WEBVTT 1 00:00:07.440 --> 00:00:11.219 Welcome to Inclusion Bites, your sanctuary 2 00:00:11.360 --> 00:00:15.125 for bold conversations that spark change. I'm Joanne Lockwood, 3 00:00:15.265 --> 00:00:19.205 your guide on this journey of exploration into the heart of inclusion, 4 00:00:19.825 --> 00:00:23.425 belonging, and societal transformation. Ever 5 00:00:23.425 --> 00:00:27.265 wondered what it truly takes to create a world where everyone not 6 00:00:27.265 --> 00:00:30.550 only belongs but thrives? You're not 7 00:00:30.930 --> 00:00:34.149 alone. Join me as we uncover the unseen, 8 00:00:34.690 --> 00:00:38.629 challenge the status quo, and share stories that resonate 9 00:00:38.770 --> 00:00:42.465 deep within. Ready to dive in? Whether you're 10 00:00:42.465 --> 00:00:46.385 sipping your morning coffee or winding down after a long day, let's 11 00:00:46.385 --> 00:00:49.925 connect, reflect, and inspire action 12 00:00:49.985 --> 00:00:53.684 together. Don't forget, you can be part of the conversation 13 00:00:53.745 --> 00:00:55.344 too. Reach out to 14 00:00:55.344 --> 00:00:59.320 jo.lockwood@seachangehappen.co.uk to 15 00:00:59.320 --> 00:01:02.700 share your insights or to join me on the show. 16 00:01:03.480 --> 00:01:07.160 So adjust your earbuds and settle in. It's time to 17 00:01:07.160 --> 00:01:10.780 ignite the spark of inclusion with Inclusion Bites. 18 00:01:14.625 --> 00:01:18.225 And today is episode 162 with the 19 00:01:18.225 --> 00:01:22.225 title, breaking the disability mold. I 20 00:01:22.225 --> 00:01:25.845 have the absolute honor and privilege to welcome Lindsay Mitchison. 21 00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:30.160 Lindsay is an award winning disabled entrepreneur and founder 22 00:01:30.160 --> 00:01:34.000 of Neowalk. They create stunning acrylic 23 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:37.520 walkistics to empower people with confidence and 24 00:01:37.520 --> 00:01:41.105 style. When I authenticate to describe her superbash, she said it 25 00:01:41.105 --> 00:01:44.705 is believing in possibility and empowering 26 00:01:44.705 --> 00:01:48.545 others to thrive beyond limitations. Hello, Lindsay. 27 00:01:48.545 --> 00:01:52.545 Welcome to the show. Hello, Jo. Thank you very much for having 28 00:01:52.545 --> 00:01:56.320 me. How are you? I'm very good. So you're you're based 29 00:01:56.380 --> 00:02:00.300 up north in The UK, and I'm down south as they say. Yeah. 30 00:02:00.300 --> 00:02:03.900 I'm in the frozen North. So it's a bit chilly up here, but, 31 00:02:04.140 --> 00:02:07.740 yeah. We we had snow last week, but a bit warmer this week. So, yeah, 32 00:02:07.740 --> 00:02:11.635 York's a lovely, lovely city. It is. I remember going to 33 00:02:11.635 --> 00:02:15.474 the railway museum there as a child, and, yeah, I don't think I've 34 00:02:15.474 --> 00:02:19.315 been back to York specifically, but certainly being around that area in the Yorkshire area. 35 00:02:19.315 --> 00:02:23.250 Beautiful part of the country. Yeah. Very friendly, aren't you? Up 36 00:02:23.250 --> 00:02:27.250 north. It was a love and We are. Dark, are they? Yeah. We're not 37 00:02:27.250 --> 00:02:31.170 we're not ducks up here. You'd be, you'd be a pet or a mate. You'd 38 00:02:31.170 --> 00:02:34.915 be, yeah. Now then mate. So when 39 00:02:34.915 --> 00:02:38.915 we've connected in the green room earlier, I was welcomed by 40 00:02:38.915 --> 00:02:41.555 someone who said hello. And I, you came on to the green and said, sorry, 41 00:02:41.555 --> 00:02:44.435 that wasn't me. That was my parrot. So I have a conversation with me in 42 00:02:44.435 --> 00:02:47.715 the background. Yeah. That's my, that's my little friend, 43 00:02:48.035 --> 00:02:51.980 Blanco. He's my umbrella cockatoo. He's he has two words that he's 44 00:02:51.980 --> 00:02:55.200 really good at, which are hello and goodbye. So you you said 45 00:02:55.819 --> 00:02:59.200 hello, and he went, hello. He's very, very sociable. 