The Palsy Podcast - Episode 26 - Chelsie Jones

 Ciaran is joined on episode 26 of 'The Palsy Podcast' by Chelsie Jones. Chelsie is a journalist, presenter and social media influencer. On her channel 'Beauty is My Duty,' she shares beauty tips and accessibility hacks for disabled people. Chelsie has also completed her PGCE, and works as a teaching assistant, helping other disabled children. Chelsie also makes travel videos on how to make travel more accessible for Disabled people @chelsie_jones_models 

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:01

Hello and welcome to the Palsy Podcast with me here in the show. I'm a playwright, screenwriter, and podcaster from South Wales. And seeing as March is Celibalsy Awareness Month to market, I've decided to interview interesting people who have cell palsy from Wales and beyond every day in March. If you like this episode, please stay tuned for Paul throughout the month and like and share. Now enjoy this episode of the Palsy Podcast. Hello and welcome to this episode of the Palsy Podcast, episode 26 of the Palsy Podcast, and thank you for tuning in however you're listening or watching this, either on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube if you don't know what this is. The Palsy Podcast is a project that I'm doing in March to mark Cyber Palsy Awareness Month. And every day I'm talking to a different, interesting person who has CP. And I'm delighted to have met so many new people through this as well. One of whom is the lovely Chelsea Jones. Hi Chelsea, how are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 1:33

Hi, I'm good. How are you? It's great to be on uh the show today.

SPEAKER_02 1:38

Thank you so much. It's it's lovely to have you. Thank you for giving up your time today. First question I want to ask you, I tend to kick all these off in the same way. So what was your experience growing up with CP? And was there maybe a moment where you first realized you were a bit different?

SPEAKER_00 2:01

Um I would say growing up with CP, when I was younger, I wasn't like very kind of um I didn't really let um anything stop me when I was younger. I was very determined. I had a great circle of friends at school, and I had um overall had like a very positive experience with CP. Um when I was younger I did um undergo some surgeries, um which were very hard at the time, um, but I have an amazing family and amazing friends as well, and you know they kind of supported me and helped me through that difficult time, really.

SPEAKER_02 2:53

Did you have to miss a lot of school because of those surgeries?

SPEAKER_00 2:59

Um, so I it was in the six weeks' holidays in the summer, so I kind of didn't miss out on school, which kind of sucks, but anyway.

SPEAKER_02 3:10

But that thing of missing out of seeing your mates and going out with your mates, I suppose. That must have been difficult.

SPEAKER_00 3:18

Yeah, well, it was in this, especially in the summer, really. But my best friend Amy, she came to visit me every single day after school, and she came and like kept me company in the hospital, which was really, really nice.

SPEAKER_02 3:35

And like what what was what was school like for you? Did you enjoy school? What were you good at?

SPEAKER_00 3:43

Um, I absolutely loved school. Um, I particularly liked creative subjects, I would say. Um I was never really that academic, really, in terms of um exams and things like that. I really struggled with maths. Um, absolutely, I just couldn't get on with maths very well. Um, and my overall experience with school was really, you know, early in the early stages was really positive. Um because I grew up with those people. Um it was only really, I would say, um moving down south between year nine and year ten because everybody had formed their friendship groups and moving to a new area.

SPEAKER_02 4:33

So where where did you move from and to?

SPEAKER_00 4:38

Um so I moved from Birmingham to um to a little village um in on the South Coast, um, and it was really, really lovely. But because everybody had formed their friendship group, um it was very hard to kind of fit in, I felt. But I did have some lovely friends which are in the higher year. Um they also some of them also have cerebral pausy, actually, but they left a year um before me because they're in the second year, um the final year, sorry. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:16

Um, did you get a good level of support in school? Was there any difference between Southampton and Birmingham in terms of the support that you got?

SPEAKER_00 5:28

Um, I would say um I've had some amazing support throughout my um journey um from Birmingham to Southampton, really. I would say that as I've got older, I think um that like maybe like it's that grey area where you're not a child but you're going into adulthood and maybe um like um funding for like equipment or like um medical things aren't so um widely available um as you get to a certain age.

