In February I was very surprised to receive an email from the Department of Work and Pensions, inviting me to be involved in a video campaign called Role Models Inspire. I then found out that one of my childhood friends who works for the government, had suggested me! The aim of the campaign is to raise the aspirations of young disabled people and to give them encouragement to fulfil their ambitions. I was sent a list of questions and asked to answer them on film which I then sent to the DWP to upload to YouTube.
These were the questions I had to answer with my replies:
Do you work? What do you do?
I have 3 jobs. My paid job is as a Learning Support Assistant at a local primary school three afternoons a week. Another job I have is as the chairman and editor of Wellspring and my third job is running my craft club in my art studio on Saturday afternoons for children aged 4-11.
What barriers have you had to overcome in your life to achieve your aspirations?
The main barriers that I had to overcome were at the time when I was looking at which course I wanted to study for my degree. I looked at several universities and had to overcome members of staff telling me that certain courses weren’t right because of my disability. Once I had found the course I wanted to do at the University of Chichester, I stuck with my decision and with the support of the staff and my personal assistant, I was able to achieve what I wanted.
Luckily in my job at school, I don’t have any barriers because the children I work with accept me for who I am and I feel that I am able to effectively communicate and encourage them through my voice.
What do you think is your greatest achievement?
My greatest achievement is that I am in the job that I always wanted to do; ever since I was a child I wanted to be a teacher!
I’m also extremely proud that I have set up my own craft club and am able to share my love of art and craft with children. I am so pleased that I have been able to offer free places to children with special needs and their brothers and sisters over the past few years and hope that I can continue to offer these places in the future.
What advice would you have for young disabled people who are thinking about what they want to do in the future?
My advice is Go For It! Don’t let anybody hold you back because of what they think isn’t possible. (At this point in the video I was thinking of bursting into song with a mash-up of Climb Every Mountain and an old favourite from my teen years, S Club 7’s Bring It all Back, which has a chorus of Don’t Stop Never Give Up !!!) Anything is possible with the right help, use of the internet and technology!
There are now over 50 videos on the Role Models Inspire channel on YouTube with contributions from students, paralympians, journalists and my personal heroine Baroness Jane Campbell who says “in order to get your dream, you have to put the work in”! You can also find the campaign on Facebook and Twitter #rolemodelsinspire. I’m very proud that my video has been viewed over 700 times!
If you would like to watch an extended version of my campaign film on YouTube with footage of me at work, search Lizzie Baily. The film is also available to view on my page.
Lizzie Baily 2013
These were the questions I had to answer with my replies:
Do you work? What do you do?
I have 3 jobs. My paid job is as a Learning Support Assistant at a local primary school three afternoons a week. Another job I have is as the chairman and editor of Wellspring and my third job is running my craft club in my art studio on Saturday afternoons for children aged 4-11.
What barriers have you had to overcome in your life to achieve your aspirations?
The main barriers that I had to overcome were at the time when I was looking at which course I wanted to study for my degree. I looked at several universities and had to overcome members of staff telling me that certain courses weren’t right because of my disability. Once I had found the course I wanted to do at the University of Chichester, I stuck with my decision and with the support of the staff and my personal assistant, I was able to achieve what I wanted.
Luckily in my job at school, I don’t have any barriers because the children I work with accept me for who I am and I feel that I am able to effectively communicate and encourage them through my voice.
What do you think is your greatest achievement?
My greatest achievement is that I am in the job that I always wanted to do; ever since I was a child I wanted to be a teacher!
I’m also extremely proud that I have set up my own craft club and am able to share my love of art and craft with children. I am so pleased that I have been able to offer free places to children with special needs and their brothers and sisters over the past few years and hope that I can continue to offer these places in the future.
What advice would you have for young disabled people who are thinking about what they want to do in the future?
My advice is Go For It! Don’t let anybody hold you back because of what they think isn’t possible. (At this point in the video I was thinking of bursting into song with a mash-up of Climb Every Mountain and an old favourite from my teen years, S Club 7’s Bring It all Back, which has a chorus of Don’t Stop Never Give Up !!!) Anything is possible with the right help, use of the internet and technology!
There are now over 50 videos on the Role Models Inspire channel on YouTube with contributions from students, paralympians, journalists and my personal heroine Baroness Jane Campbell who says “in order to get your dream, you have to put the work in”! You can also find the campaign on Facebook and Twitter #rolemodelsinspire. I’m very proud that my video has been viewed over 700 times!
If you would like to watch an extended version of my campaign film on YouTube with footage of me at work, search Lizzie Baily. The film is also available to view on my page.
Lizzie Baily 2013
