Paving the way for greater accessibility and opportunities for disabled people

Philip Barton shares his experiences as a disabled person and his pride in helping to build new opportunities for future generations.

I’m 59 years old and I’ve been a wheelchair user since 1997. I live alone and work as a self-employed town and country planning consultant. Looking back, becoming a wheelchair user changed the direction of my life, but not in the way many people might assume.

I had arthritis from around the age of seven, although it wasn’t diagnosed until I was 29. By that point, I couldn’t walk any distance and certainly couldn’t walk without walking sticks. When I started using a wheelchair, I realised that if I was going to have any quality of life, then the wheelchair would be very important for that.

In fact, using a wheelchair was liberating. It meant I could look to the future positively, plan a career and think about what I wanted to achieve. I also realised that I needed a new career, which is why I went to university as a mature student. I was thinking about work that I could do mostly from home, and planning was one of those professions.

I qualified with a master’s degree in 2003, sponsored by the Royal Town Planning Institute, and went straight into private practice. Self-employment was really the only option for me. My fellow students were all much younger and many were approached for jobs and interviews through the university. I wasn’t. I think a combination of my age and disability played a part in that. Yet only three years after qualifying, I secured one of the top jobs in planning, becoming a planning inspector. I carried out that role for nearly five years.

That role remains one of my greatest achievements. It is a senior, national-level decision-making position. To make it work, reasonable adjustments had to be put in place so I could conduct site visits. In effect, it changed the policies of the organisation and made it more inclusive. In 2017, I secured the equivalent role in Scotland, where planning inspectors are called reporters. Again, policies had to be adapted to ensure I could do the work.

As far as I know, there still haven’t been any other wheelchair users who have become either a planning inspector or a reporter. I hope that if someone does follow that path in future, it will be easier because I’ve helped those organisations become better prepared for employing wheelchair users.

Another achievement I’m particularly proud of is winning the Skills for Care Accolades award for Best Individual Employer in 2011. As someone who employs personal assistants, I’ve always believed that flexibility is key. Good working relationships rely on understanding that everyone has responsibilities and commitments, while maintaining professional boundaries.

Of course, there have also been challenges.

The biggest challenge is often access. Before I went to university, I was involved in voluntary work to help redevelop the area where I live. Part of that work included creating accessible entrances wherever possible. Over time, many of those entrances have been locked, closed off or blocked. As a result, I can no longer access some of the places I helped make accessible in the first place.

Public transport has improved significantly, but problems still exist. I used to receive insensitive comments and sometimes direct discrimination from bus drivers. Occasionally, wheelchair users are still left stranded because there is nobody available to put a ramp down from a train. These experiences remind me that disability access cannot be taken for granted.

Employment can also be challenging. There remains a disability employment gap and it is a stubborn issue. More disabled people need opportunities to enter and remain in employment so they have the resources to pursue their personal and professional goals. During my career, I’ve had situations where my disability affected my ability to work and resignation became the only option available. More needs to be done not just to recruit disabled people, but to retain them.

Social care has played a huge role in allowing me to live the life I want to live. Access to Work, my personal budget and support from Skills for Care have all helped me tremendously. The flexibility provided through Skills for Care’s Individual Employer Training Fund was particularly important because it allowed me to train both personal care staff and employment support staff in ways that met my specific needs.

For example, I once arranged bespoke training for a driver who supported me with work-related travel. The training helped him secure my wheelchair correctly and adapt his driving style so that I could travel comfortably and safely. That kind of personalised support made a real difference.

I’m also fortunate that my personal budget includes support that enables me to participate in community life. This year I organised a wheelchair ramble through my local Rotary Club and I hope it becomes an annual event. Life is about much more than eating, drinking and washing. Without opportunities to socialise, contribute and stay active, my quality of life would be much poorer. The support I receive allows me to lead a rounded and fulfilling life.

Disability Pride Month is important because it shines a light on both achievements and the barriers that still exist. For me, it is a reminder that there is still work to do in areas such as employment, inclusion and opportunity. Disabled people should have the chance to pursue their goals, whether those are personal goals, professional goals or both.

I’m proud of what I’ve achieved, but I’m equally proud that some of those achievements may make things easier for the next generation. If my experiences help create more opportunities for other disabled people in the future, then that is something worth celebrating.

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