A Rosetta Stone Language Tutor, Helen Townsend, shares the unconventional way she does her job after a CRPS diagnosis left her disabled
October 2025: Disabled language tutor, Helen Townsend, shares how working with Rosetta Stone has enabled her to adopt an unconventional approach to language tutoring.
In the UK, 53.1% of disabled people are in employment, compared to 81% of non-disabled people. This is a statistic Helen Townsend, a tutor at Rosetta Stone, knows all too well. The 54-year-old from Scotland was diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) after a routine knee operation went terribly wrong. CRPS is a rare and severe disorder that causes chronic pain and a host of other neurological symptoms.
“After my health diagnosis, I thought I’d never work again,” shared Helen. “I was a shadow of myself, and it seemed impossible to find a job that would adapt to my needs. I spent many months without employment, and I hated feeling so useless. I wanted to work, but it felt hopeless.”
That all changed when she came across disability equality charity Scope, which connected her with the language-learning giant Rosetta Stone. “I’ve always loved languages and words, so it’s a perfect fit. When I got the job, it felt like someone had thrown me a lifeline.”
For Helen, it wasn’t just a job but a new lease of life. “I didn’t realise how much of my confidence had disappeared. Suddenly, I had structure again. I was earning, paying taxes, contributing to my family, and it gave me back some sense of normality.”
Helen’s CRPS has progressed over the years, so her working environment looks very different from a desk and chair set-up. “I have to work while lying down due to the pain in my lower back. I am in constant pain all the time. It’s one of the most painful diseases.”
That hasn’t stopped the occasional ignorant remark. “Someone once told me I was lucky to get to lie down every day,” explained Helen. “But most people are lovely, especially my learners. Sometimes, because I use a backdrop, I wonder if they can tell that I’m lying down!”
Helen tutors ‘advanced English for business’ and she describes her teaching style as ‘unorthodox’. “I’ve been told it’s like therapy, or a confessional! People tell me all sorts because they know I care, but I’m also outside their everyday life, so I become a safe space. I tutored someone for several years and got a front row seat to the end of his relationship and the start of a new one.”
“I always find something to connect with my learners on,” Helen continued. “For some people, it’s hobbies or their job, but I find if I can get people to stop thinking of it as a lesson, they just take part in the conversation or course material – but yes, I still correct their grammar! I never forget that this is a job.”
“It feels like such a privilege to be let into all these people’s lives. People are fascinating, and everyone is going through something,” shared Helen. “Since I became disabled, my social life is quieter, so I love being able to meet people virtually, learn from them and (hopefully) be a positive presence in their life.”
Her students span the globe from Europe to South Korea and the Ivory Coast in Africa.“I was having a session with a person from Ukraine, and a bomb fell in the background. It was a shocking moment. Doing this job, you realise that we are all the same. We all want to live safely. We want food on our tables, a roof over our heads, and some treats here and there. People who aren’t language tutors might only realise this when they go on holiday or meet people from different countries.”
When she’s not teaching, Helen spends most of her days at home working on a book and learning French. “I think we should all be more open to other cultures and languages,” she says. “Learning French has been such a joy. It’s helped me connect more deeply with one of my friends, and now the tables have turned and she’s the one helping me learn!”