Lessons for Life

This is an article from Unfold newsletter.

Prejudice has no place in society. It creates barriers and excludes disabled people from everyday life. With your support, Scope Role Model Chloe holds workshops in schools to educate young people about disability and expel their negative attitudes. Here, she talks you through one of her workshops which your gifts help fund.

Hello! My name is Chloe want to begin by saying thank you, because I wouldn’t be a Scope Role Model without your support! So let me tell you about what each workshop involves. I start by telling the young people about myself. I’m 20 years old and I have mild cerebral palsy, epilepsy, chronic pain and a visual impairment. It’s often the first time they have met a disabled person. That’s the problem – stereotypes come from unfamiliarity.

After Role Models workshops, an incredible 89% of young people feel less awkward about disability.

How do you see disabled people?

After introductions, I tell the young people about the everyday reality of being disabled. I explain how people often ignore me or speak to me like I’m 5 years old. As you can imagine, that’s so frustrating.

The message soon gets through. The young people start to see the impact of their words and actions. They start to see things from my perspective.

"Now I understand that disabled people aren’t any different, and we should treat disabled people in the same way as anyone else.” Student

What to do if you feel awkward

Two thirds of people in the UK feel worried they will say or do the wrong thing when they talk to a disabled person. But the next generation will feel differently thanks to you!

In the next part of the workshop, I share some tips about how to act around disabled people. Like avoid saying, ‘you don’t look disabled’ – because not all impairments are visible.

Over to you! Any questions?

The workshops last an hour. When I ask for questions at the end, lots of hands go up, which is great. It shows the young people now feel comfortable talking to a disabled person.

“It feels a lot less awkward to talk to a disabled person.” Student

A single lesson. A lasting difference. Thank you.

Your support is helping Role Models like Chloe break down the barriers faced by disabled people. Thank you.