BRING BACK INCLUSION SQUADS!

Having grown up with a physical disability I've been all too well aware of diversity and equality issues that arise far too often in society. Sadly, when you're disabled it's a daily battle to live a normal life. Each and every day there's barriers pushed in our direction that the average abled bodied person doesn't have to face.

I've been brought up to fight against the barriers and was always told by my parents that I could do anything I put my mind to; perhaps it wouldn't always be easy and that it might take extra planning or a different route to the end result but nevertheless nothing was out of my reach. Never! In fact having a disability has probably made me even more determined to grab hold of everything that life has to offer. Yes, I have my down days but I know within my heart that if I let it run its course I'll be back on track and fighting once again because what else is there to do?

I'm 18 years old and due to leave education in just a few months time and am relieved to be doing be so as it's become impossible! If you can't reach the expected high standards, they simply just don't care-but that's a story for another day. Throughout my school life I've attended a handful of schools and my experiences as a disabled pupil have varied. Looking back there was one initiative that really worked throughout my time in education and I'm sad to report that it was scrapped for reasons that I am unaware of. But it worked and I genuinely believe it should have continued to develope across the country.

From around the time I was in Primary 3 until I left Primary 7 back in 2011, I attended a small rural school with around 36 pupils at any given time. During my time there an initiative referred to as 'Inclusion Squads' was born. In my opinion it was one of the most effective areas in our education at primary school and I genuinely feel it created a lasting impact. What's an Inclusion Squad might you ask? Basically it was group of pupils in each school who met up on a regular basis to create a plan to promote inclusion and equality within the school for ALL pupils!

There was a gentleman from the local council who oversaw the project visiting each of the schools within the area to work with pupils to make the Inclusion Squad ethos a reality. The gentleman just so happened to be an amputee himself so really understood both the importance and the objective of the groups. I've met a lot of really interesting people over the years but he was a real inspiration to me and the other pupils and I know for the fact that his influence created a lasting impact in my life.

He worked closely with the pupils as well as our headteacher to create something that should be in every school, workplace and organisation across the world. Sometimes the simplest of things were discussed but that's what made the difference; start small and it all grows from there. Having been involved in various projects throughout my education I can honestly say if one made a difference; the Inclusion Squads certainly did!

I genuinely believe this is something that could be established in every school across the world and make a difference in so many lives. It can be the simplest of things such as creating acceptance and understanding for every single person to walk through the door. Then there's looking at the more physical elements such as making the school building more accessible to adapting things such as PE lessons and Sports Day in order to allow everyone to take part. My school successfully did it, everyone was happy and it worked so why can't this be done in ALL schools?

Everything accomplished as part of the 'Inclusion Squad' was done in a fun and light manner which made it more appealing. I've been in schools, I know what it's like; there'd be no point in sitting pupils down and making it like another boring lesson. In turn they'll just shut off and what good would that do? Any action needs to be relative to young people in order for it to work; NOT just another lesson!

In my opinion, the younger that each individual is educated on inclusion and equality; the better! I would love to see the day where you can enter a room and no one flutters an eyelid no matter who you are or how you look. If children are taught from a young age that throughout life they'll come across many different people from all walks of live and that's completely normal, it'll make a huge impact on society!

Education is key for change and it can be done! 

Discussing Disability Access on BBC Radio Scotland

Well, what an exciting start to the week! Throughout my time blogging I've highlighted numerous issues with disability access particularly at gigs and live events. My recent article was a rant in frustration about the lift at the O2 ABC in Glasgow being broken meaning that disabled customers cannot attend events within the venue. I decided to contact BBC Radio Scotland about these issues as I was extremely fed up as nothing ever seemed to change or improve.

The BBC Radio Scotland team were kind enough to invite me to visit the studios for an interview on The Kaye Adams Programme to discuss these issues. This for me was a great opportunity to highlight  a subject which I've tirelessly discussed here on my blog and feel passionate about.

On arrival at the BBC Studios, I was taken aback about just how big the building was! Woah! Imagine working in a place like that!? A dream job in my opinion! The Christmas tree had just arrived in the building and was due to go up. My goodness did it look big!

We received our passes from the main reception desk and hung around for a few minutes in the lobby area. After a short while we were escorted upstairs with two other ladies who'd also been invited to discuss various topics on Kaye's show. I was taken aback with just how big the BBC building was; the floors just seemed to keep going! I couldn't help but wonder what wonders lay upon each floor of such an magnificent building!

My visitor's pass

We were ushered through numerous doors, through offices space filled with hundreds of desks of people typing aways and answering telephones. For me, it was interesting to get a small a glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes. I mean this is a dream place to work after all! I'd love to be a BBC radio DJ! How cool would that be!?

We were soon taken into what could only be described as a hallway with some seats and what I think was another office space at the opposite end. The hallway was lit by daylight singing through the large glass windows looking out onto the river Clyde. Directly across the river was one of my favourite places in Glasgow; the SSE Hydro. Some of my best memories live inside of that building!

In front of us in the hallway were the radio studios which had two glass windows; on looked into another small hallway leading to the studio and the other; directly inside the studio. Above the grey door was the 'On Air' sign something that in my opinion makes every radio studio all the more exciting!

The first of the ladies was called in for her chat with Kaye about vegan food as we all waited outside. Before long I too was invited into the studio-exciting! I sat down in front of the mic as Kaye was talking with someone via the phone line live on air. It's kind of strange sitting in front of someone you're used to watching on TV. I remember being in Primary school and sometimes being off school ill and often Loose Women being on TV so you can understand why! 

The view from the studio windows

Kaye started with an introduction about what I was there to talk about and just like that; the interview began. Did I feel nervous? Surprisingly not! I got straight into it and hopefully managed to answer questions with confidence and as much information as possible. I finally had the opportunity to talk about a subject that I feel strongly about and want to help change things so really there was nothing to worry about. I know my subject inside out and was there to give my experiences. 

And just like that it was over and I went back outside to wait as I'd been ask to stay on and take part in the call-in at the end of the show. As we waited I was introduced to a lady from Disability Agenda Scotland who'd also be asked to come and discuss the subject. Towards the show we were invited back into the studio and the discussion began. Unfortunately, time was running short so the discussion was brief but worthwhile. 

No sooner than a flash of light, it was over and I'd made my first radio appearance on the other side of the mic and I'm here to tell the tale! I can honestly say I enjoyed the experience so much! It was such a great experience and I would love to do something like that again, strangely there's such a buzz about doing these sort of things! 

A huge thank-you to Kaye and BBC Radio Scotland for having me on the show and allowing me this wonderful opportunity to discuss this subject on such a vast platform. Every piece of media attention makes such a difference!

If you'd like to listen to the interview be sure to click here. My interview with Kaye is around the 1 hour, 50 minutes mark. I'd really appreciate if you could also spare an extra minute to give it a share and help get the word out in the open!

Until next time,

The Hat Hippie xx

Being Discriminated Against Once Again!!!

Guess what?! I can't go to another gig because I'm disabled and use a wheelchair!

