1. Facilitating participation
Dee’s story

2. Dee
is
17
years
old
and
is
due
to
sit
her
A-­‐levels
within
the
next
12
months.
She
is
skilled
in
using
computers
for
her
wri@en
work;
and
her
teachers
have
predicted
that
she
will
get
good
grades.
Introducing Dee

3. Introducing Dee
Dee
currently
a@ends
a
residenBal
school
for
children
with
special
needs.
She
has
cerebral
palsy
and
quadriplegia.

4. Introducing Dee
She
uses
an
electric
wheelchair
for
mobility;
and
has
an
electronic
device
to
support
her
communicaBon
with
others.
She
has
a
range
of
assisBve
technology
equipment
to
support
her
needs
but
these
are
now
geEng
old.

5. Dee and school
Dee
has
enjoyed
being
at
a
residenBal
school,
and
appreciates
that
this
has
helped
her
to:
•
Achieve
her
full
academic
potenBal
•
Communicate
with
others
be@er
•
Learn
to
be
independent
within
a
home
environment
However,
Dee
feels
that
she
has
missed
out
on
many
other
areas
of
her
life
by
being
there.

6. Dee’s plans
•
Dee
is
desperate
to
achieve
her
key
goal,
which
is
to
study
at
Belfast
University
following
her
A-­‐levels.
•
Her
parents
are
keen
to
support
her,
but
are
worried
about
her
living
away
from
home
without
specialist
care
input.
•
She
wants
to
be
able
to
study
and
socialise
with
a
much
wider
range
of
people.
•
She
would
like
to
take
part
in
some
mainstream
sports
and
outdoor
pursuits,
perhaps
compeBng
with
able-­‐bodied
people.

7. Dee’s concerns
Dee’s
only
worries
are
that:
•
Her
verbal
communicaBon
is
not
clear
to
most
people
outside
the
school;
•
Her
current
communicaBon
equipment
is
too
slow.