Sally Raper

26/02/2022

29/01/2022

“I loved it but I found it hard being a wheelchair user in my class…In year six they took the whole of my class to France … and I couldn’t go because they didn’t have access … I enjoyed learning but I also felt segregated.”

In our last interview, Chirag covers everything from his experiences at a mainstream primary school as being a wheelchair user, to his recent work placements at an IT company and law firm.

A quadriplegia cerebral palsy, with all of his four limbs affected by this condition, Chirag describes for us his day-to-day life with the help of his PA .He enjoys swimming and plays boccia, Chirag tells us he’s learnt the importance of teamwork through these sports and they have improved his confidence.

We interviewed Chirag during Covid19 lockdown and at that time, he was at home, feeling frustrated but learning new skills for future employment. The pandemic he says has “changed my perception of life because I don’t know what the future will hold and it’s really worrying me. But on the good side, I can operate from home.”

Thanks to National Lottery Heritage Fund we’ve released 30 stories from both wheelchair users, and people working alongside them, to mark our 30th anniversary ⭐

This wide-ranging and historically significant project will result in stories being archived as part of The British Library's catalogue of National Life Stories, ensuring that the life experiences of wheelchair users and those working alongside them are captured forever 💪

A big thank you to our fantastic volunteer and interviewer Karen Horton for your help on this story 💚

We hope you’ve enjoyed listening and massive thank you to everyone who made this possible!👏 Stay tuned for updates on the project when they come in…

Listen to Chirag’s interview and other on our website now: https://www.whizz-kidz.org.uk/charity/30-years-30-stories/chirags-story

19/01/2022

“I think the advice that I would give to a younger me or anyone that's newly using a wheelchair, is try to just not let people's perceptions get to you.”

Sophie it seems, has nine lives. Despite over 187 emergency admissions into hospital in just 18 months, she manages to laugh and smile her way through her interview.

Sophie has been involved in Whizz-Kidz for years, accessing our services and fundraising to help others. Now we’re delighted that she has joined us as a colleague working in our services team supporting other young wheelchair users 💚

Living with a rare form of Brittle Diabetes, Functional Neurological Disorder, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and Hypermobility Syndrome, Sophie describes the moment she had to pop her dislocated shoulder back in during table tennis at the The British Transplant Games

She took home two medals that year – a bronze for swimming and a gold for archery. Sophie also touches on public attitudes towards disability, and has some sound advice for wheelchair users.

Thanks to National Lottery Heritage Fund we’re releasing 30 stories from both wheelchair users, and people working alongside them, to mark our 30th anniversary ⭐

This wide-ranging and historically significant project will result in stories being archived as part of The British Library's catalogue of National Life Stories, ensuring that the life experiences of wheelchair users and those working alongside them are captured forever 💪

A big thank you to our fantastic volunteer and interviewer Beth Hayes, and Sally R***r our editor on this interview 💚

Listen to Sophie’s full interview and other on our website now: https://www.whizz-kidz.org.uk/charity/30-years-30-stories/sophies-story

12/01/2022

“A wheelchair has to fit the individual’s needs, not the needs of the system”

Next up in our project, Head Coach of Team GB Sitting Volleyball, Ian, shares his story. Ian first started working with wheelchairs and vehicles in 1978, so he has witnessed the significant developments that have occurred within the sector over the last 40 years.

Originally placed under the Department of Health and Security, he describes how the transfer of wheelchair services to the NHS drastically improved provisions: after all, a “wheelchair has to fit the individual’s needs, not the needs of the system”.

Ian himself has also played a significant role in improving NHS wheelchair services, helping Whizz-Kidz to run the wheelchair services for the NHS in Tower Hamlets. And his achievements don’t end there! His experience in the disability sector has led him to become appointed as head coach for Great Britain’s sitting volleyball team.

Thanks to National Lottery Heritage Fund we’re releasing 30 stories from both wheelchair users, and people working alongside them, to mark our 30th anniversary ⭐

This wide-ranging and historically significant project will result in stories being archived as part of The British Library's catalogue of National Life Stories, ensuring that the life experiences of wheelchair users and those working alongside them are captured forever 💪

A big thank you to our fantastic volunteer and interviewer Millie Boyse, and Yasmin Badesha for amazing help editing the interview 💚

Listen to Ian’s interview and other on our website now: https://www.whizz-kidz.org.uk/charity/30-years-30-stories/ian-story

10/01/2022

“The disability or the loss of ability is always shown as a tragedy, a weakness that needs to be overcome, as opposed to something that you live with, it's always shown as a combat, as a battle for those and is overcome through a strength of will, and part of that is to realise that what that is.”

