Role model for disabled honoured to receive award

The Last Leg’s Alex Brooker has been named as one of the top 10 people most influential people in Britain with a disability.

The award-winning comedian, from Ashford, is number two in the Power 100 List, which names the most successful people with a disability or impairment in sport, business, politics and entertainment.

Mr Brooker, a former Norton Knatchbull School pupil, began his career as a TV presenter for Channel 4 for the 2012 Paralympics.

The journalist, who has a prosthetic right leg and hand disabilities, has gone on to feature in a range of documentaries and comedy shows including 8 Out of 10 Cats, Fake Reaction and Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

He said: “It is a tremendous honour to receive this award and I hope it shows that disability or a health condition is not a barrier to achievement.

“The Power 100 List is all about breaking down barriers that society puts up for disabled people and acts as a beacon to inspire everyone all those with a disability or health condition who want to achieve their ambitions across all walks of life.”

His award was presented by Roy O’Shaughnessy, from the Shaw Trust Employment Charity which helps disabled people into work.

Mr O’Shaughnessy said: “This is a celebration of the achievements from role models.

“But it is also a celebration of those small achievements reached every day by Britain’s 10 million disabled people in the home, in the workplace and training and in education.

“With more than 10 million disabled people in Britain, everyone has their own inspirational, very personal story of overcoming barriers to succeed.”