Meet Jamie from Scope’s Craig Y Parc School in Cardiff

Craig Y Parc is a Scope school for pupils aged three to 19 who have cerebral palsy and other complex needs. Through a range of education, social activities and residential care, the school’s expert team helps young disabled people to gain independence and think about the future.

Jamie is one of the students and wants to be an actor, so is going to drama school next year to start training. He also writes poems and stories and has started using voice recognition software, which will allow him to tap into his creative talents and transfer the stories and poems in his head down on paper. 

Jamie has cerebral palsy and a sight impairment which means he only sees things that are very close to him. He uses a motorised wheelchair but can stand and walk with the help of a frame. Here he talks about life at school and his aspirations for his future:

“This place is special, you can tell from the minute you step inside the front door. The staff are very helpful. They say it like it is - they never talk down to me because I’m disabled. I need to know what it’s like to get on in the real world, when I leave school. They are helping me to focus and prepare myself for work and the future. They teach me to be patient. I used to be bad at asking people for help. But now, if I can’t do something on my own, I take a deep breath and ask someone to help me.

When I first came to this school, I couldn’t even tell my left and right. I still have problems with my perception but it’s getting better. Before, I wasn’t very awake or alert. I was a bit dead really. I didn’t feel like I was part of the world. I was zoning out a lot because I found it hard to focus. Now everything’s changed. Now, I feel I can do anything. Not quite invincible, but not far off!

Gaining independence and confidence

For me, gaining independence and confidence is a step-by-step process. Firstly, I need help to balance and walk. I use a walking frame and practice most days. My occupational therapist here has created a special exercise programme for me. I’d never used a frame before I came here. It’s been really useful. I can drive my chair, but I don’t want to use a wheelchair all the time. Sometimes, my chair is too slow – it’s electric so things go wrong with it now and again. I want to know that I can stand and walk a bit when I need to. Basically, I want to rely on myself, not on a machine. Walking gives me that extra bit of independence.

The best thing about this school is the focus on independence. The staff don’t cluck around us, they push us to do things on our own. The special technology here is amazing. It’s all adapted, so anyone can use it, whatever their disability. The world of technology is constantly changing. I need to keep up with it otherwise I’ll be out in the cold when it comes to getting a job.

I do Dragon Voice Recognition software training every Tuesday and Thursday. The software doesn’t know you immediately, it has to pick up your accent and learn who you are. If you don’t teach it, it has no clue. So I’ve been teaching it for a couple of weeks and I’m getting on pretty well with it.

When I’ve got used to the system, it’s going to make life so much easier. I can write but sometimes I have to ask people to help me and that gets annoying. I use a keyboard but it’s very taxing on my mind, because I have to concentrate harder than most people. With the software, all the thoughts in my head will be translated to paper, without me having to write. That’s what I call cool!

I’m going to be one of those actors who is also an author because I can do both.

After college I’m hoping to get some extra work and start my acting career. What happens then, who knows? I had an audition for a French film last year. I was so nervous in the audition because I couldn’t see the people I was auditioning in front for. I sent a tape in before my audition to explain myself to them – how I was.

The part was about a boy with a very complex form of cerebral palsy. It was nice to have the experience even though I didn’t get the part.”

Scope runs services to enable people like Jamie to develop the skills they need to achieve their ambitions in life. We rely on voluntary donations to provide the technology and equipment, such as the software which Jamie uses.