CHELSEA Preparatory School is all about inclusivity as they’ve proven this Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month when two educators and two learners spent the morning commuting around the school in wheelchairs.

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Keagan was born prematurely at 28 weeks and the lack of exposure to the oxygen he required to keep his lungs working caused cerebral palsy, so he has had limited movement all his life. He attends school with a facilitator, something Chelsea Prep did not hesitate to incorporate into the school.

“Keagan joined Chelsea Prep in Grade R, and the school has been very accommodating since. They’ve incorporated a ramp for Keagan to get to the field during break times and made accessing the taps and door handles in the bathrooms easier for him to reach since he does this from a sitting position,” said his mom, Amanda.

Amanda is CEO of the South African Council of Shopping Centres and works with retail shopping centres across the country. When she saw corporates rising to Little Eden Society’s CEO Challenge to spend a day in a wheelchair, she asked if anyone at the school would like to join. The Johannesburg-based NPO caters for people with profound intellectual disabilities.

On Wednesday, 20 March, two learners and two educators joined Amanda in her quest to raise awareness on the physically challenged and how they manoeuvre through the day.

Grant Bowles, a Grade Five educator and sports coach, said it was way more difficult than he thought.

“It was quite a challenge. Going next door to ask a colleague a question was a difficult task with limited space. The children were very helpful with their helping hands and kind hearts,” he said.

Grade Six educator Sarah Spooner said she now knows what physically challenged people go through every day.
“For me, it’s about being mindful of others and teaching learners to be mindful of others, too. It’s about spreading kindness and love to others and working together to help each other,” she said.

Aneska Moodley, a Grade Seven learner, said she wants to show support to Keagan and see how he went about his day in a wheelchair. She found getting up and down the stairs difficult.

Ashley Smith, also in Grade Seven, said she joined the challenge to prove that anything is possible and to see what it was like to be Keagan for a day.

Keagan (13) said he was excited when his mom came up with the idea and wanted to see how people would react and whether they would be keen on trying it out.

“I’m impressed that my friends and teachers actually wanted to see what I go through. It made me very happy. My mom has also agreed to spend a day in a wheelchair, and I can’t wait to see how that goes,” he said.

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