A REDDITCH woman has turned what some may consider a disability to her advantage by producing a set of stylish, ergonomic cutlery for people with arthritis.

Charlotte Simmons, 22, studying an MA in product design at Sheffield Hallam University, developed rheumatoid arthritis in her final year of a jewellery and metalwork BA but found her calling - making ergonomic, hand-crafted cutlery.

Charlotte, a former St Augustine's High School student, started to develop unexplained pains in her legs, back and neck in 2011.

"I could hardly walk, my sister tried to take me shopping but old people with walking sticks were moving faster than me - at no point did the thought cross my mind that it could be arthritis," said Charlotte.

It took two months for Charlotte to get diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, with doctors initially thinking she had been stung by a bee.

"It isn't something you think can affect younger people," said Charlotte.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a severe form of inflammatory arthritis which causes those affected to experience swollen joints, pain and fatigue, and affects approximately 400,000 people in the UK.

Charlotte's condition affects her whole body, meaning that she couldn't carry on with her jewellery and metalwork course, which required a lot of strength and dexterity.

To make matters worse, she was given some ergonomic cutlery by occupational therapists.

Charlotte said: "They were huge, blue and clunky. I hated how they looked so medical; I was embarrassed to use them. So, I decided to make my own.

"When I was diagnosed I became really depressed and I thought I was going to drop out of University. But my arthritis gave some purpose to my designs - I enrolled on the product design masters course which made me think creatively about how to solve problems and my work changed for the better."

She added the thought of making a real difference to the lives of people with arthritis is rewarding.