Xavier has mild cerebral palsy (CP) and is currently studying
Social and Political Sciences at the University
of York. He gained confidence by completing the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award
alongside his studies.
As I write this blog, I hope this can encourage other disabled
people to have confidence in their abilities despite what others believe.
During my time in education I have been used and told multiple
times that I wouldn’t be able to do something that I wanted to achieve.
Primarily, this has been driven by a sense that I would be physically
incapable. This may have been due to a lack of understanding or a lack of faith
in my own abilities. I have mild CP, which mainly causes a slight limp in left leg,
yet I see this as my motivator rather than a barrier to my own success. I was
told I wouldn’t be able to do my Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award. Even when
completing the bronze and silver levels there were some doubts that I’d be able
to do it. By gold, I was told by a member of staff that it would be better not doing the
award at all.
You will be pleased to know I proved them wrong. It was not easy
and there were many moments of self-doubt. However, I recently collected my Gold
DofE award from Buckingham Palace having completed the final expedition the
summer before. This was a great achievement for myself and something I was very
proud of.
Adjustments can help
When putting necessary adjustments in place, tasks can become
possible. I had to carry a lighter bag whilst doing the walking component of
DofE, recognising the need for this adaption allowed to complete the task. This
was despite some at the school not wanting to accommodate these changes at Gold
level to make it work.
Confidence in your own abilities
Disabled people should have the confidence and motivation in believing
that you can accomplish thing, indeed sometimes even better than non-disabled
people. In completing my DofE at gold, I managed to do what many people without
disabilities had failed to do, when they dropped out at Bronze or Silver as
they felt it was too hard. So, the message is simple- in completing these
activities, there is every chance you can do it better than those without impairments,
again against what others have said.
What do I hope to achieve?
On a wider level, I want to finish
university with the best possible degree and continue to involve myself as far
as possible with all the opportunities on offer. I also want to be confident in
challenging myself to complete things which I know will be difficult, but which
I know I can accomplish to the best of my abilities. Finally, I want to
continue to press for the importance of
recognition of disabled people’s abilities.
This is a short article but I hope
that, throughout, I’ve reinforced one simple message- with confidence, anything
is possible.
