I am Johnathon. I’ve always had a passion for animals. Before then I’d only ever seen animals in zoos, I want to see that every day. It sounds weird, but they just talk to me. I’m not Dr. Dolittle or anyone like that but it’s just something about animals. I want to work in conservation, to have a positive impact on the environment and the animals, and also to inspire others to be passionate like I am.

I was on a guided tour. We went through the gate, and the first thing we saw right near the gate was a group of lions, I was like okay I’ve seen a lion now.
Like what else can we see? Just to the camp which was about an hour drive we saw elephants.

So, I was held quite far back. I never thought I’d be smart enough to go to university. But I didn’t bother. Later on in life, I wanted to do something. I thought I’d go into veterinary nursing and they told me that they weren’t sure how my limitations would enable me to do the job, and actually suggested the program, or the course that I took part in.

Throughout my course, I did visit South Africa and I knew that’s where I wanted to be! So when I finished my degree, I knew that I wanted to focus more on conservation projects. I’ve found what I want to do.

I didn’t overly enjoy my schooling years just because mentally I’m able to do like academic work like everyone else. But the school that I was sent to was more aimed I think with people like sensory needs, and people with learning needs that weren’t able to learn at the level that I was able to.

Without my wheelchair, I can pretty much say I wouldn’t have done anything that I’ve wanted to do. It’s great that I can go anywhere I want in the chair! I love the fact that I can turn in small spaces. My Karma chair enables me to go on all kinds of terrain. I’ve been in the bush um on sand, on dirt, muddy weather…

I’m a massive Norwich City fan. I think I’ve been a Norwich fan since I was a child. I’ve been a season ticket holder now for about five-six years.

Whether it’s right for me or not, I push myself forward; I’m determined; I don’t like to be told I can’t do something(which I don’t know if it’s a positive or not).

I like to help other people like myself. I know I can do these things and when I see people they’re like “oh I can’t do this because I’m in a wheelchair or because of my disability”, I’m like you can do that. I’ve done it myself even
if I haven’t done something myself and I’m able to enable somebody else to do that, or at least point them in the right direction or offer them advice I’d always do that I think.

At the moment, I’ve just been doing my course with Bushwise which is a South African company to qualify to become a field guide where I’ll be licensed to take safaris and bushwalks myself, and enable people to experience the wildlife in South Africa,. You know, I’ve always experienced it.

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I’m Martyn Sibley, I am the co-founder of Purple Goat Agency and generally an inclusion activist.  An inclusion activist for me is just generally educating the world on how to be more accessible and inclusive for disabled people and also empowering disabled people to go and grab their best life as well. So I landed in my spacecraft from Mars about 20 years ago.

The solution to the perception problem is representation, so when we have disabled people in TV, films, marketing, but also teachers, lawyers, doctors etc. That’s when those stereotypes are broken down, and social media has been a game changer because disabled people have had a voice and can curate the conversation more for ourselves which has been phenomenal to see.

I suppose my story does start around having a disability growing up with SMA definitely molded parts of my experience of the world. And bringing that up into university was a really big leap for me. I did economics and a master’s in marketing there.

Then, after that, my first job was a charity called Scope where I did five years that really I suppose gave me a  grounding in disability inclusion and disability rights, and set me up for what’s been about a decade now of working at the intersection of inclusion entrepreneurship and social media.

I’m disabled I’ve had a wheelchair since I was about three years old. It’s fair to say the world hasn’t been designed by a wheelchair user. There are a lot of barriers to getting onto transport and buildings. Another barrier is from the perception and the attitudes of people, and another barrier is around organizational policies.

Thus, I’ll still be Martyn who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy, but I’ll also be Martyn that can get in buildings people don’t judge me because I’m in a wheelchair and there’s no policies holding me back.

I think on a really basic level my wheelchair is my legs, it’s how I get around physically. I got my Karma chair around three years ago, and so I was shown that the Karma had the EVO Lectus. It looked amazing, had features and functions that I had not really seen before, and ultimately decided that was going to be the next chair for me.

