When I tell students that I struggle to tie my shoelaces, it usually comes as a surprise. But that surprise is quickly followed by understanding and recognition.

I was born with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy and now work as a teaching assistant at Harlow College in the East of England.

The learners I work with have additional learning needs, such as autism and ADHD. They all face daily challenges as a result of these needs - and they can see that I face similar challenges. Just like them, I have to demonstrate resilience every day.

I have a master’s in physical education and sports pedagogy yet struggle with my fine motor skills. Tying my shoelaces, threading and some arts-and-crafts activities all present real challenges.

Rather than viewing my disability as something that makes it harder for me to do my job, though, I have learned to see it as a positive. I try to act as a role model to the learners with my “can-do” attitude.

I also provide a different perspective within my team. Explaining the adjustments that would allow me to take part in activities such as school trips and outings raises awareness about physical disabilities, helping my colleagues to see how to make provision more inclusive. That’s not to say that they aren’t already amazing when it comes to supporting me at work. There is always someone offering to get my wheelchair if I am tired, or finding a way to lift my spirits if my feet and legs are hurting.

However, there is always more that can be done to improve inclusivity. For example, using my personal experience of workplace adjustments, I created and delivered a lesson on reasonable adjustments to pupils.

It is essential to educate learners about the support they can access - and should be able to expect - in their own workplaces in future. I also created a college-wide resource for Disability History Month, which celebrates difference, diversity and inclusion.

An appreciation of these concepts is essential to learners’ understanding of the world as a whole.

Hiring someone with a disability opens a door, both for that member of staff and for the school. It’s an action that creates positive ripples, improving diversity within the school and increasing representation of disability within the education sector.

There is a unique value that a person with a disability can add to an organisation. When someone like me shares their story, it helps to create a platform for all people to have a voice and demonstrates the need for schools to take a more person-centred approach.

Members of staff with disabilities can mentor learners, offering support and guidance drawn from their lived experience.

To create a more inclusive education system for all learners, we must encourage more people with disabilities into our school workforces. With positive role models, we can send the message that every learner has the same opportunity to develop and grow, whether or not they find it easy to tie their shoelaces.

Jack Poulton is a teaching assistant and blogger

This article originally appeared in the 16 April 2021 issue