WheelchairSteve Limited 1 Warbeck Close, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 2FF UK Company No: 05810378 tel: +44 (0) 7834 760375 e-mail: steve@wheelchairsteve.com web: www.wheelchairsteve.com

Playing The Cards You’re Dealt Appreciating Life with a Physical Disability

Workshop Overview

Half Day Training Workshop for Organisations, Schools and the General Public

1. Who is WheelchairSteve? (5 mins)

A short introductory video about Steve “WheelchairSteve” Wilkinson.

2. Living with a Physical Disability (15-25 mins)

A PowerPoint Presentation with delegate interaction to help them understand what a Physical Disability is and to appreciate the difference between Congenital and Progressive Disabilities. Steve Wilkinson was born with Spina Bifida, a Congenital Disability. He will talk about life with a disability from the early years in hospital and at school through to his current passion to improve life for disabled people.

3. Encounters with Disability (15-25 mins)

Delegates will spend 5 minutes in pairs discussing times when they’ve encountered or seen people with a Physical Disability in real life, on television or in films (the Paralympic Games is one obvious TV encounter many will have had in 2012). The second half of the session will be a Group discussion where delegates will share their observations.

4. “How Can I Help Video” and Discussion (20-25 mins)

A thought-provoking video (10 mins) made in Ontario, Canada will be shown followed by a Group discussion about what delegates observed and felt about attitudes to disability discussed in the video.

5. Different Disabilities (10 mins)

Delegates will spend 5 minutes in groups of 2/3 listing different types of disabilities they know. The session ends sharing a large list of different disabilities to illustrate the vast number there are.

6. Dexterity and Visual Impairment Practical (15-25 mins)

In groups of 4 or 5, delegates will experience issues faced by people with dexterity and sight impairments. In this simple and fun practical exercise, delegates will be provided with gloves that make it difficult to pick up things and a mask simulating blindness. They will be given some dominoes, some plastic letters and a plastic cup. The exercise is (1) to attempt to pick up the dominoes/letters wearing the gloves and place them in the cup, (2) identify the dominoes and short words made up with the letters while wearing the mask by feeling the spots on the dominoes and the shape of the letters.

7. Disability Models, Legislation, Social and Physical Barriers and Solutions (15-35 mins)

A PowerPoint Presentation with delegate interaction to help them understand the difference between the Medical Model and Social Model of Disability. A brief explanation will be given about DDA and Equality Act 2010 legislation and how it protects disabled people. Some short videos will be shown to illustrate some of the points. A series of real life photographs highlighting good and bad practice, taken by Steve Wilkinson, will also be used as part of the discussions.

8. Attitudes and Behaviours relating to Disability (15-20 mins)

A group discussion on the different attitudes people have to disability and what can be done to change attitudes and behaviours so that disabled people can feel they fully belong to society.

WheelchairSteve Limited 1 Warbeck Close, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 2FF UK Company No: 05810378 tel: +44 (0) 7834 760375 e-mail: steve@wheelchairsteve.com web: www.wheelchairsteve.com

Playing The Cards You’re Dealt Appreciating Life with a Physical Disability

Workshop Overview

Delegate Feed Back “I really enjoyed Steve’s session and found it very enlightening to meet someone so refreshing who simply accepts his disability for what it is and gets on with it” “I found it really informative and quite an eye-opening experience. It really helps you empathise with the needs of disabled people, and gets you to critically evaluate your own behaviour and the working environment, to ensure it is supportive of the needs of disabled people” “The training wasn’t dry at all, which these things can be and he told some interesting stories. Something like that being delivered by someone who’s experienced it always makes it more worthwhile”. “I thought it was a great session. A good balance of humour and forthright discussion of some topics that are often difficult to address” “I personally have very little experience of working or dealing with disability so I found the session really enlightening”. Staff of NCFE, Newcastle upon Tyne

“I liked hearing about Steve’s childhood and seeing the photos of him when he was little”

“It was shocking to hear that the authorities weren’t going to let him go to his local school and that they wanted to send him miles away down south”

“I thought all the photos of Steve were interesting and finding out about his life”

“All the things he has done even though he is in a wheelchair – like the Great North Run and walking on hot coals”

“I liked that Steve was really positive and he has achieved loads. That makes me think that anything is possible if you put your mind to it”

“Things on the video made me think about how I treat people in wheelchairs”

“Me and my friends thought the lesson was great. It’s much better when there’s someone there who actually experiences life in a wheelchair as it’s easier to see things from their point of view”

“It made me think about the facilities available for disabled people and that sometimes they aren’t good enough”

“Steve prepared for the session very thoroughly and ensured that the content suited our students and our school. He tailored it to our needs perfectly. The delivery was very professional, the content inspirational, and the response from students 100% positive. I would highly recommend his workshops to all schools” (Melanie Robinson, Head of Citizenship and PSHE)

Year 9 students and staff at Heaton Manor School, Newcastle upon Tyne