Paul’s Place member, Sean, dressed as Banana Man for Global Make Some Noise Day
Sean, aged forty, was born with spastic cerebral palsy, that causes stiff and tight muscles, making it difficult to move. This is the most common type of cerebral palsy.
At primary school, Sean used the same community bus as the local mainstream pupils. This is where Sean’s bullying took place. As soon as he arrived at school the bullying stopped. Sean felt the council made a mistake in mixing mainstream and specialist pupils on the same bus. Or it was an opportunity to teach the mainstream children about his cerebral palsy condition to promote awareness and understanding.
After primary school, Sean continued attending a specialist school for eight years. He became more confident as they grew his independence and prepared Sean for life after school. Sean felt very comfortable being with other students similar to him, which enabled Sean to be himself, have fun and talk openly whenever he struggled.
Sean loves travelling overseas. But there were challenges at the airport. An extra hour is often needed for checking in, for arranging a hoist so Sean can enter and then exit from the aircraft and for putting his much needed wheelchair into holding. Therefore, Sean books this extra support in advance. Despite this, on one occasion the extra support at the airport didn’t arrive and Sean missed his plane. On another flight, Sean’s wheelchair broke on transit.
When asked about how the day facility and evening programme at Paul’s Place has helped him, Sean joked by saying “his carers had enough of him, so he comes here”. Sean said he likes going out, experiencing new places and meeting people. Therefore, he supports other members at Paul’s Place to do the same. He can sense if someone is unhappy and what they might need to feel better.
Sean mentioned a heart warming memory about joining an accessible football game for all age groups. A six-year-old child with peripheral vision attended the game, but their visual impairment meant they were too scared to play. Sean has a speech impediment, but he was able to use the tone of his voice to encourage the six-year-old child to play, where they scored a goal.
Due to an extremely kind and generous donation, Paul’s Place is moving from its current day facility at Coalpit Heath Cricket Club to Shire Way Community Centre. The community centre will serve its members, the community at large and local businesses. This means the members at Paul’s Place will have opportunities to grow food and run its community café. Sean is interested in making its new day facility as accessible as possible, for example, by having one button appliances.
Sean uses his confidence and independence so he can support others to live life to the full, especially at Paul’s Place. Thank you Banana Man.