Oliver was born with a physical disability affecting mobility in his lower body which required him to use a manual wheelchair. Being a wheelchair user from an early age he has day-to-day experience of living with disability and issues of accessibility. Oliver has founded HandiChap Disability Consultancy which leverages his understanding towards helping the community for the continued accomplishments of improving disability equality and accessibility.

Can you tell us how you got the idea to found HandiChap Disability Consultancy?O: I first got the idea for HandiChap Disability Consultancy when a close friend of mine told me that I could put my experience to good use to help others. Despite having a disability, the mindset I have has always lead me to be determined in achieving whatever I set my mind towards. Therefore, I have always done things despite accessibility and people’s attitudes towards disability not being as good as it should be. However, I know many disabled people find this hard and I can relate, so I wanted to start a business that could help people like me and their families and friends to be able to enjoy their lives to the fullest. Knowledge is powerful. Experience can’t be bought. With these put together, I am able to offer a service which is truly unique and can most importantly, be of benefit to people who are disabled and also those who are not.

In your view, which accessibility issues need to be addressed by all organizations?O: I think the biggest accessibility issue which needs to be addressed by all organisations is that they should be actively looking to pursue investing into improving the accessibility of their buildings, websites and services they provide as not only is it the right thing to do morally, but it is also a wise business move as by improving accessibility, organisations are able to open themselves up to a wider target audience than they might’ve been able to before and then even be able to profit from the positive accessibility decisions they make.

How can society be more inclusive?O: I think people’s attitudes towards disability need to change. We need greater awareness and understanding towards how to treat disabled people. Not being a big deal, just simply by remembering they are people first and foremost, and their disability is something that affects their life, it isn’t who they are. They have personalities, likes, dislikes, hobbies, talents just like anyone else and we need to embrace that and look to see how we can provide support and acceptance towards helping disabled people feel like they are treated equally and are embraced by society. There has been improvements, but I think that only now are we starting to see a turning point in disabled people’s favour. Thousands of years of negative stereotyping has been engrained in human attitude and psyche. It is going to take a lot of work. But I think there’s enough people out there who are willing to make it happen. It’s much easier to change a building than it is to change a mind.

What challenges did you face during your school years? How did you face these challenges?O: During my school years I faced many challenges. As I had a physical disability, I was not expected to excel academically. When it became apparent that I was one of the most academically gifted pupils in my class, I could tell my teachers were not prepared for this. However, they did the best that they could by just treating me like any other student and this made me feel equal and respected by both my teachers and peers. As I would often have hospital appointments, physiotherapy sessions, occupational therapy sessions, wheelchair services appointments etc, it meant that I did miss lessons, homework assignments and didn’t get time to always catch up. Some teachers even tried to give me detention for missing assignments due to my appointments saying I should have caught up but when you’re coming back and receiving all new work and then have another appointment lined up then that is hard to stay on top of it all. Thinking of your next potential surgery takes higher place in your mind than algebra equations but I don’t think they understood that, especially how overwhelming it is for a young mind. I don’t believe that schools with the way they work, especially with the way they pressure and push high-achieving students are able to make sufficient enough allowances for students with disabilities who excel academically. It is a battle. I also faced bullying, some kids thought that they could pick on me and I wouldn’t be able to defend myself but with me being me, I was able to. I’m actually grateful for the way some people treated me as it taught me to learn to stand up for myself. Though I could not physically stand over them, in heart with the way I presented myself, they looked small in comparison and that’s the way I have felt ever since. If anything, it has taught me to feel sorry for those people as they are small-minded and as I’ve matured, I’ve found that I only want to help them. There’s also the other things that go through a teenagers mind: Will I get a job that I can do well and will be accessible to me? Will people like me for me and not see me as just the disabled kid they went to school with? Will girls like me? I asked myself all of the questions teenage boys seem to ask themselves but having a disability you do feel like you are that little bit more disadvantaged. However, I realised that it’s only society that made me feel that way when really, everyone has things they feel insecure about and it was up to me to not let them get to me and I can say truthfully, I am happy with the answers to all of the above questions that I have answered to my teenage self.

What are your other hobbies?O: I love photography, I’ve found that I am at quite a good height for it! I love singing and musical theatre, playing guitar, sports- especially swimming, English football and basketball. I’m a massive film and comic buff as well. Travelling has become a favourite. My faith is very important to me, and I base my attitude and optimism as a person on my belief in God and having a Christian upbringing, so much so that I find joy in being able to share with others the hope I have for the future.

What do you like to do when you are with your family/friends?O: When I am with my family and friends I love going out for meals, concerts, to the movies, walks (or rolls in my case!), travelling the world with them. There’s so much that we do together, I can honestly say I am truly blessed to have family and friends who care about me and support me in what I do.

