International

“Chatting Independently” founder set to visit India

Anthony is a man who has never let his condition get in the way of a full and exciting life is set to travel to Australia and India to help people with communication problems.

Anthony Robertson has had quadriplegic athetoid cerebral palsy since birth. He has very limited body movement and speaks through a machine, but has still managed to climb Mount Snowdon twice and run his own business. He also plans to climb the three highest mountains in Britain in 24 hours to raise money for charity.

The 35-year-old manages Chatting Independently, Rectory Drive, March, with able-bodied speech and language therapist David Morris. The business was set up in 2003 and trains and supports people between 18 and 45 through various forms of augmentative alternative communication.

Mr Robertson said: “This has been my dream since childhood. We teach people with communication problems to direct their lives and become self-assertive and independent.”

“I would argue that I have a better life than many able-bodied people because I get up for work every day knowing I am helping people and creating jobs for people in March.”

The business has developed an international reputation.

As well as speech therapy, Chatting Independently offers people physiotherapy, occupational therapy. A swimming pool offering hydrotherapy is being built on the site and there are plans for an extra building to double the 25 members of staff. Mr Robertson is also on the executive committee of the International Society of Augmentative Alternative Communication (ISAAC).

He and Mr Morris have been invited by speech therapists to visit Australia in October and India in November to talk about their work and disability rights.

Source: Anthony gets to live his dream http://www.cambs-times.co.uk/content/cambstimes/news/story.aspx, 17 August 2007.