Travelling from Birmingham New Street to Northallerton as a Wheelchair User? Here’s How I Did It

Image Description: Photo on the left of Emma raising her arms in triumph having completed her mammoth trip. Blue text on the right reads "Travelling from Birmingham New Street to Northallerton as a Wheelchair User? Here's How I Did It "

Back in October, I headed up to Northallerton to visit editor extraordinaire Nikki. This meant 4 trains and 3 different train companies (CrossCountry, TransPennine Express and London Northeastern Railway). Here’s how the trip went for me as an electric wheelchair user. 

Outbound 

Ticket Buying & Getting On at Birmingham New Street 

Ticket wise, I purchased my tickets through Trainline as per usual. When it came to the assistance booking, I initially tried to book via the Passenger Assistance app, but the trains it was finding weren’t the trains I had booked (it kept trying to give me my connecting train at the wrong station) so I had to book assistance over the phone anyway. I ended up booking the assistance specifically through TransPennine Express as they were the only ones with phone lines open after I finished work. I must say they were very nice and helpful and were quickly able to get my assistance booked for the correct trains. When it came to travel day, I finished up at work and then headed straight to New Street. Once there, I made myself known to assistance staff and then waited in the assistance lounge. When it came time to head to my train, we discovered that the first lift we tried down to the platform wasn’t working. This meant we had to head all the way across the station to the other lift which leads to those platforms. This did leave me a little nervous that I’d be cutting it fine for my train (despite arriving 20 minutes beforehand as I was told to. 

On Train 

It was a bit of a mission to get into my seat as CrossCountry trains (which I was on) are quite small and skinny and thus quite difficult to manoeuvre in. Once I was seated, I fully realised that I’d actually been placed in the first-class wheelchair space (The assistance staff did make me aware when I was being walked to the train but I didn’t fully believe them because I only had a standard ticket).  But I wasn’t going to complain because first class meant a free sandwich and free coffee, and anyone who knows me knows that the way to my heart is caffeine. A trespasser on the line just ahead of our train at Sheffield meant that my already tight 13-minute change was reduced to 3 minutes, so I was obviously VERY concerned about missing my connection. 

Disembarking at York and Changing Trains 

Thankfully, due to some excellent communication between my train staff and the staff at York, and the fact the other train was only across the platform, I was able to make my tight connection. Once we finally pulled into York, I negotiated the very steep ramp (with the help of 2 staff members), dashed across the platform to where the ramp was already set up on the other train and then made it onto my train. 

On Train 

As I said I only just made the train, I also realised that I was alone in the carriage, which was nice after the stress of the connection. Other than that, it was only a 20-minute train so there was nothing much to report. 

Disembarking & Leaving at Northallerton 

When we arrived at Northallerton it was the train staff who disembarked me off of the train with the ramp and Nikki collected me from the platform. She then helped me negotiate the very steep ramp out of the station (driving backwards to help with my spatial awareness, so I didn’t feel like I was going to tip out of my chair). 

Return 

Getting On at Northallerton 

When it was sadly time for me to head home, Nikki and I arrived at the station more than 20 minutes before my train, as I had been told. The station staff member was then very helpful in explaining the works that were going on to install lifts to both platforms (currently serviced by steep ramps). I believe one lift was supposed be installed in December and one will be installed for Easter.* The station staff member also called ahead to staff on the train to find out where in the train they were stationed. I thought this was somewhat weird, why would he need to contact train staff? I then realised later that it was because the train staff would have to put me on the train as the station staff member wasn’t yet trained to use this ramp (don’t ask me how you can be considered fully trained enough to do the job and yet not be trained to help all disabled passengers onto all trains, I was as baffled as you are). This change of who was boarding me onto the train also meant I had to be boarded onto a different carriage than my assistance was booked on, in order for the train staff to be there to assist me. 

On Train 

There was nothing to report on the actual train journey as it was only 20 minutes. 

Disembarking at York and Changing Trains 

On arrival at York, it became apparent that the station staff hadn’t been informed about me being moved carriages and so were waiting at the wrong carriage. As train staff weren’t allowed to disembark me using the onboard ramp (again, don’t ask me why) I couldn’t immediately disembark at York. Thankfully station staff figured out the miscommunication just in time before train staff ‘broke the rules’ and disembarked me using the onboard ramp’. In terms of switching trains at York, I was able to grab dinner and a coffee and take a bathroom break (in the radar key disabled toilet at the station) before meeting station staff back on the same platform to board the Birmingham bound train. 

On Train 

The Birmingham train was a London Northeastern Railway (LNER) train and I was in the standard class wheelchair space. Other than that, there was nothing really to report as it was a fairly standard journey. 

Disembarking & Leaving at Birmingham New Street 

On arrival at New Street, station staff were already waiting on the platform to disembark me. I did have to request several times for the staff member to provide me some assistance navigating the very steep ramp, but I put that down to speaking through masks in a very busy train/station. Once I was disembarked, I made my way along the platform and up in the lift to the concourse. I then called Nikki to ‘walk me home’ (it was dark and I’m a disabled woman travelling alone, safety first) and left the station. 

I hope this insight into travelling between Birmingham New Street and Northallerton, via York, as an electric wheelchair user was helpful. 

*I have found out that, since I took this trip, both lifts at Northallerton station have now been installed (with one currently in working order and the other due to be working in just a few weeks). This also means that the super steep ramp from my arrival at Northallerton is gone, with a much more manageable ramp out to the car park (albeit a ramp that makes the journey out of the station about 5 minutes longer).

Stay Invincible! 

Em (Invincible Woman On Wheels) 

The Be Unapologetically You Tag

Image Description: The words "be unapologetically you" are written in green across a lilac background. The "be" and "you" look like they have been typed whereas "unapologetically" looks as though it has been written with a paintbrush

Another blog tag! I was nominated for this one by Ellie from Ellie’s Little World (her post is here). Since InvincibleWomanOnWheels is based on honesty, reality and “what you see is what you get”, it only felt right to participate in a tag about being unapologetically yourself. Now, onto the rules! 

The Be Unapologetically You Tag rules: 

Use the Be Unapologetically You banner in your post. It can be your featured image or not. It’s totally up to you.  

Include the link to this blogging tag in your post.  

Answer the 7 questions in this tag.  

Nominate between 5-10 bloggers, link their blogs, and tag them on social media to notify them.  

Most of all, have fun! 

And now onto the questions! 

Question 1 – Introduce yourself and your blog while sharing one trivia about you that not that many people know.  