SPEAKER_02 6:07

A common thing that has come up fairly regularly on almost every episode of this podcast is the lack of adult services and the lack of like where do you go if you're adult if you're an adult with CP. It just seems yeah you get quite a lot of support as a kid, and then when you become an adult it just appears Yeah, I I think that's really true, you know.

SPEAKER_00 6:33

And I think it's maybe something that needs to be looked at, maybe by definitely whoever deals with it, I'm not really sure, but you know, it cerebral pausy is a lifelong um disability, isn't it? And it just it doesn't just stop when you're an adult, it it comes with you throughout your life.

SPEAKER_02 6:52

And things can change, new things can creep in, and you know, there's very little knowledge of that, and I think there needs to be more for adults with CP. It might weren't be worth mentioning at this point if you don't mind how your CP affects you because everyone is affected differently, if you wouldn't mind saying a little bit about No, that's absolutely fine.

SPEAKER_00 7:16

Yeah, um so when I was younger I had so much energy and like I I felt like I managed my energy a lot better, and um but as I've got older I've noticed that I've become more um tired and um just fatigued. Um but like I'm still very like like I I love to do things, I'm always out and about doing things, and I I do work two days a week. Um but as yeah, like like I say, as I've got older I have felt like um it's got a little bit more uh work not worse, but kind of like progressive with the tiredness side of things.

SPEAKER_02 8:03

Are you your wheelchair user?

SPEAKER_00 8:06

Do you walk like yeah, so I I use a wheelchair full time. Um I I have tried to walk in the past, but it it's very, very difficult. Where I've had the surgeries, um I have nerve damage in both my legs now, um, which has kind of affected my mobility a little bit. Um uh but it's helped me in so many ways as well, the operation.

SPEAKER_02 8:35

So you don't regret having the surgeries?

SPEAKER_00 8:40

No, I think uh they have really helped me. Um they've helped me, but they've probably gave me other problems maybe along the way. Um because I used to have like nerve pain and things like that, and I because I can't feel my legs um completely.

SPEAKER_01 9:02

Right.

SPEAKER_00 9:03

Um, it can be a bit weird sometimes when I'm sat there and it's like I can't feel my legs, but yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:10

And in terms of like um wanting a career in the in the media, when did you first think that that could be possible? When did your interest in that sort of thing start?

SPEAKER_00 9:27

Um it started very young. Um, so when I was in hospital, I used to w watch a lot of YouTube, and I would say YouTube is the the the thing that inspired me to um get into the creative field. Um I used to watch a lot of um daily vloggers and Zoela and beauty influencers, and I was kind of like I just sat there and I was like, I really want to do that, and I started to um create makeup tutorials because it's something I really love to do, and it I found it quite therapeutic, and um when I do my makeup I feel like I'm I'm like it gives me more confidence, I think. And I I sat there and I thought, oh, I could do this, and I could inspire other um young girls like myself, um, that maybe perhaps are living with disabilities and want to do makeup as well, and it really kind of started quite early on, I'd say.

SPEAKER_02 10:36

And like, did you see people like you represented when you were watching these beauty channels, or did you kind of want to represent disabled people in that kind of sector as well?

SPEAKER_00 10:50

Yeah, around that time I think there wasn't many disabled influences about that I knew of. There might have been. Um, and I thought thought to myself, I really want to represent that, and I want to represent the amazing community that you know that is of people with disabilities and shine a light on that because I think it's really important.

SPEAKER_02 11:16

Absolutely. So, like, did you start your channel before you went to university?

SPEAKER_00 11:23

I did, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:24

So, how did you come to start the the channel up?

SPEAKER_00 11:29

Um, so I really loved beauty at the time, so I it's called Beauty is my duty, and I still love beauty now, by the way. But um, I just one day I was just like, do you know what I'm really passionate about this? And I I really love video editing, and I did media at college and learnt to video edit myself um and learnt all these new skills, so I started to upload makeup tutorials um to my channel Beauty is My Duty, and then um yeah, so it just came about like that, really.

