I am the Case Manager here at Access Your Life.
That means when you fill out an equipment request or grant assistance form on our website, it comes to me, and I can help guide you towards accessing the right equipment, enabling you to live your life to the fullest. I think it’s a pretty cool job, not gonna lie!
A little about me – I became disabled in 2014 during a ballet class, where I went in able-bodied and left disabled. It turned my life upside down, and it took me some time to accept my new normal. I cried the first time I had to use a wheelchair (yay for internalised ableism) and was devastated that I could no longer apply to medical school. I watched from the sidelines as my classmates went off to university and moved on with their lives.
Over time, I learned to adapt and have since graduated with my master’s degree in Biochemistry (a 1st, which I mention because I worked hard for it and I am very proud of myself!). I’ve also learnt to drive, discovered a new passion for horse riding, and I am even relearning to dance from my wheelchair (shout out to Kate Stanforth for that one). I’ve recently worked with the Royal Ballet School, which has been an absolute dream come true and something I still can’t quite believe is real. I’m also now working in a job where I am doing something worthwhile – something that has always been essential for me in my career and what initially drew me to pursue a career in medicine.
My journey to getting my first bespoke active manual wheelchair was challenging because, as an ambulatory user, I am ineligible for most statutory support and lacked the means to self-fund. As a result, I spent six years in a basic, one-size-fits-all wheelchair that I could barely push myself in, which caused a permanent shoulder injury. Consequently, I became heavily dependent on my friends to help push my wheelchair. Now, I have a proper active chair (Quickie Argon 2) and a rear power assist (SmartDrive) that have genuinely opened up the world to me.
Getting the mobility equipment I needed was quite a journey and one that felt overwhelming at many points – with numerous sales pitches where everything cost an extortionate amount of money and incomprehensible order forms. With no one else in my life who needed equipment like this, I felt very alone. Enter Access Your Life! They were exactly what I needed when I was getting my wheelchair, and I wish I had found them sooner.
After my previous employment ended, I struggled to find a part-time, work from home job that would accommodate my needs; my former employers were not terrible, but they lacked that lived experience of what it’s truly like to work with a chronic illness. So, I emailed Felix asking for a job! I believed my lived experience and skill set would be an asset to the AYL team, and clearly Felix agreed, as he phoned me back 10 minutes later. I’ve now worked for AYL for over 3 years, and it’s incredible to be able to offer others the support I once desperately needed.
So, I think that summarises me in a nutshell! A wheelie dancing horse girl who just wants everyone to have the wheelchair they deserve.
Equipment Information:
• Quickie Argon2 Wheelchair
• Smart Drive Rear Powered Attachment
• Rehasense PAWS
