Since his accident, Max has learned that, to achieve full inclusion of disabled people in society, 2 barriers need to be overcome: firstly, physical, and secondly, the barriers in peoples’ minds. This has led Max to become involved with many disability-related organisations, in an attempt to overcome real obstacles and prejudices.

Max’s fitness regime (using a reclining exercise cycle) led him to the idea of the Everything Is Possible In Life Cycle – a 714 mile-long campaign, riding a recumbent trike, from Aberdeen to London. He has been training since 2002 – most recently near his London home, on a specially adapted 3-wheeler to get used to cycling with traffic.

Max sees this as an opportunity to change how disabled people are perceived, and to begin to shift the attitudinal obstacles that he comes across daily, by communicating his positive can-do message to the public. So, he will be encouraging the public to ride a leg of the journey with him to demonstrate perception-changing in action.

Max Burt says “People with disabilities are usually perceived as having the common experience of being ‘less able’. This is perhaps the only reason why such diverse people are lumped together into one group called ’the disabled’. After all, what does a blind person have in common with a wheelchair user?

I hope that my journey, as well as highlighting the positive common experience that disabled people share in overcoming obstacles, will also celebrate the often ingenious abilities that disabled people have, and demonstrate that everything is possible. Now, I want to get this message across to as many people along my route as I can”.

So I headed towards the M11 with radio and heater on. 10 minutes later I realised I was cold and my hands were going into that weak claw they do in winter. With the new car, the accelerator is a little tougher but also I can’t reach the heat. So I started to struggle to get above 20 mph going onto the motorway. People were flashing and beeping and I started to crap it.

1 hr left and nothing looked optimistic. So I pulled in on the hard shoulder to calm and think. I tried to set off and now 10mph is hard. Back to the hard shoulder I call mum. We decided I can’t risk it and called 999. The traffic officers arrived while mum, Dave, Robbie and Jamie head to meet me.

The officers were great – we fired the heater, I moved to the next junction and pulled into McDonald’s car park where they bought me a tea. I spoke with Alessandria who put a good positive spin on things. Then the cavalry arrived. Jamie said if I wanted a family reunion there are easier ways.  So with mum I managed to drive back for sky plus Gavin and Stacey.

Then this morning I headed for the dreaded hospital review. I had blood tests, x-rays, stethoscopes, nutritionists and physio. As mentioned I hadn’t had physio in a while and am scared of the physio terrorists. However this time she was very attractive and funny and alleviated the pain somewhat. So I have been discharged, told to rest for another week with new medicine, go back for more physio and monitor it. I would rather have had “u r fine now” but this is probably the best news. At least it’s not terrible news but I do need to kick this 100% before getting back to normality.

Thanks for the get well messages guys. The Xmas period better watch out providing I’m back…

I met with Andy of Andy’s Kars at his garage in Bar Hill on Saturday. He has been working on my vans adaptations in the positive sense through the past weeks of trauma. Not only has he sorted my car after the ongoing problems he is an amazing guy generally. While he runs a garage he also does a lot more. In working with disadvantaged kids he helps them to take responsibility for overcoming their ‘challenges’ as he calls them. While it was amazing to meet Andy and see the great work he does in training these kids to become mechanics, and improve so much more themselves, he said one broader thing around the inspirational talks he gives that has resonated so much I want to blog on this subject. I also met with a director of a disability charity called HAFAD last night who made very similar comments around this. More to come on Kamran and his work soon.

In chatting around my aspirations during a general catch up they both struck on somewhat of a contradiction I and many other disabled people have. Personally I see myself as an outgoing, confident person. I love socialising with good people and have aspirations to one day manage a team of like minded people towards a common goal that will leave a small legacy when I’m gone. Sounds a bit cliché but I want to harness business with disability for a better outcome for all involved. Details are hazy at present but I am thinking all the while what this may actually play out as.

The contradiction is I am not always confident in my ability to achieve something significant and doubt not only myself but how others see me. I have discussed the journey I take people on from meeting and them losing stereotypes, but I think professionally or aspirationally it’s another matter. Having gone to uni, travelled and living independently I sometimes feel that my ambition is too much, or not necessary, and I should stick to being content where I am. It clearly is a balance to strike, but overall it is a contradiction. Would a non-disabled person at 26 with a Masters degree reduce their hopes and dreams so starkly? No, because they can progress with less barriers, but it’s also expected and the norm to move on.

I’ve realised now that while the social model is so important – society needs to make the physical environment accessible and have more open attitudes – there is a lot of need for disabled people to be strong in themselves. “Social conditioning” is when you behave the way that people expect you to. It’s all too easy to fall into this trap. Every disabled person needs to know themselves, their limits and challenges but also to aim high. Everyone can achieve what they set out to; it just takes some planning, patience and time.

For me having felt like such a small fish in a big pond in London, feeling vulnerable with contentious care decisions and other worries I have decided to wipe a clean slate. I’m not going to move at the speed of light but I am going to think on with my dreams in a manageable/attainable way. I am going to be that confident, sociable ambitious person I know I am and enjoy the ride, not question myself as much as I readily have of late.

What I do want to do is an overarching blog on transport bouncing off of an interesting book I’m reading. Its by Ben Elton and called Gridlocked and was recommended by my aunty Diane and her boyfriend Dave at Sibfest. Very quickly Sibfest was the name given by work colleagues to the family gathering I attended Saturday. Beyond this my weekend was minimal due to feeling under par. Diane and Dave have ME and a guest blog on the subject is coming soon.

So without ruining or spoiling the book, it is a thriller about the head of a motor company wanting to kill an inventor for their new invention that could kill the entire road industry. The twist is the inventor has cerebral palsy and the reason for the invention is to win the love of a girl who was put in a wheelchair due to a car hitting her. The invention will allow her to be more mobile.

The point is while the book is well written, with a great plot and hilariously funny, it also explains disability so well. For example the way taht getting a wheelchair on a bus results in people staring the way you do at a person holding you up at the supermarket checkout while they write a cheque (the same as when I am carried on to planes too). Also how taxis are just hit and miss if they stop, but then the tube!

He looks at this as a parallel to apartheid in South Africa, which sounds way OTT. However when you see that a citizen of the UK cannot access the main form of transport in the capital city it is incredulous. Realism says that there’s money and physical limitations to changing the Victorian underground. Flip side is even if it takes 100 years we should seek to practically stop this basic form of segregation.

Outlining these issue here does not show the humour and vigour of the book. Please do read it! It does show how my car breaking stresses me much more. It is my lower stressed route to everywhere. Any other transport thoughts, please do share…