Well, I have seen so many people who have blogs about their lives, and I had always thought my life so boring. However I have realised that maybe, I do have something to share with the world. There are others out there in the world who are like me, who maybe would like to read about someone like them.

We do not have enough positive representation of disabled people in the world. Since 2010, there has been a shift in the media, and now disabled people are portrayed in a negative light in the media (Bryant, Watson & Philo, 2013), so it is really important so us to show how absolutely incredible we are, and that we are not benefit stealers, we DO contribute to society.

I also think that it is really important to raise awareness about the difficulties that disabled students face in universities, on placements, in work etc. I have faced far more barriers than people realise, and yet I am still here. It has taken me longer to get here, but I am here. I would like to raise awareness of the difficulties that disabled people face day in, day out, and why they may need to take extensions on the regular, or why you as their colleague need to lift them up.

I want to raise awareness about ableism – what it is, and why as a society, we need to become ableism aware, and why we need you to become allies of disabled people.

This is me at the start of my sister’s hen party.

Emma Briant, Nick Watson & Gregory Philo (2013) Reporting disability in the age of austerity: the changing face of media representation of disability and disabled people in the United Kingdom and the creation of new ‘folk devils’, Disability & Society, 28:6, 874-889, DOI: 10.1080/09687599.2013.813837