I suppose in other ways it just enables me to be a good fiancée to help look after our dog, Sunny. To travel the world which I’ve  done a lot of, and thoroughly enjoyed and to do all of my work and my advocacy work.

I remember when I was three years old, and I got my first power wheelchair that feeling of liberation, freedom and independence was really powerful and that still remains today.

When I was growing up there wasn’t a whole lot of disabled role models. For me, role models are vital, not as an unattainable role model but an example of what everyday life and living very attainable dreams can look like.

Thus, I started blogging because I wanted to be that outlook that I didn’t have when I was in my teen years, so even today I’m very motivated and driven to know that I am inspiring the next generation of disabled people.

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My name is Eboni. I think the night I gained my confidence was at my prom. I have a Karma chair, it went to prom with me and I just felt so beautiful and free like birds kind of thing.

I’m studying Sociology and English a-levels. I like learning about people and understanding how they work. It feels really good, it’s mine and it’s what I can do no one else can do it for me.

I never had a social life before I had this chair. I was suffering from depression and was on the very edge. I never felt like I had a future and but this chair felt like it’s given me a long happy future and changed the outlook of life.

My relationship with my mum, she is the best thing that has ever happened to me. She is like my best friend, very strong and brave, that’s mainly where I get it from. She’s very compassionate and just very kind and caring. As long as I have my mum, I’m complete.

I want to go to university and do mental health nursing at Cambridge. I’m really looking forward to it because I can finally be myself and age doesn’t matter. I’m drawn to helping others mentally and learning different ways because mental health is so different and it’s just really unique.

When I did GCSE’s I was in hospital for most of it because I put so much stress on myself, so it is going to take a lot from me but I know I can 100% do it.

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Jack and Aaron are brothers, both KARMA wheelchair users, they share with us the importance of their relationship, their jobs, their hobbies, and their life.

Jack: Being disabled makes you learn a lot because you see the world differently to somebody else; because our conditions life limiting you want to do everything that you can do, that you can still try and live a normal life.

Jack: My name’s Jack I’m 22 and I’m from Birmingham.
Aaron: My name’s Aaron I’m 24 years old and we’re brothers, we’re like conjoined twins we’re not.
Jack: Never apart.
Aaron: It gets on my nerves a bit.
Jack: Aaron thinks he’s the comedian.
Aaron: I’m the funny one, that’s all.
If you’re not feeling good like at least we’ve got one another there to reassure each other. It’s just good to have somebody else to talk to and hit me.

Jack: I’m a Cat technician and I work in the roads department.
Aaron: I’m a Cat technician too but in- for a different department that’s for bridges and structures. I think I’m quite shy but once I get to know people I’m all right.
Jack: I’d describe myself as chatty.
Aaron: He’s got a loud one, we call him chatty man.
Jack: Try not to be negative.
We would rather be positive people. I don’t like negative energy. I’ve got a good sense of humor, motivated.

Jack: My hobbies are playing computer games, wheelchair football. I think about chair preparations thinking before you even touch the ball that would be two steps ahead you know thinking, that’s my next run gonna be and you have to think about pace or things like that.
Aaron: No time to ball much really.
Jack: West Bromwich Albion Powerchairs, that’s the name of our team.
Aaron: Get your mind going and keep your mind off what’s going on the outside.
Jack: It gives you a purpose like you know you’re there for one reason and you know it’s to try and win games.
My football wheelchair is used purposely just for football, not made for comfort but for sport. It’s like driving a tin can.

Jack: I definitely prefer the KARMA. So, my Karma wheelchair is used for everyday life, it’s like the Rolls.
Aaron: Royce of wheelchairs, it’s a part of you basically, it’s my legs.
Jack: Sometimes when you feel like you’re asking for too much, makes you feel like a burden but I think having this independence gives me the freedom to do what I want to do, have to just think about the things you can do not worry about things you can’t do.
Because everything’s possible if you put your mind to it.

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