Fiona Duncan

Now Fiona Duncan, of Ashton-on-Ribble, who believes her work for Lancashire County Council’s Management Resources Group makes a positive statement about the role of disabled people, has been short-listed for a National Training Award.

She has suffered from rheumatoid arthritis since the age of five, and underwent knee operations at the ages of 14 and 28 and a hip operation earlier this year. So after leaving the sixth form after studying for her A-levels, her aspirations were low.

But when she joined the county council in 1996, Fiona was encouraged to broaden her horizons. Despite her deteriorating health, she left home and lived in rented accommodation, before buying a small terraced house.

She chose to enrol on a BA Combined Honours degree course in Education and Deaf Studies at the University of Central Lancashire.

"It took five years to complete, and as the pain and therefore my mobility worsened time management became very important," said Fiona. "But each of the modules I studied taught me different elements of school life.

"By the third year, the rheumatoid arthritis was having a big effect on my life. All my energy was being used up studying, which in different circumstances would have been used elsewhere. I also had difficulty accessing the buildings and parking, and the chairs in the lecture room were extremely uncomfortable."

Fiona achieved her degree and has now taken on a First Steps to Management course, which has given her the belief that she has the necessary skills to become a good manager.

Brenda Lynton Escreet, her mentor at the county council, said: "Fiona represents the positive, professional face of disabled people in the workplace. She is so good at her job, a woman who believes that a disabled person’s place is in work."

"Throughout the five years of study I was working full-time and living with a disability," said Fiona. "I could easily have made the decision to give up work, stay at home and live on benefits, but I decided I wanted to remain in work because it mattered that I was a deliverer of services."

"I have also become more politically active around disabled issues, in particular campaigning for more accessible parking for disabled workers and visitors at County Hall."

Fiona was encouraged to enter the National Training Awards by Lancashire County Council’s Training Manager and last autumn, at the Awards Dinner for the North West held in Liverpool, Fiona received a Highly Commended Certificate.

As a physically disabled person, Fiona is keen to tell her story as an example of what can be achieved.