained a busy speaking schedule, delivering lectures on disability rights and accessibility all over the world.

In 2013, Moriarty-Simmonds circled back to the MFPA where she was accepted as a student member and proceeded to re-ignite her passion for painting.

Later that same year, Moriarty-Simmonds became a freelance presenter, developing a program called “Rosie's World” on BBC Wales Radio.

The Campaign represented the challenges Thalidomide impaired people faced in the United Kingdom and their significant contributions to society.

Wikipedia commons: Thalidomide Memorial In 2011, Moriarty-Simmonds was the first of only two recipients to win the Owain Glyndwr Seren award from Cardiff council, presented to her for being an exceptional role model and inspiration for dedicating most of her life to work with disabled people.

In 2013, Moriarty-Simmonds was appointed vice president of the Cardiff Business Club, an organization that convenes inspirational speakers of international standing, bringing them together with audiences from all over the world.

In 2022 Simmonds took on the role of being a High Sheriff of South Glamorgan, an independent, voluntary, royal appointment that lasts one year and typically involves ceremonial duties, judicial functions, and community-based charitable and civic work.

Rosaleen said that James seemed to instinctively know not to struggle with his parents and would cling to his mother's clothes even as a baby before he had concrete knowledge of her disability.

She uses acrylic paint, which is what Rosaleen discovered was the easiest medium for her to work with after trying a variety of options including watercolor, pastels, and inks.

This has allowed Moriarty-Simmonds to display her work at many of the MFPA shows and demonstrations and transformed her interest in art into more than a mere hobby.

The Thalidomide Trust says it causes, “shortening and absence of limbs, malformation of hands and digits, damage to ears and eyes, sensory impairment, facial disfigurement/palsy and damage to the brain, internal organs and skeletal structure.”[27] Given all of these disfigurements, many people with Thalidomide Impairment have gone on to lead successful and fulfilling lives.

Other than aches and pains, Thalidomide survivors experience a loss in mobility, strength and poor mental and emotional health.

Moriarty-Simmonds appears as herself, and talks about her own life and experiences being Thalidomide Impaired, and how that relates to the character Susie in the show.

The memorial itself is a headstone engraved with a few words honoring the children who died due to Thalidomide Impairment and those who still live with it today.

On Art UK, Rosaleen Moriarty-Simmonds is listed as a commissioner of the piece, and is seen in pictures on the Thalidomide Memorial website.