46 00:03:00.459 --> 00:03:04.245 And I didn't realize it was a parrot when I first say 47 00:03:04.245 --> 00:03:08.085 hello and he came on, you wheeled yourself on. It was like, it says, 48 00:03:08.085 --> 00:03:11.925 it was, that was my parrot. So Yeah. He's just my assistant. He just 49 00:03:11.925 --> 00:03:15.090 steps in when I need him to. So like a a a different version of 50 00:03:15.090 --> 00:03:18.510 chat GPT sort of holds the thought for you. 51 00:03:19.090 --> 00:03:23.010 Anyway, para agent. He's, he's quite 52 00:03:23.010 --> 00:03:27.010 sociable, although he does like calling people bad boys. So if you if we'd kept 53 00:03:27.010 --> 00:03:29.864 him in longer, he probably would have started saying, hello, 54 00:03:31.144 --> 00:03:35.084 So, Lindsay, you, you had a, a life changing 55 00:03:35.224 --> 00:03:38.665 should I say event? Is that, is that event? Is that the right word? Yeah. 56 00:03:38.665 --> 00:03:41.644 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 57 00:03:43.670 --> 00:03:47.450 Fifteen or two years ago. And you're now a globally 58 00:03:47.510 --> 00:03:50.890 recognized entrepreneur fueled 59 00:03:51.350 --> 00:03:55.350 well, first of all, show it by sharing what happened and, 60 00:03:55.590 --> 00:03:59.395 what turned the corner to inspire you 61 00:03:59.415 --> 00:04:03.375 to to take control of your your life again? Yeah. I think that that's 62 00:04:03.375 --> 00:04:07.155 the word. It was taking it was taking control because this happened 63 00:04:07.375 --> 00:04:10.975 to me. The, previous to me being 64 00:04:10.975 --> 00:04:14.810 ill, I was, I'd trained as a hairdresser. I was 65 00:04:14.870 --> 00:04:18.870 hoping to set up my own business being a hairdresser. I was mum. I got 66 00:04:18.870 --> 00:04:22.810 two lovely kids. And I had always had arthritis 67 00:04:23.110 --> 00:04:27.110 since I've been a teenager, and I had surgery on the on one of 68 00:04:27.110 --> 00:04:30.335 my knees. And I contracted a catastrophic 69 00:04:30.955 --> 00:04:34.955 MRSA infection, which was at a time, I don't know whether you remember, when 70 00:04:34.955 --> 00:04:38.875 MRSA was rife in hospitals. It it was it was all that 71 00:04:38.875 --> 00:04:42.660 was that was talked about. And I I contracted one during surgery. They stitched 72 00:04:42.660 --> 00:04:46.360 me up, sent me home, and, it it burbled away 73 00:04:46.580 --> 00:04:50.500 and really destroyed the bottom part of of my leg. And 74 00:04:50.500 --> 00:04:54.180 I ended up having my leg amputated three years later. I lived with it for 75 00:04:54.180 --> 00:04:58.065 as long as I could because I'm a trier, and I thought, you know, I 76 00:04:58.065 --> 00:05:01.825 can I can do this and see what I can salvage from what's 77 00:05:01.825 --> 00:05:05.285 happened? But, yeah, I I opted to have my leg amputated 78 00:05:05.585 --> 00:05:09.180 because all it was doing was holding me back, and I was 79 00:05:09.419 --> 00:05:13.100 facing an amputation in the future anyway. So I kind of took 80 00:05:13.100 --> 00:05:16.699 control back, made what had happened to 81 00:05:16.699 --> 00:05:20.699 me work again for me because I knew that with a prosthetic, I'd be 82 00:05:20.699 --> 00:05:24.255 much more active. I was I was younger. I was 43. And I knew that 83 00:05:24.255 --> 00:05:28.015 with a prosthetic, I'd be super active, which which I was. So the 84 00:05:28.015 --> 00:05:31.855 plan actually worked out because I'd be I became this I walked about 85 00:05:31.855 --> 00:05:35.715 everywhere with this prosthetic leg on, and I, trained 86 00:05:36.310 --> 00:05:40.310 to be a circus performer. Does that sound silly? I'd I I got 87 00:05:40.310 --> 00:05:44.009 offered all this. I I had to keep working. So I 88 00:05:44.229 --> 00:05:48.090 joined an agency called Amputees in Action, and they 89 00:05:48.645 --> 00:05:52.645 find work for amputees like me. So I I started doing lots of 90 00:05:52.645 --> 00:05:55.545 crazy jobs like being a live casualty 91 00:05:56.165 --> 00:06:00.085 actor where I would literally get placed into different situations with 92 00:06:00.085 --> 00:06:03.670 a a a leg that would be made with makeup to look like it had 93 00:06:03.670 --> 00:06:07.130 just been blown off. And I did work for the army, 94 00:06:07.750 --> 00:06:11.050 the SAS, all the blue light services, private security, 95 00:06:11.830 --> 00:06:14.330 all all sorts of people, lots of simulations. 96 00:06:15.745 --> 00:06:19.505 Did that. And then one day, I got this strange email 97 00:06:19.505 --> 00:06:23.505 asking about doing something for the Paralympics, so I said yes as 98 00:06:23.505 --> 00:06:27.505 well. So I became this kind of yes person who just 99 00:06:27.505 --> 00:06:31.320 wanted to test my limits. I just wanted to see where my 100 00:06:31.320 --> 00:06:35.180 new limit sat because I knew that it was it was different. 