Nearly Three Decades of Living Experience
I acquired a spinal cord injury nearly thirty years ago, when I crashed my car in the Lake District, leaving me paralysed in all four limbs. I require support with personal care, work, leisure and parental responsibilities — twenty four hours a day, every day.
I spent the first six years of my life as a disabled person totally dependent on others, living in a poorly adapted house. It has taken me nearly three decades to attain my full entitlement to independent living — and I've made many mistakes along the way. In hindsight, those mistakes could have been avoided with better advice at the start.
That is why I do what I do. I hold a PhD in Disability Studies. I have been in receipt of Direct Payments, the Independent Living Fund and NHS Continuing Healthcare for over two decades. I know this system inside out — and I'd like to help you navigate it.
"It has taken me nearly three decades to attain my entitlement to independent living. I can help you avoid making the same mistakes I did."
— Dr Harvey Cowe