SPEAKER_02 12:11

W were there any like physical challenges for you in terms of applying makeup? Because sometimes I feel like as a guy, a straight guy, don't we make a like I'm so lucky that I'm not a woman sometimes. I because I suppose not having poor fine motor skills does it make that more difficult, and you've had maybe you've had to find ways around that.

SPEAKER_00 12:38

Absolutely. Um mine is especially related to my f fine motor skills. Sometimes I drop things and I my hands jump and I have to really concentrate on um applying mascara or um uh things like that, or opening certain makeup products are really hard to open. Um and it's a lot better now because there's some brands that have come up with um disability-friendly um makeup um products that you can open easily, or um there's a mascara, I believe, out now with um Braille on the side of it, so that um people that are blind can open the product easily. Um and I think that's really, really effective and really good.

SPEAKER_02 13:31

Have you seen that change since you've been making your videos? And and maybe are there any other changes within the beauty industry that you would like to see to make it more accessible?

SPEAKER_00 13:45

I think like just a lot more representation of different kinds of disabilities in the media, in like advertisements, and also in films as well. Um, I think it's really important to have that representation, and um yeah, I think it's become better a lot better than it what it was because now I follow a lot more um disabled creators and they are just rocking it and I love it. It's great, it's it's amazing to see really.

SPEAKER_02 14:21

And being on Instagram having that community of other disabled influence influencers, how important is that for you and how much has that increased your confidence, maybe?

SPEAKER_00 14:35

It's very important because I feel like it can be quite lonely having a disability sometimes, especially living in a little village, but having this social network of just amazing individuals to like watch and message and contact and enjoy watching, it's really important and it makes me feel like I'm not the only one out there that is going through like similar things, so I think it can make such a big difference when someone's had similar experiences and they understand, they just get it, and you don't have to explain stuff to them.

SPEAKER_02 15:17

Yeah, it makes a big difference for me anyway.

SPEAKER_00 15:20

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 15:24

And um then you went to uni, you studied media production at Southampton. Uh was it Southampton?

SPEAKER_00 15:31

Southampton Solent Uni, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:34

So what was your experience at uni like?

SPEAKER_00 15:38

I loved it. It it was kind of like I was so excited to start university, and I remember the last day of college when I got my results, and I got a distinction star distinction, and that was enough for me to be able to go and study media further, and it was really cool, I think, because um the course focused on so many different um like avenues of media. Um so there was like film and then there was um audio, um, there was marketing, web design, uh illustration and things like that, and actually working with real clients as well, um, which was really, really cool. And I met some really cool people as well. It's really cool.

SPEAKER_02 16:28

Which areas in particular were you interested in at that time? Was it a kind of video production, video editing, that side of it?

SPEAKER_00 16:37

Yeah. I would say it was it it shifted a little bit from video to to audio, I think. And because I was part of the Radio Sonar Society and I had my own show, and I I really grew a passion for radio from then on, I think.

SPEAKER_02 16:56

I'd like to talk about that in a minute. I'm just gonna stick on uni for a little bit longer. Like, how much did that benefit you in terms of independence? And yeah, was it kind of stepping out of your comfort zone a little bit?

SPEAKER_00 17:13

It was honestly, the first year I think I thought, oh my god, this is a massive university. A small fish in a big pond, you could say, maybe, and um yeah, but I did it, I was really proud of myself, and I met some lovely people and um had some lovely, lovely support. Um yeah, it was but the only thing is my final year was in COVID, so like it was all online, so I missed out on the final year, really.

SPEAKER_02 17:51

I I graduated in 2019, and I'm so glad I I went the year I did because the people who had to graduate during COVID, it must have been so difficult for you to miss out on that final year.

SPEAKER_00 18:03

Yeah, it I I think maybe I don't like think about it as much, but thinking about it, it it's it's kind of like rubbing a year off students maybe I don't know, but I was a bit gutted about that, but it was it was a tough it was a tough time for everyone, I think. Yeah. Online lectures and all sorts.

