As a teacher, I have been involved with some amazing learners and projects over the years, as I write this the memories of past learners and adventures are coming to the forefront of my mind, and I am smiling. I sometimes forget how great my job is and as I write I am remembering the uptown funk video, the queens 90th Birthday, the opening of the Jean Hunt Building, the Step Up Video, Dig for Victory, the trashion show, so much more and not forgetting the time a NASA astronaut came to JMC, pretty cool. So yeah, I have had some great experiences!
Then came Access Champions, a project that at the start was designed to teach young disabled people the skills to assess the accessibility of buildings in Peterborough. The aim was simple and beautiful. Empower a group of young people to use their unique experience of being in the world, to help identify how to make buildings more accessible for others.
The pride and enthusiasm of the 8 selected young people was outstanding, the room was alive with a passion and enthusiasm, the likes of which I have never seen before, no take that back, felt before. Because I felt their energy and I knew this was the start of something special. At the end of the first day, one learner sat forward and said words that I will remember for the rest of my life. She said “The disabled communities hope to gain fair access is our destiny to fulfil” the words dripped from her mouth so casually, with no effort at all, as if they had been sat inside her for an eternity, waiting to be given the opportunity to burst out.
It was a defining moment for the Access Champions and has become the mission statement for the group. The group decided that they wanted to become student led and continue the work they had started. So, fast forward to now, and I want to share with you some of their key achievements to date:
Pictured above are Travis McLennon, Richard Norman, Hazel Owen and Holly Richardson. Key members of the Access champions and learners who wrote the Level 1 Qualification.
This story has only just begun, and that is what is so great, the Access Champions are literally writing the future for young disabled people, they were not happy with the stories of their childhood, that had led them to believe that they could not effect change and be something more than what was expected. These young people are the first generation of Access Champions, creating sustainable change for the future! and actually…they are my heroes!
Then came Access Champions, a project that at the start was designed to teach young disabled people the skills to assess the accessibility of buildings in Peterborough. The aim was simple and beautiful. Empower a group of young people to use their unique experience of being in the world, to help identify how to make buildings more accessible for others.
The pride and enthusiasm of the 8 selected young people was outstanding, the room was alive with a passion and enthusiasm, the likes of which I have never seen before, no take that back, felt before. Because I felt their energy and I knew this was the start of something special. At the end of the first day, one learner sat forward and said words that I will remember for the rest of my life. She said “The disabled communities hope to gain fair access is our destiny to fulfil” the words dripped from her mouth so casually, with no effort at all, as if they had been sat inside her for an eternity, waiting to be given the opportunity to burst out.
It was a defining moment for the Access Champions and has become the mission statement for the group. The group decided that they wanted to become student led and continue the work they had started. So, fast forward to now, and I want to share with you some of their key achievements to date:
- Nominated for an Accessible Britain Challenge Award 2015 – receiving a special mention in dispatches
- Completed Access Statements on new polling stations in Peterborough
- Represented the college at the annual scrutiny panel
- Delivered presentations to Commissioning Directors in Peterborough
- Appeared on local radio
- Invited to Peterborough Cathedral to assist with the plans for the new tea room
- Peterborough’s Big Youth Shout Out – commissioned by Peterborough City Council to help steer the commissioning of SEND services
- Current production of a film that showcases the hopes, dreams, aspirations and challenges of young disabled people in Peterborough
- They now have Face Book and Twitter pages and soon their own Website.
Pictured above are Travis McLennon, Richard Norman, Hazel Owen and Holly Richardson. Key members of the Access champions and learners who wrote the Level 1 Qualification.
This story has only just begun, and that is what is so great, the Access Champions are literally writing the future for young disabled people, they were not happy with the stories of their childhood, that had led them to believe that they could not effect change and be something more than what was expected. These young people are the first generation of Access Champions, creating sustainable change for the future! and actually…they are my heroes!