Disabled woman says Duke of Edinburgh’s Award transformed her life

Myah Richards, 21, has spastic diplegia, meaning she requires help from carers and uses a wheelchair or walking frame to get around.

Ms Richards, from St Albans, was introduced to the DofE award while studying in Stevenage, and she found that taking part changed the way she saw herself.

She told the PA news agency: "It’s taught me that, yes, I’m disabled, but I can do what anybody else can do. My disability is not me, it’s just part of me."

Myah Richards, 21, from St Albans. Credit: PA

The Duke of Edinburgh, whose funeral took place on Saturday, first set up his award scheme in 1956 with the aim of supporting the development of young people.

Ms Richards completed her Bronze award while at Lonsdale School, which teaches students with physical and neurological impairments, and is now working towards her Silver.

Participants taking part in the scheme must complete four sections – volunteering, physical, skills, and expedition.

Among the activities Ms Richards completed were wheelchair dance and social enterprise – as well as going camping for the first time.

She said: "It involved different things – meeting different people, interacting with different people which, because of my disability, previously I found quite difficult.

"So it increased my confidence and it made me realise that, yes, I’m disabled, but I can still achieve, and I can still be part of normal things, so to speak."

Myah Richards. Credit:PA

Ms Richards said she was "gutted" about the duke’s death – despite having been unaware exactly who he was when she started working towards the awards.

She said: "Then I realised, wow, someone in the royals has actually thought about us as a society, and young people as a whole, and actually did something that will help us participate in society.

"Without him I know I myself would have left school with no qualifications probably."