QE F Happening Autumn 2011 Newsletter for Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation “What have for Disabled People I done to deserve this?” See Inside Can we do without disability? Packed Lunches Making a Great Impression Driving Determination Back from the Brink Where Charity Begins achieving goals for life qef.org.uk With a year to go to the 2012 Paralympics it was Contents not surprising that the word ‘disabled’ appeared Can we do and will appear countless times across all the without disability? 2 media, describing athletes of widely varied Back from the Brink 3 capabilities. Driving Determination 4 Making a Great Can we do Impression 5 Packed Lunches 6 “What Have I done to without disability? deserve this?” 7 In the Pipeline 8 Most people use the word without public about the differences. How much thought. However it was a much better might it be for Where Charity Begins 9 surprise to hear that the president of commentators to explain an athlete’s Gift Aid how it works 10 the International Paralympic disability as we watch them compete Committee, Sir Philip Craven, refuses on a world stage, particularly when Forthcoming Events 11 to use the word. the disability is more complicated than a visible disability? The nature of Christmas Cards 12 Sir Philip, a former wheelchair conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis, basketball player, explained in a BBC Muscular Dystrophy or Cerebral Palsy, interview. “If a machine gets disabled, for example, can be made clear and it doesn’t work. And that is the way while we celebrate the achievements that the word has influenced people’s of those competing we can minds in the past. acknowledge and come to a better “If you are going to talk about the understanding of what it means to live positivity of human kind, why kick off with these conditions. with negativity?” Staff and volunteers here at QEF have “There’s an incredible difference always focused on people’s abilities between a wheelchair user and rather than their disabilities. The someone who’s blind, you know.” opportunity to achieve personal goals is surely everyone’s right. That is why The six disability categories within the we are so proud of stories of people Paralympic disciplines go a long way like Nicki, Stephen, Emily and the two to define some significant differences. Matthews. It is why I enjoy working at While Sir Philip has a serious and QEF and why I am so passionate heartfelt point to make, others see about achieving positive change in ‘disabled’ as a word that unifies the the lives of disabled and community and “changing the word disadvantaged people. does not actually fix anything” says Perhaps it is worth leaving you with the disability campaigner Clair Lewis. words of Maria Miller, minister for Here at QEF we have no difficulty disabled people, who said, “The Jonathan Powell saying that we support disabled Games offer a great opportunity to Chief Executive people but we do recognise that the challenge outdated perceptions and range of disability is very wide. For help make further progress towards many it is not a comfortable word. equality for disabled people in the When looking for employment it can UK.” QEF works continuously towards Published by become a label and those recovering this same goal and you can read here Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for from an accident will often prefer to how we are meeting the challenge. Disabled People consider themselves injured rather Thank you for your support from all at Leatherhead Court, Woodlands Rd, than disabled. People with non-visible QEF. Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 0BN disabilities face a great deal of scepticism from the general public. Tel: 01372 841100 The word is unlikely to go away but www.qef.org.uk perhaps the Paralympics may play a more valuable role in educating the QEF works with people living with physical and learning disabilities or acquired brain injuries to support them to achieve their achieving goals for life qef.org.uk goals for life. Registered Charity No 251051 2 Back from the Brink My brain can’t send signals to my Even though Nicki is currently receiving treatment body very well. If you were sitting and rehabilitation at QEF, she has launched a down and decided to get up you would just do it wouldn’t you? You £10,000 appeal. wouldn’t even think about how to move your body to do it. But with me Just a few weeks prior to publishing it’s different. I have to think very hard, this newsletter an appeal was ‘which bit must I move first?’” launched on behalf of QEF by Nicki Freeman. Nicki had completed a fun Nicki’s father, Peter, said, “Since her run in St Albans and raised £2,000 for accident we have been helped by so QEF. But she wanted to do more and many friends and strangers in Nicola’s set her sights on raising a further journey back from the brink. It will be a £10,000 to fund new equipment and very long and hard journey for Nicola services by writing to QEF supporters and us, but the support of people like and telling them her story. you and the team at the Brain Injury Centre mean that we have a future to Nicki can’t remember the car crash, look forward to with her. It isn’t the one just over a year ago, aged 18, when we expected, but the progress she has she broke a lot of bones and was left made at QEF gives us hope for further in a coma. Her family prepared for the progress. worst but thankfully the worst never happened. Nicki said, “It took me a long time to get better. At first I couldn’t walk or even do the simplest things. But I did get better and a few Intensive specialist treatment is months ago I did a fun run to raise personalised to individual needs. After money for QEF, which is doing so an initial assessment an action plan is much to help me get better. Well, negotiated. The plan, carried out by when I say a fun run, for me it was a interdisciplinary care and therapy fun slow walk. But I did it!” teams, is regularly evaluated and revised to ensure that progress is in the Nicki’s story is heart-wrenching yet right direction. typical of those who come to use QEF Neuro-rehabilitation Services at the Amongst her therapies, Nicki is even Brain Injury Centre in Banstead. The learning to play the guitar, sing and Centre is the only unit in the country write songs. But Nicki admits that she which works exclusively with young faces some tough challenges, “My “We have just come back from a people with acquired brain injuries, physiotherapist really pushes me hard weekend with Nicola at the Reading helping them to re build their lives and to do things but I know it’s helping me. Festival; something she had gone to in gain new skills. previous years. Attending Reading Festival with Mum and Dad isn’t something any 19 year old would have normally planned, but she had a great time. Nicola has started work experience at a city farm, and this, added to her spells of volunteering in a charity shop, are all significant moves towards more independence. These things can only happen thanks to the support of the staff at QEF in preparing her for and supporting her at these experiences.” You can still make a donation to Nicki’s Appeal using the response form on page 10 of this newsletter or visiting www.qef.org.uk/nickifreeman achieving goals for life qef.org.uk 3 Driving Determination Stephen Wagland dropped in to Leatherhead Court to show off his new adapted Ford Kia Sedona. He was en route to take his mum and dad to a country pub for lunch. Stephen was born with electric wheelchair. This led to Pseudoachondroplasia, a rare assessments to enable Stephen to be medical condition characterised by transported more conveniently using short limbs and stature and extreme a vehicle hoist in an estate car. While pain in the hips and the knees. attending the assessments Stephen Difficulty with walking and premature realised that driving himself was a real osteoarthritis further impeded his option and when he was sixteen mobility. His progress in learning to applied for a provisional licence and drive is featured in a short QEF film, took up lessons. Without You..., where he looks forward Stephen with QEF President “A wheelchair has been my only to being fully independent when he Corinna, Lady Hamilton of Dalzell DL means of getting around since I was would no longer need to rely upon his at secondary school and I have parents to ferry him about. always valued my independence. I Horse-riding was an important part of With support from QEF Mobility remember coming with my father to Stephen’s therapies and became a Services, Stephen passed his driving QEF’s Mobility Centre for advice on passion. Riding improved his back and test in January 2009 and then his Pass how to get me and my wheelchair in enabled him to avoid surgery but sadly Plus in November 2009 at the Centre. and out of the car and then I came a change in horses meant that back to learn to drive for myself.” said potential Paralympic 2012 ambitions Following a suggestion from a hospital Stephen. Passing the driving test had to be shelved. Nevertheless he occupational therapist Stephen opened the way for Stephen to now rides without adaptations to the initially came to QEF Mobility Services consider the final hurdle to his reins and successfully competes for advice and to be assessed for a independence and take charge of his against able-bodied riders; winning vehicle adaptation to carry his active life.