Who is your favorite political leader? Which of his/her qualities do you admire a lot?O: I don’t have any favourite political leader in particular, I’m not politically biased in any way. There are many politicians who I admire for having good values and I respect their desire to serve others. It’s a thankless job as you’ll always have half of everyone loving you and the other half hating you depending on what party you side with. However, I don’t believe that any politician will be able to fix mankind’s problems.

What is your suggestion for parents/families to empower children with disabilities?O: My message to parents and families of disabled children is don’t treat them any differently than if they hadn’t had a disability. I say this, despite all the time that you’re going to be spending with the doctors, at hospital appointments, fighting battles. Don’t forget to make time for important things. Still love them, still have time for them, still show them that you care. Read them bedtime stories, play with them, do fun things together. Just give them the childhood that they dream for as much as possible and that is to just be like everyone else. Disabled children don’t want special treatment deep down. They just want to be like their friends. Encourage them to make friends- on their own as much as possible. Don’t let them just have fake pity friends who play with them for charity. Teach them to make friends of their own, to be a friend. To share. To know that everything isn’t always about them and that they need to put others first sometimes. Teach them good manners. When they’re misbehaving, discipline them. Don’t be overprotective. Let them learn to deal with things. If they can learn to adapt with a disability, they are capable of a lot of other things too. You’ve just got to give them a chance to find out on their own and be there with a helping hand when they need it. Independence is one of the greatest things a person with a disability can have so don’t hold them back from reaching their potential. It will benefit them in the long run even it may be a tough journey to get there. Even though there will be times you won’t understand how they feel, and you’ll really want to, just know that all they want is you just to listen and to support them. If they’re feeling sorry for themselves, help them to focus on all of the good things in their life. How fortunate they are to have a family that loves them when some children don’t even have that. We live in a society where we say it’s okay to not be okay, but that’s only okay if you’re not okay with being not okay forever. Disabled people need strength, resilience. They have a choice to let their condition make them or break them. Guide them in the way to let it make them fearless and strong. Don’t presume what they need. Always ask and in some way, even if it’s not directly, they will let you know what they need. As a parent in this situation, just know you are doing the best that you can and if it’s all too much sometimes, it’s okay to ask for help. It doesn’t make you a bad parent, or an incapable one. It just means you have your child’s best interest at heart and that makes you an amazing parent. So well done all of the super moms and dads out there. I know this isn’t what you were expecting, but just the fact that you’re reading this shows that you want what’s best for your child. You are enough. Your children are enough. Just show love for love is enough.

Can you give tips/advice for those in our community who want to overcome challenges?O: If you’re facing challenges, don’t give up. It’s a good thing. If you feel challenged then it means that you are pushing yourself and exposing yourself to the world around you. If you feel like your disability is the problem it isn’t. It is only PART of the problem. Your own attitude is another part. The attitudes of others is another and the physical spaces around is another. Three quarters are nothing to do with your condition. That is a majority. So, we focus on the things we can change rather than the things we can’t. Focus on your own mentality and attitude first. We hold ourselves back and are our own worst enemy. Don’t let anyone tell you what you can’t do because of your disability. Only you know your limits and what you are capable of. Second, if people are putting you down, don’t listen to them. You don’t have to as they have attitudes of yesterday and the attitude of today and tomorrow is looking a whole lot brighter. Their way of thinking is dying out. They will soon be the minority and won’t be holding the influence. The same goes for the physical spaces. The world is becoming more accessible for people with disabilities so just keep it in your mind that we’re on the up, not down. But then we come back to the fact that there is that thing about your disability, the thing you can’t change. That is true. But think about the advances in modern medicine and assistive technology we have today. People with disabilities have a much more comfortable and higher standard of living with longer life expectancies than they did 50 years ago. 30 years ago, probably even 10 years ago. Now this isn’t for everyone, but it’s certainly helped a great many. However, we will keep progressing so that health professionals can help as many people as possible. But you don’t need to do this all on your own. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from those that are wanting to give it.

Any special message for our community?O: Be humble, be thankful for the things you do have and when times get tough just tell yourself it’s just a bad day, tomorrow will be better. Better still, it’s just a bad moment, I won’t let it ruin my day. Just be yourself and persevere, you don’t have to do it alone. Your disability is something you have, it is not who you are. Be proud of the fact that you are a person who can do things despite the circumstances you have, do not let your circumstances define who you want to be. Listen to others, and they will listen to you. Give to others in need, you won’t focus on your own problems as much. Be a good friend. When someone is rude to you, or discriminates against you, tell them you hope they have a good day because the next person might not be so kind. When someone hurts you, don’t lash out. When someone offers help and you don’t need it, don’t be rude, just say no thank you politely. If it all feels like it’s too much, take a deep breath, have a break, get away from it all for as long as you need and come back and pick up from where you left off. Don’t expect too much of yourself too soon. Be patient. A marathon runner doesn’t sprint the whole race after all. You’re in a race, not against anyone else, but with yourself. Just try and be better than what you were yesterday. You’ll take breaks. You’ll slow down. It’s picking up the pace again that counts. But always remember, do what makes you happy.