All4Inclusions 5 Minute interview with Alex Manners
Can I start by asking you to tell us a little about yourself?
My name is Alex Manners, 28, and I have Asperger’s Syndrome which I was diagnosed with at the age of 10. I am an Autism and Neurodiversity speaker, Asperger's champion, presenter and author. I look upon my Asperger’s as something positive and that I feel lucky to have been able to manage throughout my life. Being lifelong, I still experience lots of challenges but I always focus on the positive elements of my diagnosis or “Asperger’s Superpowers”.
I now have my own business, presenting motivational & educational talks on what it is like to live, work and go to school with Asperger’s and Autism. I present these talks to companies, law firms, schools and universities all over the UK. I have also published a book called “That’s Not Right! My Life Living with Asperger’s” and featured on series 10 & 11 of "The Undateables" on Channel 4. I am obsessed with football and in 2019 I completed my quest to watch a match at all 92 English Football League grounds.
2. Many disabled people do not consider themselves to be disabled; do you think or yourself or describe yourself as disabled?
Autism is classed as a disability under the Equality Act 2010 and therefore I do consider myself to be disabled. Although there are lots of positive elements of having a diagnosis, there are also many challenges. These challenges often disable me and mean that I struggle in daily life way more than individuals without a diagnosis. For example, I experience meltdowns, struggle with sensory stimuli such as sounds and the feel of objects, live with a high level of anxiety and find communication difficult. Even though people without autism may experience these things I experience them more frequently and for prolonged periods of time.
You are known as a disability campaigner, what inspired you or motivated you to become a campaigner?
One of my ambitions is to become a TV Presenter and I wanted to gain as much insight into the TV world as possible. I started to do a few interviews on the radio and television about my Asperger’s and thoroughly enjoyed it. I then attended an autism show where I watched a few people presenting talks about their own experiences and they really inspired me to start presenting talks of my own.
Many of my friends who also have a diagnosis, would not feel confident to talk about their experiences and challenges or speak in front of large audiences. Because I am very confident at doing both, I wanted to use this superpower to inspire and educate as many people as I could. I want to show people just what it’s like to live, work and go to school with Asperger’s and inspire them to never let their circumstances hold them back in life.
4. What do you think are the biggest barriers facing disabled people and preventing them from reaching their full potential and fully participating in society?
I believe that one of the biggest barriers facing disabled people is the interview process, when applying for jobs. People with autism often struggle with interaction and communication, so perform below average in interview environments. They may have challenges with the sensory elements in the interview room, struggle to build a rapport with the interviewer and find the interview questions confusing and difficult to answer.
Many of these individuals would be perfect for the jobs they are being interviewed for but don’t obtain them, simply because of how they performed in the interview. I also think that lots of individuals still have pre-conceived ideas about what autism is and because they can’t see a disability, they don’t consider there to be one. Therefore, the individuals don’t get the support they need.
I have also found that what little support there is for disabled people is very hard to get. This means that the individuals who need it, can’t access it, especially if application processes are inaccessible for those people. The support available is also dependant on where you live and the support available in your area or provided by your local council.
I was very lucky that my local council provided me with travel training and paid for me to go to an appropriate secondary school. I was also lucky that there was a local charity who support individuals with autism, who have been instrumental in my life. However, I know many other individuals who had no charity in their area or whose council provided little or no support to people with autism.
5. Can you give any examples of barriers that you have faced? Did you overcome them? If so, how?
I faced many barriers during my time at school. I felt that the teachers had a pre-conceived idea of what Asperger’s and autism was and felt that they did not want to put the things in place that not only I needed but that I was entitled to because of my diagnosis. Therefore, my dad had to do a lot of fighting to get me the support I received.
I was bullied in school, not only by some of the people in my year group but it also felt like some of the teachers were bullying me as well. I used to mask how I was feeling at school as I did not trust any of the teachers and used to suffer from extreme anxiety about having to be left in school every day. Things were put in place such as a time out system, where I could go to a quiet place if I was stressed, I saw the SENCO every morning and afternoon, and a worry book where the SENCO/learning support teacher and my parents could communicate with each other. As I had been diagnosed whilst in primary school, I was able to go to a smaller, independent secondary school that had a lot more support in place for people with autism.