Living with cerebral palsy, Chris shares with us in his interview, his early memories of getting sweet treats whilst on hospital visits, how physiotherapists stretched his body during clinics and his rejection of wheelchairs during his university days.

With a strong theme of addressing social issues throughout his life, Chris also touches on subjects such as environmental activism, exclusion and explains how his mother’s philosophy of, “there are no problems, there are only puzzles” has helped shaped his outlook on life.

Thanks to National Lottery Heritage Fund we’re releasing 30 stories from both wheelchair users, and people working alongside them, to mark our 30th anniversary ⭐

This wide-ranging and historically significant project will result in stories being archived as part of The British Library's catalogue of National Life Stories, ensuring that the life experiences of wheelchair users and those working alongside them, are captured forever 💪

A big thank you to our fantastic volunteers - interviewer Gerry Moss and editor Sally R***r who made this possible too 💚

Listen to the full interview and other on our website now: https://www.whizz-kidz.org.uk/charity/30-years-30-stories/chris-dempster-story

07/01/2022

"The best time, it almost brought me to tears, was when I had young teenager, who for the first time was given a powered wheelchair with switch access and a scanner."

In her , our very own Whizz-Kidz Senior Mobility Therapist, Marja, tells us about the changes that have occurred for wheelchair users since she first joined Whizz-Kidz over 20 years ago.

From initiatives such as the personal wheelchair budget to improved technology, Marja has witnessed a raft of changes in the world of wheelchairs. She describes even manual wheelchair users now have the flexibility to turn their manual chairs into power assist chairs!

She also discusses changes in society’s attitudes and how the pandemic has affected our services and the young wheelchair users her team supports.

Thanks to National Lottery Heritage Fund we’re releasing 30 stories from both wheelchair users, and people working alongside them, to mark our 30th anniversary ⭐

This wide-ranging and historically significant project will result in stories being archived as part of The British Library catalogue of National Life Stories, ensuring that the life experiences of wheelchair users and those working alongside them are captured forever 💪

A big thank you to our fantastic volunteer and interviewer Millie Boyse, and Yasmin Badesha for amazing help editing the interview 💚

Listen to Marja’s interview and other on our website now: https://www.whizz-kidz.org.uk/charity/30-years-30-stories/marja-story

17/12/2021

“I don't want to be viewed as special. I don't want to be viewed as different. I don't want to be viewed as you know, someone that is pitied or needs help. I just want to be a completely normal person.”

Next up to share his interview during , we’re delighted to share the story of Paralympian Dimitri Coutya.

This Summer, Dimitri won four medals for Team GB at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics 🏅💪

Through this interview, taken before the Games, we got behind the fencing mask and find it’s not just medals but solid relationships and hard won independence that are most precious to Dimitri.

Thanks to National Lottery Heritage Fund we launched 30 Stories, an ambitious project of oral history interviews with wheelchair users spanning our 30-year history ⭐

This wide-ranging and historically significant project will result in stories being archived as part of The British Library catalogue of National Life Stories, ensuring that the life experiences of wheelchair users today are captured forever 💪

A big thank you to our fantastic volunteer and interviewer Karen Horton, and Sally R***r for amazing help editing the interview 💚

To listen to Dimitri’s interview and other head to our website: https://www.whizz-kidz.org.uk/charity/30-years-30-stories/dimitri-coutya-story

16/10/2021

“We often say to young people, 'What do you want to do when you grow up?’ It's probably one of the most harmful questions you can ask because you're telling them that the future is all about the individual…” ✨

We’re delighted to share Miro Griffiths’ story, a Research Fellow in Disability Studies, in which he lays out his thoughts on disability activism for the future 👍

In his highly engaging interview, Miro also calls for young people’s voices to be heard and for everyone to recognise our interdependency 👏

Thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we launched 30 Stories, an ambitious project of oral history interviews with wheelchair users spanning our 30-year history ⭐

This wide-ranging and historically significant project will result in stories being archived as part of The British Library's catalogue of National Life Stories, ensuring that the life experiences of wheelchair users today are captured forever 💪

To accompany the stories, we're very excited to have stunning portraits of our interviewees captured by photographer Ranald Mackechnie Photography 📷

A big thank you to our fantastic interviewer Laura Michelangeli and brilliant editors Sally R***r and Jake Phillips for all of their help 💚

Listen to clips from Miro’s interview and other on our website: whizz-kidz.org.uk/charity/30-years-30-stories/miro-story

16/10/2021

“My first sports chair from Whizz-Kidz opened up a whole new world for me. It really made me feel like I belonged in sport.” – 7-time gold medallist, Hannah Cockroft MBE

Did you know that the amazing Hannah Cockroft received her first sports wheelchair from Whizz-Kidz?

