Living with cerebral palsy-What career pathway did you choose?

SaraC_Scope
SaraC_Scope CP Network, Scope Posts: 356 Empowering
in Cerebral Palsy Network

Hi all. I'm supporting the Employment team here at Scope.

After a meaningful conversation about cerebral palsy, the team wondered about the career pathways of people with CP .

Alongside people’s employment history, the team wondered how long people have been in those positions and if they required any reasonable adjustments.

They will be supporting some people with CP to access employment.

I understand reasonable adjustments is a more personal question, so if you would like to share your story, please email me sara.edwards@scope.org.uk

Any information we gather will help the employment team support people with CP into work, improve confidence and raise awareness, and look to close the disability employment gap. Many thanks.

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Comments

  • trouble5316
    trouble5316 Online Community Member Posts: 109 Contributor

    I was told years ago i cant work

  • Chris75_
    Chris75_ Online Community Member Posts: 3,994 Championing
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1078650#Comment_1078650

    But that doesn't fit into the cosy narrative, must try harder…

  • Richard_Scope
    Richard_Scope Posts: 3,847 Cerebral Palsy Network

    I have had lots of jobs, but not a career as such.

    My first job was a YTS at a sports centre. After I decided I was no longer interested in sports science, I switched to retail and worked in a dedicated wine shop. I also worked in Ibiza for the summer season. Which was very different to the two years I spent in Mablethorpe running an amusement arcade 🤣

    I then spent a few years at various call centres across different sectors, until I settled in at my local authority, where I dealt with anti-social behaviour and abandoned vehicles. I was happily made redundant from there after 7 years.

    My next stop was Warwick University, where I worked in Undergraduate Admissions. I read for many courses and supported applicants. Before leaving Warwick, I got a promotion to Senior International Admissions Assistant, where my role was to work with the Home Office to ensure people at the University had the right to be there.

    Fast forward to today, and I am working with Scope! There are many other jobs I could have listed here, but they were either rubbish or I was. 😂

  • trouble5316
    trouble5316 Online Community Member Posts: 109 Contributor

    I used be trainee chef before got diagnosed. Then had to leave it for medcal reasons

  • SaraC_Scope
    SaraC_Scope CP Network, Scope Posts: 356 Empowering
    edited October 28

    One of the best reasonable adjustments I (or probably my team had) was when I first started as a youth apprentice age 18 at the council. A

    At the time I was experiencing epileptic seizures every couple of days. Our office was in a 1970's style building with concrete floors, so one of the first adjustments was to have our office floor carpeted in case I fell during a seizure. Having a carpet in an office was highly unusual in 1994 but my colleagues loved the warm room.

  • Emmjf79
    Emmjf79 Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener

    I initially after completing my master of philosophy where I wrote about charitable portrayal of disability I went into teaching. I did that for 2 years and then moved into the voluntary sector which I’ve worked in for best part of 20 years. I briefly worked for the NHS for 3 years and then worked for myself. I’m currently a senior manager at a national charity which I would say is quite rare. I’m looking at doing a law conversion course to future proof my career options. Not bad when described at the “handicap” clinic in the 80’s as a child with server learning difficulties and will never walk talk or contribute to society. Think I might and middle fingered societal expectations!

  • trouble5316
    trouble5316 Online Community Member Posts: 109 Contributor

    Congrats

  • Annie015
    Annie015 Online Community Member Posts: 27 Contributor

    I've only ever done volunteer work different college courses since that's all I've ever been offered by the jobcentre due to living in a town and only able to use the bus for travel. I have always wanted a job but never found one suitable because of where I live and my disability.

  • Rachel_Scope
    Rachel_Scope Posts: 2,413 Scope Online Community Coordinator

    There are more remote jobs available now @Annie015 but they can be competitive as I think a lot of people would like to work from home. I'm remote now as my health declined and I couldn't do my previous job anymore. I feel very lucky. Has the jobcentre offered remote work options?

  • JudithL
    JudithL Online Community Member Posts: 86 Contributor

    My CP is mild. I trained and worked as a primary school teacher in the 1980s. I left after 8 years to become a nun. At the time I was teaching I didn't need much in the way of adjustments. Had one or two concerns raised by parents, but was well supported by the school and they disappeared very quickly…Had nothing but curiosity and interest from the children….

    As a nun, I've had several adjustments…the main one is using voice recognition software…and a bookstand in the Chapel…and not doing heavier work. It's much easier in a Religious community like ours, because we're technically working for ourselves…And there are many people who have adjustments to our timetable and work for lots of reasons, so mine was just another one…Probably the person who found that hardest to accept was me!

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