www.disabledbookseller.co.ukI had a haemorrhagic stroke in 2017 age 48 leaving me disabled with left sided weakness unable to use my left hand or arm and needing to wear a splint to walk with a walking stick. In 2021 after the Covid pandemic, I started a Community bookshop in my local town to give work experience to young, unemployed or other disabled people interested in bookselling or publishing. We originally got some help from Fife Council to employ two young people on the kickstart Scheme and one had a hidden disability. After six months Fife Council said they wouldn‘t help us any more.

I volunteer as much as I can and we now get some help from a few local volunteers including a young woman with ADHD and a mother who has an autistic son. I have been waiting since March 2022 for an increase to my Access to Work so I can pay a support worker to help me every day but DWP say they are still processing my application. DWP told me in September to stop claiming ESA and apply for Universal Credit but this has reduced my benefits by £200 Per month.

I lived with my widowed mother in her house but she died in September 2022 from Parkinsons disease. My mum was our village librarian for over 20 years and we lived in the flat above the library and that’s where I developed my love of books and reading.

Like most disabled people, I live on Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment reduced because I have a Motability car. I cannot afford gas, electricity and food costs that my mum used to pay, as well as fuel for my Motability car to drive to the bookshop.

I begged Fife Council, The Booksellers Association, The Retail Trust and the Scottish Book Trust for help to support our bookshop but they all said they wouldn’t either because they had no funds, there was no scheme in place to help disabled people in bookselling or they were spending money on other things.

I am looking to raise funds for the Disabled Booksellers Association and to help pay our Community bookshop bills, keep volunteers at Fife Community Bookshop and help give other disabled people work experience in our bookshop and in other bookshops.

www.disabledbookseller.co.uk