The Podcast They Erased:

The podcast that they erased because I manage my disability with prescription cannabis:

The Notes from the DurhamEnable podcast that was part of my employment support until it was removed, that Durham County Council doesn't want you to know:

Podcast prep:

Can you tell us a bit about yourself, who you are, any interests/hobbies?

Hi Bambi, thanks for having me on the show, I'm someone who likes to make a positive difference in the lives of others, and I do a lot of charity and community work as well as independent disability advocating. On top of that I'm an actress, producer, author, artist, alternative model, music artist and more and I enjoy getting involved in creative endeavours.

What is the nature of your disability?

Mine is fundamentally a mobility impairment and chronic pain condition. I have a dislocated pelvis known as symphysis pubis dysfunction, a gap of 10.9mm and Ehlers Danlos hypermobility Syndrome amongst others. I'm likely AuADHD just waiting final assessment and I have to pace myself to work around my dynamic disability.

Before you were introduced to Supported Employment, what was your experience of finding work and being in the workplace?

Extremely difficult since becoming disabled, prior to being disabled I got hired immediately, I did everything including temporary work and I'm highly skilled and qualified for most positions including managerial positions. I used to have my own photography business but lost everything when I became disabled. Since the disability however I have only made any progress when I've not disclosed the disability and I have been struggling to find work for three years. I dream of forms. I've dedicated and wasted a lot of time trying to get paid employment but the only work I can get at this time, as important as the jobs are, are unpaid charity positions and an unpaid independent visitor position for children in the care system. Important roles but they don't earn me any income to help with the expenses of being disabled and to help with my independence and my own life goals.

How were you first introduced to Supported Employment? 

I believe it was a Livin officer who recommended DurhamEnable to me but I am not one hundred percent. Whoever did I am extremely grateful for.

Can you tell us about your journey and experience with the service?

I have had interviews, I have had access to opportunities I didn't previously have, we did a reverse job fair which was helpful as I was able to provide insight from the perspective of those of us who are disabled and would like to be hired too. 

I've had support and transportation help in regards to academics, awards and bursaries, I've helped with research projects and think there needs to be more organisations like DurhamEnable to help those of us facing such barriers into employment.

DurhamEnable work with disability confident employers and educate them on the benefits of hiring disabled people which gives us access to more disability positive companies.

What do you think the Supported Employment journey has helped you achieve/develop?

Access mostly that I didn't have before, not just to disability positive employers but also including access to people who are in the same position as I am, it's good to feel like you're not alone or the problem, society needs to change and a lot of us face serious barriers when it comes to employment.

How do you feel now about your future career prospects?

I have some goals set, I've stopped applying for jobs everyday and everywhere but from DurhamEnable because it was stressful and exhausting and after three years I broke down and just can't take the rejection anymore or that of my skills and academics being overlooked. I am working towards driving now and setting up my own business with jewellery, art and stock images and I hope to get back into photography so I can finally start and earn a wage to fund my pain management and to gain much needed independence, at least until I find paid work. This way I can do it outside of paid work once I find it, as independent projects as well.

Which industries are you hoping to work in more?

I'm highly skilled and qualified but I'm mostly familiar with administration, managerial, creative, sales, customer services areas. Anything in those areas would be easy and fulfilling work for me.

What would you say to encourage the person listening who feels that they can relate to your story?  

That there is hope out there, follow your dreams, it wasn't long ago I was bedbound and housebound due to my disabilities for over a decade and I found better pain management and fought my way into rehabilitation of my leg muscle atrophy so I can walk with a stick, I am now an actress in movies and I did that, no one else. Believe in yourself and set small goals, even if you need to break them into even smaller steps, I use the mantra it's okay to be a turtle and not a hare, we all reach the finish line which is all that matters. It may take us longer as we have to fight and work around our own bodies and disabilities but it's worth it. Never stop seeing your worth, find out what you want to do and make it happen for you, pace yourself and work around your disabilities to ensure it happens. It means you have to sit with yourself and learn yourself which isn't easy but nothing for us with a disability ever is, I hope most of all, to inspire others with disabilities to see their worth in a world that's constantly overlooking our abilities and skill sets.

Would you recommend Supported Employment to them? 

I would recommend supported employment to anyone out there struggling to find work.

Why?

Supported employment helps work around your unique disabilities and skills and can help you improve with academics as well as job seeking. It offers you someone who can see you for who and how you are and help you plan and prepare and take ownership of your conditions and find a suitable placement that works around your needs. Not the other way around. It offers additional support and opportunities and works with disability positive employers. It was a pleasure of mine to see a gentleman get hired at the reverse job fair. I was so proud that people could see his worth and give him a chance at employment, a chance every single disabled person deserves.

Thank you for taking the time to explore disability and employment with me, I am very grateful.

(I don't appreciate being erased however, my voice matters too, now hopefully this will reach who it NEEDS to. Always action REAL LIFE positive change, don't just pretend to care. DO the work that proves you DO care.)

Sarah Wingfield 

Independent Disability Advocate. 

#DurhamEnable #Discrimination #PRESCRIPTIONcanna #Employmentsupport #DurhamCountyCouncil

#disabilityinclusion #strongertogether #disability #disabilityawareness #disabilitysupport #disabilityrights