World Wheelchair Motocross Champion Tomas Woods has taken the next step to achieving his dreams by beginning his flying journey with Aerobility. As an organisation Aerobility provides the opportunity for anyone with any kind of disability the chance to experience the magic and wonder of flight. They have chosen to do this because giving people control of an aircraft helps to change the focus on what a person can’t do to what they can ultimately achieve. This encourages people who take part in this opportunity to believe that they can achieve anything and create big dreams for what they want to achieve in the future.
People with disabilities are rarely given the same opportunities as able bodied people. This may be because they are seen as less able or it might be too expensive or difficult to give them the same sort of training with the support they need.
Lots of different disability types are able to fly. Disabilities are assessed on an individual basis and there is a process which collaborates with the Civil Aviation Authority to determine access needs. This can lead to them having to use hand controllers or other apparatus in order to help operate or access the vehicle.
People with disabilities should be given the same opportunities as able bodied people. Certain adaptations will have to be made to equipment or locations to make them more accessible or easier to use.
Aerobility is helping to break down the barriers that almost all disabled people come up against in their daily lives. This helps to reinforce the elements of equality and inclusion by allowing them to take part in an activity that may have been seen out of their reach in the past but is now more accessible to them.
By doing this the organisation helps to minimise the element of discrimination and prejudice in society by showing that they are giving disabled people equal opportunities to learn how to fly and be able to achieve any dreams they have of becoming a pilot etc. They can also believe they can achieve much more than what some people might tell them they can achieve by showing them that by taking control of an aircraft, they can achieve anything that they put their mind to and helps to create a disability positive atmosphere.
This kind of atmosphere will hopefully change the mind set that certain people may have in believing that disabled people should only be given certain opportunities in life by letting them experience more of the things an able bodies person experiences every day. There is no need for any kind of discrimination or prejudice in the world as statistics have shown that disabled people are more than capable of achieving anything an able bodied person can achieve when they are given the right support.
Tom has received the Fundraiser Of The Year award sponsored by Gallagher which helps to commemorate the achievements of any individual, group or organisation that has shown ingenuity, hard work and raised funds for the charity during the previous year. He has beaten off stiff competition from large aviation companies and their staff, major donors and sponsors.
Mike Miller Smith, CEO Aerobility states “Tomas is an incredible young man. He has thoroughly grabbed the opportunity of flying with the charity, and is clearly loving getting to grips with flying an aeroplane. However so much more than that, he recognises that Aerobility is an organisation that only exists with wider support, and he has been fundraising for the charity so that he can help us give the magic of flight to even more people – sharing what he has been able to enjoy with others. Such maturity and enthusiasm from an amazing teenager. He is a deserving winner of our Fundraiser of the Year Award”
