When I was originally thinking about doing a project on HIV and Aids I was trying to find a new fresh angle to a very well known subject. I discovered that although there have been a lot of things written on the topic using statistics or about contracting disease. Little was written about life after diagnoses.

I realised that through my own experiences with my own personal disability I had a very different viewpoint.

I have cerebral palsy, it affects both of my legs and my right arm and I use two sticks to walk.

I discovered that people often were challenged by my disability often having a stereotyped image of what I was like.

Throughout my lifetime I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with people whose expertise and support I have relied on. These have included physiotherapists and education specialists, as well as medical people, which ultimately means that I can live and work independently.

With this in mind, I wanted to look at the support network available in the HIV and Aids field.

Holly Lane