101 00:06:35.400 --> 00:06:39.080 So, yeah, I started the business very early on as well. I 102 00:06:39.080 --> 00:06:43.000 started making the acrylic walking sticks very early on. But for 103 00:06:43.000 --> 00:06:46.775 myself, I made them just for me, and the the magic 104 00:06:46.775 --> 00:06:50.615 happened there. But, yeah, it's it's been a complicated journey the last 105 00:06:50.615 --> 00:06:54.535 sort of twenty years. It's been very, very up and down, very up and 106 00:06:54.535 --> 00:06:58.290 down. Can I ask us to to go back to that time where 107 00:06:58.530 --> 00:07:02.150 you were in hospital, you had your knee operation, 108 00:07:02.290 --> 00:07:05.890 and you you've been carrying, as you say, this arthritis for years anyway? So you 109 00:07:05.890 --> 00:07:09.810 are partially mobile or less less mobile, less active than you wanted to be, 110 00:07:09.810 --> 00:07:13.410 which is the whole reason you had it. How does the MRSA manifest itself 111 00:07:13.410 --> 00:07:17.335 first? Made you aware of it. So I was 112 00:07:17.335 --> 00:07:21.335 aware that my recovery wasn't going as well as it should be from the knee 113 00:07:21.335 --> 00:07:25.255 surgery. Physiotherapists were saying, you probably shouldn't 114 00:07:25.255 --> 00:07:28.875 be in as much pain as you still are. I wasn't able 115 00:07:29.350 --> 00:07:33.350 to move the knee as much. So they they were concerned that that something had 116 00:07:33.350 --> 00:07:36.950 gone wrong. But then it manifested as, like, a 117 00:07:36.950 --> 00:07:40.950 cellulitis, so lots of redness and swelling on 118 00:07:40.950 --> 00:07:44.895 on the skin around the knee. Then it manifested as blisters. It just 119 00:07:44.895 --> 00:07:48.895 kept getting worse and worse, and I kind of knew that something was going on. 120 00:07:48.895 --> 00:07:52.735 Plus I started to feel quite ill. So it but, yeah, it it sort of 121 00:07:52.735 --> 00:07:56.735 bubbled away for about four months before I was 122 00:07:56.735 --> 00:08:00.530 taken seriously by the GP in the hospital. 123 00:08:00.669 --> 00:08:04.590 And then they looked at it, and it was like, shit. There's something 124 00:08:04.590 --> 00:08:07.789 really bad going on here. As you said, that was, at a time where the 125 00:08:07.789 --> 00:08:11.490 awareness of MRSA wasn't as heightened. The awareness, 126 00:08:11.995 --> 00:08:15.914 I think, was there. The control wasn't. So they hadn't managed to 127 00:08:15.914 --> 00:08:19.835 get it under control in hospitals. It was it was one of the things 128 00:08:19.835 --> 00:08:23.514 that you got tested for before you went into hospital. And 129 00:08:23.514 --> 00:08:27.490 ironically, I caught it actually in a an Operating Theater, which is 130 00:08:27.490 --> 00:08:31.490 where you would think it would have been, immaculate. But, you know, 131 00:08:31.490 --> 00:08:35.190 there you go. I was I was unlucky. I was unlucky. Yeah. So 132 00:08:36.130 --> 00:08:39.490 what was it like making that decision? I mean, you said you were at the 133 00:08:39.490 --> 00:08:43.235 point where you couldn't carry on, and you want to take 134 00:08:43.235 --> 00:08:45.895 agency back for yourself, make that decision. It must have been 135 00:08:47.475 --> 00:08:50.995 quite, I don't know, quite a stressful time for your children, for your 136 00:08:50.995 --> 00:08:54.920 family, to know you're gonna go back. Because even though you're having 137 00:08:54.920 --> 00:08:58.220 an amputation, I guess there's still a risk the MRSA 138 00:08:59.080 --> 00:09:03.080 may not be removed at that time. Is it is that possibility? Yeah. 139 00:09:03.080 --> 00:09:07.080 It is a possibility, but that they were they were quite confident that they, they 140 00:09:07.080 --> 00:09:10.835 got rid of all the infection at at the time when I 141 00:09:10.835 --> 00:09:14.675 had the last surgery for it. But really, because I was left 142 00:09:14.675 --> 00:09:18.595 with a a knee that I couldn't bend. I couldn't bend it literally, and 143 00:09:18.595 --> 00:09:22.560 it was very painful. I couldn't walk. It was really painful. So 144 00:09:22.560 --> 00:09:26.339 I was already in use using a wheelchair. I was already using Mobility 145 00:09:26.480 --> 00:09:30.160 Aid. I'd already lost it. Do do you do you know what I mean? 146 00:09:30.160 --> 00:09:33.920 People said that must be the hardest decision ever to choose to have your your 147 00:09:33.920 --> 00:09:37.905 your leg amputated, but I'd actually already lost it. So the decision 148 00:09:37.905 --> 00:09:41.905 came a lot a lot easier. The the trauma I went through was losing the 149 00:09:41.905 --> 00:09:45.185 use of that leg at the time I was ill. So three years later, I 150 00:09:45.185 --> 00:09:48.705 just couldn't wait to get rid of the thing because it was just holding me 151 00:09:48.705 --> 00:09:52.600 back, and I knew it was holding me back. So the decision wasn't as 152 00:09:52.600 --> 00:09:56.520 hard as you had. So you you already realized that a 153 00:09:56.520 --> 00:10:00.360 prosthetic would've been less pain or no pain. Your 154 00:10:00.360 --> 00:10:03.980 mobility would've been improved. So you weren't losing anything. 