91Èȱ¬

Ruth and Lisette - two women consider the legacy of becoming disabled on the threshold of adulthood.

Ruth Fairclough was 17 when she sustained a paraplegic injury. After five weeks of bed-rest she found "freedom" when she was given her wheelchair. However, her childhood dream of joining the army had to be abandoned and, over 20 years later, she looks back at the new path she deliberately forged for herself.

As a mathematician, she saw her future as a problem to be solved and set about ticking the boxes that she believed would make her life worthwhile. One thing that wasn’t on Ruth’s agenda pre-accident was children. Her two girls are now both older than she was when she had the accident – and seeing her older daughter now makes her weep, "because that should have been me".

Lisette Auton is a disabled writer, activist and spoken word artist. She describes the wasted years after she became ill when she was 21. Now, she has lived half her life with impairment and half without. Learning to accept her body more and regaining her creativity opened up the world for her again. She says that, until speaking to Ruth, she had never honestly asked herself the question of whether she would want her mobility back – but says that she is happy just the way she is.

The two women share their frustrations and how they’ve learned to appreciate a different kind of life - how they celebrate themselves, living without comparing themselves to others and recognising that ultimately none of us are perfect or do all the things we would like or have once planned.

The documentary features Ruth’s return to playing the piano after nearly 30 years and the music that has helped Lisette navigate life after illness, in a programme with some tears and plenty of laughter.

Produced by Anna Scott-Brown
An Overtone production for 91Èȱ¬ Radio 4