'Nothing is impossible' - Part 2, chapter 4-8 - The Spastic Centre

Finally at the age of six they had accommodation at the pilot country children’s hostel at Mosman. After eighteen
months there we moved to a larger hostel at McLeod House, Allambie Heights.
School life for spastics is not the same as for able bodied children. So much time is spent away from the
classroom with speech, occupation and physiotherapy. It was not long before I was walking and using my hands
to the best of my ability, but this took treatment and willpower. I reached the stage where I could dress myself
completely except for tying my shoelaces. My occupational therapist, realising this, told me one day that she
wanted to leave knowing I could be completely independent – she was leaving at Christmastime, which was a
few months ahead. This gave me the incentive, and within a few weeks I could do it. I will always be grateful
for this unorthodox therapy.
Like most boys and girls we liked playing games and sport. One game I started to play at school was chess. Little
did I know then this was going to lead to me playing competitions with a Leagues Club and representing them
in many competitions. Recently I played in the inaugural Queensland Disabled Tournament, finishing second. The
highlight was having a draw with the Queensland champion.
Like most spastics, my writing is poor, so I learnt to type on a manual typewriter. When I started secondary
schoolwork my typing was too slow so I had to use an electric typewriter. This brought problems, as every
individual has to work out the best way to manage the keyboard, but once achieved my typing became a lot
faster. Schoolwork became important, and I was to achieve the Intermediate Certificate at the age of fourteen.
Tragedy struck the family in my school years when my father was killed in a car accident. After I had obtained
my Intermediate Certificate I went home to help my mother in our mixed business. There was not a lot I could
do at home. I attended a sub-normal school for a while for something to do, but the different handicaps were
too much so after two and half years at home I came back to work at Centre Industries, where I have been
working in a clerical job for most of the time.
I am very interested in all sports. Chess is a large part of my leisure time, as well as swimming with volunteer
helpers. Also I have had the opportunity to travel with other disabled people abroad.
For a spastic there are many frustrating situations. One of the main frustrations is that disabled people are
treated by the majority of the community as “disabled” but not as individuals. Unlike “Mr Average”, a disabled
person must try not to do anything to give other disabled a bad name.
I have been playing competition chess for a number of years. Occasionally you do play someone who takes one
look at you and thinks, “I’ll have no trouble with this guy”. In a way this doesn’t worry me as by the time they
realise I am not as bad as they thought it is too late and I end up beating them. In one competition game my
opponent threw the pieces down because he obviously didn’t like being beaten by a disabled person. In another
game my opponent, after a social game said, “Why didn’t you tell me you were that good” I replied that he
should play everyone as if they were good. As we are now members of the same club, and roughly the same
standard, we have some fantastic battles!
It is very frustrating trying to gain employment outside; although having a clerical job at Centre Industries, I
cannot get one with the Public Service. To be a clerk you need your higher school certificate or leaving certificate.
I am educationally qualified for a clerical assistant, but because of my athetoid movements that are very
unsteady, I should not do things like filing, photocopying. However, tasks which I could do, like financial
statements, I cannot do as I am not qualified. This was one of my frustrating times – to know I could do a job
well but was not qualified, and the job I could have a go at I was physically unable. It’s just like your brain telling
your body to do something and your body can’t do it and never will.
The one thing I want people to understand is that every disabled person is an individual with likes and dislikes,
different talents, and some of the most heavily handicapped have a tremendous sense of humour. For the
disabled person, if you have a talent like chess, swimming, painting or anything else, stick with it and make the
most of your life.
As treasurer of an outside chess club, I feel as if I have to do a better job than most people, just to prove that a
disabled person can do the job. Also, if you have limited speech people tend to only listen to people with good
speech even though you might have a far better understanding of the subject.’
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