How Scouts opened the door for my daughter with cerebral palsy

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Sophie is a Beaver who has cerebral palsy. When she joined Beavers, it was the first time Sophie said an enthusiastic ‘yes’ to her family about an extracurricular activity with no hesitation. Sophie’s mum, Nicola, writes how inclusive Scouts has been. Her story shows that inclusion isn’t just possible – it can make a huge difference.

My daughter Sophie has cerebral palsy and a rare respiratory disease. Sophie is visually impaired and is unable to walk on her own.

Throughout her childhood, it’s been a challenge to find spaces where Sophie could simply be a child. We’d reached out to lots of extra-curricular activities, but each time, we got a polite but firm ‘no’.

We were feeling desperate to find somewhere for Sophie to make friends, learn skills and have fun outside of school. It was a shame to see her spending each evening at home, when her school friends were enjoying activities and continuing to grow and learn.

After being turned away so many times, I was prepared for Scouts to turn us away, too. But we were completely blown away by their response.

Scouts didn’t just say ‘yes’. They said an affirming ‘yes’ with enthusiasm and absolutely no hesitations. Sophie was over the moon, and it was the first opportunity she was immediately excited about, without any reservations.

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The volunteers’ attitudes have been incredible. Every activity is designed with inclusion in mind, whether it’s creating wheelchair accessible routes, tailoring games where needed, or moving events to better suit Sophie’s health needs.

Camping trips have been so thoughtfully managed. They’ve made sure Sophie’s tent is close to the toilets, tweaked the kit list for her specific needs, and checked parking is accessible for quick access if needed.

And they’ve never made it feel like a burden. It’s just about making Scouts open to all.

Ever since she joined, Sophie has thrived in Scouts. In the two years she’s been a Beaver, she’s played games, explored nature, and toasted marshmallows.

She’s never made to feel like the odd one out and she’s finally found an extracurricular space where she belongs. She’s made lots of new friends and can’t wait to turn up to her sessions each week.

Sophie’s completed the entire ShireJam programme (which includes climbing) and has also been on the District camp. With the right support, Sophie is unstoppable.

Scouts hasn’t just given Sophie a space to explore and grow, it’s given her confidence. She’s fiercely independent, and she’s not afraid to advocate for herself and challenge other people’s assumptions. When people stare or speak about her instead of to her, Sophie will call people out – and rightfully so!

After seeing how brilliant Scouts have been for Sophie and her brother, I was drawn to the amazing community and sense of adventure and I decided to become a volunteer. It’s been so rewarding for me and amazing to be part of the Scouts journey with them.

Scouts has given my daughter something invaluable: the chance to properly be a child, just like everyone else. Now, as Sophie prepares to move up to Cubs, I’m determined to share our story to encourage other volunteers and Groups to say yes to disabled young people and make reasonable adjustments.

By hearing our story, we hope other volunteers and Groups will see the difference that reasonable adjustments make to a young person’s experience. And hopefully, other disabled young people will see that Scouts could be the place for them.

Source from Scouts Blog