155 00:10:04.120 --> 00:10:07.795 Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Everybody that I spoke to 156 00:10:07.795 --> 00:10:11.795 said because I spoke to a lot of people that that were amputees when I 157 00:10:11.795 --> 00:10:14.995 was doing my my research on what it would be like for me. And every 158 00:10:14.995 --> 00:10:18.959 single one of them said, you'll wish you'd done it sooner. Every 159 00:10:18.959 --> 00:10:22.880 single one of them. Yeah. Alright. I'm related, but I I knew of a friend 160 00:10:22.880 --> 00:10:26.720 who had, a glossary bag fitted. And everyone went, oh, 161 00:10:26.720 --> 00:10:29.920 how terrible, how terrible this. And and they said, no. Actually, I wish I'd done 162 00:10:29.920 --> 00:10:33.795 it sooner because it all the issues they had going on, it diverted obviously their 163 00:10:33.795 --> 00:10:37.634 intestines, and and they were able to regain their life with a difference. Whereas 164 00:10:37.634 --> 00:10:41.555 before, they were trapped in this cycle of pain and inconvenience and and 165 00:10:41.555 --> 00:10:45.235 stress. Yeah. So that many times. Do the same thing. You 166 00:10:45.235 --> 00:10:49.149 know, seeing beyond the surgery and 167 00:10:49.149 --> 00:10:53.070 seeing what benefit it will have for your life. And I 168 00:10:53.070 --> 00:10:56.910 think if you research it enough and you talk to enough people, which I 169 00:10:56.910 --> 00:11:00.895 I did, it kind of confirms it in your head that it's 170 00:11:00.895 --> 00:11:04.654 the right Mhmm. So you do feel a lot more confident going 171 00:11:04.654 --> 00:11:08.175 into it. What's rehab like? So you're presumably, 172 00:11:08.175 --> 00:11:11.475 you you stay in hospital for a short period, 173 00:11:12.335 --> 00:11:16.260 walking frames, physio, people helping you regain your your balance, 174 00:11:16.260 --> 00:11:20.100 your momentum, walking upstairs, downstairs, those kind of things. Yeah. How how long did 175 00:11:20.100 --> 00:11:24.100 that part of recovery take? So I was in hospital for about 176 00:11:24.100 --> 00:11:28.020 five days after the amputation and got home. 177 00:11:28.020 --> 00:11:31.885 Everything was a bit it was all a bit home wasn't really laid out for 178 00:11:31.885 --> 00:11:35.325 me anymore at that point because I was I was in a wheelchair while I 179 00:11:35.325 --> 00:11:38.925 while I recovered in the house. And then phys physio is is 180 00:11:38.925 --> 00:11:42.605 really quite quite instant and quite brutal. It 181 00:11:42.605 --> 00:11:46.210 starts the week after, and they get you up straight away. And you 182 00:11:46.210 --> 00:11:50.130 use, a temporary prosthetics. So instead of having 183 00:11:50.130 --> 00:11:53.670 one where you've got the socket made exactly for your leg, 184 00:11:54.050 --> 00:11:57.270 you use, it's an inflatable prosthetic. 185 00:11:57.894 --> 00:12:01.575 And she's called Pam. She's got it's a Pam aid, it's called. And they get 186 00:12:01.575 --> 00:12:05.355 you walking. So they get you straight up, and they show you exercises. 187 00:12:05.575 --> 00:12:09.575 And I was at physio twice a week learning to, to to walk, 188 00:12:09.575 --> 00:12:13.015 and it was intense. And it was but by then, the pain had gone, you 189 00:12:13.015 --> 00:12:16.649 see, because I didn't have the leg there. It was completely different 190 00:12:16.649 --> 00:12:20.490 situation. And how kind of empowering to be 191 00:12:20.490 --> 00:12:24.410 stood up again. Because for a while, you know, for three years, I'd 192 00:12:24.410 --> 00:12:28.250 I'd spent a lot of the time sat down where people kind of look spirit 193 00:12:28.250 --> 00:12:32.145 over your head. And it was quite empowering to be, to be stood up and 194 00:12:32.145 --> 00:12:36.065 tall again, you know? So physio was hard. Rehab was, I 195 00:12:36.065 --> 00:12:39.845 would say it took me about five months to be walking 196 00:12:39.985 --> 00:12:43.950 properly on a prosthetic leg, but my God, I was off. I was 197 00:12:44.030 --> 00:12:47.410 loved it. It was it gave me back my freedom. Yeah. 198 00:12:48.350 --> 00:12:52.030 So above the knee amputation, correct me if I'm wrong, is is more of a 199 00:12:52.030 --> 00:12:55.950 challenge to regain your balance, your stride than below the knee, because you're you're 200 00:12:55.950 --> 00:12:59.835 obviously missing a joint. So you've lost two joint. Relearn. So you lose 201 00:12:59.915 --> 00:13:03.675 Two joint. Yeah. Lose your knee and you lose your ankle. So with the 202 00:13:03.675 --> 00:13:07.355 below knee, you only lose your ankle. And I I saw 203 00:13:07.355 --> 00:13:11.355 people with below knee amputations coming in at the same time as me for 204 00:13:11.355 --> 00:13:15.210 physio. And within two weeks, they were off. Like, 205 00:13:15.210 --> 00:13:19.150 you know, they'd they'd lost nothing. It was amazing to see. 206 00:13:19.530 --> 00:13:23.210 Above knee is a bit different because you've got to learn how to use the 207 00:13:23.210 --> 00:13:27.185 the prosthetics that because they have knees that you've got to learn how 208 00:13:27.185 --> 00:13:30.565 to to control as well. So a bit bit more complicated. 