Recently, my younger sister and her friend wished to attend two different concerts at the O2 ABC in Glasgow. Due to events having specific age limits both girls were deemed as too young to attend unless accompanied by someone over the age of 18. I'm 18 now which means by rights I can take on the big sister role and attend gigs such as these ones with my younger sister. Sadly, this would be the case if I were abled-bodied and didn't use a wheelchair.

On hearing of the gigs I visited the O2 ABC's website to gather the necessary information regarding purchasing wheelchair access tickets for the events. Most venues have specific policies for people like me who have specific access needs regarding ticket purchases and I completely support the policies considering previous experiences with other venues who openly sold disabled access tickets online to everybody and anybody that could find them. As I scrolled through the website I came across a statement that stated the following message 'We're sorry to inform you that our lift is temporarily out of order. Operating over four floors, our custom-built lift currently has a mechanical fault at ground level and requires a full replacement'. The statement also asked that any customers with access requirements please contact them in advance prior to purchasing tickets. So I did and asked them if it would be likely that the lift would be back in full working order by February (the date of the first gig that I wish to attend). I later received a response stating 'unfortunately we have no definitive date on when the new lift will be made & installed. All I could say for now is buy a standard tickets for the event and if the lift is still broken you would be issued with a full refund.' I can't say I was particularly chuffed to hear that the venue did not know whether their lift would be back in working order three months later! Surely you'd have a rough idea.

I was later made aware that the lift by other wheelchair users that the lift has in fact been out order since July at least! That''s four, almost five months it's been out of order and they still can't guarantee that it'll be fixed by February (7 months later!). Yes, I could easily go purchase a ticket on the off chance that they might get their act together and have the lift up and running but may I also add that I wanted to attend the event as a guardian for my sister and her friend so why would I let them get their hopes up and have to disappoint them on the day of the show and tell them they can't go because I can't physically get inside the building!? People often forget that people like me not always attend an event for themselves we might go because a loved one wishes to attend, we are normal people after all!

I've ranted on a number of occasions in past and this for me is the final straw! I am seriously fed up of just having to accept the fact that I can't do something because my legs don't work properly. In the past 12 months I've had issues with at least six different venues in Glasgow alone due to my disability  and it's disgusting in this day in age. I've been researching a number of people whom I can contact that may be able to help me in anyway that they possibly can and am pleased to say I've had a positive response to my first email (more details to follow I hope!). However, during my research I came across an old article which you can check out by clicking here from last year about a gig held in the O2 Academy specifically for people with disabilities and it was in support of the making a change regarding the very issues I've faced. Notice, that it was held in the O2 Academy? Yes, a sister venue of the O2 ABC; the venue that don't know when their lift will be fixed meaning that disabled customers haven't and will continue to be unable to access events within the building! Can you actually believe that?!  

Anyway, I must thank you for taking the time to read yet another article filled with frustration. I seriously feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall-when will the message get through to people?! I really appreciate your support and would be ever so grateful if you could once again give this article a share and please get in contact with me (details in the contact page above) if you can help in any shape or form or know someone who will. In the meantime I'll be sure to keep you all posted with everything that happens!

Chronic Pain Awareness

Hi Guys!

Wow! I can't quite believe this is my 100th post; a very short one at that but I just wanted to stop by to share this video. I'm so sorry for being so quiet of late, my pain has been playing up big time. As a result I haven't been feeling very inspired to blog. I will however, hopefully have some new posts coming up in the not so distant future so please bear with me.
In the meantime I want to share with you all my most recent YouTube video where I talk about what it's like to live with Chronic Pain. My aim is to raise as much awareness as possible so I'd be extremely grateful if you could help me out and give this video a share and ask others to do the same. The more people that see it, the more chance there is that it'll reach someone out there in a similar situation.

Anyway, on that note I shall love you and leave you to watch the video. If you have any questions please feel free to get in contact.

Thank-you all so much for your love and support!

Love & Peace,

The Hat Hippie xx

My Experiences of Frames & Leg Lengthening

I wanted to use my blog to write a lot about personal experiences and actually, when I think about it I haven't written very much about my time in London at Great Ormond Street Hospital. So today I thought I'd make a start and tell you a bit about the leg lengthening surgery I underwent and the frame that they put on my leg. This will be followed at a later date with posts on staying in hospital and my experiences of London as city during my frequent trips to hospital. I also want to create an open door policy for anyone who is undergoing leg lengthening, perhaps going to stay in hospital for treatment etc. to ask me questions which I'll try my best to answer. So if you'd like to ask me anything feel free; I want to help put as many people's minds at ease as I possibly can. No question is too ridiculous so please don't feel embarrassed either-trust me I've had to ask my consultants questions that I thought were silly in past, but knowing the answer helped me feel better about the situation!

Well I was born with my right leg shorter than the left and the long and the short of it was that I ended up under the care of Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. I underwent treatment when I was just a year old and just a few years later at around four years old, I had my first leg lengthening operation. So I was pretty young but I believe I coped remarkably well.

Basically, what happened in the initial operation was (please excuse how gruesome this might sound; it makes me squirm too although, it didn't feel as bad as it sounds-I promise) that my consultant broke one of my bones either the tibia or fibula (can't remember what one) in half and put a metal cage called an Ilizarov frame around my leg with metal pins attached to it which went through my bone. After the initial operation we had to use a pair of spanners every day (yes, spanners that you'd find in a toolbox) to twist the rods on the Ilizarov frame which were connected to the pins in my leg. What this did was stretch my bone in order to achieve the required growth over a period of a few months. Although, taking a pair of spanners with us to the airport on our fortnightly trips to London was fun and games. Every time without fail we were stopped at the security check (whatever you call it!) and questioned about why we needed a pair of spanners. Try explaining the strange contraption on my leg and the spanners to go along with it was certainly interesting-it's a wonder how we managed to persuade them to be honest!

A few weeks after the initial operation I had to undergo a follow up operation in order to insert a thicker pin through my other bone and attach it to the frame. After a seven month period I underwent a third and final operation to have the Ilizarov frame removed from my leg and in comparison to the seven hour operation to put it on in the first place; it only took around twenty minutes to remove which is quite unbelievable!

Me and my physiotherapist at GOSH

Following the first lot of leg lengthening, the required amount of growth in my leg was successfully achieved and for a good five or six years afterwards I would visit GOSH every six months for check ups. However, as time went on I began to grow and the difference in my leg length became more problematic as expected. So at ten years old I had the leg lengthening treatment all over again; except this time they used a more modern and up to date contraction called a 'Taylor Spatial' frame. Again, it was the same surgical procedure however the difference was that I was quite a bit older, the orthopaedic ward was in the newer part of the hospital and I'd forgotten what exactly to expect as I was only just a little girl last time round; so it was all pretty scary for me I must admit.

Fortunately, there was so many people in the hospital that helped put my mind at ease such as the doctors who explained things in a matter of fact way so I always knew exactly what the procedure involved, the nurses who did their best to make the experience as easy as possible, the play leader who sat down and explained things to me and always found a fun art activity to keep my mind off of any procedures I had done. And of course the other patients that I came across were also a great support to me; there was always something fun going on to take part in and they overall, they made everything seem not so bad. But I'll tell you more about the actual hospital experience in another post in the not so distant future.

