Category Archives: Disability

Disability

Mother’s Asperger’s poem strikes a chord on social media

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In an emotional moment after a couple of very difficult days during the school holidays, Dr Sophie Billington penned a poem about her son Tristan, who has Asperger’s syndrome.

“He is wired differently, To you and me, This child of mine,” it begins and goes on to explain that, while he can’t tie his shoelaces at the age of 11, he understands nanotechnology and genome editing technology.

“He is kind, He is generous But the world judges, Sees only the outbursts and over-reactions.”

It was after a series of such outbursts, caused by the change in routine brought about by the holidays, that Sophie found release in putting pen to paper.

She posted the poem (see below) on her Facebook page and was amazed at the response from friends – one even asked to use it to help her in her work training special educational needs teachers.  More

Disability, Diversity, Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month

Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month – June 2018

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Diabetes Awareness Week runs from 11 to 17 June and with this in mind we  have chosen Jeremy Irvine as our Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month.

Jeremy was inspired to become an actor by his former drama teacher, and in June 2010, was cast in the lead role of the Steven Spielberg film War Horse making his acting debut.

The casting process lasted for two months, with Jeremy auditioning several times a week. In an attempt to prepare himself for the role of Albert, he took up weight training and also underwent two months of intensive horse riding. Jeremy spent so much time recreating the Battle of Somme scene in the film that he ended up contracting trench foot.

For his work in the film, he was nominated for the London Film Critics’ Choice Award for Young British Performer of The Year and Empire Award for Best Male Newcomer.

Jeremy has had Diabetes Type 1 since childhood along with his two brothers.  During 2005 and 2007 he was been involved in trials with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) to test an artificial pancreas and he introduced his experiences with diabetes to Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, the President of the JDRF, during a visit to the Cambridge Welcome Trust Clinical Research Facility in February 2012.

Jeremy avoids the spotlight realising very quickly that he didn’t want to be famous.  He said in relation to his success and fame that ‘The work my mum does, a lot of it is re-housing homeless people, that’s a real job. I play make-believe and dressing up for a living!”

To find out more about Jeremy’s work see here

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3528539/

To find out more about Diabetes Awareness Week see here

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/get_involved/diabetes-week

Disability, Diversity, Inclusion, Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month

Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month – May 2018

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Deaf Awareness Week is from 14 -20 May and with this in mind we have chosen Rachel Shenton as our Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month.

Rachel is an actress appearing in many well know shows but most notably as Mitzeee Minniver in the TV show Hollyoaks.  She also spent two years in the US TV show ‘Switched at Birth’.

Rachel got involved in raising awareness of deafness in the UK when her father became deaf whilst undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer. Following her father’s death Rachel learnt British Sign Language and in 2011 she became an Ambassador for the National Deaf Children’s Society.  She has completed various events in aid of deaf societies including, skydiving, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and climbing the BT Tower.  In 2011 she helped launch ‘Viewtalk’ a social networking website for deaf people.

In 2018 Rachel wrote and starred in a short film ‘The Silent Child’, about a young deaf girl, which won this year’s Oscar in the Live Action Short Film category.

To find out more about Deaf Awareness Week see here http://deafcouncil.org.uk/deaf-awareness-week/

To find out more about Rachel see here https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2053650/

Disability, Equality

NFL Draft 2018: Shaquem Griffin joins Seattle to become league’s first one-handed player

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Shaquem Griffin has become the first one-handed player to be drafted by an NFL team after being selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round.

The linebacker had his left hand amputated when he was four, having been born with a condition that prevented the fingers from fully developing.

The 22-year-old joins his twin brother Shaquill, a cornerback, in Seattle.

Shaquem Griffin was in attendance in Dallas to hear his name called at the 2018 NFL Draft.

He starred at college level, winning his conference’s defensive player of the year award in 2016 and playing in an unbeaten University of Central Florida team last season.  More

Disability, Diversity

Disability-led ensemble to play BBC Proms

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Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s Resound ensemble will become the first disability-led group to play the BBC Proms this summer.

The group is led by James Rose, who has cerebral palsy and conducts using a baton strapped to his head.

His fellow musicians have conditions such as blindness, autism and partial deafness.

They’ll make their Proms debut less than a year after being formed, at a “relaxed Prom” on 27 August.

The low-key concert is aimed at children and adults with autism, sensory impairments and learning disabilities; and will be signed for those with hearing difficulties.  More

Disability, Diversity, Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month

Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month – April 2018

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On 11th April it is World Parkinson’s Day and with that in mind we have chosen Rob Deering as our Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month.

Rob is a stand up comedian being one of the most in-demand headliners on the UK circuit, he’s toured nationally and performed solo shows at the Edinburgh Fringe many times since starting out in comedy in the year 2000. His late-night, live-music comedy pop quiz Beat is a festival institution, on London’s South Bank, at Wales’ Green Man and many more besides Edinburgh.

Rob has performed throughout the world, in shows from the Middle East to Melbourne, Shanghai to the South of France, and he has appeared many Radio and TV shows.

He has been a supporter of Parkinson’s UK since 2007. His father has Parkinson’s and encouraged Rob to get involved. Since then he has run marathons, featured on quiz shows, and set up a series of comedy nights in support.

