JustBeingCP

This week saw the start of Disability History Month which also coincides with World Prematurity Day on Friday the 17th of November.

I have spent much of the last 12 months attempting to make change for the next generation of disabled children and young people.

I recently embarked on my latest campaign which is designed to show train operators like West Midlands Trains that we deserve the same level of service that our able-bodied counterparts receive on a regular basis.

As you, my readers and followers may know that I and other wheelchair users haven’t been receiving a decent level of service from WMT (West Midlands Trains) when attending Aston Villa’s matches at Villa Park in Birmingham.

I will be meeting with officials from West Midlands Trains later this month in the hope of forcing change when it comes to the service that they offer to us, the disabled community.

I am also aware that the focus of this Disability History Month is on Disability, Childhood and Youth which I see as an opportunity to get children and young people from across Britain talking about the subject of disability.

I have often visited schools in the county during last couple of years to share my story of acceptance something that I struggled with when I was both in education and after leaving it.

I am saying that I believe that there is a lack of education around disability and what is for children and young people when they are education.

I always finish an assembly to young people by setting them a simple challenge, to go and say one nice thing to either a peer or staff member during that day.

This will I hope empower them to be accepted by others and strive for change both in school and wider society.

I spoke to ITV News as part of Disability History Month in 2022 about the fact that more still needs to done to eradicate the offensive and outdated attitudes towards disability across the West Midlands.

I spoke about being verbally abused whilst on a train last summer from Birmingham to Hereford and how I felt that I was on the receiving end of some offensive and outdated attitudes towards disability from a narrow minded plonker who had nothing better to do but abuse me and a friend.

As I mentioned at the start of this blog, today is World Prematurity Day for 2023 and I believe that it is about time that I start to shout about the fact that was born at 25 weeks gestation (15 weeks early) weighing just half a bag of sugar.

I think that it is fair to say that I am entitled to celebrate both today on World Prematurity Day and in the middle of Disability History Month when we celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities on the 3rd of December.

I know that this is quite a short and boring blog but I felt that it is important to celebrate Disability History Month, World Prematurity Day and International Day of Persons with Disabilities from the point of view of a disabled person.

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I would like to end by taking the opportunity to thank each and everyone of you, my readers and followers for taking the time out of your busy schedules to read my blogs every week.

Cam