Apart from having the actual surgery itself, there was a lot of work on my part to help make the treatment a success. Like I said earlier, we had to use the spanners every single day for a period of a couple of months to tweak the rods and in turn stretch the bone. I also, had to have my wounds cleaned on a regular basis which was an experience that I wasn't so keen on. Basically, my Mum had to remove the old dressings and clean round each pin site on my leg with antiseptic wipes which stung like mad and often made my cry. The new dressings were soaked in some sort of antibacterial solution which were put around the pin sites and secured with either a plastic clip or a rubber tube type thing. My Mum would clean my wounds for me as well as the district nurses who'd visit at least once a week to clean them, check for infection as well as providing us with more wound cleaning supplies. The nurses I had were great and I got on very well with them! I'd often put on a DVD usually something like Camp Rock or High School Musical as I was a part of the generation that were obsessed with those movies. Sometimes, I'd even get out my joke book and tell everyone a joke or two-bless them having to put up with those awful jokes! 

On a couple occasions my pin sites got infected and up until then I'd been too afraid to look at my wounds. I accidentally caught sight of one of the infected wounds one day and although, it wasn't particularly gory I got quite a fright. Following that incident, I put a towel above my leg in order to hide the frame when my wounds were being cleaned so I wouldn't catch another glimpse as it really freaked me out!

I also had regular sessions with my physiotherapist which started off in hospital to get me up and moving although, I wanted out of bed the day following surgery. There was no physiotherapists as it was a Saturday so with the help of my parents and the nurses we had to use a banana board to transfer me to my wheelchair without bending my leg. For the two weeks I spent in hospital, I attended regular gym sessions with my physio to get me moving which were actually quite fun-more on that in a future post though! I then carried out the exercise by myself at home and in regular sessions with my physiotherapist here in Scotland.

Riding my tyre swing with a frame on my leg

You'd think from the appearance of the frames that it would restrict what I was able to do however, I soon realised that this was not the case. The possibilities were endless! I was able to ride my bike and was even able to play on the tyre swing in our old garden! So it certainly didn't restrict me; in fact it probably made me all the more determined. 

Was it painful? Well, there was times when it would cause me pain and discomfort particularly just after surgery. I suppose my bone had been broken after all. However, the doctors kept me well stocked up on pain relief and as time went on I required less and less of it. I'd probably say the worst part for me was having my wounds cleaned but even that I managed to get through by distracting myself with other things.

Of course no one wants to have surgery but I choose to look at what I've been through as a positive thing and although it didn't quite go to plan and I was unable to have a third leg lengthening due to problems with my knee resulting in me having quite a difference in length between both legs; I had some pretty great experiences in the process! I've visited some pretty cool places and met some wonderful people so really, it could have been a lot worse!

I've tried to keep this post to a minimum as there's so much I could write about. However, if you are about to go through this sort of surgery, are going through it or have went through it and would like to ask a question or chat about it, then please feel free to get in touch with me via the contact page above! I'd love to hear from you and would be delighted if I can help in anyway. I'm thinking I might also make a YouTube video on this subject as it'll reach another audience and might help at least one person out there! Thank-you so much for reading, I'll be back again very soon with another new post so make sure to pop back and see what's happening!

Love & Peace,

The Hat Hippie xx

Hospitals & A Bad CRPS Flare

Hello!

It's been an eventful few weeks since I last posted here on my blog and you may have noticed that I mentioned on my Facebook page that my knee has been playing up lately, causing me quite a bit of pain and discomfort. Despite giving it plenty of rest and keeping it elevated as much as I possibly could, it didn't seem to improve any. In fact, it probably got worse if anything.

So after feeling pretty miserable all weekend it was off to the doctors surgery on the Monday morning to see my GP. We are pretty fortunate when it comes to our doctors surgery as they'll always do their best to fit you in as soon as they possibly can and last Monday was no exception. They managed to fit me in that morning roughly just an hour and a half after Mum called that morning. That's almost unheard of in today's society!

So after a shorter than usual tutoring session that morning, my Mum and I made our way across town to the surgery listening to the radio as we went.  Listening to the radio is by far one of my favourite past times and is great when going to a medical appointment as it helps divert my mind from worrying about it. After attending so many hospital appointments throughout the years, you'd think it wouldn't bother me too much, but for whatever reason I still get quite worked up about going for one.

Anyway, we arrived in the surgery car park just as they were playing the new ELO song which actually reminded me a little of another song. We were a little early so we sat in the car for a further ten minutes or so, which was much better than sitting in a waiting room, whilst I sat there deliberating what song it reminded me of. Then it hit me! It sounded like Golden Slumbers by The Beatles (my favourite band-in case you didn't know!) I quickly pulled out my iPod and started playing Golden Slumbers to compare the two songs. My poor Mum must get sick and tired of me having mad, geeky moments about music-she has the patience of a saint to listen to me rambling on all day long! But in all seriousness, go look up the two songs and have a listen! I mean it might just be me, but that's exactly what it reminded me of. Oops, I've just realised that I went off track enthusing about music (again!) Sorry folks!

Inside the surgery we spent a further twenty minutes or so waiting to be seen as it was extremely busy and they were running a little late. There really wasn't a need to complain though, as these things happen and they were good enough to actually fit me in at the last minute. After twenty minutes of watching I don't know how many different faces come and go and for me, counting the faded outlines of squares on the carpet (the things you do to past time), my name was finally called.

After explaining to the doctor what was going on with my knee, he gave it an examination, asking me questions about my most recent visit to hospital and what motions they used when examining my knee as that was really when my knee began flaring up. Apparently, the motion they used in hospital, which almost looked like they were popping my knee out of place and back in again, was actually to test the ligaments that had been created during my knee surgery back in 2011. I was told to rest my leg just like I had been doing and was prescribed yet more pain killers.

By Wednesday, my pain levels had grown worse and I spent the day in bed and for a little while in the afternoon curled up on the sofa feeling absolutely miserable. This was probably the worse my pain had been for a while. It was at the point that it had me in tears so that said a lot. My Mum decided to get in contact with the hospital and managed to get in contact with my pain management consultant's secretary who arranged for me to see both my pain management consultant and my othopedic consultant the following day which we were so grateful for them arranging.

So the next morning it was a 6:30am rise for us in order to get there in time. Quickly, we ate a spot of breakfast, got dressed and were out of the door before we knew it. On route to hospital, we picked up my Grandparents and hit the motorway in the morning rush. Fortunately, we managed to make it in time for my appointment.

After finding out where exactly to go for my appointment, (no one seems to know where exactly anything is in the new hospital) we were then told by a receptionist that my consultants had been called to theatre and they had no idea how long they'd be. Mum and I decided that we'd go get a coffee from the hospital coffee shop when we bumped into my orthopedic consultant on route. It turns out that he hadn't been called to theatre afterall, so we followed him to the plaster room where he had a look at my knee and decided to send me for an X-ray. It had been a good two or three years since I last had one actually. We were sent through what was like a secret corridor which led to X-ray department and let the receptionist know that I was there. After a fairly short wait, I was escorted through to the X-Ray room by a student radiographer who said that I'd been the most stylish person to step through their doors that week if not ever. Yes, even on a hospital visit, I still manage to wear one of my hats and a pair of Dr Marten boots because let's face it; it just wouldn't be me without them! But anyway, it was a nice compliment!

