-
On class: Guide dog residential training
Friday 21st April at about 3pm, I got the phone call that changed everything. The phone call I had been waiting 2 and a half years for. I had been matched with my first guide dog!! He was an 18 month old yellow Labrador cross retriever called Dezzie.
-
Attending a Guide Dogs client day
As some of you may know, I’m on the waiting list for a guide dog. With the pandemic causing longer waiting times, I’ve been on the waiting list for nearly 2 and a half years. A client day was the chance to learn more about the process and meet some of the staff at Guide Dogs.
-
10 years later: disabled student to disabled employee
Tomorrow, I’ll have been writing this blog for 10 years… My blog, life as a cerebral palsy student, was set up during my GCSE’s. As the name suggests, I wrote about my experiences as a disabled student. Yet I could not have predicted how much my blog would influence my employment opportunities 10 years later.
-
Becoming disabled: Advice from the disabled community
People don’t expect to become disabled. Yet it’s more common to acquire a disability then it is to be born with a condition or impairment. I appreciate that it’s a lot to take in. You find yourself in this whole new world. Fortunately, the disabled community have lots of advice.
-
Things in my house as someone who’s visually impaired
When I bought my first house, I knew I wanted it to be cosy, colourful and accessible. Without realising, I had made certain decisions that meant it was more accessible for me. I have made adaptations that are due to having cerebral palsy, but in this blog I will focus on things that are related to my visual impairment.
-
Reframing independence
Independence is a concept that we’re all familiar with. It almost seems odd to be discussing it. Yet I know, as a disabled adult, that independence can be a core aspect when transitioning from adolescence to adulthood. Independence is what you want from life. Surely it’s the end goal for everyone. When you’re disabled you might have been told you’ll never be independent. I hope to challenge those views. But what does independence mean?
-
Swimming when you’re a disabled adult
I certainly would not class myself as a sporty person, but swimming is something I’ve always enjoyed. Despite this, it’s not something I did regularly. However, towards the end of the first lockdown, the swimming pools opened up again. It felt like a chance.
-
What is it like being a disabled student?
When I was in high school, I used to wobble around the corridors using a walking stick or a wheelchair. I throughly enjoyed education, yet it certainly isn’t easy as a disabled student. Admittedly, it’s been a few years since I was a student, but accessible education was a core focus when I started my blog. Before I graduated university, my blog was called ’Life as a Cerebral Palsy student’. A few weeks ago I gave a keynote talk to 1600 high school staff members about my experiences of being a disabled student. I hope that sharing an edited version of that talk will useful for other teachers and disabled…