My name is Emma, I’m 25 and a wheelchair user with cerebral palsy. I run the InvincibleWomanOnWheels blog you are reading this post on, as well as doing my full-time job. In terms of trivia, I’ll tell you one thing that may not be entirely clear from the blog, I’m actually a West Yorkshire gal. Yep, it may not be clear from my accent (those who follow my Instagram and see my stories will know how I sound) or the areas I blog about (mostly London and Birmingham), but Yorkshire blood runs through these veins. 

Question 2 – What topics do you love geeking out about that you would say are topics that give you bliss?  

The main topic is MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). I watch any promotion I can every time it’s on the tv and attended live events around once a month pre pandemic My other major love is music, I’m an avid CD collector (I probably own over 200) and attended live gigs once a month or once every couple of months pre pandemic. 

Question 3 – Do you blog about them? Why or why not? If not, would you like to blog about them one time?  

Yes, I blog about my passions. Venue wheelchair accessibility reviews for live events/gigs form a big part of the blog. I even have an MMA travels section and a Cage Warriors (my favourite MMA promotion) section where I discuss my experiences attending live MMA shows as a wheelchair user. 

Question 4 – Would you say that you are living life by being unapologetically you? Why or why not? If not, what would your life look like if you were unafraid to share more about the things that make you happy?  

Mostly yes, I love what I love, I am who I am and I say what I say and make no apologies for it. If you ask me a question, you need to be sure you want the honest answer because that’s what you’ll get. I sometimes still have a habit of apologising for things that aren’t my fault. Those things are mostly access related issues where I feel like a burden for requesting equal access, but I’m getting better at not apologising for requesting what I am entitled to. 

Question 5 – Permission to geek out & be unapologetically you: share with us one thing you fangirl or fanboy over and how you became a fan of it. It can be anything. Your love for soy candles, your favourite food, a boy band or an underrated film. 

Those who know me personally likely have an idea what I’m going to discuss here *laugh*. It’s time to talk MMA! I cannot fully explain how in love with this sport I am. I’ve backed out of social events just to watch the fights alone, I’ve taken devices to a friend’s birthday party just so I could watch the fights (with her permission), I’ve spent hours on tiny coaches travelling the country to get to shows. I just love the fights, ok? Whenever you want to ask me about the fights, be prepared for a long chat. Because I will tell you 1000 different details about 1000 different fighters, the details of the fight schedule for the next quarter of the year AND like 4 different funny stories from attending live events. As for how I got into the sport, I believe my brother used to watch it a little when I was younger, but I couldn’t watch because time differences meant it was on too late. Then, when I got university I COULD watch because of my flexible student schedule, so I decided to see what it was all about. But the love for the sport really kicked into hyperdrive when I attended my first Cage Warriors event and with what was going on for me personally when Cage Warriors came into my life. 

Question 6 – What do you love the most about being a fan?  

The thing I love most is that I can be a fan without having to think about accessibility first. I mean OBVIOUSLY accessibility comes into it, I wouldn’t be writing my access reviews if it didn’t, but MMA is one of those things where I “buy tickets first, worry about access later” because I genuinely believe there WILL be a solution. MMA is also one of the few topics where I’m genuinely excited to not know or understand everything and am still ok with just shrugging my shoulders and enjoying it for what it is. Any other topic and not understanding something would frustrate me to the ends of the earth. 

Question 7 – Share a fun or unforgettable fan experience. 

I mean basically every time I go to Cage Warriors is an unforgettable experience. However, I think my favourite would be being put in a chokehold by Molly McCann (a UFC fighter) at a Cage Warriors meet and greet (she had my permission, don’t worry, pretty sure there’s video of it somewhere but I can’t add it into this post). It’s at moments like that that I realised Cage Warriors and MMA meant something more to me, it had to, being put into a chokehold is not your standard meet and greet experience) But the reason I love MMA so much is because it gives me stories like that, stories where you need all of the context to be able to explain what happened without someone looking at you like you’ve got 3 heads. To me, those are the best stories. 

Now onto who I tag to complete this post next: 

I tag the following people: 

Alex @ The VI Critic 

Michelle @ Boomer Eco Crusader 

Artie @ Artie Carden 

Helen @ Crispy Confessions 

Cassie @ Cassie The Hag 

I hope you enjoyed a slice of me being unapologetically me and I look forward to everyone else’s answers.

Stay Invincible! 

Em (Invincible Woman On Wheels) 

Utilita Arena Birmingham Wheelchair Accessibility Review

Image Description: Emma, a young woman with brunette hair and glasses, is sat in her wheelchair at the Utilita Arena Birmingham smiling broadly and throwing the "metal horns" hand signal at the camera. She is wearing a red leather jacket, black jeans, black Bring Me The Horizon band t shirt and a red face covering around her neck.

Back in September, I went to my first gig since live music started up again after the lockdowns. I saw Bring Me The Horizon at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham with my best mate Dev. This was a new venue to me. And you know that means just one thing: A NEW ACCESSIBILITY REVIEW! With that said, let’s get started.

(Disclaimer: I’m aware “accessibility” means different things to different people, as I said before, these are MY views on my experience of accessibility at this venue as an electric wheelchair user, I obviously can’t speak for others experiences but feel free to add your experiences in the comments!)

Ticket Buying
I wasn’t the one buying these particular tickets as Dev actually bought them as my birthday present and left a note in my card to say we were going. Once I knew we were going, Dev had to ask me for my “Access Card” number or other form of disability “proof”. I suppose this was to prove I ACTUALLY needed the wheelchair access seating she had booked for us. Having to prove these things will always feel odd to me but here we are. Then, a couple of weeks before the gig, Dev realised she still hadn’t received our e tickets. THEN she realised never actually received the email confirmation of booking and had just been given a reference number over the phone. After yet more hours spent on the phone to TicketFactory (who I believe handle all access seating for the venue) we FINALLY had our tickets and could actually head to the gig.

*February 2023 update: You can actually buy accessible tickets for Utilita Arena on the website, as long as your Access Card is connected to your TicketFactory account. Oh and as long as you’re not two people with Access Cards and accessibility requirements trying to attend a show TOGETHER. I found that out when I tried to book tickets for my friend Lizzie (also a wheelchair user) and I to see Fall Out Boy. I was told that, because only one Access Card can be connected to one account at a time, I would have to use the access booking line, give the staff member both of our Access Card numbers and just SEE if they could seat us together. Thankfully on this occasion I was successful in my mission, but it’s just another example of the hoops disabled people have to jump through to do a simple thing like attending a show with friends.

