Having a disability need not rule out a career in the early years sector, as Annette Rawstrone finds out
It is easy to focus on Rebecca Castle's wheelchair, but her talent for working with children, gaining their trust and caring for their needs is equally obvious.
Despite her capabilities and qualifications, including an NNEB and GNVQ in health and social care, Rebecca became a pro at handling job rejections (Nursery World, 14 January 1999) until the Old School Day Nursery in Ascot overlooked her disability and offered her a position based on the merits of her CV.
'It was unbelievable when I got the job,' says Rebecca, who has spina bifida. 'I was so excited and pleased that someone had given me the chance to prove myself. To keep getting rejection letters was devastating. It was a real knock to my self-esteem, because I started to feel that I wasn't good enough, when it was probably just because I was in a wheelchair.'
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