If you ask me…

Who has had the biggest influence on you?
Professor Michael Oliver, and the developments he made regarding
the social model of disability.

Which professional has been most of use to
you?
Social care academic professor Gillian Stamp, my mentor.

If you ran services in your area what would you do
differently?
I would invest in user-led services and make them part of
mainstream social care provision.

Name one thing that would make your life better

Fully-accessible public transport.

What event most changed your life?
Working for the Greater London Council.

Has any government policy ever done anything for you/your
client group?
The passing of Community Care Direct Payments Act because it
liberated me from the “service world” and meant I could get a
job.

When were you last angry?
Two years ago when I found myself in intensive care with a routine
chest infection and two senior consultants suggested that in my
condition, it wasn’t worth putting me on a ventilator if I went
into respiratory failure!

When did you last cry?
When I read and saw Leslie McIntyre’s photographic tribute to her
daughter, Molly. It reinforced my belief that disabled lives should
be celebrated, however different and however long.

Who would you like to swop places with?
Nobody. I love being me.

What would you like to be remembered for?
For making the impossible happen.