209 00:13:31.665 --> 00:13:35.125 Exalston. Mhmm. And above knee amputee 210 00:13:35.185 --> 00:13:39.050 uses approximately double the energy, as 211 00:13:39.050 --> 00:13:42.570 a an an ambulatory non or person two 212 00:13:42.570 --> 00:13:46.170 legged. It takes twice as much energy for me to do 213 00:13:46.170 --> 00:13:50.090 anything as as it does for you. Especially the 214 00:13:50.090 --> 00:13:54.025 cognitive load of your brain trying to process that process that new 215 00:13:54.025 --> 00:13:58.025 movement. Yeah. When we're when we learn to walk as as as infants, we that 216 00:13:58.025 --> 00:14:01.145 takes us eighteen months to get the hang of standing up and moving. Yeah. I 217 00:14:01.145 --> 00:14:04.985 remember being being in the in the physio because it was all 218 00:14:04.985 --> 00:14:08.180 indoors, obviously, and that they used to take us out into the corridor so we 219 00:14:08.180 --> 00:14:12.020 could walk up a bit of a a ramp and. Then one day, 220 00:14:12.020 --> 00:14:15.860 they said, right. We're going outside, and it will be totally different. And 221 00:14:15.860 --> 00:14:19.460 I'm like, yeah. Really? It's just outside. I'm used to going 222 00:14:19.460 --> 00:14:23.145 outside. It was terrifying because they made me walk on 223 00:14:23.145 --> 00:14:26.765 gravel. They made me walk on grass. They made me do some steps. 224 00:14:27.145 --> 00:14:30.665 The wind was blowing. The whole thing was just so 225 00:14:30.665 --> 00:14:34.525 different to learning to walk inside, and it completely 226 00:14:34.745 --> 00:14:38.620 threw me that it would make such a difference, but it it actually it it 227 00:14:38.620 --> 00:14:42.620 really did. It's like you say, it's the overload. It's just overwhelming. And 228 00:14:42.620 --> 00:14:46.380 being outdoors just added more more complication into the 229 00:14:46.380 --> 00:14:50.380 walking process. But it it I mean, I mean, I I was I was 230 00:14:50.380 --> 00:14:54.235 good at walking. I really put a lot of effort into it because that was 231 00:14:54.235 --> 00:14:57.995 my goal. That that was the whole reason for the amputation because I 232 00:14:57.995 --> 00:15:01.755 wanted to be able to I didn't want to be a woman with 233 00:15:01.755 --> 00:15:05.515 one leg. I wanted to be a woman with a prosthetic leg. That that was 234 00:15:05.515 --> 00:15:09.080 what I wanted to be. So it's redefining your identity, really. You 235 00:15:09.080 --> 00:15:12.760 weren't a woman with a disability. You you're a woman who has a leg that's 236 00:15:12.760 --> 00:15:16.600 different. Yes. That was very much what my what my goal was. 237 00:15:16.600 --> 00:15:20.454 And you asked how how did I do 238 00:15:20.454 --> 00:15:23.995 it? What made me feel able to turn that 239 00:15:24.055 --> 00:15:27.975 round? And I think it's it's belief. A lot of 240 00:15:27.975 --> 00:15:31.654 it is self belief, but it's also belief in believing in who you 241 00:15:31.654 --> 00:15:35.580 surround yourself with because they they give you power 242 00:15:35.960 --> 00:15:39.800 to push through. They give you the the support. Look at this. This 243 00:15:39.800 --> 00:15:43.400 was the first tattoo I ever got. It's gonna be backwards, isn't it? But it 244 00:15:43.400 --> 00:15:47.000 says believe, and I got that just after the 245 00:15:47.240 --> 00:15:51.145 I I did it before Ted Lasso did. It was it was a 246 00:15:51.145 --> 00:15:55.005 language for his, but I think a lot of it is belief. It's self belief 247 00:15:55.145 --> 00:15:58.985 and, believing in in possibilities, which is how you 248 00:15:58.985 --> 00:16:02.680 introduced me. And I knew that it was possible for me to do so 249 00:16:02.680 --> 00:16:06.140 much once I got rid of that that leg that had stopped 250 00:16:06.680 --> 00:16:10.600 playing as a team player. See, if you ride the clock back fifty, sixty, 251 00:16:10.600 --> 00:16:14.200 hundred years, false limbs, prosthetics, however you wanna describe them, 252 00:16:14.200 --> 00:16:17.964 were all such a social stigma, weren't they? People used to hide them. They 253 00:16:18.045 --> 00:16:21.884 women wear long dresses and all. Men will wear trousers to cover them up completely. 