ANDREW BATCHELOR: Why International Day for People With Disabilities is important to me

Today is International Day for People with Disabilities, and it is a day that carries deep personal meaning for me.

Every year, it offers a moment to pause, reflect and recognise not only the challenges faced by disabled people worldwide, but also the strength, resilience and creativity that so often grow from those challenges.

For me, it is a reminder of where I’ve come from, where I’m going, and why the work I do matters so much.

Many people who follow Dundee Culture know that I live with several disabilities - cerebral palsy, autism, epilepsy, dyslexia, dyscalculia, clonus and an anxiety disorder.

They shape every part of my daily life. Growing up, I assumed they were barriers that would limit what I could accomplish. I spent years believing I would always be a step behind, that I would never quite fit into the spaces everyone else seemed to occupy so easily.

But as I’ve grown older, I’ve realised something important: they haven’t held me back. In many ways, they’ve done the opposite.

They’ve shaped me, pushed me, challenged me and helped me to see the world in a way that is uniquely mine. My autism in particular has become my superpower. It is the reason I care so deeply about my work, why I pick up on the details others miss, and why I’ve had the focus and determination to build Dundee Culture from the age of 12.

The way my mind works has given me direction, creativity and clarity. I wouldn’t trade that for anything.

That doesn’t mean it has been easy. There are days when my body refuses to cooperate, when my thoughts move too quickly, or when something simple becomes unexpectedly difficult.

Living with disabilities often means navigating a world that wasn’t designed with you in mind. But those difficult days haven’t stopped me from creating, learning and growing.

If anything, they’ve made me more determined. Every setback has been followed by a choice to get back up, to keep going, and to keep proving to myself that I can.

And that is the heart of what I want to say today. Having a disability should never limit what you believe you can do. Yes, it might change the route you take. Yes, it might make you find your own way of doing things.

But it can also give you strengths you never expected. You can still dream big. You can still achieve things you’re proud of. You can still make an impact in your community, your industry or your world. Do not let anyone tell you that you can’t - because you absolutely can.

I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who supports Dundee Culture, follows its journey and believes in what I do.

Your support has shown me time and time again that what makes us different can also be what makes us powerful. On a day like today, that message feels more important than ever.