ARCHIE:My name is Archie, I'm ten years old, and I've got cerebral palsy. Charlie's my twin brother. He's got the same disability as me. We've got a lot of things in common, and we do lots of things together. It affects my legs, because the signal from my brain can't properly get down to the legs, so they're not as strong.
ARCHIE:So… whenever I stand up, my legs feel like jelly. The doctors projected that I would never be able to speak, I would never know my parents, I would never be able to eat, and I would never be able to wheel myself.
ARCHIE:Wheelchair basketball is very good, because it allows me to play with other people that feel the same way, and have the same disability, and we can just play together. Our team is called Lewisham Thunder. Kyle and Deon are two of my friends at basketball.
DEON:My name is Deon and I'm 13 years old.
KYLE:And my name's Kyle and I'm 10. Archie is a good player.
DEON:He likes to defend a lot, but he sometimes attacks.
KYLE:And he's got a brilliant right hand.
DEON:Sometimes people think just because we're in wheelchairs we can't play sports, but that's not it. If we're in wheelchairs we can still play Olympic sports.
ARCHIE:My coach is called Steve. Steve inspires me because, he's on the England team, and he brings a message that you can still do what you want to do.
ARCHIE:I spend half of the time out of my chair, and I crawl when I'm not in my chair.
ARCHIE:My favourite bit of gardening is doing archaeology with Charlie and my dad. Charlie, let's have a competition who can find the most pieces. I can't do things as quick as other people.
ARCHIE'S DAD:Do you want to lie down and have a look? Bet the frogs are probably hiding under those logs there.
ARCHIE:I can't wheel as fast as other people, or I can't… maybe, speak as fast as other people. Well I'm sure I can, but… I can still do exactly the same things, it just takes time.
ARCHIE:That's you! Oh. What a lovely run. I especially like playing FIFA 12, with my brother. Two - nil. I know it's a video game, but… I picture myself… being the player. I picture myself scoring all the goals. Yes! Oh! Being in that West Ham shirt, because it helps. Oh, what a cracking goal. What a cracker.
ARCHIE:In real football obviously there's going to be a disadvantage for me, but in FIFA there's no disadvantage. It helps me with something that I might not be able to do, but I can do in a video game.
ARCHIE:I do not need any help academically. It's only one half of my body that doesn't work. My brain works. I like school, because… it gives me a chance to see my friends. Kai and Hector are good friends. …yellow thing. Well…
KAI:Oh, he's just ate your head off.
ARCHIE:They help me take my plate. They help me get my coat. They help me around school. They go down in the lift, they go up the lift, and we always play together. Always.
HECTOR:I'm Hector.
KAI:I'm Kai.
HECTOR:And we're friends with Archie.
KAI:Yeah.We really kind of play army games.
HECTOR:And games where we have to hide, and then Archie has to come and find us.
KAI:And we kind of play stunt games. We have to do some stunts.
HECTOR:Like jumping over his wheelchair. We kind of include Archie in everything we play because most of them are quite simple, but fun games.
ARCHIE:Another thing I play at break is table-top cricket. Basically it's cricket played on a table and it's really fun.
ARCHIE:I don't really think it's my place to sort of, tell people what to do. But if I had to send a message it would be, I would like me to be treated with some respect. If you want to push me you've got to ask if you want to push me. If you want to hold the door, then please do but just ask. Or just ask me if you want me to hold the door, because I can.
ARCHIE:I don't think being a wheelchair user makes me different as well. Of course I might look different, but it doesn't make me feel different. I'm just the same but on wheels, that's all I am.
Video summary
In this short film for primary schools we meet Archie, a ten year old boy who has cerebral palsy.
Archie tells us how he views himself and how he would like others to view him.
Archie plays wheelchair basketball, where he loves to socialise and be part of a team.
Archie sees his coach as a role model who inspires him.
This short film is from the 鶹Լ series Same But Different.
Teacher Notes
Teachers could use this short film as a stimulus for a class discussion on how disability is perceived.
Pupils could explore the benefits of being part of a team (eg a sports team) and the benefits to self-esteem that can be gained through being able to join in.
This short film could also be used to consider role models of different kinds as a means of inspiration and to discuss the role of friends.
This short film will be relevant for teaching PSHE at KS2 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 2nd Level in Scotland.
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