I recently did a internet radio interview about this blog and the reasons why I write! I thought it would be a good idea to answer some of the same questions and a few new ones as a post to give you my wonderful readers a better insight into my life and the reasons why I started writing this blog.

1.Where are you from?

I am from a city in the North of England. (UK)

2. What is your background in terms of Education?

I was the first pupil/student with a disability who also uses a wheelchair to attend my primary school and high school. So as a result of this I was the one leading them into becoming a more inclusive school not only for me but for pupils/students in the future. I then went on to do my A levels and then I went on to get a Bachelors Degree. (BSc)

3. When did you start writing the blog?

I started writing this blog in late September 2018.

4. What is the blog about?

The blog is about being disabled and all the ups and downs that come with having a disability. I am using my personal experiences and knowledge as a disabled person to try and inform, inspire and reassure people. One of my main purposes of writing a blog is to try and make people aware that just because of a disability you don’t have to let it define you or let the limitations control you, instead embrace your disability and turn it into a strength to achieve anything you want to, everything can be overcome and nothing is impossible!

5. Who is the blog aimed at?

The blog is aimed at everyone, but particularly people with disabilities and their families. It is also aimed at parents that have recently been told that their baby/infant has a disability and are upset about the diagnoses and that a worried sick about the future for their child seeking reassurance or advice or just simply just to know they are not alone. It is also aimed at people that are just curious and wanting to find out more.

6. How did you come up with with the name Brightsidebecs?

My friend who has been a big support to me in my life and getting the blog up and running helped me with the name. Becs is a nickname for my actual name and I wanted something that sounded positive as I want my blog to be mainly positive about disability. I also wanted something that people were going to remember!

7. What do you want to achieve from your blog?

As I said in a previous question I want to inspire and reassure people and it would be nice to continue to spread a positive message on disability. Just to know I have helped someone feel a little better about themselves or their future even if its just for a few seconds it’s all worth it! I’d like to think that my blog will empower people to believe in themselves to follow their dreams.

8 You mention your parents in your blog, how have they supported you?

My parents have made me the determined personI am today, they have brought me up as able bodied they have not treated me any different just because I am disabled. They have taught me that my disability is only a small part of who I am and that I can achieve anything and handle whatever life throws at me. They support me in everything I do!

9. What’s your personal plans for the future?

My personal plans for the future are to live independently, I am currently in the process of applying to do a councelling course, to hopefully one day become a self employed consellor. I would also be open to starting a family sometime in the future! All of which I will blog about along the way! I would also love to do a skydive!

10. What do you do in your free time?

I love to spend time with friends and family, I love to socialise and meeting new people. I also love to push myself and my disability to the limits! I love travelling and expirencing and learning new things. I go to a lot of live music and theatre. I also do a few things for charity. For example I have participated in a colour run for charity in my wheelchair.

11. In one of your most recent blog posts, you spoke about your personal expirences of been disabled. What was the purpose of this? What are you hoping/wanting the reaction to be on this post?

I wrote this particular post because I have been wondering for a while if disabled people, (myself included) if we would get treated better with more respect and value if able bodied people knew what it was geniuinging like for a disabled person every day. I was as brutally honest as I could be, and I am going to continue with “my version” of disability in the future. As I couldn’t fit it all into one post and i think it is important ant for me to write about to raise awareness! We are all unique and human beings! The reaction that I am hoping to get/wanting is what I have just mentioned that everyone sees us as just like everybody else because we are!

12. What is the the future of your blog?

As I keep mentioning I want to continue to inspire and empower disabled people. I am going to hopefully start a YouTube channel in the near future which will coincide with this blog. I would also like to work along side disabled organisations to continue to inspire and hopefully make a difference!

if people are interested and want to know more listen to the internet radio interview that I did, I will put the link up on my social media platforms when it becomes available at the beginning of April! all my social media platforms have the same name as my web address for this blog : brightsidebecs, I have Instagram, Twitter and a Facebook page! My Twitter name is Brightsidebex.