Challenge Not Accepted: Hope
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Societal bias about disabled people often means it's assumed they don't have expectations for their own self-care, indulging in their favourite activities or enjoying a bit of downtime. Read how Rose Road helps Hope find balance and enjoy her own 'me time'.
Her mum, Helen, explains:
Hope is cheeky, she loves school, she's sociable, she loves to laugh and she has a wicked sense of humour. You definitely can’t put Hope in the corner; she loves to be in the thick of it!
She also loves time with family, especially all her nieces and nephews, she’s most happy when she’s watching them and laughing along with whatever they’re getting up to.
However, Hope also needs her chill time.
Hope has cerebral palsy, epilepsy, a learning delay and is visually impaired. She can get a bit upset by too much noise, so the sensory room at Rose Road is a great place where Hope can spend quiet time watching Fireman Sam or Noddy on the soft mats and bean bags - she loves having time out of her chair, to lay back and watch her tablet.
Hope is always happy when she’s going to Rose Road, the staff come out and greet her and I can tell she’s well liked. I drop her off knowing she’s going to have a lot of fun.
It’s like a godsend. With her respite nights, I can have a break, spend time with her siblings, and last August I was able to go on a holiday. I felt relaxed and ready to carry on.
I find that people in general are very kind to Hope. She will say hello to anyone she meets; she’s happy to talk to anybody when we’re out and about and people respond positively and say hello back. She’s just so friendly, she doesn’t give them a choice to be anything else!
She smiles and is unapologetically her.
Watch our Challenge NOT Accepted video here, and find out how you can keep the conversation going here.
❤ Please donate to empower disabled young people to continue to push boundaries, break down barriers, and make their own decisions and have their voices heard, through person-centred and individually tailored support, activities and adventures with Rose Road.
❤ Download our Disability Awareness Conversation Guide(PDF) - developed for the campaign and designed to help you run informal, conversation-based workshops on improving inclusion and accessibility in everyday life and work. Topics include the Social Model of Disability, Effective Communication, Challenging Biases, Respectful Language and Promoting Self-Advocacy.