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Bethany Handley is a nature-loving woman from rural Monmouthshire who grew up immersed in outdoor adventures like hiking, kayaking, and surfing despite having a visual impairment. However, a series of illnesses, beginning with glandular fever around the start of her GCSEs, progressively worsened her health. By her early twenties, Bethany lost the use of her legs entirely and developed multiple complex conditions, including endometriosis and frequent fainting episodes.
Her declining mobility and the challenges of finding appropriate mobility aids meant she struggled to visit her favorite natural landscapes, often feeling “literally padlocked out” of places she once loved. Bethany has used a wheelchair, including an all-terrain trike, and despite societal misconceptions, she embraces her wheelchair as a symbol of courage and freedom.
Throughout her journey, she pursued creative writing, using poetry to express her experiences with chronic illness and gained encouragement to share her work publicly. Despite long hospital stays and needing tube feeding, Bethany remains dedicated to advocating for access to nature for people with disabilities, fighting to reclaim the outdoor world for those who feel excluded.
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Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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