Huge congratulations to our amazing supporter Hannah and to all of Team GB for another brilliant Paralympic Games! 👏

We’re proud to say that some of the Paralympian’s you cheered on in Tokyo, have received equipment from Whizz-Kidz, which helped them to go on and achieve their dreams. 💚

At Whizz-Kidz, we provide sports equipment and clubs so disabled children can get their first taste of sport. Our equipment ranges from entry level, so young people can try a range of sports, to more bespoke equipment for young people to take their passion to the next level. We also host clubs across the UK, so young people can try as many sports as possible, make friends, exercise and most importantly – have fun! 🎉

£47 could fund an hour with a Whizz-Kidz Mobility Engineer, so we can tailor each child’s wheelchair to their own individual needs, including sport specific wheelchairs. 😊

Donate today to help the next generation of disabled young people to the start line in sport:
https://www.whizz-kidz.org.uk/supporters/fundraise/sport-for-all

05/10/2021

“Going to university is scary but you’ve got to do it. Because you will find out your strengths… and you’ll have fun!” ✨

We’re proud to share City lawyer Arunima’s story, as she describes plunging head-first into life in London after attending Cambridge University 🎓

Her brilliant and personal interview takes us from the comforting environment of home, through some grey days of bullying at school, then the fun-filled years at uni — kick-starting her journey to find true independence 👍

Thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we launched 30 Stories, an ambitious project of oral history interviews with wheelchair users spanning our 30-year history ⭐

This wide-ranging and historically significant project will result in stories being archived as part of The British Library's catalogue of National Life Stories, ensuring that the life experiences of wheelchair users today are captured forever 💪

To accompany the stories, we're very excited to have stunning portraits of our interviewees captured by photographer Ranald Mackechnie Photography 📷

A big thank you to our great interviewer Beth Hayes and fantastic editors Jake Phillips and Sally R***r for all of their help 💚

Listen to clips from Arunima’s interview and other on our website: whizz-kidz.org.uk/charity/30-years-30-stories/arunima-story

18/09/2021

“Travelling is a nightmare for me… it’s still at the same level as it was back in 2012 with attitudes sometimes.”

As we get ready for a day full of football, we wanted to share Nathan’s story – the first wheelchair user to qualify as a football referee in the UK ⚽

In his brilliant interview, Nathan tackles wheelchair tech on the football pitch and the pain and process that a wheelchair user has to go through to get from A to B 👍

Thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we launched 30 Stories, an ambitious project of oral history interviews with wheelchair users spanning our 30-year history ⭐

This wide-ranging and historically significant project will result in stories being archived as part of The British Library's catalogue of National Life Stories, ensuring that the life experiences of wheelchair users today are captured forever 💪

To accompany the stories, we're very excited to have stunning portraits of our interviewees captured by photographer Ranald Mackechnie Photography 📸

A big thank you to our fantastic content curator Jake Phillips and brilliant editor Sally R***r for their help with the interview 💚

Listen to clips from Nathan’s interview and other on our website: whizz-kidz.org.uk/charity/30-years-30-stories/nathan-mattick-story

29/08/2021

Great to work on 😁

21/06/2021

I've written a short history of carbon microphones on the blog on my website. I think it's really interesting; check it out!

My Tech2 blog doesn't seem to have been playing (you can still read it, but I can't edit it) but I really wanted to write about carbon microphones, so I'm writing it here instead! The reason I want to write about them is because they've got a really interesting history, but I'll try to keep it short...

29/05/2021

My blogsite doesn't seem to be working, so I'm afraid I won't be posting anything on Tech2 today. I'll try again later, but in the meantime here's my other Tech2 posts. 🤔

Another Type of Cable: RCA RCA cables are used to transmit audio and video signals and are named after Radio Corporation America. 1 The reason is that this type of cable was developed by Radio Corporation America in the 1940s, where it was used to connect phonographs with amplifiers. 2 There are two...

28/02/2021

I've redesigned my website! Please feel free to browse it on the link below:-

27/02/2021

New blog post about modular synths! I've had to move the blog to WordPress, but my original website is still up with other stuff, including my previous blog, on it!

Here's the link to my new post about modular synths - https://buff.ly/3r174xI

…Or more specifically, modular synthesisers. I’ve decided to concentrate on that because they were the first commercial synths.1 Robert Moog used modules in his synth in 1964; some…

04/02/2021

New blog!! Tech2 goes deeper into the workings of music and music-related tech; check it out!