We Are What We Are || Young People with Disabilities

COMPOSITION BOOK

what we may Who knows where we may end up? Or le peop all do? But whatever happens we are

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Hi! I’m Marti Hayes. o has I’m a disabled young person wh Many experienced many challenges. my dreams people have sa id I can’t follow I want to do. and I’m not able to do things s and I experienced bullying, unkindnes alone. judgement and I know I am not they are Disabled young people often say ng in low denied and disregarded, resulti self esteem and low confidence. defy I’m proud that I’ve been able to university expectations. I graduated from n set up with a degree in education. I the supporting my own charity, Hazie Days, d the ir other children, young people, an fam ilies. ing a I want to show others that hav you back; disab ility doesn’t have to hold rld. you have a lot to offer the wo

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My guide to working with someone who has a disability...

‘Disability’ should be seen as ‘differently able’. Everyone has an ability to offer. I might have a disab ility that can sometimes make things more difficult but for every difficulty there is something that I am good at which I’d like to share with the world – it’s the same for everyone! Being disabled has made me a hard-working, determined and compassionate person.

Don’t ask what I can’t do, ask me what I can do. You might be surprised. Disabled people hear the ‘can’t’ statement all the time.

Asking what we can do will turn a sensitive conversation into a positive exchange.

Assumptions help no one! Everyone with a dis ability is different, even if they have the same condition. If you see that someone has a disability on the ir application, don’t assume that you know them.

Disabled people are ‘the experts’ of their lives. Listening to them about what they need will tell you more than anything you can research online or in books.

I don’t need work experience, I need a real job. Please don’t assume that because I’m disabled I want to be a volunteer or just do work experience.

TEST

I think this is a really positive thing to be doing and will help young people with disabilities all over the country

“When I was born I suffered two cardiac arrests, which resulted in damage to two areas of my brain and left me with deformity to my legs and feet and weakened hips. Doctors said I would never walk and would rely on a wheelchair for life.

I took my first steps at 3 years old and this fighting spirit has been a recurring theme in my life.

At the London 2012 Paralympic games, my first games, I thundered into the record books, bringing home double Gold and breaking four Paralympic records in the T34 100m and 200m. And ‘Hurricane Hannah’ was born!

This dream took five years of dedication and very hard work, along with the ability to dream very big.

It’s a massive challenge, but you may have understood by now, that challenges are what I thrive on.”

Achieveme

nts:

• World reco rd holder T 34 100m 800m ,2

00m, 40

• 7x IPC W • 2014 IP

orld Champi on, (2011, 2

C Europea

013, 2015

n Champion

• 2013 Aw arded MBE fo

• London 2

012 Paralym

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, 2x Gold M

edal

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to Athletics

pic Games 2

x Gold Med al

• Federation of Disab ility 2012 Sports Spo

rtswoman of the Year

TEST

For more of he www.hanna r achievements check hcockroft.c out o.uk

Information courtesy of Hannah Cockroft MBE via www.hannahcockroft.co.uk

0m &

Carly Jones AKA Olley Edwards TEST My name is Carly Jones and I am also known as Olley Edwards. I am 33 and diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. I have three daughters, two of whom are also autistic. I am a full-time carer and also a film maker and activist.

Employment for autistic people is a hugely unjust area of equality. This issue is not as easy to explain as simple discrimination; it has a whole back story of misunderstanding and underestimation of the autistic person.

I run a home-education academy in Berkshire, the sole purpose of which is to provide a regular meeting group for home-educated young people with Asperger’s syndrome who feel they have no place in mainstream education, and as they have abilities that don’t qualify them for special school either, they fall into a grey area.

But just because I say it’s a grey area, don’t think dull! It’s full of the brightest, most evolved, forward thinking, out-of-the box theorists and empaths (YES empaths!) I have ever had the honour to meet and support – so many amazingly talented young people.

So why are these new-frontier, thinking minds underestimated? How on earth do we expect confident, ready employees when they have been continually let down, rejected, and discarded within the education system?

It’s often suggested that Asperger’s syndrome is the biggest untapped resource for employment – I fully agree. I hope that every single underestimated, autistic person becomes confident in their own ability and talent so that they can aspire to employment of any kind.

My tips for young people looking for work...

If at first you don’t succeed, try again - apply for as many jobs as you can.

Very few people, with or without a disability, get the first job they go for.

There are lots of people who can help you create your CV or apply for jobs. Don’t feel you have to do it alone.

When talking about your experiences you can talk about anything relevant – it doesn’t have to be in a work situation. Have you volunteered? Were you on the school council or a sport team? show your strengths. Are you hard Use your experience as a disabled people to you goal driven? Use these examples Are ? ges llen cha me rco ove you Do g? kin wor not all about the negatives. when applying for jobs. Having a disability is

Be honest about your disability. If your employer doesn’t know, they are unable to help you. If you don’t want your colleagues to know something about your disability tell your employer this is the case.

Be proud of who you are, let your strength shine.

Know your rights - if you are concerned, there are organisations that can help you.

Ask for help if you need it – a disability isn’t a weakness.

Fixe rsUK

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Company 2194957 Charity 298643 © 2014

Fixe rsUK

Ä_LYZ.VYN.uk

Company 2194957 Charity 298643 © 2014