Travel
In terms of travel, once Dev was in Birmingham there wasn’t really much travelling to do as the venue is only a short walk from my house. We did stop by a canal side pub (and a couple of other bars) because, you know, pre gig beverages and all.

Experience & Seating
Soon enough we made our way to the gig, and this is where most of the issues occurred. I must stress none of this was to do with the actual gig itself (Nova Twins, You Me At Six and Bring Me The Horizon were all brilliant and my perfect reintroduction to live music) and everything to do with the venue. First off, it was very difficult to cross the bridge in order to get to the venue as there were so many people. It was these same people we were walking against in order to follow the signage to the “accessible” entrance. I used quotation marks for a reason, because the accessible entrance wasn’t really that accessible. We had to walk all the way down a steep path with a questionable drop kerb at the end, before walking THROUGH a cark park, cutting a left turn THROUGH the queue and then standing outside a door in a dark unlit section of said carpark. Sounds dodgy right? Once we were inside, we underwent the security/bag check and then were sent up to the main level in a lift. There was only one person to direct people from the lift round to their accessible seating block (hold onto that piece of information, it will be become important again later). One good thing I did spot is that the arena has a Changing Places toilet (this is a bigger accessible toilet with additional equipment such as a hoist for those who need it). We did walk past merch on the way to our seats but took one look at the queue and Dev decided she’d come back for us during one of the support acts instead. We were then led to our seats. I would say pretty good seats overall, on an accessible section of the arena with a seated height barrier, so I could actually see without having to fuss too much. The accessible seating was actually positioned in between two sets of standard tiered seating (with some tiered seating below us and some above) so I really felt in with the crowd rather than as though I was on some separate platform away from crowd atmosphere. It seemed like the accessible seating went all the way around that level of the venue as well which I was pleasantly surprised by as it actually looked like a decent amount of accessible seating.

*Little update on this from Royal Blood’s show at Utilita end of March 2022: It turns out there is an alternative accessible to the one I described above. THAT entrance was entrance G (turning right outside the Costa as you head over to the bridge towards the arena). There is also an entrance C which I used for the Royal Blood gig. You turn left as you come over the bridge and should see a giant Lego giraffe around the entrance. This is a flat accessible entrance with no car park to drive through. Once you’re through security you just take a lift up to arena level. The only thing I would say here is the door that leads from arena level to the lift is different than the general exit door for this entrance, and you can easily go through the wrong door if you’re following the crowd on the way out and then have to fight back through the crowd to get to the lift exit door. Take a tip from the girl who learned this the hard way.

Image Description: View of the stage at Utilita Arena Birmingham from wheelchair seating block 4

When it came time for Dev to pop out and get merch, she realised there was STILL a massive line at both sides of the merch stand (we figured that it would be quieter once the gig had actually started). When she FINALLY made it to the front, my contactless wouldn’t work. So, she had to have the merch staff put the shirt I wanted aside whilst she came to get me so I could use my pin. Merch purchased, we headed back into the gig.

The gig, I must say, was excellent. Nova Twins, You Me At Six and Bring Me The Horizon all absolutely brilliant. They say you don’t know how much you miss something and how much you need it until it’s gone. Well, this gig certainly showed me how much I missed and needed live music. When I had finished cathartically screaming every lyric to every song and the gig was over, it was time to make our exit. This is where things get “interesting”. We figured that there couldn’t POSSIBLY be just that one accessible entrance we had entered through. Having drawn that conclusion, we decided to make a quick dive out of the nearest exit opposite our seating block.

Reader, our earlier conclusion was wrong. Once we made our exit, we soon realised that the only way down from the arena to street level the WHOLE WAY AROUND was stairs. Realising our mistake, Dev went to speak to some security on the door to ask that we be let back in or directed around to another exit so that I, obviously a wheelchair user, could accessibly exit the building. The security guard heard what Dev was asking and pointed down the stairs (don’t ask me how he thought the stairs and wheelchair was going to go, I must be missing the levitation button on my wheelchair). After about 10 minutes of arguing that the stairs weren’t an option, I decided to just head back inside to see if the staff inside would be more helpful, since re-entering the building seemed our only option for an accessible exit. Once back inside I managed to speak to a staff member who told me we would have to fight against the crowd to head back to the same lift and entrance we’d entered through. Once we made it back to the lift, I realised that the same person was stationed there as when we entered, which meant it made sense why we’d struggled to exit as there was no one to tell us this was the ONE accessible entrance/ exit. This also meant we had to go down the same lift, through the same dodgy car park and up the same dodgy drop kerb to exit. Then it was over many bridges (which had weird speedbumps in the middle for some reason) and THROUGH a pub (due to lack of drop kerb) to get back onto the canal path to head home.

Overall, thoroughly excellent gig with good accessible seating and the first time I’ve ever seen a Changing Places toilet a gig. However, there is still much improvement to be made to the ticket buying process and accessible entry/exit system (in that having one accessible entry/exit point in a venue that size really ISN’T a system.)

Stay Invincible!
Em (Invincible Woman On Wheels

O2 Academy Birmingham Wheelchair Accessibility Review

Image Description: Emma, a young woman with glasses and brown hair, is sat on her sofa smiling broadly. She is showing a bright yellow book (Her copy of Daniel Sloss 'Everyone You Hate Is Going To Die') to the camera.

I finally went to a LIVE. EVENT. again,  IN. PERSON. And it was a venue that was new to me. So that only means one thing: A BRAND NEW VENUE ACCESSIBILITY REVIEW (I was genuinely questioning whether I’d ever type those words again). This one is for the O2 Academy in Birmingham.

(Disclaimer: I’m aware “accessibility” means different things to different people, as I said before, these are MY views on my experience of accessibility at this venue as a manual wheelchair user, I obviously can’t speak for others experiences but feel free to add your experiences in the comments!) 

Ticket Buying

Back in June, my best mate Dev came up to visit me. When we were deciding what to do with our Saturday evening, we remembered that the comedian Daniel Sloss was doing shows in Birmingham that day and it turned out the venue was only a 15 minute walk from my house, so we figured we’d try and grab some last minute tickets. It was one of those “if it happens cool, if not we tried” situations but hey, other people can buy last minute on the day tickets to events if they’re available so why can’t disabled people?  With the mission outlined, we set about contacting the venue through all avenues: all social media, phone calls (which were the first form of contact but we weren’t getting through) and email. It became a matter of principle that we needed a response because like I said before, others can get last minute tickets, disabled attendees should have that option too. After a while, the venue replied to Dev’s email and said that access tickets for the show were sold out. That is what I thought the outcome would be so it was a case of “ok mission unsuccessful” and carry on with the day. THEN the venue replied to my tweet and asked for my contact details. Once I’d handed those details over, I received a call from the venue box office and we were able to book tickets over the phone for the evening performance.

