My disability pride story

Samina Hussain, shares her experience of living with a disability including her pride in being a mum and in her career supporting disabled people, alongside the challenges she’s faced along the way.

If someone had told me 20 years ago that I’d go to university, become a teacher and now work supporting disabled people, I honestly don’t think I would have believed them.

I became a mum in my early twenties, and for many years my focus was raising my family. As my children grew older, I started wondering what came next. At the same time, I was learning to live with fibromyalgia, arthritis and other long-term health conditions. Living with chronic pain and fatigue while raising a young family wasn’t easy, but I knew I wanted a career that gave me purpose.

Going back into education was daunting. My confidence was low, and I constantly questioned whether I was good enough. With encouragement from a fantastic GP who believed in me, I completed my Foundation Degree, BA (Hons) and later my PGCE. Those achievements taught me that disability and self-doubt do not define our potential.

Teaching quickly became much more than a job. Watching learners arrive with little confidence and leave believing in themselves reminded me so much of my own journey. Helping people realise their potential gave me a real sense of purpose.

Unfortunately, I eventually had to leave a career that I truly loved because I wasn’t given the support that I needed to manage my disability at work. That experience made me realise how many barriers disabled people still face in the workplace.

For me, inclusion often felt like a tick-box exercise rather than something genuinely embedded in workplace culture. I disclosed my disabilities, requested reasonable adjustments and repeatedly explained the impact my conditions were having on my ability to work. Instead of feeling heard, my voice became an echo.

I knocked on every door I could think of, hoping someone would listen, but I felt as though I was going around in circles. The systems that I believed were there to protect disabled employees felt, in my experience, more focused on protecting management decisions than supporting the people they were meant to help. My concerns were questioned, my experiences were doubted, and the reasonable adjustments I needed were never put in place. When I took this further, the very system that I thought would support me, just became a hurdle of obstacles where I had to prove every failure and event then, despite the evidence nothing changed.

Over time, I found myself battling not only my physical conditions but also the impact it had on my mental wellbeing. Eventually, I knew I had to leave, not because I had stopped loving teaching, but because I had to protect my own health.

Thankfully, I was given the opportunity to join the Disability Resource Centre, and it genuinely changed my life. My managers see my abilities rather than my limitations. They understand that my conditions fluctuate, trust me to do my job and support me when I need it. That support has allowed me to rebuild my confidence and continue doing what I love most, helping people.

Disability Pride Month is about recognising that disability is not one-size-fits-all. Some disabilities are visible, many are invisible, and fluctuating conditions can change from one day to the next.

If my journey has taught me anything, it’s that disability does not define potential. The right support, understanding and belief can change someone’s life. I hope my story encourages employers to move beyond policies and tick boxes and create workplaces where disabled people are genuinely heard, valued and supported. Because when that happens, amazing things really are possible.

Find out more about Disability Pride Month.

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