Even though I have Cerebral Palsy without speech, being as responsible for everything in my life as non-disabled people is important. My situation is unique as I run my own business and I go clubbing. Also I look after my flat, but I require physical assistance. Throughout my life I get the feeling that people think I am not interested in the day-to-day running of my flat. My philosophy is if I want to do something, I have to take responsibility for that. My disability should not be an excuse.

I call my staff assistants rather than carers. To me, an assistant is there as an extra pair of hands and they need to be directed by the person, for example, I would ask them to put my washing on. A carer does things without consulting with the person and take responsibly of the person's well-being.

How people keep their flat, such as where they keep things is a part of their identity. For me, it is important that my assistants to express my identity and it is necessary for me where things are. As you may appreciate, when friends ask me where something is, it would not look good if I did not know where it is. I am very economical as I am very interested in environmental issues. I have moral values on saving water and energy, and recycling as much as possible. For me to accomplish my moral values, I require physical assistance.

Although I do welcome assistants making suggestions, they have to be aware that I would not take those suggestions on board. I do not mean that in a horrible way, it is because I should be happy in doing whatever.