Travel

Since the venue is only 15 minutes from my house, we decided to just walk. We also decided to make a canal side stop for a pre-show drink, because you know, celebrations, and that.

Experience & Seating

Once we arrived at the venue,  we were able to collect our tickets from the box office. I was also recognised by one of the social media team from my Twitter picture (since I was wearing the beloved red leather jacket that’s in that image). We were then taken in one of the entrances and up in the lift to our seats. The lift was one of those where you have to press and HOLD the button to make it move. We also couldn’t have anything touching the sides of the lift otherwise it wouldn’t move. I must say that it was quite difficult to keep holding the buttons down in the lift. Also, whilst I fitted in the lift okay in my  manual wheelchair, I was wondering whether that lift would be able to fit my electric wheelchair. Our seats were balcony seats with an ok view once we had removed one of the chairs and angled my wheelchair towards the stage. However, I wasn’t too bothered about the view since in my mind comedy isn’t as visual as a concert or something else like that. But I do wonder what the view would be like with those seats at a concert as everything on the stage looked pretty small because we were on the highest level.

*A couple of additional notes having attended a concert at this same venue since writing this review: Good additional points: My electric wheelchair DOES fit in that lift, which is something I was a little worried about since it’s a bit tight, AND the view of the stage from the wheelchair space is pretty good, which IS something I was concerned about as I mentioned above. Now for the less positive update: At the concert, my bestie/companion/holder of “carer” ticket, Dev headed down to the main standing area on a couple occasions. This is something we’ve both agreed is absolutely fine and something that happens at near enough every show we’re at together. I know she’ll return at some point, and frankly I quite enjoy knowing what the show was like from the moshpit/standing area as it’s something I’ll never see myself really. However, at the recent concert, we ran into a bit of an issue because security in the standing area wouldn’t allow Dev back up to the wheelchair seating with me even AFTER she showed proof of her carer ticket. I have also heard from other wheelchair using friends that security at the venue won’t even allow wheelchair users to leave the access seating level to buy MERCH. This issue with security (mixed with the lack of signal/Wi-Fi in the venue) meant that Dev and I weren’t reunited until the end of the gig and actually had a pretty difficult time finding each other which put a bit of a dampener on the the evening for me.

In terms of the disabled toilet, it was on the radar key scheme and the emergency pull cord went all the way to the floor; both of which were welcome sights, however, the space in the toilet was a little tight. There were also some COVID related changes (other than masks) such as being socially distanced. This meant there was a gap for one carer and wheelchair user between us and the other people in the accessible seating. There was also mobile ordering and delivery for drinks from the bar, as well as staggered exiting so that everyone wasn’t exiting at the same time.

All in all I must say Daniel Sloss is HILARIOUS and I was saying to Dev that we need NEED to go and see him again when he does a new show. A much needed night of laughs after the last 18 months or so. As for the venue accessibility, bar the struggles acquiring tickets, I thought it was pretty accessible and was fairly happy, although I’d probably have to retest the accessibility in my electric wheelchair just to be certain.

Stay Invincible!

Em (Invincible Woman On Wheels)

Five Misconceptions About Disabled People

Image Description: The photo on the left hand side of the image is Emma, a young white woman with brown hair and tinted glasses, smiling into the camera whilst sat in her wheelchair. She is wearing a red check shirt, red leather jacket and a purple face covering around her neck. The blue text on the right hand side reads "Five Misconceptions About Disabled People"

I often wonder how I’d answer the question “what’s the hardest part of being disabled?” If I was ever asked. I think my true answer is, actually being disabled isn’t the hard bit. It’s the perceptions and responses of non-disabled people to my disability that I find the toughest. I have seen  five general perceptions (these are the five I’ve heard or heard of the most but there are probably more). Who knows? Maybe some day I’ll hear all five of these perceptions in one day!

• Disabled People Are Not Disabled “Enough”

The first perception is seeing disabled people as not disabled ENOUGH to actually be considered disabled or worthy of help and accommodations. This is linked to the idea that disabled people are fakers and scroungers who are only PRETENDING to be disabled for the benefits (both the actual disability benefit and any other perceived benefits such as queue skipping. This can show up in phrases like “oh you can do X, well then you’re not really disabled” or when you comment on a disabled person changing which mobility aid they use on a day to day basis as though variable health conditions don’t exist. This is perhaps the most dangerous misconception as it leaves disabled people constantly proving their disability in order to access the most basic help. It also can lead to internalised ableism on the part of the disabled person. This is something I can personally attest to as I often feel like if I am physically able to do something myself or have the time to then I should do it. Otherwise I feel like I am not doing enough and don’t qualify as “disabled enough” to allow myself rest or assistance.

• Disabled People Are Incompetent or Incapable

This misconception is probably the one that annoys me the most. It’s this idea that, just because we are disabled, we are incompetent or incapable of living independently and need help with everything. This misconception rears its head in the oddest moments. I can simply be rolling down the street minding my own business or pulled to the side and waiting for a friend and someone will approach me and say, “Are you ok?, do you need help?”. And quite frankly my honest answer is “with what?”. If I’m not DOING anything and I’m just here, existing, alone, what can I possibly need help with? I think it’s the alone part that throws people. There’s this idea that disabled people have carers and are constantly attached to them, so if we’re out in the world alone, something must be wrong.

The second part of this incompetence and incapability misconception is when I’m doing something, say grabbing something off a shelf, and a non-disabled person asks if I need help. I’ll usually say no (mostly because I have my own independent methods and I know they work). However, people often ignore my answer and go about ‘helping’ me anyway. This is particularly frustrating and potentially dangerous as well because the methods disabled people develop for completing tasks are something they’ve figured out to live as independently as possible without hurting or overexerting themselves. Therefore, your unrequested ‘help’ as a non-disabled person can actually be more of hindrance, with us exerting more energy as we work around you, and potentially injuring ourselves.