Another barrier I have faced is travelling on public transport. When I was in school, the thought of getting a train or a bus used to scare me. Therefore, I used to travel in a taxi to and from school with others from my local area. Even when I left sixth form, I was still worried about using trains and buses and my parents were worried about how I would become independent. I was lucky enough to receive three days of travel training from my local council and because of this I now travel all over the UK on trains.
I also find it extremely difficult navigating airports due to them being so busy, noisy and confusing to navigate. I am also always unsure of where to go and worry that I will miss my flights due to long queues. To combat this, I always wear a sunflower disability lanyard which then enables the staff to help me into the fast-track queue and to the right place in plenty of time. It also helps them to be aware of the sensory difficulties that I face when going through airport security.
Obviously, there are much smaller daily challenges that often catch you by surprise and are therefore difficult to deal with. These include meltdowns, sensory challenges and anxiety but I have put coping mechanisms in place to help.
As a disabled person what is the biggest barrier either facing you or disabled people generally that you would like the new Government to take action on?
I think one of the biggest barriers facing disabled people is school and education. I have spoken to many teachers who have told me that they have never had any form of autism specific training and don’t have much of an understanding around how to support autistic individuals. This is at a time when autism diagnoses are increasing as society gains more understanding around hidden disabilities and diagnosis processes become better.
The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism ensures that all social and healthcare workers have an understanding of and can provide a better service to people with autism and/or a learning disability. Mandatory training of the same nature should also be in place for anyone who works in the education industry, regardless of their roles.
Do you think that the British media and the British public have an open and positive attitude towards disability and disabled people? If not, why not?
Today there is lots more awareness of disabilities in the media and many more businesses are actively trying to educate their staff on disability topics. Many of these companies also have disability networks to support these individuals. Overall, I do believe that the British public have a more positive attitude towards disability, much more than even 10 or 20 years ago.
However, I believe that there is still a notion that disabilities, especially hidden disabilities like autism are expensive and time consuming to support in schools and the workplace. Many businesses are therefore reluctant to provide support when it is often very easy to implement, costs nothing to put in place and may be beneficial for many individuals and not just those with a disability.
As autism is classed as a disability, the media often focusses on the challenges associated with it. This in turn stops a lot of people from understanding the positives that autistic people can also have as a result.
Have you heard of the ‘Social Model of Disability’ and do you agree with it?
Yes, I do agree with the ‘social model of disability’. Society and many everyday environments are not set up with disabled people in mind and therefore disable us unnecessary. I recently sprained my wrist and could only use my one hand. It was debilitating as I could not do the things that I take for granted such as tying my shoe laces or opening chocolate bars or jars in the kitchen. Everything took me at least twice as long to do and made me agree with the ‘Social Model of Disability’ even more.
At the moment the ‘Assisted Dying Bill’ is receiving a lot of coverage in the media. What is your opinion of the bill? Do you agree with it? Do you have any concerns? Is a private members bill the best way or the correct way to change the law on such an important issue?
I have seen people I know suffering with certain illnesses, with no hope of ever getting better. I know that no family would want a loved one to die but you have to consider what is best for that person and what they want. I can’t imagine how awful it must feel to be in pain all day, every day or unable to even carry out basic human functions like eating or bathing. No family wants to see a loved one suffering like that.
I am not saying that I agree with the bill on the whole but in certain circumstances, I think individuals should be able to make their own choices.
Finally, thank you for taking the time to answer these questions. Is there anything else you are happy to share about your life experiences as a disabled person?
Autism is something that I will have for the rest of my life and therefore will continue to bring along many challenges that I will have to or still face.
However, the positive elements of my diagnosis are the things that I like to focus on all of the time. I like to call these my ‘Asperger’s Superpowers’. Many of the things in life that I have achieved such as writing a book or being interviewed on the TV and radio are a direct result of my disability and I believe it will be the catalyst that helps me to achieve my dreams.
I am very lucky as I have a large and supportive family and parents who really understand my Asperger’s and will support me in any way they can. I believe that having such a supportive family is the reason I have been able to manage my Asperger’s so well over the years.
NB. All photos are from Alex Manners website https://www.thealexmanners.com/
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