254 00:16:21.884 --> 00:16:25.644 They look kind of blend them in. But I've seen influences on 255 00:16:25.644 --> 00:16:29.550 YouTube or on television where people are kinda owning the look. They don't have to 256 00:16:29.550 --> 00:16:33.310 be looking like a human birth leg. Yeah. 257 00:16:33.310 --> 00:16:37.310 They're titanium. They're kinda glitzy. Yep. I mean, they're some of 258 00:16:37.310 --> 00:16:41.010 them are absolutely stunning. There's, a model called Victoria 259 00:16:41.070 --> 00:16:45.005 Modesto, and she's the one that famously might have seen an advert 260 00:16:45.005 --> 00:16:48.865 on TV where it was a perfect came to a perfect point. 261 00:16:48.925 --> 00:16:52.845 This this prosthetic leg, absolutely stunning. She's got some gorgeous legs. 262 00:16:52.845 --> 00:16:56.685 But, yeah, people people still want to hide them. Some people do. I 263 00:16:56.685 --> 00:17:00.379 never did. They they gave me a leg that had a cover on it, and 264 00:17:00.379 --> 00:17:03.899 I took it home and ripped the cover off because it it just didn't there 265 00:17:03.899 --> 00:17:06.940 was no point pretending it was a real leg. I just got rid of one 266 00:17:06.940 --> 00:17:10.935 of them. And I just thought, no. Just accept it for what it is. 267 00:17:11.015 --> 00:17:14.615 It's a prosthetic leg, and it wear it and be be proud of it. But 268 00:17:14.615 --> 00:17:18.615 there's some absolutely stunning legs now. Really gorgeous. They cost a 269 00:17:18.615 --> 00:17:22.615 lot of money. They do Yeah. Cost a few yeah. And the 270 00:17:22.615 --> 00:17:26.329 NHS, to be fair, they give you a leg that matches your 271 00:17:26.329 --> 00:17:30.090 capability. So when I was 43, they gave me good 272 00:17:30.090 --> 00:17:34.029 legs because I was younger. Whereas now, nah, not so much. 273 00:17:34.809 --> 00:17:38.615 Yeah. Because I'm 57 now, and it's tight. 274 00:17:38.615 --> 00:17:42.455 Yeah. Yeah. You're not gonna do much with it, Lindsay, are you really? So, you 275 00:17:42.455 --> 00:17:46.375 know, it's not exactly a broom handle, but, you know, the the as you 276 00:17:46.375 --> 00:17:49.995 get older, they, they they give you less and less. 277 00:17:50.470 --> 00:17:54.470 They save you the super active people. So you haven't got 278 00:17:54.470 --> 00:17:58.470 one of those, sprint blades that you see on the Paralympics? No. 279 00:17:58.470 --> 00:18:02.470 Would love one, but no. I I've asked, but no. No. I'm 280 00:18:02.470 --> 00:18:06.365 not gonna sprint anyway. I wouldn't even sprint if someone was chasing me. I just 281 00:18:06.365 --> 00:18:09.425 wouldn't have. Take your leg off and throw it at them. 282 00:18:10.285 --> 00:18:13.965 Be the answer, wouldn't it? Come on then if you think yeah. But, yeah, the, 283 00:18:14.125 --> 00:18:17.790 the the NHS sort of it's got no money. I mean, let's let's be 284 00:18:17.790 --> 00:18:21.650 totally honest. It's it's on its knees. So, yeah, they 285 00:18:21.650 --> 00:18:25.570 they allocate their money carefully. Yeah. I I'm I'm just 286 00:18:25.570 --> 00:18:29.410 hypothesizing. You know? It's fair and reasonable for the NHS to 287 00:18:29.410 --> 00:18:33.225 provide you enough so that your quality of life is 288 00:18:33.225 --> 00:18:36.505 restored roughly to where you were before. They're not there to give you more than 289 00:18:36.505 --> 00:18:40.045 you already had. So just maintaining that point of life. Okay? 290 00:18:40.424 --> 00:18:44.285 Yeah. Yeah. But they they definitely don't. The actual knees, 291 00:18:44.505 --> 00:18:48.320 some of them are microchipped. You know, they've they've got 292 00:18:48.320 --> 00:18:52.320 little computers. They learn how you walk so they can help you 293 00:18:52.320 --> 00:18:56.320 back. It knows when you go on an uneven surface, you know, and it 294 00:18:56.320 --> 00:19:00.075 it it kicks in and helps you. It knows you're going downhill. And it yeah. 295 00:19:00.075 --> 00:19:03.995 Amazing, amazing technology. We've got to thank our veterans 296 00:19:03.995 --> 00:19:07.615 for that because so many guys and girls were coming back from, 297 00:19:08.635 --> 00:19:12.600 you know, Afghanistan and Iraq that were amputees. So a lot of 298 00:19:12.600 --> 00:19:16.200 the progression with prosthetics has come around because of 299 00:19:16.200 --> 00:19:20.200 them, lad. You you said when you first came home from hospital after 300 00:19:20.200 --> 00:19:23.740 the amputation that you realized your house wasn't designed 301 00:19:24.705 --> 00:19:28.465 for wheelchair access or for your mobility needs at the time. How have you 302 00:19:28.465 --> 