Two new articles published today

I have two new articles up on the web today; one on rare disabilities on the BBC disability OUCH! website:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/closeup/rare_diseases.shtml

The other is on the Broadcast website and is about how disabled programme makers are struggling to tackle prejudice in television.

You might have to register to view this one, but I'm going to try and sort out a pdf file so I can link to it asap if you prefer not to register:

http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/multimedia/opinion/2008/02/blog_disabled_disadvantage.html

3 New Articles in 'Examples of my writing'

Have put just put new links to 3 articles I had previously written for Motability 'Lifestyle' magazine.

The first is on the cost of bringing up disabled children, the second on support for disabled parents and the third is on personal shoppers.

Enjoy!

Disabled child vs non disabled child

Just downloading some photos of my two beautiful boys and it's very apparent now how Ben, who is 1 and non disabled, is on the cusp of being taller than Archie, who is 3 but has the same disability as me which ultimately means he will be short.

At the moment I'm sure their equality in size contributes to the way they already play together so well but I wonder how things will change when Ben starts to get bigger than Archie?

I'm sure they must currently present a strange phenomena for casual onlookers because Archie talks non-stop about absolutely anything in intricate detail and Ben is just about saying "baa" [for sheep], "roun and roun" [for Round and Round the garden] and dada [his favourite person]!

Disabled parents

Good news today - a visually impaired friend has at last had a baby boy.

I tend to have my heart in my mouth for much of my disabled friends' pregnancies only because pregnancy is such a dicey game for anyone. For some of my disabled friends their disability has been an added risk. So when it all turns out OK I can breathe a big sigh of relief!

The truth is that Disabled parents are no longer the rarity they once were and it is estimated that there are over 2 million disabled parents in the UK. A lot of disabled people want children just as a lot of non disabled people do. We don't necessarily do things the same way as other parents but the end result is the same and that's all that counts isn't it!

Broken leg

My oldest son Archie broke his leg before Christmas, nothing too original about that apart from the fact he's only 3 and it was broken as he stuck his leg out as he was pushed through a doorway in his pushchair. If that had had happened to a non-disabled child the leg/hip would have just have accomodated the angle but because Archie has the same disability and inflexibility as me, it broke.

Six weeks down the line the cast is off and we are now trying to encourage him to walk again. He only started walking with confidence at about 2 1/2 years old so it now it feels like he's never walked... I know it will come back again but it's so hard to watch him struggle to build up the strength and confidence again. It brings it home how difficult it is to have a disabled child moreover a child who's inherited your own disability.

Saying that it took me 34 years to break any bone and I did that skiing so maybe I deserved it!?