The radiographers who  took care of me that day were extremely lovely which makes a  huge difference! Some of my last X-rays were taken at an adult's hospitals and they barely uttered a single word to me and didn't even bothered to crack a smile-is it really that much to ask?! I mean, I was only about 13 or 14 at the time!

After being made to bend my knee in a variety of awkward positions, standing as still as I possibly could, the radiographers were satisfied with the images and sent me back through to the plaster room to find my pain management consultant dressed in his blue theatre gowns. He had to take a quick phone call, so my orthopedic consultant had a look at my X-Rays which thankfully looked normal. Although when it comes to my leg "normal"  is completely different to the average person's leg.

The long and the short of it was that last time I saw my consultant, which was around a month or so ago, whilst he was examining my knee, my fibula may have knocked against one of my nerves and upset things after it being moved around as much. There isn't much holding my knee together meaning that everything is kind of floating around, hence why my fibula could have hit against one of the nerves. There's isn't anything that they can really do to fix this so he suggested that I keep my leg well rested and that I wear a splint as much as I can over the next few weeks to keep things secure. So as one of his fellows ordered the splint, he popped out to go collect it.

During this time, my pain management consultant returned and asked me about what had happened over the past few weeks with my knee. I explained the situation to him and he also suggested me wearing splint on my knee. So everyone had a wee laugh about how two great minds think alike when my other consultant returned. I had to sit on one of the hospital beds as they fitted the splint which is extremely heavy and makes me feel like a robot, but I'll ride the storm and put up with it in hope that it'll help. Since I was there my pain management consultant also gave me a course of acupuncture in hope that it would help with my pain. Obviously, I wasn't able to see what he was doing as I had to lie on my side, but apparently my consultant used a lot more needles than he'd previously used when I had acupuncture.

So I was eventually sent home to rest my knee and to try out the knee splint for the next few weeks. I am most definitely not a fan of it as it's so heavy, however Ive got to do what I've got to do.

Anyway, I shall go for now but until next time I send you all lots of love and best wishes!

-The Hat Hippie xx

My Advice to CRPS Sufferers

Today, I thought I'd share my advice for other people out there who, like me suffer from CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome). As you probably know already from reading my previous posts, I've suffered from this condition since undergoing knee pioneering surgery back in 2011 and was finally diagnosed with the condition in early 2013 by which point it was too late to actually attempt to cure the condition. 

I was just 12 years old when I had my knee surgery and at just 14 years old  I was diagnosed with CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome) so I guess I was pretty young and I still am in many respects. As I write this I sit cuddled up on my bed with my hot water bottle on my knee due to my pain flaring. Not much fun! This got me thinking and I thought I'd write my advice for other people in similar situations to myself. There is very little information out there for CRPS suffers particularly by people who suffer from it themselves and by someone of my age. So I thought I'd share the little knowledge I have and I'm sure there's plenty more for even me to learn over time. I am no expert! I don't think anyone really is to be completely honest which leads me onto my first piece of advice.

1. Don't be afraid to be honest with your consultants as no one knows you better than you! Whilst doctors, consultants and specialists are counted as "professionals" even they don't always know what the perfect cure or solution is for you. CRPS or even chronic pain in general is something that needs to be investigated in a lot more detail than it already has. I personally, under hospital guidance havd tried numerous treatments such as using a TENs machine, anti-epileptic medications which have apparently shown effective results in people suffering from nerve pain and even acupuncture. Some of which have helped to some degree but alongside any relief that I did experience came other problems. I still haven't found a solution and instead have to manage my pain levels to the best of my ability. People in the medical profession are just human and are still learning just like you and I so don't be afraid to let them know that something isn't working for you or if you don't want to go through with a treatment because "the doctor knows best and I can't question them". Don't worry, you can because ultimately they're not the one going through everything that you are. And let's face it; no one knows you better than you!

2. Never give up hope! You never know what tomorrow might bring, it might just be the day they find a cure or a way to relieve your pain levels! New cures and treatments are being discovered each and everyday for a large number of things. Tomorrow might just be the day that they'll find the one to change your life!

3. Play close attention to what triggers or increases your pain flares and look at ways in which you can minimize these triggers or perhaps get rid of them altogether. For me things such as stress and upset play a big part in triggering off a pain flare so over time I've had to step back and take a look at what I can do in order to prevent myself from becoming stressed, anxious or upset to avoid my pain levels becoming any worse than they are. Another personal pain trigger is cold and damp weather which living in Scotland is pretty difficult to avoid I must admit. It's actually something that I'm currently struggling with quite a bit due to the fact it's approaching the colder months in the year. And I'm currently having to use techniques and coping mechanisms that I've learnt over the past couple of years such as carrying a hot water bottle wherever I go and the simplest of things such as wearing warmer clothes, resting my leg and using art and music to take my mind off of it. It doesn't take the pain away, but it certainly helps me to cope with it and prevent it from getting any worse. There will be many different ways of dealing with pain triggers and not everything will work for you, but my advice is to try things out and over time you'll discover what works for you.

4. Don't be afraid to say no and make people aware of your capabilities! Perhaps you may have heard of the spoon theory and for those of you who haven't, I suggest looking it up! It explains the daily capabilities of a chronic pain sufferer perfectly. Pain is such a debilitating thing and sometime makes enduring the simplest of tasks a real challenge. You're only human and can only do what you can do! It doesn't make you a failure to say 'no, I can't manage to do that today'. Sometimes people won't always be as supportive or as understanding as you'd hoped they would be but, you know what?! It could easily be them in your situation and they don't know what might happen tomorrow so always be proud of yourself for what you can do because you're doing good! It's the scenario of whether the glass is half empty or half full and sometimes the most difficult of situations bring you to facing that scenario face on. And trust me, it hasn't always been easy to be positive in past, but I can finally say I think i've finally got there!

5. Never compare yourself to what you once were or even the people round about you. This isn't an easy thing to do, I must confess, it's something I'm still learning not to do. It's so easy to look back at a time when you didn't suffer from CRPS and feel absolutely crap that you can't live the life that you once used to lead and do things that you once used to do. Always, focus on the positives, be proud of what you CAN do and the person that you've become because of all that life has thrown in your direction.

A Message to All Those "Professionals" Out There!

Hi Out There!

 

My apologies for being so quiet around here during the past few weeks, so much happens and you sort of loose track of time and then realise "oh! I haven't updated my blog in a while". These things happens I suppose but hopefully I'll have plenty more posts in the near future to make up for the quiet period-I'll give it my best shot anyway!

Anyway, today's post is a little bit of rant which I apologise for in advance. However, it's good to vent your frustration somewhere and hopefully if I do it here on my blog, the right eyes will read it and somewhere down the line it'll contribute to making things easier for someone else in a similar situation to myself. One can only hope it will have a positive impact at some point but in the meantime I'll use this platform for my own benefit. So here it goes.......