• Disabled People are Inspirational (In the Concept of Inspiration Porn)

This one’s a bit more difficult to explain. Of course sometimes disabled people ARE inspirational. There are plenty of disabled people who inspire me. My issue comes when disabled people are seen as inspirational for doing the smaller, regular things. I’ll be shopping for food, or out at the bar with friends and I’ll be called inspirational. What am I supposed to do, sit at home, and starve? stay inside and not have fun with my friends? And I think that’s the point, most of society doesn’t see our disabled lives as ones worth LIVING, just existing. It’s almost like we’re just expected to sit at home within four walls and cry about being disabled and doing anything outside of that narrative is considered inspirational.

The other part of Inspiration Porn that bothers me is the posts you see on social media of a disabled person (usually in the gym) doing something and a caption along the lines of “if they can do it, what’s your excuse not to?” It infuriates me every time. Disabled people don’t exist as motivational objects or for you to use to put others down and make them feel bad for not being able to do something or choosing not to do it.

• Disabled People Are Angry Or Whiny

I don’t know if you’d fully call this a misconception, but I think that’s the closest term to what it is. There’s this idea that raises its head whenever disabled people bring up an issue, whether that be something as simple and regularly occurring as wheelchair accessibility issues or a bigger more complex issues like the lack of marriage equality for disabled people. Whenever issues like this are raised, it’s always said that disabled people are just angry or  whiny and complaining about everything. This is a misconception because it makes it sound like we LIKE complaining, but we don’t. We just want equality and the rights and access to do the same things as everyone else. Acting like we are whining, complaining, or asking for the moon when we ask for equality makes it sound as those equality is not something you expect or will allow us to have.

• Disabled People Are Broken or Need To Be Fixed  

Remember when I said that the incompetence and incapability misconception annoyed me the most? Yeah I changed my mind, that accolade goes to this misconception. It often comes from people I call ‘healers’ or more widely those who have some form of religious faith. It is those kinds of people who will approach me, randomly in the street may I add, and ask to pray over me and tell me that their religious figure will fix or heal me. Firstly, saying disabled people will be fixed implies we are broken, which we are NOT.  Secondly, I feel that this whole misconception stems from the idea that being disabled is a bad thing, a terrible existence and that if we are disabled there is no way we can be happy. The idea that the only way we can be happy if we become non-disabled.  I can speak only for myself here but I can say I AM disabled AND happy. And frankly, since I’ve been disabled from birth, if I suddenly became able bodied, I wouldn’t have a clue how to handle it. My life is a disabled one. And it’s a happy one. And that’s fine by me.

So what’s the message of this blog post?  Please think about the perceptions you have of disabled people, and why you have those perceptions, because they may well be misconceptions. And if you’re disabled, what do you think of the misconceptions I’ve discussed here? Are there any I’ve missed?

Stay Invincible!

Em (Invincible Woman On Wheels)

The Cost of Disability

Image Description: A selection of photos and text on a white background. The image on the left hand side is Emma, a white woman with brown hair and glasses, smiling into the camera. The image on the right is a jar, tipped on its side with coins spilling out, on a white background. There is also a section of blue text above the images and one below. The top centre text reads "The Cost" and the bottom centre text reads "Of Disability"

A little diversion from my usual content here, but I need to discuss a perception about disabled people that’s a perpetual annoyance to me.

There’s this idea that disabled people are just “in it for the benefits”. That we’re a bunch of scroungers and fakers who get a butler, a mansion and a car all paid for by the government. This idea couldn’t be further from the truth. Disability is actually very expensive. Research from the disability charity Scope found that disabled people in the UK incur costs of an extra £583 a month. Where do these extra costs come from you ask? Well…

The first aspect to consider is medical bills. In the UK this can include paying for prescriptions  for the medications we need to keep us going, or for private therapy if the NHS will not provide them. I know these payments must be even higher in the US where every medical treatment and hospital stay incurs a cost.

Then there is the cost of equipment and all the other basics we need to exist and live. For example, this can include mobility equipment such as cars, wheelchairs, canes, or other mobility aids. Whilst I know that in the UK we have some schemes, such as the Motability Scheme. However, for those who cannot access such schemes or whose mobility aid cannot be funded by such schemes, they usually have to use some form of crowdfunding to fund their mobility equipment. Add to this the cost of any specific assistive equipment such as a shower seat or grab rail and the cost increases even further. Any disabled person will tell you that simply adding the word “assistance” or “adaptive” to the name of any items will significantly inflate the price. Even if we leave aside the costs of baying for pieces of equipment, there is also the cost of paying for assistance in the form of carers for those with disabled people who require them, these carers costs may not be covered by benefit, which means yet more additional costs for the disabled person.

Then we have to considered the cost of housing. For example, in my  university accommodation, the difference in rent between an accessible flat and a non-accessible flat was not covered, so I essentially paying more to live in a specific type of flat, not through choice but because it was the only place I could feasibly independently live. Even if we move beyond student accommodation, accessible housing on the general property market is a lot rarer than I think people are led to believe. This means that, through the guise of  supply and demand, such accessible houses are likely to be more expensive. So you think, ok you have your house, that’s the end of the additional housing costs right? Wrong. Then we have to account for utilities. For example disabled people may have higher energy and heating costs due to charging wheelchairs or running other equipment or even just through having their heating on more to help with muscular or temperature regulation issues. So even within the idea of “housing costs” there are so many additional costs

So we’ve covered equipment and housing, that must be it? Nope, even simple things like clothing can have additional costs. Like I mentioned earlier with assistive equipment, adding the term “adaptive” or “adapted” to a piece of clothing, or even just insinuating that a piece of clothing will be useful for disabled people, often means it will be priced higher. One recent  example is the Nike Go Flyease shoe. This a something that I saw many of my disabled peers saying would be the perfect shoe for them in terms of accessibility, but these shoes are $120, likely well out of budget for most disabled people. Even for those who do not require specific adaptive clothing, there are still additional costs, such as the need to shop with certain brands because of the accessibility of their clothing. For example, as a wheelchair user, I need to wear certain clothes that fit well when sat down constantly as I often am. Such brands and items are often more expensive than if I did not have those accessibility considerations. There is also the impact of additional delivery costs if there is a shop we want to buy our clothes from which isn’t accessible (in my case, the shop may not have step free wheelchair access). This additional cost should be something that everyone is more aware of given the impact of the recent lockdown and the fact that delivery was the only way we could buy anything, not just clothes.

