A man living with cerebral palsy says he's been repeatedly mistaken for a beggar while waiting for the bus because of his disability.
Ellis Palmer Babe, from Bidston, has been a wheelchair user for most of his life having been diagnosed with cerebral palsy shortly after was born. His disability affects his balance and co-ordination, prompting a number of people to offer him money after thinking he was begging at the bus stop.
Ellis told the ECHO he faces systemic discrimination "every day", but the 28-year-old is determined to be a catalyst for change by channelling his experiences into creating positive representation for other people living with disabilities. In a bid to raise both money and awareness, Ellis has undertaken the mammoth task of cycling 1,000km in August on his handcycle.
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He said: "I'd never cycled before the first lockdown in 2020. After a trip to Ireland in which a friend of mine mentioned handcycling in passing, I decided to look it up. I Googled it and all I could see was people who were super fit doing it and I thought, this isn’t for me with my dodgy hands and dodgy balance.
"I shelved it but then I found out that one of the only real manufacturers of handcycles are the guys at Davinci Mobility in Liverpool who've been making my wheelchairs since I was 10.
“It was about £3,500 all in all and my family said 'why have you spent all that money on something you’re not going to use' so that was the gauntlet thrown down to me there. I’ve now done 18,000km in just over two years.”
Ellis' handcycle clips easily onto his wheelchair, meaning he can attach it himself in a matter of seconds. The former Woodchurch High School student says being able to cycle allows him to reconnect with his local community while also maintaining his fitness.
Ellis has been a huge supporter of the council's Active Travel programme which is aimed at developing safer routes for cyclists in the borough. He's hoping to raise £1,000 through this month's challenge, with all profits going to three charities that support disabled people in living life to the fullest.
He said: “I’ve chosen three charities that are very close to my heart. Truth be told, many of the things I do every day as a disabled person wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for Wirral charity Stick 'n' Step. I attended their centre from the age of nine to 18 and they taught me some fine motor skills through physical therapy so it means a lot to me to be able to continue to support what they do.”
Ellis is also supporting Wheels For All, a disabled cycling charity that runs dozens of inclusive cycling sessions every week across England and Wales, and the Tranmere Rovers' Disabled Supporters' Association, who have helped create plastic dugouts for disabled fans at Prenton Park and have installed a lift up to the first floor of the Main Stand, widening the seating options for disabled fans.
According to disability charity Scope, two-thirds of people feel uncomfortable talking to a disabled person and Ellis is keen to promote being respectful and supportive towards people living with disabilities, as opposed to being condescending or treating them differently.
He told the ECHO: “Handcycling is something I never thought I’d be able to do. For some people with cerebral palsy cycling isn’t an option but my argument is that if you can’t see it, you can’t be it.
"I hope that people see me on my handcycle and see that positive representation. A lot of the time people think disability is something that affects older people or they don’t see it all. So having that visibility in your local community is really really important.”
You can find out more about Ellis' story here.
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