PGP / SPD My story:

Newton News/Newton Press, representation matters: To my friends who were waiting to see my Disability Awareness Speech photos with The Rotary Newton Aycliffe in the Newton News — I’m sorry to say I haven’t been printed again. Newton Press has failed to represent myself, my work, and my community. I had hoped this would be a chance to build bridges, to move past how poorly I’ve been treated in the past, and to ensure that our disabled community has a fair voice. I was even willing to repair those bridges and take down my factual review of my mistreatment if the paper had shown a sign of wanting resolution — by being fair, accessible, and inclusive towards myself and our disabled community. Sadly, that hasn’t happened. Personal biases clearly exist, and it seems they can’t be resolved — you can’t reason with the unreasonable. I’m sharing this here because I am a Newtonian, because the work I do matters, and because the people I help matter. The speech was a step in the right direction to...

Improving Accessibility and Inclusion at Ayclive Festival I have emailed the following: Dear Ayclive Festival Team, I’m reaching out in the hope of initiating a constructive dialogue regarding accessibility and disability inclusion at Ayclive. Putting aside the personal bias I experienced in person from the manager, Paul Howarth, I want to clarify that I don’t hate your festival. In fact, I care deeply about making it better—not just for myself, but for all disabled residents of Newton Aycliffe. My goal is simply to see improved support and awareness for those with disabilities, particularly invisible illnesses, so that Ayclive can be a more welcoming event for everyone in our community. I was disappointed to be blocked from the Ayclive page, as it appeared to be a way of silencing legitimate concerns. Rather than shut people out, I believe there is real opportunity here to collaborate and grow. As an Independent Disability Advocate, I would be more than willing to work with your team ...