Every disabled child and young person should have the same opportunities as others their age and the chance to enjoy a full and active childhood, Alex Cunningham has said, but too many continue to wait for too long to get access to the right specialist equipment.
Labour’s Stockton North MP was challenged to a disability quiz at Labour Party Conference by a Young Ambassador for the charity Whizz-Kidz.
Whizz-Kidz provides disabled youngsters across the UK with life-changing mobility equipment and also provides opportunities for disabled youngsters to learn valuable life skills, make friends and become more independent. The charity transformed the lives of 4,000 disabled children in the UK last year, supporting 88 disabled youngsters in the North East with appropriate mobility equipment.
The charity arranged for Aaron – the North West representative on the Whizz-Kidz Kidz Board, which is made up of disabled youngsters who each represent a different area of the UK – to play quizmaster as he tested MPs’ disability knowledge at the Conference.
Alex said:
“It was great to meet Aaron at Labour Party Conference. He’s a fantastic Local Ambassador for the great work Whizz-Kidz do locally providing disabled children and young people with wheelchairs and skills training in the region.
“I’m very proud to be one of the charity’s MP Champions and to support their work in Stockton North and across the UK. The thought that 70,000 kids are still waiting for the right equipment for their lives is still shocking and I’m pleased to do all I can to support Whizz-Kidz to reach more young people.
“The right wheelchair can transform the life of a young disabled person, often literally overnight. It is therefore vital that we take action to address the unmet need and end an era of poor service for disabled children and their families.”
Aaron, 15, from Rochdale said: “Being at Labour Party Conference was a brilliant experience. I enjoyed meeting supportive MPs like Alex who understand the issues young people like me face, and do lots to support Whizz-Kidz.”