Being young and disabled

We are excited to hold another members social event, where you will be able to meet other members, share experiences and have fun.

Date: Monday 13 March 2023

Time: 6:30pm to 8pm

Location: online using Zoom

About the event

During this event, you will hear from guest speakers about their experiences of being young disabled people. You will also have the chance to share your own experiences and meet and talk to other members.

Please make sure you join before 6:30pm, as we have a packed schedule.

• 6.30pm: Welcome from Giovanni Gaetani, Scope’s Membership Programme Lead
• 6.35pm: Sophie Mattholie (chair) introduces the theme and the speakers
• 6.40pm to 7.30pm: Speakers panel with Judith Smale, Seema Desai, Caroline McHardy, Pablo John
• 7.30pm to 7.55pm: Roundtable discussion with members
• 8pm: Event ends

How to attend

You need to be a registered Scope member and have signed up to attend this event. If you are interested in this event, please register before Monday 6 March.

The first 30 people to register will get a vegan snack box. Please note: in the spirit of sharing, we will prioritise people who have not received a snack box yet.

Registered attendees will receive a Zoom link on Sunday 8 January. Please keep this link safe, as you will need it to join the event on the day.

Event speakers

We are pleased to have the following speakers talking to you about their experiences.

Sophie Mattholie (Chair)

Sophie is disabled due to Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and studies History at the University of York.

She's a volunteer at a youth-led disability charity called The LUNA Project, and through this she works to improve the lives of young disabled people through resources, workshops, and community. In her free time, she likes reading, writing, lino printing, and spending time with friends and family.

Judith Smale

Judith has Fascio Scalpio Humerio Muscular Dystrophy. Diagnosed at the age of 8, she has used an electric wheelchair since 12.

She has a first class Business Studies degree from the University of Northumbria and won 1998 Young Achiever of the Year. She works as Volunteering Manager for Cumbria CVS.

Judith enjoys cooking, food, going to concerts, gardening, travelling the world, and spending time with family, friends and her husband Nathan.

Seema Desai

Seema is 26 years old. She has 3 different eye conditions: cone-rod dystrophy, high myopia and nystagmus. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Social Work in 2019 and is a registered social worker.

Seema also volunteers with several organisations throughout the UK and has set up her own organisation called Embrace, which sadly she had to leave due to health issues. Seema is also a public speaker who has spoken to groups of all sizes, including:

• conferences
• religious groups
• students at her local university
• and more

She is part of the Lancashire visual impairment forum and the Lancashire learning disability partnership board. In 2019, she was also a main facilitator of the learning disability week.

Caroline McHardy

Caroline has Asperger's, which is high-functioning autism. She has a First Class Honours in Photography from the University of the Creative Arts in Rochester.

Currently looking for work, she enjoys art, creativity, nature and miniature photography. She publishes her artworks on her website.

Also Caroline enjoys going on nature walks and spending time with her calico cat 'Charlotte'.

Pablo John

Pablo is dyspraxic and a carer for his partner with fibromyalgia. He works at the Association for Renewable Energy and is a political campaigner outside of work.

He is particularly focused on renter's rights, disability advocacy and the climate.