I bet you’re thinking, “what can there be left to add?” Well, contrary to popular belief, disabled people like to go out and socialise and attend events too, and even our leisure activities can incur extra costs. For example, if I want to go to a pub or restaurant, it is likely that the more accessible places will be more expensive, but if I want to go out I have no CHOICE but to pay those prices as those are the only accessible locations. And if I choose to attend an event, I have to think about the difference in pricing of accessible seating. For example, when I got tickets to a UFC event in Liverpool a few years ago, I was initially quoted £200 for an accessible seating ticket and managed to get them to give me one of the £80 accessible seats instead. I will never understand why accessible seating is not just set at the lowest ticket price, particularly given that disabled attendees often can’t choose our seats and just have to sit wherever the accessible seating is placed.

So there must be some benefits and forms of help for disabled people to offset all these extra costs? Well yes and no. Whilst there are some schemes like the Motability scheme I mentioned earlier, not every disabled person is eligible for all schemes and all help. For example, in England, disabled people can get a reduction on their council tax. However, this only applies if your home is adapted for your disability (and only certain things count as adaptations). This means that I (very much a disabled person) do not qualify for a disability related council tax reduction because my house is not suitably adapted. And even if we ARE eligible for these help schemes, we often end up having to PAY first to gain access to them. This is the case in the UK for a disabled railcard, a Blue Badge disabled parking placard, and even paying for doctors notes to PROVE we are disabled in order to access a specific scheme. So, even where there are helpful schemes, we often have to pay for those too, incurring another additional cost on top of everything else. This is the price of accessibility and disability.

What I’m saying is, if you think disabled people get everything paid for and are living on easy street because we get government benefits, try balancing that against all the additional costs we have to pay to exist and live. I think you’ll find that we are paying out even more than everyone else. An average of an extra £583 a month to be exact

Stay Invincible!

Em (Invincible Woman On Wheels)

The Aesthete Blogger Award

Image Description (Originally by Khushi at Blind Girl Musings): The image has a white background. At the center there is a pink and brown globe with figures of woman dancing, art pallet, ink and feather, music symbols, paper airplane, a statue, and a paper and a feather pen. The pen is shown in such a way that it seems like someone is writing on the paper with it. “The aesthete blogger award,” is written at the top with a butterfly between the words ‘the’ and ‘aesthete.’ On the left and right of this picture are hands with flowers and something written which is too small to read.

ANOTHER blogger award! I was nominated for this award by the lovely Khushi from Blind Girl Musings. The award was originally created by Ashmita over at A Fictional Journal (original post can be found via this link). With that, let’s get onto the post. 

First things first, RULES 

Award Rules 

Use the official logo/graphic of the award and display it on your blog. 

List the rules. 

Show some love to the one who nominated you! 

Mention the creator (Asmita@ the Fictional Journal) and link it back to the original post. 

Tell me a something about this world that you admire. 

What is your favourite form of creativity? 

Nominate 7 lovely people and notify them by commenting on their posts; spread some love! 

Ask your nominees 4 questions. 

Share something you created. (Can be anything!) 

And lastly, just so you know: I LOVE YOUR CREATIONS! 

My Answers to the Ashmita (the creators’) Questions 

Tell me a something about this world that you admire. 

The variety in it. The variety of cultures, experiences, language, everything. I just find the differences between how people see the world and how societies are built fascinating. Probably tells you something about why I have a Sociology and Psychology degree. 

What is your favourite form of creativity? 

Definitely blogging. Putting words to paper (or page) gets a lot of thoughts out of my head and generally helps me generally keep it together. How I write is how I sound. 

My Answers to Khushi’s Questions 

What’s the last song you listen to? 

There’s kind of 2 answers to this. The song I was listening to when I planned this blog post was Resolution by Dermot Kennedy. However, the song I’m listening to as I type this is I’d Do Anything by Simple Plan  

What’s the last book you read, if you’re a reader? Did you like it? Tell me something about it. 

The last book I fully read through was Syncopated Blue by Ryan Hennessey. It’s a poetry book, which isn’t the usual style I read but I really enjoyed it. The only reason I didn’t immediately reread it is because I was on a train and worried I’d miss my stop. 

How would you feel if you were born in an era when people still communicated primarily through exchanging letters? 

I feel like I’d struggle and not enjoy it for 2 reasons. Firstly, my condition makes handwriting difficult and means it takes quite a long time. I also have no patience which means I’d probably find it really annoying waiting for a reply, particularly with the time it takes to receive letters through the post.  

Who’s your favourite author? I know there can be more than 1 so feel free to share as many as you want! 

I’d say Jo Nesbo  because The Snowman is one of few books I could reread 1000 times and still be as shocked and unnerved (in the best way) every time. 

My Questions 

1. Why did you start blogging? 

2. One place you’d like to travel to? 

3. One type of creativity you admire and wish you could do? 

4. One thing you do to relax? 

My Nominations  

Alex at The VI Critic 

Cassie from Cassie the Hag 

Georgia from BritVoyage 

Artie Carden 

Smelly Socks and Garden Peas 

Madison & Rebecca from Foster Family Travels 

Ian from Barefoot Backpacker 

Once again, thank you to Khushi for the nomination, and I hope everyone enjoyed learning a little more about me. I also look forward to reading the answers from my nominees. 

Stay Invincible  

Em  

Undergoing a Cervical Screening as a Wheelchair User with Cerebral Palsy

Original Photo Credit: Dev Place Photos. Image Description: The photo on the left hand side of the image is Emma, a young white woman with brown hair and tinted glasses, smiling into the camera whilst sat in her wheelchair. She is wearing a red check shirt, red leather jacket and a purple face covering around her neck. The blue text on the right hand side reads "Undergoing a Cervical Screening as a Wheelchair User with Cerebral Palsy"

As a woman approaching her 25^th birthday (the quarter century is approaching rather quicker than I’d like) I was recently invited to and underwent my first cervical screening (or ‘smear test’). I thought I’d let you in on how the process went for me as a wheelchair user in case anyone else is in the same situation and would like some insight.

Receiving the Invitation

Since I am almost 25, I received a letter in the post inviting me to book my cervical screening via my GP. I instantly began what the process was and what pitfalls I may encounter or additional access needs I would have as a wheelchair user with Cerebral Palsy.

Booking the Appointment

When it came to booking the appointment, I’m registered with an online/digital GP service who also have physical locations. This meant I had to book the screening appointment over the phone in order to get an appointment at the actual GP surgery. I tried that for a few days but wasn’t able to get an answer or book an appointment. So, as I often do, I took to Twitter. This eventually lead to me getting a call back from the doctors and I was able to arrange the appointment. Throughout the appointment booking process, I didn’t mention my Cerebral Palsy. This is because I knew the doctors surgery was accessible since I’d been before. Plus I believe my Cerebral Palsy isn’t relevant to a situation until it is relevant, so it’s a “we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it” kind of situation. Also, given that this is my doctors we are talking about, I figured my lifelong medical condition would be on record already anyway.