Because of my health I have had ALOT of "professionals" involved in my life ever since I was little. If I'm being completely honest with you; I absolutely hate it! When I was younger it didn't bother me too much, I just got on with it, attended the medical appointments and I suppose didn't think too much more about it. Now is unfortunately, a different story. I suppose having attended so many meetings and medical appointments over the years eventually takes it's toll.

I'm a little sick and tired of listening to the bright ideas that "professionals" who barely know me think are the right way forward for me. Well, I'm sorry but they're not! Not everyone is the same and just because something works for one person doesn't mean it'll be the right thing for another! I'm sure these "professionals" are used to walking into a room and repeating the same old script that they say to everyone they meet each and every day. What they always fail to remember is that they're speaking to someone with feelings and hearing them talk about me and my life in a particular way is pretty painful sometimes. They make you look at yourself in a completely different light and make your life seem alien in many respects. Quite often after the many appointments I attend due to my health, I get home and end up in floods of tears after hearing what was said to me which in turn makes my pain levels worse as my nervous system doesn't react well to stress and upset.

When I was younger I'd walk into a room full of medical professionals who would talk in what often felt like a foreign language. Making decisions about my treatment wasn't as much of a concern to me back then however, as you grow older you're suddenly flung in the deep end and Doctors want you to make the decisions. I often scroll through Facebook and see other people of my age discussing their worries and talking about the decisions they have to make regarding school/college which of course are important and have a major impact in the life. However, if I'm being completely honest I often envy their stress and concerns and wish I was making their decisions instead of decisions regarding the likes of medications and what steps to take next in my treatment. In many respects I feel like an old soul stuck in a teen's body, I struggle to relate to people of my age which might sound a little odd. Growing up so quickly at such a young age and trying to explain the emotions and how it affects you as person to people is difficult. One minute you're wanted to sit in a meeting and discuss extremely personal subjects with a bunch of strangers and then the next minute another "professional" thinks you're just like any other teenager and treat you as if you're clueless which REALLY irritates me! Like I said, I have nothing against others of my age but I find it difficult to be someone I'm not. At this point in my life I've been through a lot, experienced a lot of things that very few of my age already have and yet some "professionals" just presume I'm like any other teenager and should be acting and participating in things that others of my age do. Perhaps had they suggested some of their ideas a few years earlier it would have been different. But it's too late now I'm afraid, I can't be an "adult" and have to make mature decisions one minute and then put my "teenage" brain on the second I step out of the hospital. It unfortunately doesn't work that way; I'm either one way or the other. I am who I am and everything that I've been through has shaped the person I've become, I've matured and learned a lot over the past few years. I'm extremely proud of how much I achieved in the past year in particular and want to focus on making life as good as it possibly can be and more importantly standing up and speaking out about the issues that I alongside many other people are facing on a daily basis!

To be honest, I am now at the stage that I'm about to snap at the next "professional" who thinks they can suggest their useless ideas when A) I have already empathised of numerous occasions that my answer is 'NO!' and B) they haven't taken the time to really get to know me and see that I'm not the "typical" teenager. I am seriously considering handing them a piece of paper with the link to this post and telling them to go read it. Perhaps it would make them stop and think? Perhaps they might realise that before making presumptions they need to instead, look at the situation and at each individual as a person. 

As you'll now probably have gathered I am sick and tired of people trying to class me as something I'm not and just presuming that because something suits one person it'll suit and appeal to everyone. Well hello!-It won't! We are all unique (in a good way of course!) and when someone says 'NO', it should taken as 'NO' providing that the outcome's not going to cause harm to anyone. I hope that one day the point I'm trying to make will be taken seriously and perhaps those who need to take notice will do just that. I'm just one person sitting here in my room, on my laptop writing about my frustrations here on this minute space on the internet, if I'm lucky a few people might even sit down and read it. Through just even one person stumbling across this, I sincerely hope I can change perceptions and perhaps even gain the support of others to spread this message further. I can only imagine that I'm not the only person out there who feels this way and hope that through what I write I can find those that feel the same way and together, I hope we can get the message out there!

 

On that thought, I shall leave you with that thought and bid you farewell for now!

 

Sending you lots of love, peace and best wishes,

 

Rob xx

Life Update: Dreams Do Come True

Hello Lovely People!

How are you all doing? I hope that wherever you live has been blessed with some much needed sunshine. Certainly, where I live we've had a decent amount of sunshine however, it is Scotland after all and unfortunately the rain is never too far away but any sunshine is better than none I suppose! If you've been keeping up to date with my blog posts over the past four or five weeks you'll know it's been a pretty crazy but exciting few weeks for me! So much has happened and to be honest it's went by like a whirlwind! How is it that all the good things in life go by within a blink of an eye?
In just the space of a few weeks some of my biggest dreams have come true. Some of which I've waited years for to actually happen. If I were to go back in time to this time last year and tell myself what the up and coming year would hold; I don't think I'd actually believe it. The strange thing was that I was out and about today when I came across a framed picture of a dream catcher with the words "If you really want to catch you dreams you have to chase them" underneath. It was really appropriate considering everything that's happened during the past little while so of course it came home with me. So from now on, every time I look at that picture up on my bedroom wall, I'll fondly remember all of those precious memories and more importantly that dreams really do come true!
Like I said above, all my dreams that came true during the past couple of months have taken a long time to happen! I've had to overcome a lot of diversity and challenges throughout my entire life but the past four years since my knee surgery has been the toughest of them all. I'm sure at some point I'll write in more depth about all that has happened perhaps in a book (if I can actually make that dream a reality!) or even in this blog and explain in more detail just how difficult it's been. I feel really proud of everything I've overcome and the dreams I've achieved by doing just that. More now than ever, I feel extremely inspired to go out there and make every single one of my dreams come true.
As you'll know my radio dream has become a reality and I owe a lot of thanks every single person that helped me get there! I honestly mean this when I say that I love every single second I spend at the station, live on air hosting my very own show! I get such a buzz from it; I love learning new things, improving my skills and techniques and meeting such lovely people in the process. Having this amazing opportunity means the world to me and I'm cannot begin to express just how grateful I am for being given a chance.
Another of my biggest dreams was to meet Stevie Nicks from the legendary rock band Fleetwood Mac and thanks to an amazing charity named Rays of Sunshine my dream finally came true! I don't think I've ever met anyone quite like Stevie, she is truly a wonderful woman and a huge inspiration to me. Everything she said to me that night; the advice and the encouragement really meant a lot and will inspire me for the rest of my life. A short time after my wish was granted, Rays of Sunshine sent out a press release about my wish to some of the newspapers and the story was published in my town's local newspaper which was pretty exciting! We received the news that it had been printed whilst I was on air at the radio station so Mum and I popped into the supermarket on route home to pick up a copy. I quickly flicked through the pages in the shop to find the article but didn't properly read it until we got back into the car. I remember scanning through the article and having to double take when I noticed that Stevie herself had made a comment! Never in a million years did I expect to read the words "It was truly a pleasure to spend time with Robyn. She is definitely a girl with a plan, and she is not letting this get her down. She may actually save the world. I wrote her story in my journal where it will live on. Rock on Robyn! Love, Stevie Nicks." I was completely and utterly shocked but incredibly touched that Stevie had taken the time out of her day to contribute to the article and say such sweet things about me. Those words mean the absolute world to me and I can't thank Stevie enough for her words of wisdom and encouragement!
I sincerely hope that one day in the not so distant future I will find a way to help Rays of Sunshine for making my dream come true. That evening made such a big impact in my life and without Rays of Sunshine it would never have happened. I am going to have a good brainstorm about what I can do to say Thank-you them for granting my wish and hopefully find a way to help them make other young people's greatest wishes come true!
No doubt, you'll have come across my previous blog posts about my trip to Liverpool and seeing Sir Paul McCartney in concert. I've wanted to visit Liverpool for such a long time anyway, but combining it with another of my greatest wishes to see Paul McCartney in concert was something I'd never have even expected to happen! Liverpool is such a beautiful city and the people who live there couldn't have been friendlier! I instantly felt at home there and cannot wait to go back! Seeing Paul McCartney was for me one of those "pinch me" moments. I'd missed out on seeing him live on a couple occasions so this was as you can imagine an extremely special experience! I know some people would argue otherwise but in my opinion alongside so many others Paul's still go it! To see a gentlemen of his age play for as long as he did and not once show an sign of exhaustion was incredible! The music of course, speaks for itself and to actually hear those legendary songs performed right there in front of me was mind-blowing! I still can't believe I saw Paul live and have promised myself it certainly won't be the last time!
I could quite literally go on forever about the amazing few weeks I've but getting to the long and the short of it is that dreams do come true so never give up trying! If they don't work out for you the first time there's a good reason why it wasn't meant to be. Please just don't give up hope because when it finally does happen it'll be extremely special and completely worth it-I can assure you of that!
I shall love you and leave you for now, so if you haven't already make sure to catch up on all my latest blog posts here at www.thehathippie.blogspot.co.uk and also on my music blog www.jukeboxrhapsody.blogspot.co.uk! I'm planning on compiling a list of ideas for future blog posts to keep me busy over the coming weeks and months so if any of you would like to see me write about something in particular make sure to leave a comment below, on one of my social media accounts or by email through the contact form. Any ideas will of course be greatly appreciated and I'll do my absolute upmost to write about them here on my blog.

