Wheelchair awareness campaign

St Ann’s School, based in Ealing, set about an ambitious community change project. With 37 young wheelchair users’ attending the school, the project aimed to raise awareness and educate people about disability and wheelchair users to break down the barriers that prevent inclusivity and equality and create a world where everyone is valued and respected.

The young people at St Ann’s attended poetry sessions with the school’s in-house poet to create a poem featured in a picture book, as well as painting elephant masks. With their picture book in hand, their poem well practiced, their elephant masks ready, and a trial parade around the school complete, the school led two wheelchair parades through their local community.  They travelled on the Elizabeth line from Hanwell to Ealing, supported by MRT Ambassadors and Whizz Kidz, where they displayed posters to share their message. Picture books were also distributed to local schools, cafes and libraries.

The Wheelchair Walk

Please look.
Please Listen.
Listen to your heart as you look.
My wheelchair walk is writing
A wonderful new book!
Look beyond the chair.
See above the wheels.
Look into my eyes.
How do you think I feel?
I can feel your smile.
I understand your heart.
Time for things to change -
Music People Art!
To sense the one connection:
Lightning electricity!
Now you’re reading the rhythm -
Outside the book we’re free.
It’s like we’ve met before.
We’re travelling the same way.
Now I’ve heard your smile.
I can’t look the other way.
This is mission, not competition.
I’m no more special than you.
Let’s dance this walk together.
Show the world what people can do.
Walk the talk, we’re dreaming -
Who is turning these wheels?
We are gathering in a listening
Where our hearts restart the real.

Following on from their wheelchair parade, St Ann’s then presented their inclusion campaign to their local councillors, Cllr Peter Mason and Cllr Kamaljit Nagpal. The staff at St Ann’s said the councillors were very impressed with the innovative approach the school takes to empower children with disabilities and provide them with equal opportunities for education and personal growth.

Feedback

Feedback from St Ann’s listed the three key successes of the project as:

1. Attracting the attention of Ealing Council Leader Pater Mason
2. Council Comms team visit to assist in raising awareness to project.
3. Lots of support from the community.

Two respondents completed the individual feedback forms. Both agreed or strongly agreed that:

• They enjoyed being part of the project.
• They engaged with the local community.
• The project has had a positive impact on the community.
• The project has had a positive impact on wheelchair users.
• The project has had a positive impact on non-wheelchair users.
• The project made a difference.