My name is Jane Smith.* I am 22 years old and the eldest of five children. I have two sisters and two brothers. I am confined to a wheelchair from birth and the disability that I have is called Spina Bifida. Spina Bifida is a fault in the spinal column in which one or more vertebrae (the bones which form the backbone) fail to form properly, leaving a gap or split, causing damage to the central nervous system.

In my spare time I like to go to the cinema, socialise with friends, travel to new and exciting places and I also play sport. I am a member of a Wheelchair Sports and Youth Club and I have won numerous medals at National and Club level. I have represented Ireland in the Schools Europa Cup in Portugal where we won the girls 400m relay and I also represented Ireland in the Schools section of the New York State Games for the Physically Challenged in Long Island. I won gold medals and silver medals in both track and field at that event. Both of these were big achievements for me personally, I have to say.

At school I was the only person in my class that had a disability. Even though I enjoyed my time there, it was sometimes hard. Nevertheless, my disability did not stop me in participating in all the different activities. I did P.E once a week and even though I did not participate in the same way as the other girls, I still participated by being goalkeeper for indoor hockey or else by acting as referee for the match.

I did my junior certificate in 1996 and thankfully passed it even though it was hard due to bad health that year. Then I went on to do my leaving certificate. I didn’t do the traditional leaving certificate but the Leaving Certificate Applied that is a two-year course mainly based on ongoing assessment. I found that this alternative worked well for me. As part of the course we also had to do some work experience in a number of places. I had work placements in a Hospital on two occasions and I also worked in a nearby hotel which was hectic at times. During mid-term breaks at school I used to try to get some work experience locally not just for my C.V but as I love working with people. After I achieved my Leaving Certificate I went onto third level where I did one year Dental Receptionist Course which entailed First Aid, Health and Safety, Medical Ethics and other subjects. After that I decided to go on a do a Diploma in Business Administration and Office Skills which again I successfully completed.

In 2001 I worked for a medical devices company near my home. It was my third time there as I had worked there as part of my work experience placements and also during the summer of 2000. I have to say I enjoyed each one of those placements and while I was working in the HR/Safety Department the company approached me and asked me to do maternity cover for a girl in another department. As my contract was due to run out in September, I jumped at the chance. I found it a lot more challenging than any of the other departments but I got there in the end. My contract finished just before Christmas of 2001 so from January to May of 2002 I was working “a week here and a week there”, basically working at anything I could get.

Finally in 2002 I got a job as a project administrator working from home on a two year project. I got another job following on from this and now here I am in 2005, working in a teleservices centre and I am loving each minute of it....

*The name of this individual has been changed to protect their anonymity.