SPEAKER_02 18:29

I couldn't have dealt with that. Like yeah, yeah. So how did you get into radio then and radio presenting, radio production, that side of it? When did you begin that interest and how have you gone on from that to what you're doing now?

SPEAKER_00 18:48

Yeah, so um I was part of the Radio Sonar Society at uni, and that's really where it started. And then I started to reach out to local radios, um, so like community radio, um, in a volunteering role. And the first ever radio position I got was Fiesta FM in Southampton, and this was like just co-hosting with somebody else, um, doing like a little bit of like, you know, talking. It was called Coffee and Conversation, so it was kind of like the morning segment of the of their um radio show, and I um really enjoyed that. I really did, and then it wasn't it wasn't that accessible at the time because it was like up a flight of stairs, but but it had a stair lift. So I I wanted to look for something that was a bit more, you know, accessible to me. Um and then I found Voice FM, um which is a really well-known radio station, and I then secured my own show um on there called Same Difference, um, which in essence was a show um where I would interview people with various disabilities on their on their stories, so it was kind of like sharing positive stories or sharing um certain things, their lifestyle, their hobbies, their interest. And the idea of it was if there's someone listening at home and they can't get out of the house, then it's that kind of friend, isn't it? Yeah. In in a way, it's making them feel like they're they're part of something, and for me it was really helping my confidence, um, talking to so many amazing people.

SPEAKER_02 20:50

So like what what did you learn from the people that you interviewed, and what kind of people were you particularly interested in interviewing?

SPEAKER_00 21:00

Um, so I um interviewed some um Paralympians um that I knew through um this guy with cerebral palsy called Peter Langton. Um, okay. Yeah, so he he took over my show not so long ago, but it's called something different now because I was like struggling to balance uh the show and things and work and all of that.

SPEAKER_02 21:27

Um Peter, you're on my list. I will be in touch. Uh we've message, but we haven't done to record. Yeah, he's really uh I haven't forgotten about you just because I know you've been messy. It's Jimmy. Sorry, Chelsea and Kaya.

SPEAKER_00 21:42

No problem, no, he's really cool and he's got s his show's really good actually. Um so yeah, I did that show for a long time and it was remote, which was really handy for me, so I could edit from home and do all that kind of thing and and And it w I really enjoyed it, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:02

And you said you learnt quite a lot from the people that you interviewed?

SPEAKER_00 22:06

I I did, yeah, and yeah, I d I learnt so much, you know, uh about people in general and the things that they go through in their daily lives. And and like the amazing stories, so like um just hearing their journeys is just so inspiring to me.

SPEAKER_02 22:31

And like how uh just like how did you how did you see how do you see your career going forward then? What would be your aspirations for a career in the media?

SPEAKER_00 22:48

Um I've always wanted I don't really this is a very difficult question because I don't really know. I love all media, so it's kind of like I I was after uni, I really wanted to work for the BBC in radio. But I realised how hard that is to get into.

SPEAKER_02 23:11

Do you think there were big barriers for you as someone who's disabled, or do you think the barriers exist anyway just to get into the media industry to build those contacts?

SPEAKER_00 23:24

I think the barriers exist anyway for anyone, don't they? It's it's who you know, and and you know, there's a lot of competition with media, you know, you've got to be at the top of your game, and and perhaps for someone like myself that does get fatigued, that is where I fall a bit short, maybe. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 23:48

And do you think that there could be more done to make the media more accessible? What kind of things would you like to see?

SPEAKER_00 23:59

I think there's so much that could be done to make the media more accessible. I think I think it comes down to representation again, um just and like kind of maybe speaking to the right people to get the voices heard. I think and also within like workplaces in general, or like in schools or colleges, having um like disability awareness training more widely available in in like in companies would really help um make the media become more accessible to all.

SPEAKER_02 24:45

I think I've said this on previous podcasts, maybe, but seeing young people, young disabled people, seeing disabled people visible in the media, on the news, on TV shows. So important, I think, to have that representation.

