Contact us

0845 130 6225 or 020 3478 0100 or click here.

Helping children with upper limb differences live life without limits

  • Ideas for fundraising
    • Fundraise for Reach
    • How to donate to Reach
    • Fundraising stars
  • Who are Reach?
    • Children show us what makes Reach awesome!
    • Who are Reach?
    • Become a Branch Coordinator
    • Reach Brand Guidelines
    • Vision, Governance & Policies
    • Research Resources
      • Partner Organisations
  • Upper limb difference
    • Causes of Congenital Hand Differences (CHDs)
    • Is surgery an option?
    • Writing from experience: ‘5 Tips on how I got to acceptance with my limb difference’
    • What is it like to live with one arm?
  • Early years
    • Early years
    • What to expect: referrals and appointments
    • Your first visit to a Limb Centre
    • Car seat adaption
  • Disability Living Allowance
    • Can I claim Disability Living Allowance (DLA)?
    • Transfering to Personal Independence Payments (PIP)
  • School years
    • Starting school
    • Dealing with questions
    • Starting school – a teacher’s perspective
    • Dealing with issues at school
    • Riding a bike
    • Teacher training & classroom resources
  • Learning to drive
    • Joseph passing his driving test
    • Apply for a Reach Bursary
  • Helping kids explore their musical talents
    • One Handed Recorder and Scissor Kits to hire
    • Nicolas McCarthy – one handed pianist
    • Single Handed Clarinet
    • I Can…..
  • Checkout
  • Hire Equipment from us
  • Newsletter & Blogs
    • Inspirational WithinReach Blogs
    • Within Reach downloadable PDF’s
    • Privacy and Cookie Policy
  • Reach: Insights #NoLimits Webinar Series
  • Reach’s Inspirational Speakers
    • Young Adult Reach Member stories
    • Videos of members, trustees and staff
You are here: Home / Being Me Because, Not Despite- Miles Harrison

Being Me Because, Not Despite- Miles Harrison

Reach key speaker: Miles’ energising words make anything possible with a limb difference!

“What my parents did supremely well was to understand that to love someone you must let them go. They were not overprotective” Miles Harrison


When asked what he would need help with, in his interview for a place on Masterchef, Miles Harrison had to think hard. What might he find difficult? It was a tricky one. In the end he thought possibly lifting really heavy pans out of a very hot oven might require assistance… but probably not.

Affected by the Thalidomide drug, Miles has no arms. His hands are at shoulder level but he is a powerhouse of ability. Interviewed for Within Reach he reacted with faint amusement that help might be required for daily living.

What about dressing, toileting, shaving, cooking even….Nope. No help needed. A carer, a one-to-one? Nope, never had one.

Miles is married to Rosie and has three children. He has a career in leadership training and development and governance in the non profit sector and in his spare time climbs mountains – big ones.

“As a child I just coped,” he said. “I have never seen an occupational therapist on a professional basis in my life. I do most things not using my feet. I just find a way.”

“When I was asked to speak to Lloyds Banking Group for the International Day of People with Disabilities, I wanted to leave them with the idea that employing people with disabilities is a really good thing to do as they are very good at problem solving and adapting and thinking ahead.”

“My key thing is to do with leadership and governance, training and developing boards of directors of charities and I do a lot in the cultural and heritage field.”

“In daily life there are ways and means of doing things. When I climb mountains like Mera Peak, a 6,476m high mountain in the Himalayas, part of it is bravado, throwing yourself into things and finding ways of doing them. You find a way. I didn’t need to, but at any particular point I knew I could rely on anyone in the group.”

“I rebelled when my parents first sent me to a school for children with particular needs so then I went to a mainstream school and never had any problem with bullying. I have had no problems with social media either. I strived to be normal at school and probably suppressed a lot of stuff but I don’t have bad memories. My anxieties about getting a girlfriend were no more than other people had.”

“Looking back at my life I wouldn’t actually change a thing. My physical condition has formed me as the person that I am. I have a terrific life. I enjoy my work, I live in a fabulous part of the world in Stirling, I have a fabulous wife and family. I’m still climbing mountains, I have skied for 20 years, I played football at school and drums in a band. Of course I fell off bikes but actually no more than other kids. And I am who I am because of my condition, NOT despite it.”

For the record, Miles did not end up on Masterchef. His decision. He told them rashly that he was not seeking a new career running a restaurant!


“Employing people with disabilities is a really good thing to do as they are very good at problem solving and adapting and thinking ahead” Miles Harrison


Read the entire Within Reach here: https://issuu.com/reach40/docs/within_reach_spring_2020_final


Watch Miles Harrisons story here:

 

Type in a word and search the website

Donate via PayPal

Donate via JustGiving

Join Reach

Get social

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Instagram

View on Instagram

Meet the bloggers

Watch & read experiences from some of our incredible community
Woman with limb difference goes on self-love journey, ‘Being different is amazing’

“The positive power of being different” - Baylee Abbott

"If I Can" Film made by Anoushe Husain

Born Without a Hand

Though she be but little
(please note these link to 3rd party sites)

Our Address

C/o TEH, Pearl Assurance House, Brook Street, Tavistock, Devon, PL19 0BN Charity numbers: England and Wales: 1134544, Scotland: SC049805. Company Limited by Guarantee. 07054164

Email us

reach@reach.org.uk

Get Social with us

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2022 ·

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT

Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy