If I Could Change Something

Isobel Williams: An Invisible Disability


Isobel was born in 1988 in Poole in Dorset. She attended local mainstream schools in Wimbourne, going on to Art College after school.

Here Isobel talks about how her ME was misunderstood at school.

https://howwasschool.allfie.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/invisible.mp3

Transcript

If I was in control of my education when I was younger, I think there would have been a way where I could have tailored it so that I could have achieved more. Like if I was, if someone was in my situation and I was the teacher or decision maker, I think I could have probably tailored it so that they could have probably at least got GCSE's I think. I think it's because ME is so misunderstood, and it's such an invisible disability, and as well being so young, I didn't really want people to know how much pain I was in or what I was going through, I wanted people to think I was normal, I probably didn't help myself there, but I feel like, opinions on ME have progressed although it is kind of slow. You know, people are now kind of, not just assuming it's a psychological illness, they know a little bit more about it and they know that it's a physical illness and you know, people do know more about it so I think the chances are, like, if I was to do my education again, the teachers I might have, they might know more about it and therefore they would treat me slightly better. So overall I do think the treatment has improved.

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