In 2007 he won £24,000 for the charity during a special comedians’ edition of the Weakest Link, and he also won Celebrity Mastermind in 2014.

Rob is the brains behind Shake with Laughter, a series of comedy nights around the country which is now in its sixth successful year. He also performed for Parkinson’s UK at the Royal Albert Hall in Symfunny No.2 last year.

Rob is a keen marathon runner and is the Parkinson’s UK Champion of Running. Inspired by his father, Rob takes part in a number of running events every year, including the London Marathon which he has run six times.

To find out more about World Parkinson’s Day see here https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/get-involved/world-parkinsons-day

To find out more about Rob see here http://www.robdeering.com/biography/

Disability, Diversity, Gender, Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month

Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month – March 2018

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LAURA JAMES – AUTHOR

On 26 March it is the start of World Autism Awareness Week and with this in mind we have chosen Laura James as our Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month.

In the UK, there are 700,000 people diagnosed with autism, according to the NAS. One of those people is Laura James. Laura is a journalist, author and columnist and her work has appeared in many national and international newspapers and magazines, and she’s the author of nine books.  Laura’s ninth book, Odd Girl Out, is a memoir focusing on her autism, the book tracks a year of her life as she comes to terms with the diagnosis.

Laura always felt like she was different – but it took more than 40 years for her to find out why.  At the age of 46 she was told she was autistic.  Laura was being tested for a condition related to Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder, when a nurse recognised she was having an autistic meltdown.  Laura presumed she had made a mistake but Laura visited her GP who referred her to a psychiatrist. After carrying out a six-hour assessment, she was given her autism diagnosis.

At first Laura told only her family and close friends and found telling her husband and children quite uneventful, everyone else found out when she wrote an article about her diagnosis for The Guardian.

Straight after her diagnosis things hadn’t changed very much, but then she had therapy which was amazing. Her therapist specialised in autism and understood how she thought and really helped with the things she found difficult.  Through therapy and writing and everything that came after she learned to identify her feelings, put in to perspective the reason she always felt very fearful and learnt coping strategies like wearing noise cancelling headphones.

Laura feels passionate about breaking the lingering stereotypes around autism and normalising the condition in conversation.  She feels that ‘It doesn’t make you less of a person, just different.’

In an article for Good Housekeeping magazine Laura about her life and book said the following:

‘I want neurotypical women to read it so autism isn’t this big scary thing,’ Laura says.

‘When I was growing up people didn’t speak about depression – there was a proper stiff upper lip, whereas now there’s loads of people talking about health and wellbeing, including the royals.

‘If we could get to that stage with autism, where it’s mainstream and normalised, I think the world will be a much better place.’

To find out more about Laura see here

https://twitter.com/girl_by_the_aga

and to find out more World Autism Week see here

http://www.autism.org.uk/get-involved/world-autism-awareness-week.aspx

 

 

Disability, Diversity, Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month

Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month – January 2018

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World Braille Day takes place on 4 January and with that in mind we have chosen Gary Waite as our Inspirational Diversity Champion of the month.

Gary is a photographer who only took up taking photos after he lost his sight.  He found out he had a hereditary eye condition, retinitis pigmentosa, at the age of 19. It was a total shock to him as it is women in a family who are carriers and the men get it. Two of his brothers and one nephew have the condition.

To begin with, he tried his best not to be associated with the condition. He didn’t want to be seen that way and throughout the Eighties he was hiding. He was able to play football with his mates, but would then bump into people on nights out. He tried a lot of jobs; including an electrician and a plumber; but it was too dangerous.

Eventually, he became depressed and his eyesight was getting worse when, in the early Nineties, he went to Moorfields Hospital and met an amazing woman named Barbara Norton, in the social work department, who helped him to get in touch with support groups.

Then, aged around 40, Gary’s eyesight went completely and it was while attending an IT course for visually impaired and blind people in Camberwell that he heard about the charity PhotoVoice.  Gary wasn’t interested at first and then, his curiosity overcame him. From the moment he lifted a digital SLR camera and started to experiment and ask questions, he was hooked. And he became really good at it.

It helped that Gary had not been blind from birth and knew what colours were but he needs to use his other senses particularly sound and touch and he uses his cane to be able to work out how to take the photo.

He always have someone with him and they go through the photos and have them described and together they edit the ones to delete or keep.

To find out more about PhotoVoice see here https://photovoice.org/our-partners/

To find out more about World Braille Day see here

https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/world/world-braille-day

Disability, Inclusion, Mental Health

Autism at Christmas: ‘My son likes to lock himself in his room’

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For many children Christmas is the most exciting time of the year, but for those with autism – and for the families who look after them – it can be an extraordinarily challenging period.

Some of the simplest joys associated with Christmas, such as opening presents or eating turkey, can become potential flashpoints as children who place huge importance on their routines find it hard to handle the change to their environment.

So how do families with autistic children make it through the festive season with happiness and harmony?

For Kevin Harrison, it is a time of year to be handled cautiously as his 11-year-old son Daniel struggles with the challenges of Christmas.  More