SPEAKER_00 25:01

Like I'd love to um be an extra. I would love to be an extra. Why not? I'm learning to drive. I'm learning to drive at the moment.

SPEAKER_02 25:13

Chelsea me too. How are you finding it?

SPEAKER_00 25:17

Yeah, it's really, really difficult.

SPEAKER_02 25:20

I'm finding it really hard to have you got hand control. Yeah, I will do, yeah. I've got have you started your lessons yet?

SPEAKER_00 25:29

No, I took my theory the other day, and unfortunately I didn't I didn't pass it, but I'm gonna do the theory first.

SPEAKER_02 25:37

Right. Oh, it's really hard. Like, please let me know how you get on with it because I'm yeah, it's just processing so many different things at the same time. And I'm finding it difficult, but I am getting there.

SPEAKER_00 25:54

That's really cool, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:56

And so if you want any advice, any tips, I'm not sure I'll be able to offer them, but yeah, if you wanna rant about it and just pop me a message, you'll be happy to teach up. Yeah. Um and you recently qualified as a teacher as well. So why did you decide to take your PGTE?

SPEAKER_00 26:21

So I kind of stumbled across that work. My boss was like, Oh, you know, you can like um train to be a teacher, don't you? I was like, what?

unknown 26:32

Really?

SPEAKER_00 26:33

Um, and she was like, Yeah, you could teach media, and I'm like, oh wow, like that is really cool. So I studied two years and I'd just finished last year. Um it was a ma it's it was amazing, a lot of hard work, a lot of essays, but now I have it. It's just about finding my path, I suppose.

SPEAKER_02 26:57

I don't really Where where do you see yourself? Do you see yourself in a school or college teaching, or do you see yourself doing bits and bobs here and there?

SPEAKER_00 27:07

Like I think yeah, I think bits and bobs I like teaching, but it's more like I don't want to be that strict teacher that like gives a student like a a low grade, and but I'm more of that kind of person that's like that cool person in the classroom. Yeah, that's really cool, guys. I'm not really like yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:29

And during during your PGC, did you have to go into schools and deliver lessons and things like that?

SPEAKER_00 27:37

Yeah, so I did it at the place where I already work. Um so I had to do a hundred hours teaching, which was very nerve-wracking when you're training, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:47

What were the challenges of that?

SPEAKER_00 27:51

Um I think um I think as a wheelchair user, but where like the plugs are placed and like just little things like setting up for the lesson and and um sometimes low-level kind of behaviour that but you just have to learn they teach you how to deal with uh like low-level disruption and you know, setting classroom roles and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_02 28:23

Did you experience any ableism from either the students or the staff? Any discrimination?

SPEAKER_00 28:32

No, no.

SPEAKER_02 28:33

That's really good to hear. Yeah. Do you think that they looked at you differently because you're disabled or not?

SPEAKER_00 28:40

I don't know. I wouldn't like to say. I I haven't yet like I'm I'm an LSA currently, so I'm a learning support assistant. Um in in a college. I love I love what I do, it's so cool.

SPEAKER_02 28:56

But um so you're supporting other young people with disabilities.

SPEAKER_00 29:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:04

What does that feel like? I bet that's a really rewarding thing to do.

SPEAKER_00 29:08

Yeah, I love it. I have a few students that have cerebral palsy, and they just look up to me, and I I really feel like I'm really helping them through education, and it's so lovely.

SPEAKER_02 29:21

It'd just be brilliant for them to to see you as a positive role model as an adult who's able to help them and empathise with what they're experiencing as well.

SPEAKER_00 29:33

Yeah, absolutely. I think I've always had this motivation in me. My parents have always been so positive with me anyway, and not let anything stand in my way. They're like, the world you oyster, you can do anything you want, and I think with with that role, I think advocacy and supporting people is so important, especially in um today's world. I think not everybody's nice, are they? I think, and I think especially as I've got older, I think I've noticed the world around me and what what people can be like, maybe if they haven't experienced having a friend with a disability or a disability in general. And that kind of I want to try and open up the world a little bit to because not everybody's the same, and if it everybody was the same, it would be a very boring world.

