All societies struggle with the people who are ‘different’ and people who are ‘different’ struggle every day with societies in which they live.

Too often, as a consequence of intolerance and the setting up social or environmental barriers, societies fails to meet the needs and aspirations of people with disabilities. This results in disabled people living within a disabling world.

Different Lives are individual stories of people with impairment adapting to the demands of society.

This is a personal view based on my own family’s experiences and my insights into the lives of people with impairment

I recognise the view ‘See the person, not the disability’ but prefer ‘You are much more than your disability’.

Too often disabled peoples’ voices and agency are missing.

The photographs and stories in Different Lives celebrates the uniqueness of people with impairment. In telling their stories I have adopted their perspective because they are expert in their own lives.

Different Lives is about the lives of ordinary disabled people leading unique, interesting, and important lives.