At school for just a single lesson a day
Hannah (28) has been disabled since an injury at the age of 14, which left her with Complex Regional Pain syndrome and a range of secondary illnesses and complications. She’s a disability and lifestyle blogger and started her blog Hannah’s Hope in 2018. She’s passionate about making a difference, changing perceptions and promoting equality.
I was an active and independent teenager attending mainstream school before the age of 14, with a future goal of becoming a doctor or physiotherapist. After my injury my mobility and health both deteriorated that I went from attending school on crutches, to using a wheelchair. Meanwhile the amount of time I was spending at school a day decreased. At first, I was forced to drop one GCSE, then two, then three, then four until I was attending school for just a single lesson a day.
There were challenges to getting around school with reduced mobility and even more so as I began using crutches or navigating the halls in a wheelchair. I was lucky that my school had a lift but moving from one classroom to another took time. I couldn’t squeeze through crowds and if the lift broke, I was stuck.
It was hard emotionally too. Before my injury I’d set out to do 10 GCSEs but seeing my subjects decrease one by one and also being the only girl in a wheelchair, I was becoming increasingly different from my peers.
About a year after my injury, I was admitted to my local hospital, bedbound. It was a few months before I was well enough to attend the hospital school. It was a pupil referral unit within the children’s ward. There I studied for my Maths GCSE with a couple of other young people. I took my GCSE laying on my side, bedbound and needing to be turned halfway through. I had a scribe and extra time, but despite being good at maths, I was only allowed to take the intermediate tier, as apparently ‘when you are ill, you go down a tier’. If anything, I found it harder to do the intermediate level as I kept looking for it to be more complicated than it was. However, I got the highest grade possible (a . I was then transferred to University College Hospital, where I spent most of the next four years in a teenage unit.
There I attended the hospital school linked with Great Ormond Street School and completed my English GCSE. It was during this period that I was approached by an organisation called Protégé, who help young people who aren’t in mainstream education to access education, gain qualifications and experience through the arts. Protégé helps many young people who can’t attend mainstream school and they listen to the interests of their students and help them to develop their skills in writing, fashion, drama, singing, art and drawing to name a few. I completed my Silver Arts Award and considerably improved my writing whilst writing my 24-hour day.
At the age of 21, I finally came home after being away since I was 15. I had missed most of year 10, all of 11, 12 and 13 and after coming out of hospital I simply slipped through the net. We had to battle just to get access to education again and two years later, I finally began attending my local college for just two hours, on one evening a week in order to study my Science GCSE. I had a teaching assistant to scribe for me and assist with experiments and luckily for me, the higher benches in the science laboratory worked better as I could get under the bench and raise my powerchair. With the support of a scribe, extra time and some rest breaks, I achieved an A*.
After that, I wondered what to do next and settled on the idea of studying Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) as I’m good at maths. So, over the last few years, I’ve studied two evenings a week and have been lucky enough to have the same teaching assistant all the way through my time at college and this made a big difference to me. I also had the use of a writing slope and a height-adjustable desk. Before this, I couldn’t get under the standard desk as it was too low and too narrow for my powerchair. I recently finished studying and after achieving my AAT Level 2, 3, I passed my level 4 professional diploma with a grade of distinction (sitting computer-based exams along the way) and I am now an AAT accountant!
I don’t know whether I’ll ever be able to work and if I am, whether I could manage 3 or 40 hours a week but studying kept my brain alive and gave me a qualification. The AAT seemed like it would give me flexibility and accountancy might help me work from home. However, the next stage for me is to get some work experience, to gain some confidence and the skills and experience I need to support me. I’ll be able to see if I can manage 3 hours a week and whether I need to adjust that. With that experience on my CV, I’ll have a better prospects and greater chance of success.
Was your education affected by your impairment or condition? What change would have helped make education more accessible to you?
Comments
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Thank you for this @hdeakin, it was insightful to learn about your educational journey and I really do hope you are able to find some accountancy experience soon!
Scope -
Thank you @Chloe_Scope
How was your education experience? -
So inspiring. I was homeschooled by my parents for several years. Goodluck with your jobhunting! Yes it was. At the age of 22 I now have more compassion for disabled folks everywhere. I just completed a distance learning course online accredited by my local college and am starting full time work later this year.
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Thank you @April2018mom ? Well done on completing a distance learning course recently. What was the course in? What are you hoping to get a job in? Good luck ?with the job hunting too!
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Hi @hdeakin, my education experience has been tricky at times but on the whole they've been really good
I just wish everyone gained the support they need as I know this isn't always the case!
Scope -
Great post @hdeakin. If I ever need an accountant, I'll know who to email!Community Manager
Scope -
Really interesting read, @hdeakin!
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I am glad you had a good experience on the whole @Chloe_Scope but can imagine that it has been challenging at times! Unfortunately disability always seems to be! I know what you mean I wish everyone gained the support they need. Sometimes it seems to be a post code lottery. ?
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Thank you @Adrian_Scope! Hehe! Yes definitely!
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Thank you @LifeOfPippa! How was your education experience at uni with an illness?
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Thank you so much for sharing this @hdeakin
Scope
Senior online community officer -
I certainly agree with you there @hdeakin! As a disabled student you do have to put in that extra effort even if you have a good level of support because the support still doesn't make it an even playing field!
Scope -
Hi @hdeakin and thank you for sharing your educational experiences with us. It is a wonderful read and so inspiring to others! Congratulations on gaining your qualifications and I wish you all the best in gaining some experience in Accountancy.
For me, my time at school was interrupted a lot when I would have to go into hospital for various operations and this was more so at primary level. However, like you, I used to get education in hospital a few mornings a week which I actually enjoyed as the teacher was really kind and very patient and made the lessons seem more fun than at "ordinary" school. When I went onto further and higher education I found the support there to be really excellent for disabled people and anything I needed was put in place for me so I have been very lucky that way. I just wish it could be the same for every disabled person.Winner of the Scope New Volunteer Award 2019. -
Wow! What an amazing person you are @hdeakin! Your story is so inspiring and I wish you all the success in the world. You`ve come so far and have proved what grit and determination can do, with the right support and backing. Best wishes.xx
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Thank you. You are very welcome @Sam_Scope
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Definitely @Chloe_Scope I wrote a bit about this in my article I did for Able Magazine https://ablemagazine.co.uk/columnist-hannah-deakin-adjusting-to-life-with-a-disability/
On the positive note the achievements are more incredible, like your amazing 1st class honours degree you have just achieved because of the barriers and difficulties you have faced and endured during the way. Well done again! -
Thank you so much @ails! I am sorry to hear you had lots of spells in hospital when you were younger for operations. I am glad the hospital teachers were nice and made learning fun, it makes a big difference. That is great to hear that you got the help and adjustments you needed in higher and further education, it makes a big difference. I know what you mean. It would be nice if everyone had a good experience and got the support they need. What did you study? Are you managing to work/volunteer now? ?
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Thank you so much @pollyanna1052 that means a lot! Definitely, my determination to succeed has helped me a lot as well as the support from my wonderful parents ?
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Thank you @Chloe_Scope x
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