As a young person growing up in a deprived area in Manchester, the youngest of 5 siblings, I lived in children's and foster homes after family relationships broke down. I have been to over 21 primary schools and three high schools where I was last permanently suspended without qualifications.
This led me to having an unstable education and I struggled to catch up in class. I’d find the subject boring as I’d already learnt it in the previous school and would easily get frustrated. I was not encouraged or supported by my caregivers to enable me to complete my final year in high school. I had always been told that I was not good enough in school and teachers, social workers and the police would say that I’d never have a job and would be in prison or on the streets taking drugs.
I enrolled into college when I was 14 years old but was unable to complete my course as I could not read and write and had never been able to sit in a classroom long enough to learn the subject because I was unable to focus or pay attention to teachers when left without supervision.
I learnt to read when I was 23 years old when my daughter was in nursery. I was learning how to read books to my daughter, then magazines, and newspapers, before I became confident enough to complete an application form for a support worker with Homeless families. I was unable to write a case note or a report and was referred by my manager to have a dyslexia test which I was diagnosed with. I was then supported – as equipment and software were put in place to support me at work.
Now I am 44 years old, in the final year of my social worker degree. Along with my maths, I have been able to achieve my English since starting my degree. I’ve also recently been diagnosed with ADHD and I’m under the mental health team due to the possibility of having bipolar or something similar. Everybody at the university is so helpful and encourages me to access all available resources to support me with my academia to ensure I do not fail.
I have been overcoming my barriers with support from my colleagues, teachers and family. Asking for support and advice has helped me overcome my difficulties at work and university.
My advice would be to keep on doing your best and take the time to understand yourself. What do you want to achieve when having small to bigger goals? Don't be embarrassed of your disability - we are all special and able to overcome the learning curve that comes with seeking support, wanting to actually learn and develop your skills, and sharing your experiences with others to better understand you. You are the expert of your own life and only we can change this for the best.
If you would like to submit a personal story about your education or employment journey, please email youngvoices@disabilityrightsuk.org for more details. These may be used in our education and employment e-newsletter 'Future Ready', and used to support our post-16 community. You can sign up to our e-newsletter 'Future Ready' on our website.