Thank-you so much for stopping by! I really appreciate all your love and support! It means the absolute world to me!

Lots of Love & Best Wishes,

Rob (The Hat Hippie) xx

Buying Accessible Tickets for Concerts & Events

Hello Folks!

As I'm sure many of you have already gathered, I love attending concerts as well as other lives events when they pop up. This morning my Mum and I were listening to the Radio just like we always do as we dropped my sister off at school. Today, one of my Mum's very favourite bands Wet Wet Wet were on air performing a bunch of live music and to also announce the exciting news that they were embarking on a UK tour early next year. Being such a big fan my Mum was desperate to see them live again and I must admit that I've wanted to see them live for quite a while so between us we decided that we'd try get hold of tickets.
Around less than half an hour after announcing the tour those who'd signed up to the band's mailing list were sent an email with links to purchase pre-sale tickets at 9am. Next to each link was a phone number where presumably gig-goers could also purchase tickets from. As always we were unable to buy disabled accessible tickets online, in most instances this ruling is put in place to prevent fraud and the misuse of disabled tickets which to be honest is fair enough. After all it gives people like myself a fairer chance.
My Mum dialled the provided number and waited in a queue for around half an hour-thankfully she didn't have to endure any of that highly annoying music they usually play in the background as you wait. Eventually, someone answered the phone and Mum explained our situation and asked if there were any disabled tickets left to purchase in the pre-sale. Mum was soon told that there was in fact no disabled tickets allocated whatsoever for the presale which in my opinion is completely shocking!
Recently, my sister and I also had difficulty when booking disabled access tickets for yet another event. The tickets for this particular event were extremely popular and went on sale as soon as the dates were announced. So as you can imagine there was mad dash to actually get tickets in the first place. There was no visible details on the ticket website regarding how to book disabled tickets. We decided to wing it in hope that if we secured tickets we'd be able to contact the venue afterwards and see if they could help us out. So we did just that.
I soon received an email to confirm the booking and on the email was a disabled assistance number. My Mum phoned the ticketing service up and explained the situation to the person on the other end of the phone line. He looked into transferring our tickets and soon discovered that there was no seats allocated for wheelchair users! Thankfully, within a fairly short period of time the situation was resolved and they were able to allocate my sister and I seats in the front row which would accommodate my wheelchair. As you can imagine, we are extremely grateful and satisfied that they were able to help us out and resolve the issue.
Having heard of other situations similar to the ones I've spoken of above, I thought I'd sit down and actually write about it. I more now than ever cannot just sit back and accept this because "it is the way it is"! Just because my legs don't work properly doesn't mean I should be treated  any differently from an able-bodied person. No one deserves to put up with second best and miss out on the privileges and treatment everyone should be entitled to.
How would you feel if it were you in this situation? Would you put up with it? I certainly hope not! Everyone should be treated fairly and should be given the same opportunities as everyone else!
Like I said before, I'm just one voice and will of course do my upmost to fight and speak up for what is right! But I could really do with everyone's help and support because the more people who speak up and get the message out there; the more likely change with happen!

Many Thanks,
Robyn x

Music Blog: www.jukeboxrhapsody.blogspot.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thehathippieblog
Twitter: www.twitter.com/thehathippie

Radio Update

Hello Lovely People!

How are you all doing? Just as I promised you in my previous post here is an update to tell you all about everything that's been happening regarding my exciting radio opportunity. I can't quite believe that I'm actually able to say that I'm going to have my very own radio show! For me, its an absolute dream come true!
Since my last post I've visited the station for a look around and got to meet with the station manager, Louis. Following that I have visited the station a further three times for training.
On my first training session I was asked to come in a hour before the other trainees who had already taken part in training the week before. In that first hour I was shown the equipment and how to use it. There is so much to remember; I mean there are four different microphones, one for me the presenter and the other three for any guests you may have in the studio. There is also a CD player which has the capacity to take two different CDs at a time, a vinyl record player and a computer which has a library filled with thousands of songs, jingles and advertisements. All of the equipment is connected to the mixing desk which the presenter has full control over. Initially, there was so much to take in but after a few goes I feel like I'm definitely getting the hang of things! After being shown how to use everything, the other two trainees arrived and we were each given a chance to use the system and experiment a little. Afterwards, I had my photograph taken for my ID badge that I will have to wear when I'm in the station.
Last Friday, I had another visit to the station where I was allowed to use their portable system (I couldn't use the main one as the station was on air). I spent around an hour and a half working with the technology and practicing the skills I had picked up during my previous visit. I played some of my favourite songs and experimented using the jingles/advertisements whilst trying not to leave a silent gap in between. It's tricky and will require a lot of precision when it comes to timing but one thing I know for sure is that the more I do it, the better I'll become!
Yesterday (Sunday) I was given the chance to create my own mock radio show for an hour which I must admit I was extremely nervous about doing. It's extremely weird sitting their chatting to yourself and it's even weirder to think that in the not so distant future people will actually be listening to me whilst driving their cars or streaming from the comfort of their own home using the internet. I know for a fact though that as time goes on, it'll soon become second nature to me!
I decided to start off my first mock radio show presenting and talking about the music I'd chosen to play. Talking about something that I'm passionate about most definitely helped me with my confidence during my first attempt at a show. Had I chosen to talk about something else I think my mind would have went blank which would be rather embarrassing! Next time I do however plan to use newspaper clippings as well as magazine articles and read them out to help me get used to presenting. Overall, I was extremely delighted with my first attempt and cannot wait until I can do it for real live on air!
My task is to now come up with a concept, talking points and a name for my show which is really wracking my brains. My aim is to think of something unique and exciting that people will really enjoy listening to. So if any of my lovely readers happen to have some ideas that you think I might be interested in using, please let me know! Any ideas will be greatly appreciated!

