When I used to live in France, there was this boy in my class, in primary school who was called Fabrice, he was in a wheelchair. He had a shy personality, he was friendly towards others but kept to himself most of the time. His disability kept him from being like other children his age. He wasn’t able to go on school trips or even our weekly visit to the local swimming pool.
Nobody really knew what was wrong with him but he was able to talk with others and managed the classwork all right. Everybody accepted him in a friendly way, he wasn’t able to join in with the other boys and play football but he sometimes joined in as a referee. There was this only one time when a boy of the same age called him “fat and ugly”, which landed him into serious trouble and the rest of us learned from that experience.
After that, the situation changed completely, kids in the playground and even teachers gave him their full attention and were prepared to do anything if a similar occasion should arise. His ability to cope afterwards improved because it made him more confident to stand up for himself. He was more happy and carefree than he was before. My conclusion about Fabrice is that I found him very brave around the time when he was slightly bullied, he found courage to come over his disability and the disadvantages that followed it.
Disability provision in my area: I live in South Norwood and in this area, there are plenty of help for disabled people. For example, there is sufficient transport, everyday, there is a small blue bus which takes disabled people of the area to disabled schools or work. And every afternoon, they get dropped off at special points where somebody picks them up and take them home. Another place, where they get special treatment is our local church. During masses, they have to go right at the front where there is more space at the sides, also during the offertory, the priest comes over after a special request to give the bread and wine to the disabled.
Also, in shopping centres, there are large stores, for example Alders and Debenhams which contain wheelchair ramps which are very practical and efficient because other people can use them too, like mothers with pushchairs. In our area, there are many disabled so the local people have gotten used to them and are friendly with them, such as shop-keepers or even in post-offices, bus drivers etc…all these people have gotten to know the disabled personally and are able to communicate with them effortlessly and with gentleness and care.
My conclusion on sufficient help in my area is that it’s enough for the disabled in our community to feel secure and happy to go around without worrying about the others and their behaviour. Wheelchair pupil at Virgo Fidelis: If a girl was to enrol at our school, I think she would find it partly difficult. Half of it would not be so bad for her because the pupils would treat her in no different way, but they would find it extremely difficult to manage.