The Actual Appointment

On the day of the appointment, I just walked to the surgery, entered, and waited to be called in for my appointment. Once I was called into the appointment, the nurse explained what would be happening and asked some basic questions. I found the tone of the explanation kind of patronising, but I did wonder whether it was just explained in that time because it was my first time having the screening? When it came time to start the screening I just parked my wheelchair beside the bed and transferred over. The nurse then asked me to remove my underwear, shoes, and socks. I was somewhat annoyed at the need to take off my shoes. I’d specifically worn a skirt to the appointment, since I know putting on shoes is difficult for me and I hate struggling with tasks in front of people. I was then asked to widen my hips and flop my legs out to the side. This kind of request is something I’m used to from medical professionals since I’ve spent a lot of my life having  doctors testing my hip flexion which is somewhat a similar position. I was, however, aware that my legs weren’t evenly flat (due to muscle tightness from my Cerebral Palsy) and wondered whether that would affect how easy the screening would be. In order to obtain a sample, the nurse inserted a speculum. It was somewhat uncomfortable and took 3 attempts to get a decent sample. I think that was probably somewhat because of the muscle tightness from my Cerebral Palsy as well. Once a decent sample was obtained and the screening was over, I simply  cleaned myself up, redressed (leaving my shoes off until I got out of the room so I could struggle in peace) and transferred back into my wheelchair and the appointment was done. I didn’t have any pains afterwards that I was aware of. Also, for those who are bothered, my screening came back clear so I don’t need to undergo any further testing or intervention until 2024.

I hope this provides some insight for other wheelchair users (or those with other disabilities and access needs) who want or need more information on the process of undergoing a cervical screening.

Stay Invincible!

Em (Invincible Woman On Wheels)

Experiencing Harassment and Stranger Interactions as a Disabled Woman

Original Photo Credit: Dev Place Photos. Image Description: The photo on the left hand side of the image is Emma, a young white woman with brown hair and tinted glasses, smiling into the camera whilst sat in her wheelchair. She is wearing a red check shirt, red leather jacket and a purple face covering around her neck. The blue text on the right hand side reads "Experiencing Harassment and Stranger Interactions as a Disabled Woman".

Recently, I experienced 3 different interactions in the space of 5 days that really stuck with me (in a bad way). Two of them were very clear cut harassment and one more what I would call a ‘stranger interaction’. This is something I know other people, and specifically other disabled people, have  talked about, so it’s something I thought I should discuss. Firstly, I wanted to just address why I have separated stranger interactions and harassment in the title, because frankly the answer is I don’t know why. Initially, I was going to address these two things as separate ideas in two separate posts, but as my friend Dev pointed out over on my Instagram, there’s a whole bunch of overlap between the two ideas. The definition of harassment  is ‘unwanted behaviour’ which the person finds ‘offensive’ or which leaves them feeling ‘humiliated or intimidated’ and asking a disabled person you have never met how they have sex (which strangers often do) is DEFINITELY ‘offensive’, strangers talking to me is also generally ‘unwanted behaviour’, like, if I don’t  know you, please don’t randomly spark up a conversation. I guess what I’m saying here is stranger interactions ARE harassment as a disabled person and I don’t know why it’s taken this long for that to click for me.

Now on to the actual incidents. This first one, the more ‘stranger interaction’ type incident, happened in the middle of my mission to vote in the latest round of elections. A woman stopped me in the middle of the pavement and started the conversation with “I don’t mean to accost you dear”.  BIG red flag here, if you “don’t mean” to accost me, then…don’t. If you say that then continue talking to me, your ‘accosting me’ is 100% intentional. She then proceeded to tell me this story about her disabled friend and some funny nickname a random kid had given to the friend’s wheelchair once. This struck me as odd for two reasons: 1) Don’t reveal your friend’s status as a disabled person to a random stranger, that’s personal information and I just… nah don’t do that, and 2) You thought that little anecdote was worthy of stopping a stranger in the middle of the street who was OBVIOUSLY in the middle of doing something? Kids say cute things about mobility aids all the time, I’ve heard stories like that at least weekly for like the past decade. I wasn’t entirely sure how to react to this rando, anecdote. This woman then became somewhat annoyed about my lack of reaction (my face is the kind that can’t fake a reaction if I don’t actually care about what you just said) which was odd. I’m not a performing monkey who’s going to react positively because you’re telling me a story involving a disabled person and I AM a disabled person. But at the same time I’m also trying not to anger this woman in case the situation escalates and she gets more annoyed and tries to attack me or something, which sounds entirely ridiculous. WHY am I still altering my response to harassment as a disabled person in the year 2021 purely out of fear of being attacked for reacting ‘wrong’?

I think I’ve figured out why I previously saw these stranger interactions as different from the clearer cut harassment  is that these incidents are often framed as people “just trying to be nice” or “just trying to communicate/start a conversation”. If all you can find to discuss with me is disability related, that doesn’t sound like you want to know me, that just sounds like you want a free disability encyclopaedia. Also why are we still giving people props for  “trying” to communicate with disabled people? it’s 2021 for pity’s sake, I’m disabled, I’m not an alien, communicating with me is NOT that difficult.

Now onto the incidents of clear cut harassment. Both of these involved strange men giving  “compliments” to my friends and I as we sat having coffee. As a  disabled woman, I’m always scared of these kind of incidents happening, because I can’t get away as easily. In the first of these two incidents, the man was ‘complimenting’ my friends but not me. Was that because I’m disabled? Was it because I was not responding to him? Who knows, what I do know is that I immediately jumped to making sure I wasn’t going to anger him and trying to find what weapons I could use to defend myself if he attacked. I grabbed at my keys, checked that my footplates were down so I could catch his ankles, and checked whether I was at the right level to drop kick him in the crown jewels if he grabbed me. I also began wondering what I’d do if I was alone in this situation, because I  couldn’t easily enter shop the coffee shop we were at to get help. I also noticed a severe lack of bystander intervention in both incidents, other than some shocked looks when I told the guy in the second incident to fuck off (*gasp* the disabled girl said a sweary word). Thankfully, I was able to get away from both harassers, in the first instance, I was able to drop a little signal hint to my friend who went inside the coffee shop to get help, and then the staff there were able to shoo the harasser away. However, in the second incident both myself and the friend were wheelchair users and so couldn’t  enter the coffee  shop to get help (and our path into the shop was also blocked by the harasser at some points). Luckily, we know the staff in that coffee shop quite well and so they saw us having issues and came out to stop the harassment.