Until next time,

Robyn x

Music Blog: www.jukeboxrhapsody.blogspot.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thehathippieblog
Twitter: www.twitter.com/thehathippie

My Exciting News!

Hello Everyone!

My apologies for being so quiet around here these past few weeks. I have been unwell with a throat/chest infection and after a course of antibiotics I have been left with a rather annoying cough. Hopefully, I will be back to old self again soon!
If you have been following my latest updates through my social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter you will already have heard my exciting news. But for those of you who haven't, I thought I'd share it here. After writing my last blog post on disability discrimination I have received such an overwhelming response from you my lovely readers, which I cannot begin to thank you enough for! I received so many sweet and encouraging comments which really meant a lot to me!
Out of what was a negative situation came a whole lot of positives! Thanks to two of our wonderful family friends and The Irvine Herald newspaper who contacted us almost immediately, I now have some amazing opportunities lined up. I'm unsure how much I am able to give away as of yet about one of the opportunities but I promise as soon as I know you'll all be the first to hear. What I can tell you is 3TFM have agreed to take me on and it looks like I might be getting my own radio show! How cool is that!? A dream come true!
I am going for my first visit to the station later this week to meet with the station manager. So keep an eye on both my Facebook account and here on this blog for details on how it went.
The past couple of years have been a bit of a rocky ride for me but at last things seem to be turning in the right direction and I am finally getting where I want to be. Everything seems to be falling into place and I'm beginning to achieve my goals and aspirations.
I have a long, list inside my head full of dreams and aspirations that I want to achieve so I thought I might actually write them down and share them here on my blog. It might be fun to tick them off as I go along and write a post on each one I complete. I thought it would be a great way to look back at everything I've done over the coming months and relive each memory whilst sharing it with each of you.
Anyway, I shall leave you with this short post for now and I will do my upmost not to leave as long a gap between now and the next post I write.

Until then, I send you all my best wishes!

Lots of Love,
Robyn x


Music Blog: www.jukeboxrhapsody.blogspot.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thehathippieblog
Twitter: www.twitter.com/thehathippie

Disability Discrimination

As I said in my previous posts one of my aspirations is to work in the journalism/media field. Just like any normal teenager I'm doing my upmost to get experience and learn the skills I need to get my dream job. Unfortunately, due to my disability I've been unable to attend school for the past few years and haven't been given the same opportunities that my peers have been offered such as work experience. With that in mind, I've had to go out and get the work experience myself. Yesterday, I contacted one of my local radio stations after reading on Facebook that they were looking for a number of people to train in radio presenting. "Perfect!" or at least I thought so.
I sent an email to the provided contact with the relevant information that they required. I also explained that I was a wheelchair user, briefly explained my story and told them about the handful of media/journalism experience I had previously gained. Hoping that I would be one of the lucky applicants I then sent off my email.
Today, I logged onto my email account to find an email from the station stating that "unfortunately at the moment we are in temporary accommodation and our disabled access is very limited for wheelchairs". Yet again, another organisation that doesn't cater for wheelchair users!
As you can imagine I feel extremely upset and angry that yet again the world only see the disability that I have and not me; a person with real thoughts, feelings and emotions. Throughout my entire life I've constantly had doors slammed shut in my face and have been told that I can't do something because I am disabled! Not acceptable!
My school has treated me in a similar manner, well known businesses/organisations have discriminated against my disability and now one of my local radio station has followed suit. What does this say about society?
My aim through this blog is to make a difference for young people like me who live with disabilities and all of the challenges that the world around throw at us! I will not sit back and let this go, if I don't do something about it who will!?
I beg of each and everyone of you out there who read this post to share it in every way possible whether that is through Facebook, Twitter or any other form that you can think of. We need to educate people on disabled rights and more importantly actually getting things put into fruition, I need people standing by me helping me to get the appropriate bodies to stand up and take notice!
None of us know what might happen to us or a member of our family tomorrow, that is why I ask you to stop and think "how would I feel if this happened to me or a loved one?". If we're being completely honest with ourselves we'd all feel rejected, disappointed, hurt and angry.
That is why discrimination needs to stop NOW!!! Changes need to be made and these changes need to be put into action immediately!
 
If you wish to contact me on this subject or about anything else please do not hesitate to do so on the following links and I will do my upmost to respond as soon as I possibly can! 

Email- thequeenofhats14@gmail.com
Facebook- www.facebook.com/thehathippieblog
Twitter- www.twitter.com/thehathippie

Let's Make A Difference!