00:19:32.385 found society in the world at large going from 303 00:19:32.385 --> 00:19:35.904 that? I appreciate you went through a phase where you were less able because of 304 00:19:35.904 --> 00:19:39.825 the infection in your knee and everything. But you you must have found the 305 00:19:39.825 --> 00:19:43.799 world less accommodating than you expected, or or did you expect it to 306 00:19:43.799 --> 00:19:47.799 be a challenge getting on and off trains and buses and driving 307 00:19:47.799 --> 00:19:50.779 and things like that? I mean, we're here to talk inclusivity 308 00:19:51.879 --> 00:19:55.845 because, you know, that's the name of your podcast. And I'm living in 309 00:19:55.845 --> 00:19:59.765 a world that isn't built for me. It's not it's not 310 00:19:59.765 --> 00:20:03.765 built to accommodate my my needs. You know? Times you'll 311 00:20:03.765 --> 00:20:07.525 be lucky, and you'll, you know, plans will go easy 312 00:20:07.525 --> 00:20:10.660 and train travel and all the rest of it. And you'll you'll go to a 313 00:20:10.660 --> 00:20:14.340 restaurant where there might be a toilet for you. But, you know, a lot of 314 00:20:14.340 --> 00:20:17.880 the time, it's just it's not built for people with mobility 315 00:20:18.020 --> 00:20:21.940 issues. It's frustrating. I deal with it because there's 316 00:20:21.940 --> 00:20:25.245 bigger things going on in life. You know, if there's a if I have to 317 00:20:25.245 --> 00:20:29.165 go to a public toilet, you know, hundred yards away if I'm in a 318 00:20:29.165 --> 00:20:32.365 restaurant, don't really care as long as I can go. As long as I don't 319 00:20:32.365 --> 00:20:35.725 just have to go on the floor. You know, I'm happy with that. There's bigger 320 00:20:35.725 --> 00:20:39.720 things to complain about. I I would never make a fuss. What does 321 00:20:39.720 --> 00:20:43.180 bug me are, dirty disabled toilets 322 00:20:43.640 --> 00:20:46.860 at service stations where there's no other choice. You know? 323 00:20:48.360 --> 00:20:52.280 Because there's no there's no need. So I I have complained about things like 324 00:20:52.280 --> 00:20:55.935 that. But, yeah, the it's just not an inclusive an 325 00:20:55.935 --> 00:20:59.935 inclusive world for people with, with disabilities. Not at all. Following up 326 00:20:59.935 --> 00:21:03.375 on what you say about the toilet association, what what what we just what what 327 00:21:03.375 --> 00:21:07.149 gets me on my soapbox is you turn up that another door, they have this 328 00:21:07.149 --> 00:21:10.509 check sheet. This this toilet was last cleaned, and they have the hour slots. And 329 00:21:10.509 --> 00:21:13.950 you think, well, no one's no one's checked. It's like six hours or eight hours. 330 00:21:13.950 --> 00:21:17.070 In fact, no one's been there today. Or someone's filled in all the gaps, the 331 00:21:17.070 --> 00:21:19.710 same signature all the way down. They go in there and think, nah. You've not 332 00:21:19.710 --> 00:21:23.565 been in there. Absolutely. No. I So can that? Really bugs 333 00:21:23.565 --> 00:21:27.485 me, really bugs me. And I I have complained about about that. I've 334 00:21:27.485 --> 00:21:31.485 been on my soapbox about that. But generally speaking, I 335 00:21:31.485 --> 00:21:34.860 try not to complain too much. I try not to get my blood grew up 336 00:21:34.860 --> 00:21:38.460 and, there's bigger things to complain about. But not 337 00:21:38.460 --> 00:21:42.140 everybody is empowered to be an advocate for themselves or for others. And so 338 00:21:42.140 --> 00:21:46.060 sometimes if, if nobody does, then nobody, then it doesn't change. You have, 339 00:21:46.060 --> 00:21:49.975 you have to create change, don't you? No. You do. In York, I live 340 00:21:49.975 --> 00:21:53.175 in I live in York. A lot of the buildings are really old. So whenever 341 00:21:53.175 --> 00:21:56.615 you do sort of question, have you got a disabled Lou? Why haven't you got 342 00:21:56.615 --> 00:22:00.535 a disabled Lou? It's it's, planning. We're not allowed we're not 343 00:22:00.535 --> 00:22:03.909 allowed to do this. We're not allowed to do that. Yeah. Okay. It's probably 344 00:22:04.289 --> 00:22:08.230 a valid valid reason. I don't know, but it's one that's thrown around 345 00:22:08.289 --> 00:22:12.289 quite, We hide behind the jostle, don't we? It becomes GDPR. It 346 00:22:12.289 --> 00:22:16.210 becomes planning. It becomes, oh, no. We we we can't do that here. 347 00:22:16.210 --> 00:22:20.095 It's Lens plan. Yeah. But do you know what? 348 00:22:20.095 --> 00:22:23.934 I'm I'm always I'm capable enough to find a solution to most things. I 349 00:22:23.934 --> 00:22:27.774 mean, we're in socially, going