I don’t really know why I wrote this blog post other than to get these incidents off my chest and show you that harassment does happen to disabled people, perhaps more often than you think.  Disabled women in particular are at higher risk of being harassed and assaulted. In fact, according to the disability and crime report published in 2019, disabled women are twice as likely to be sexually assaulted or harassed than non-disabled women. I don’t know for sure why this but I’d guess it’s because we’re seen as an easier target.  I think this is because it’s harder for us to get into a venue to ask for help and it may be harder for us to physically defend ourselves from attack.

Oh and while I still have your attention, asking disabled people random questions about their disability or their lives IS harassment, no matter how you frame it. Search engines exist, if you have questions about life as a disabled person, use them, disabled people are not your rolling encyclopaedias of disability knowledge. Orrrrrrrrrrr, you could just check out the rest of my blog and see if any of my posts answer your questions.

Stay Invincible!

Em (Invincible Woman On Wheels)

Discussing Life as a Disabled School Student: Collaboration Q & A with Buttons and Ramps

Original Photo Credit for photo of Emma: Dev Place Photos. Image Description: A selection of photos and text on a white background. The image on the left hand side is Emma, a white woman with brown hair and glasses, smiling into the camera. The image on the right is Melissa, a white woman with brown hair, smiling into the camera There are also 3 sections of blue text written underneath each other in the centre of the image. The top centre text reads "Discussing Life as a Disabled School Student". The middle centre text reads "Collaboration Q & A" and the bottom centre text reads "With Melissa From Buttons and Ramps"

A very exciting collaboration for today’s post. A little collaborative Q & A with Melissa from Buttons and Ramps discussing our experiences as disabled students within the school system. These are the questions I asked Melissa and her answers, and you can find my responses to her questions in her blog post over here. Anyway, enough with the babbling on and on with the Q & A.

1. Are you the only disabled person in your school? How open was your school about their accessibility/becoming accessible?

There’s now another wheelchair user in the year below me, but when I started school I was the first person in a wheelchair to go there, and my family and I were very much discouraged by the council and told to go to a more accessible school. At first, there were lots of makeshift ramps and teachers who looked like they’d never seen a wheelchair before but eventually teachers learned to adapt lessons and lots of the doors in the corridors were wedged open for me. There’s still no lift, but luckily I’m able to go upstairs with a little bit of help.

2. Could/can you access all the different lessons? (dance/PE/other subjects?) What is your school’s response like if you can’t?

In S1 (the first year of secondary school in Scotland, when I was 11 or 12), I was encouraged to do every subject but I had most of my classes in the same rooms on the ground floor which annoyed me and my classmates. I’ve found that the accessibility of subjects really depends on the teacher. For example, in S1 my art teacher really encouraged me even though my hands were shaky and the lines I drew weren’t straight but in S2 my art teacher marked me down and told me not to continue the subject simply because of my shaking. I think if a teacher understands accessibility and is able to adapt lessons, it makes a big difference. There have been few occasions that I’ve been excluded from lessons but if I do ever feel at a disadvantage, I’m able to speak to my pastoral care teacher and it always gets sorted.

3. What was one concern you had going into secondary school?

I had many concerns going into secondary school, my biggest concern was how the other pupils would react to me. I was anxious about being in a wheelchair as well since I hadn’t had much experience in an electric chair before and I’d never imagined myself being in a wheelchair all the time. I didn’t want to be known as ‘the disabled kid’.

4. What is one concern you have now about the next transition – college/uni/whatever?

I’m still unsure of where I’m headed. I’d quite like to go to a conservatoire and see how far acting could take me, but I also need to be realistic and have a back-up plan. If I can’t go to a conservatoire, I would like to go to university and study English and writing. I would love to be an author or playwright as well as being an actor. I worry that my disability will limit me, especially in acting. I don’t want to end up losing out on the opportunity to act because of the way I speak or how I move. My disability shouldn’t affect my writing in theory, but it’s always funny how even things you wouldn’t assume would be different are. I just hope that whatever I’m doing, I’m happy and able to have the same quality of education as I would if I weren’t disabled.

5. what is one piece of advice you’d give to younger disabled person about school?

School is never easy for anyone. It’s important to understand your own self-worth and to be able to learn to advocate for your own needs, even if you have people who would be willing to advocate for you. Your disability is a part of you, but it doesn’t define you or limit what you can do. If people aren’t willing to understand your disability and learn how to accommodate you, they are in the wrong. You are entitled to the same quality of education as anyone else, even if it looks a bit different from your peers’ education. Treat yourself with respect and don’t let anyone but yourself dictate what you’re capable of.

6. How is the social aspect of school for you? How do other kids react to your disability?

It’s been the most challenging aspect of school for me. I’ve kept a few close friends from primary but I’ve really struggled with making new friends. I’ve found that as much as my wheelchair helps me, it’s also sometimes a barrier for me because people see it and immediately make assumptions about who I am. My speech impairment also doesn’t help much as secondary school is very fast paced and people don’t really have time to listen to me and tune in to the way I speak. I’m also someone who’s very outgoing with people they know but I tend to be pretty shy with new people, especially of my age. I find it hard to know what groups to approach and tend to just stick to talking to the same few friends I have. People are very nice to me but I find that I’m often people don’t make the effort to actually become friends with me. I think secondary school is generally not a great environment for anyone who doesn’t fit into social normalities but being disabled definitely makes things more challenging.

7. How did you find receiving support at school (i.e. teaching assistant support)?

At first I wasn’t keen on having support. I wanted to be just like everyone else but having assistants to help me with daily activities and lessons definitely makes my life easier. I have great relationships with all of my assistants and I actually really enjoy their company. I have one assistant who I especially love and I honestly think I would have moved school if it weren’t for her. Having someone to talk to (even if it’s a middle aged woman) is really helpful and valuable. I think it’s so important that you have good relationships with teaching assistants, it’s so beneficial to be able to communicate what you need and how you feel in order to have the best education possible.

8. What is one topic about school/uni you’d like to see me discuss/discuss more on my blog?

I’d love to hear more about your experiences with university (getting in, learning how to be a disabled student) and how your attitude to disability has changed in adulthood.

I loved reading Melissa’s responses to these questions and I hope you did too. Don’t forget to check out my responses to her questions in her blog post here.

Stay Invincible