Julie Helen: Accessibility is an added worry for me when faced with the summer juggle

School is out, and we have a boy who will be heading for first class in September.

I love the way the summer stretches out before us, and there’s another part of me that hopes I will measure up to filling the days with enough joy and fun.

This time of year can be a true challenge for working parents, forcing them to juggle even more than in term time. Summer camps start later and finish earlier. Organisers often require signatures on a first day when parents are already late for work.

Every time I apply for a piece of work, my initial thoughts are always about the possibility of the time bleeding into the summer because that would be hard to manage. It is during the summer holidays that not working full-time outside the home really comes into its own and I truly understand how lucky I am. I can be there for pick-up and drop-off and for the signatures and moments where I must be present and correct.

On top of the work juggle, accessibility is a barrier for me over the summer. When we sign up for a camp, I often initially need to explain how I will get into the building or how Ricky will come in and out by himself after the first day. 

Where possible, we link up with friends so the other parents also know Ricky and can be a watchful presence for him.

I resent that I can’t always be there for him easily. I’m annoyed that it is always a consideration for us, especially when it’s so easily fixed by having accessible venues and parking, and a little less frantic nature of arriving and leaving. 

There just never seems to be enough time. I either have to be extra early or late and just wait for things to clear a bit to be able to manage well.

Luckily, Ricky isn’t an anxious kid, he enjoys meeting new people and is confident in himself. I’ve heard him, more than once, asking an adult in charge to open a gate or make space for me. He knows that space for me as a disabled person is not automatic. He knows I have to ask for it.

I was praising him for the way he can meet new people recently and he asked me if I enjoy meeting new people. I told him truthfully that I love meeting new people, but a new place is much harder than the people. I worry that a new place won’t be accessible and that makes it harder to meet new people because they start out thinking about the things I can’t do rather than the personality I have. My little boy looked me square in the face after my explanation and assured me he would tell everyone that I was great fun! I couldn’t help but laugh but I know he means it.

He reminded me that the challenges of accessibility are just a cold fact that we must navigate. They are not intentional. Nobody is actively trying to exclude me, they just don’t know that I’m fun yet!

Accessibility is easily solvable with goodwill. Ricky is in summer camp this week in his own school, run by the pre-school and homework club. He loves Julie, Denise and all the rest of the lovely team. They also adore him and, from day one, for the last two years have accompanied him to my car so I don’t need to get out. That small act of kindness makes a huge difference to me.