out toilets are 350 00:22:27.774 --> 00:22:31.380 are generally a problem. So as long as I know that I'm somewhere 351 00:22:31.380 --> 00:22:35.059 near a public low, I can just and go and, 352 00:22:35.299 --> 00:22:39.059 and find one. Because I'm in a wheelchair I'm in a wheelchair now. I don't 353 00:22:39.059 --> 00:22:42.340 walk very much. I I I I have other bits of me that are falling 354 00:22:42.340 --> 00:22:46.014 apart now. So I'm in a wheelchair all the time now. 355 00:22:46.014 --> 00:22:50.014 So Oh, okay. That kind of changed life for 356 00:22:50.014 --> 00:22:54.014 me when I had to sit in a wheelchair all the time. But, you know, 357 00:22:54.014 --> 00:22:57.920 it's fine. I run my life. There's nothing I can't do from 358 00:22:57.920 --> 00:23:01.920 my, from my wheelchair that I could do before. Nothing at all. I 359 00:23:01.920 --> 00:23:05.600 can chase my kids, Tom. I can take my dogs for a walk. I can 360 00:23:05.760 --> 00:23:09.455 do you know what? There's nothing I can't do. Bang. Whatever's going on there. It's 361 00:23:09.455 --> 00:23:13.455 like the parrot escaping. I've got one of my, they're they're big kids. I've got 362 00:23:13.455 --> 00:23:17.455 one in the in the room. He works for me. Fantastic. Yeah. 363 00:23:17.455 --> 00:23:21.075 So what what can businesses, offices, 364 00:23:21.375 --> 00:23:24.779 society do? I mean, you talked to me about maybe more of a growth mindset 365 00:23:24.779 --> 00:23:28.380 about what what's possible. What coral organizations think about in 366 00:23:28.380 --> 00:23:32.140 terms of accessibility? Because it sounds like you've gone through 367 00:23:32.140 --> 00:23:36.000 several different stages for being active and relatively 368 00:23:36.059 --> 00:23:39.425 healthy to developing arthritis, to developing 369 00:23:39.805 --> 00:23:43.645 MRSA, to having a an amputation, go through 370 00:23:43.645 --> 00:23:47.565 rehab, and then becoming a wheelchair user. So you've been through 371 00:23:47.565 --> 00:23:51.505 an evolution. So you've seen different aspects where, to paraphrase, 372 00:23:51.565 --> 00:23:54.920 went from being able, partially disabled, 373 00:23:55.380 --> 00:23:59.240 to a wheelchair user, and there's a completely different experience for you in society 374 00:23:59.380 --> 00:24:02.980 in that way. So what can people maybe learn from that? Each 375 00:24:02.980 --> 00:24:06.600 step is very much a hurdle that you've got to get over. 376 00:24:07.005 --> 00:24:10.765 So in connection with with the business, you know, I've been 377 00:24:10.765 --> 00:24:14.685 through all those changes. I've been through that evolution. So when 378 00:24:14.685 --> 00:24:18.685 people come to us and they talk about their disabilities, I can very 379 00:24:18.685 --> 00:24:22.500 much relate, and I can it resonates with me. So 380 00:24:22.800 --> 00:24:26.480 that's one of the reasons we're in such a good position to give 381 00:24:26.480 --> 00:24:30.480 advice and support to people in within our community. We have 382 00:24:30.480 --> 00:24:34.315 an amazing community. Got a very, very large community on Instagram, 383 00:24:34.695 --> 00:24:38.695 and we we do offer each other support. That's another 384 00:24:38.695 --> 00:24:42.555 thing as well, you see, because I'm part of the community 385 00:24:42.695 --> 00:24:46.630 that I serve. So my purpose, my 386 00:24:46.630 --> 00:24:50.309 my why now is to serve the disabled community, either 387 00:24:50.309 --> 00:24:53.690 through providing mobility aids, advocating, 388 00:24:54.389 --> 00:24:58.265 fighting for people to help them thrive, and 389 00:24:58.265 --> 00:25:02.105 be productive and happy and healthy. So all that, 390 00:25:02.105 --> 00:25:06.105 I see it from a disabled person's point of view. So it's it's quite a 391 00:25:06.105 --> 00:25:09.725 unique position to be a disabled creator, disabled entrepreneur. 392 00:25:09.865 --> 00:25:13.660 But to to go back, the the the wider world, 393 00:25:14.600 --> 00:25:18.540 I think, still needs educating a lot 394 00:25:19.080 --> 00:25:22.940 on how to not label people with disabilities 395 00:25:23.880 --> 00:25:27.865 because instantly, I'm labeled. We're all I know we're all labeled, but 396 00:25:27.865 --> 00:25:31.485 instantly, when people see me in a in a wheelchair, I'm labeled 397 00:25:31.625 --> 00:25:35.625 as weaker, less less 398 00:25:35.625 --> 00:25:39.225 able, that they, you know, they kind of assume that you've got some kind 399 00:25:39.225 --> 00:25:43.200 of neuro thing going on as well, which isn't true. You 400 00:25:43.200 --> 00:25:47.059 you kind of viewed as less than. And it's when 401 00:25:47.520 --> 00:25:51.279