SPEAKER_02 30:36

Um what I think I've learned from doing this is everyone is different. Like speaking to 31 people over this month who all got CP, and everyone's got different experiences, everyone's affected differently, everyone's come through different things in life, which might be related to their CP, it might not, you know. So just take people at face value is what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_00 31:02

Exactly. Yeah, I I I agree.

SPEAKER_02 31:07

And we were talking about the media and perceptions of disabled people within the media. What do you think needs to change in terms of representation and what what do you want to change through the work that you're doing?

SPEAKER_00 31:25

Um sorry, can you repeat that?

SPEAKER_02 31:29

In terms of like the representation of disabled people in the media, what do you think needs to change and what do you hope to change with what you're doing?

SPEAKER_00 31:41

Um, so like I think I think people need to be be able to share their stories and their journeys more unlike the news or in the media in general. Yeah. Um because, you know, if people have an awareness of of different disabilities, they're gonna be more open to it because they understand it more. So I think it's maybe just that education and educating people um and just allowing more representation in magazines, maybe, or TV, radio, film. Yeah, I think uh yeah, just that kind of thing, really, and I think in fashion as well, I absolutely love, and I've always wanted to do this to be like a model, like for a diversity kind of advocate, like a model or something. Um you been in touch with them? Um, I haven't not yet, but I would really, really love to model.

SPEAKER_02 33:00

You know what I would advise you to do is just send them an email. Send them an email, write a bit about yourself, show them the amazing things that you have been doing, send them a view photo, and you know, if you want to contact, I can give you a photo.

SPEAKER_00 33:16

Yeah, I I just love I love fashion and makeup, it's a way of of being like able to express myself and my identity, and and in a lot of ways, makeup I feel like because over the years I've suffered with quite bad anxiety, and with doing my makeup and that kind of thing, it's like really calming to me.

SPEAKER_02 33:41

Um it makes you feel good about yourself.

SPEAKER_00 33:45

Yeah, it gives me a lot of confidence.

SPEAKER_02 33:47

I think that's been a common thread as well, the correlation between having CP and experiencing anxiety, but any way that we can find to keep ourselves motivated, increase our confidence. For me, it might be sport, or the worst I do for you it's makeup and beauty and the amazing content that you make on social media. Yeah, but anyway to increase our confidence I think is so important.

SPEAKER_00 34:16

Absolutely, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:18

It's been lovely getting to know you today, Chelsea. The last question I've got for you is what is one thing that you wish people knew about cerebral palsy?

SPEAKER_00 34:32

Um goodness. Uh that we're although we have cerebral palsy, it doesn't mean we're we're different, it just means we we navigate life differently and we find ways to adapt and to not be I think what I've experienced is sometimes uh um I might struggle opening a door or you know, um or I might be struggling or something, and people will actually be hesitant to maybe ask if I want help because they think that I'd be offended, but actually I think um from my perspective, I'm open to people helping me open a door, for example, or you know, um carrying something for me and not to be afraid to approach, I think is um I think it's always good to ask this, like never do something without asking, but don't be afraid to open up that conversation with someone if you want to give them a hand.

SPEAKER_02 35:47

Yeah. And if they say no, I'm fine, thank you. Respect that. But if they say yes, of course. But yeah, completely agree with you, Chelsea. Thank you so much for joining me today. Yes, we're good to know you, and thank you for listening or watching this episode of the Palsy Podcast on YouTube or on podcast platforms. Um I'm uploading episodes every day throughout March. We're getting to the end of March now, so please stay tuned for the rest of the series. And please like, subscribe, share, and comment. Send me some questions. Asked some questions a few episodes ago. I haven't had any yet. Um, so please keep them coming. But for now, it's goodbye from me and goodbye from Chelsea. Goodbye.

SPEAKER_00 36:38

Hello everybody.

SPEAKER_02 36:41

Thank you for listening to this episode of the Palsy Podcast with me, Kieran Fitzgerald. I want to thank my guests for joining me, and I hope that you'll stay tuned for the next episode and more throughout my thank you.