My name is Wayne. I am a 48-year-old man. I was born with hemiparesis cerebral palsy. It’s on my right side.
As a child I was quite slow at movement with my arm and legs. My parents took me to the hospital at a very young age. Around 3 to 4, as I still was not moving my legs, I was just on my belly not even kicking.
Back in the 1970s there was not a lot out there. I was given the big metal frames, called callipers, from foot to waist, and I stayed in them until I was 16 years old.
Then my mum and dad said “no more”. I went to a school called Valence School in Westerham, Kent. And they were brilliant – my sisters at home got me up helping me walk, as well as the school and hospital.
And I think it’s my strong will that I needed to walk without my splints and callipers. I did have a lot of hydrotherapy back then. The hospital did say I would be in a wheelchair by the time I am 30 years old and I am not. I do have a scooter for when I am having my bad days.
All through my life I have had challenges and still do with inaccessible places. Having use of only my left hand, it gets very tiring.
What do you do?
I am the only cerebral palsy drag queen in the UK that we know of, and that’s my job.
What has been your greatest achievement?
My greatest achievement is when I started my association events. We are a LGBTIQ+ association that put nights on for people with disabilities in the LGBTIQ+ and Disability community – to have a night out and also show off their talent. Plus getting married, as I thought I would not even find a boyfriend, let alone get married. And they are my big achievements to date.
What was your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?
My biggest challenge is society, and I think we all have that. And the rudeness of others, from the stare and the singers. Education is needed for people in workplaces, and inclusion and acceptance.
Who was your role-model growing up?
My mum and dad were my role models as there were not any Disability role models out there when I was growing up – if there were, they were kept out of sight. But the singers I did like were Kim Wilde and Madonna – still do .
What do you think would help more adults with CP achieve their ambitions?
What I would say is don’t be afraid of giving thing a go. Be strong. I think it comes down to society as well. We definitely need more role models and understanding of people with CP ,and having day centres if they need to use them, plus never give up on your dreams.