If you know me personally or have read any of my pervious posts you'll be aware that I was born with a physical disability and suffer from a condition named Complex Regional Pain Syndrome which affects my life drastically. Being born with a disability fortunately meant that I never had to go through adjusting to a new way of life using a wheelchair. I grew up with my disability and never thought of it is as something weird, I always saw myself as me and didn't really care what anyone else thought.
Initially, when I first went to primary school I was treated differently because of my disability alongside the fact that I had to use a wheelchair to help me get around. I despised going to school, I absolutely hated it! I was a quiet, mousy type of girl back then and just quietly went about my business despite how much I hated going to school.
Life completely changed for me when my family and I moved to another town. Both my sister and I were enrolled in a small rural school in the middle of the countryside. If we looked out one window we could see endless fields of green and usually a herd of cows grazing in the grass. Looking out another window we could see the sea far into the horizon. It was simply stunning.
With around thirty-six pupils at any given time, I felt completely normal there. Everyone excepted me for who I was and never made me feel different because of my disability. It felt like being a part of a big family and that most definitely was what I needed. Attending a small, rural school completely changed me as a person. I found my confidence and made so many wonderful friends. I am truly grateful to all of my friends there for accepting me and giving me the chance to feel normal.
Unfortunately, I'm too old to attend primary school and instead I'm now home tutored and find myself in my final few years of secondary school. In recent years I've been let down ALOT by people who I thought would always be there for me. If I'm being completely honest it really hurt and I felt extremely let down. Since my knee surgery in 2011, I've had a lot of ups and downs which has helped me mature and become the person that I am today. It's been really difficult at times but I've managed to get through it. I'm fully aware that the doctors are no longer able to do anything for my condition, with that in mind I have decided do my upmost to enjoy life as much as I possibly can and achieve all of my dreams and ambitions.
My intentions for writing this post and on a much bigger scale, creating this entire blog is to open people's eyes and help change things for the better. I'm sick and tired of everyone being classed as the same! I'm sorry, but we're not all the same!  Each and everyone of us are unique and I don't care what anyone says, we should feel genuinely proud of who we are!
Like I said above, I have lived with a physical disability ever since I was born. But what I'm trying to get across to the world is that I am a person with real thoughts and real feelings; I am not the disability!
A few years ago I made the decision to take a firm stance and decided to truly express myself and dress in my own, unique and sometimes crazy style. I'm different anyway, so when people stare at me whilst I'm using my wheelchair, why not give them something else to stare at other than the piece of metal that follows me everywhere I go?
There have been a few professionals that I've come across of late who don't seem to accept the word "no". Yes, they have a job to do and I completely accept part of that is to provide me with information regarding what exactly I'm entitled to. However, I'm no longer a child and I am more than capable of making my own decisions that affect my own life! This means that if I say "no", particularly when I have good reasoning to back up my decision the professionals shouldn't persist with the subject and attempt to make me change my mind. I have had many conversations with my GP, who has always encouraged me to speak up and to make sure the professionals around me listen to my wants and wishes. I sometimes think they forget my age and forget the fact that I know my own mind-set and that I'm entitled to my own opinion.
With this in mind I've decided that rather than sitting back and doing nothing I really want to change things. If I have both the ability and knowledge that is required to make a difference, then I should do my bit to get the ball rolling. We need to work at changing people's outlooks and make the professionals around us listen. In order to get things right for each and everyone of us we need to be included in making decisions that affect us because no one knows us better than ourselves.
Unfortunately, I can't wave a magic wand and everything will be okay but what I can do is begin to set the foundation for change. I have created a twitter account for this blog and also plan on setting up a facebook page which I shall share on this blog as soon as it's up and running. Through my social media accounts I want to support other young people out there whether they have a disability, going through a hard time in their life or feel passionate about individuality. I completely understand how hard life can be sometimes and hate to think that there are young people out there who feel that they can't talk to anyone. So if anyone ever needs someone to talk to or needs some advice please do not hesitate to contact me through one of my social media platforms or via my blog's email address which can be found on my contact page.
Im pretty sure that there are so many people out there that can relate to this post and share the same thoughts and feelings as me. I hope that together we can make a change so that no one feels alone or that they're not listened to by the people who are supposed to be there to help and support us.

Disabeld Access in the High Street & World Around Us

As a wheelchair user I face a range of obstacles on daily basis no matter where I go. In fact its rare to actually visit somewhere and not face a challenge in one way or another. It's highly frustrating when a large franchise advertise themselves as being completely accessible and yet you arrive and are unable to access a particular part of the building.
I don't want to come across as a complainer but at the same time I don't want to sit back and let these problems continue to arise. I am extremely fortunate to live in a day and age where I can access platforms such as this and my intentions are to make good use of them by using my writing skills to produce pieces on subjects that matter to me. There is no point in sitting around waiting for someone else to do something about it. If I want to see changes I need to use the skills and knowledge that I'm blessed with to contribute to raising awareness for issues I'm passionate about. Hence, one of the very reasons I started this blog.
I am unable to speak on behalf of everyone but I'm pretty sure that there are many people out there who share the same opinions as me and want to see the changes that will make life easier for them. I hope that through my writing I can find those people and inspire them to do the same.
In my local town we are very fortunate to have places of leisure such as a cinema and bowling alley. The downside for me and so many others out there is that due to our health/disabilities we are unable to access these places.
Our local cinema for example, has a small step up into the building.Yes, some people are able to access the cinema using a walking aid however, there are others who aren't as fortunate and need to use their wheelchair at all times.
Inside the building there are two levels; on the ground floor there are handful of small cinema screens and on the upper level there are as far as I know two main screens. Unfortunately, the second level cannot be accessed by those with mobility problems as it requires to climb a large flight of stairs. All of the new releases are shown upstairs which means that we A)wait for an airing of the movie downstairs to happen whenever that might happen or B)travel to the nearest cinema which is about a fifteen to twenty minutes drive away.
For younger people like myself it makes it difficult to be a part of cinema trips with our friends. Teenagers like the freedom of being able to meet up at the cinema; they can catch a bus or even walk there from where they live. No one wants to have to rely on somebody's parent to give everyone a lift to a cinema outwith town. All in all it makes everyone less independent and isn't part of being a teenager about becoming your own person and living more of an independent life?
Then there's the bowling alley which someone like myself who has a disability cannot access. Again, in order to enter the building climbing a large flight of stairs is required. There is no lift, nothing. Had I'd been able to access the bowling alley I know for sure that I would visit it as much as I possibly could. Just like the cinema situation, the nearest bowling alley is in another town around a fifteen to twenty minute drive away.
The local high-street has it's own set of problems for a wheelchair user to overcome. Fortunately, I always have someone with me to push my wheelchair and help me access where I need to go. However, there will be many wheelchair users who don't necessarily have someone accompanying them. Or just like any abled bodied person they want to be independent and go places by themselves.
What would make accessing the high-street independently possible for so many disabled would require just small changes implemented by the popular franchises that create our high-street.
It would seriously surprise you just how many times I've asked to use a variety of different store's wheelchair accessible changing rooms and they have been filled up with cardboard boxes and clothing rails. I must however, add that there has been one major high street store's changing room that I was extremely impressed with. Immediately, I was able to access it without having to ask a member of staff if they'd assist me in removing empty boxes and clothing rails. The changing room was extremely spacious meaning that I was able to manoeuvre my chair without any difficulty. Where as in many other shops I've visited over the years the disabled changing room was a small space that was practically impossible to turn around in. This meant I had to reverse my chair and rely on someone to help me with the door and warn me of any potential hazards that I may crash into behind me. The particular store that I was impressed with had evidently looked at the smaller details and designed the room to suit a wheelchair user's needs. For example; the mirrors had been designed to sit at specific angles to allow the person to see what their potential purchase looks like on themselves without having to twist their bodies in potentially straining positions whilst sitting in their wheelchair. This design really impressed me!
Inside shops I've noticed that it's increasingly becoming more and more difficult to actually manoeuvre myself around in my wheelchair. If you cannot get around a shop without some sort of walking aid; some shops become a big no no. In my local high street I can think of a few stores that are already a prime example to this. Of course I understand that the spaces inside a shop are small and limited to how products can be displayed but due to that very reason shops can also minimise their potential client base and loose out on business.
In comparison there are also stores much larger in size that literally cram displays into every single empty space within the building. Not only does this create challenges for people like myself, it also makes it difficult for those who are abled bodied. It's like going through a maze trying to avoid obstacles at ever corner you come to. When it comes to shops like the one I'm describing we usually avoid them at weekends whilst it is at it's busiest and instead we pop in on weekdays.
There are so many things I could list about the challenges that me alongside so many others face on daily basis as a wheelchair/mobility aid user. I completely understand that a lot of people won't realise that what seems like a little thing to them actually has such a big impact on so many lives. But that is why I'm here writing this today; if I don't who will? What a lot of people forget is that they don't know what tomorrow might bring and just how drastically what tomorrow brings could affect their lives.