The ‘person centred approach’ is a widely used term, but do we truly understand what it means for an individual with a disability? Can it be put into practice without hesitation? In this blog post, I’d like to explain what it means to me, and how it has taken shape in my life.

For me, a person centred approach means that I can live my life with the support I need, and therefore my disability is able to have as little an impact on my life as is physically possible. For example, if I want to attend that last minute social occasion, it’s possible, because I have a team of support workers behind me who are responsive to my needs.

I am by no means suggesting though, that to be considered person centred, you have to be able to do things at the last minute. To put person centred thinking into action you simply have to be responsive to what a person would like to do.

Hi, my name is Mel. I have cerebral palsy, otherwise known as CP. My parents have always said that I should never let my disability be the reason for not living life to the full. So, I like to travel, spend time with friends, volunteer and engage in paid disability awareness work, just to name a few things.

When I was little, my parents strived to create a ‘normal’ life for me regardless of my disability. The legacy of their efforts has been that I have expectations of myself to be someone who contributes meaningfully to the society that I live in.

I currently do disability awareness presentations for organisations. I also mentor a person with mental health challenges and have welfare based qualifications, which I will have the opportunity to further at uni in the near future.

Today marks the official launch of the carecareers campaign in 2011! If you haven’t already watched our award winning television advertisements, please check them out below.

You may also like to read our latest blog post from regular carecareers’ blogger, Naomi James. Naomi is a manager at Lifestyle Solutions and she often utilises carecareers to motivate and inspire existing and new staff. She’s written a post today in celebration of our first year in operation.