Living independently with cerebral palsy: Cole Tucker’s inspiring story
By Ellise Hollie Hayward, Disabilities Correspondent
Nicole, known as Cole, lives with athetoid cerebral palsy in South Somerset.
Seven months ago, Cole moved into her own bungalow with 24/7 care so she could live more independently. She had always dreamed of having her own home and absolutely loves the independence it has given her.
It took Cole three years to get her bungalow, and even then, her care package had to go to panel three times before she finally received the support she needed.
Cole has a very busy life and is only home a few days a week.
She runs her own cerebral palsy group twice a month and travels to Poole every Thursday to play Boccia. She also volunteers at another group once a month.
She enjoys spending time with her family and friends and, more recently, her boyfriend, whom she met through a disability dating app in March 2026. He lives around two hours away.
Cole is also a motivational speaker.
She shares her experiences of living with cerebral palsy to help people better understand disability. Now that she is settled in her bungalow, she is building her confidence back up so she can get out and present again, as she really misses it.
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Cole’s cerebral palsy affects every muscle in her body, but she doesn’t let it stop her. She has used a powered wheelchair since she was three years old. She has involuntary movements and needs help with everyday tasks.
Her speech is also affected. People who spend time with her can understand her, but she also uses a communication aid. She uses it during presentations, which can sometimes take up to two days to programme, depending on how much she needs to say. She can also use it to send emails.
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Cole has a feeding tube because she finds eating and drinking difficult. It is something she didn’t talk about much before, but she now feels comfortable talking about it.
One of the biggest challenges Cole faces is people assuming she has a learning disability when she doesn’t.
She believes these assumptions often happen because of her involuntary movements and speech impairment. People sometimes assume she doesn’t understand or cannot make decisions for herself. She has experienced people speaking to her in very simple language or talking to her as though she is a young child.
Cole believes there is a simple way to avoid making these assumptions:
- Observe – Look at how the person communicates and how others communicate with them.
- Take it on board – Notice how they prefer to communicate.
- Speak directly – Talk to the disabled person in the way they prefer.
Cole runs a cerebral palsy group called Thrive with Cerebral Palsy Somerset. The group has a fun day on the first Wednesday of each month and a discussion meeting on the third Wednesday of each month at The Den Coffee House, from 2pm to 4pm. It costs £2 to attend.
The idea for the group started in 2024, when Cole was working with Ryley on building her confidence with her communication aid.
They realised there were not many groups specifically for people with cerebral palsy, so they decided to create one. They started meeting regularly to discuss what the group could offer.
They later went to BBC Somerset to promote it before holding their first meeting.
Cole’s message is simple: “Don’t let your disability define you.”
She believes people should focus on what they can do and find equipment that helps them. Cole also believes that equipment doesn’t always have to be used for its original purpose. If something helps someone, then why not use it?
For example, she uses a stamping tool to help position backgrounds when making cards and Blu Tack to help her place small pieces of LEGO.
Cole wants people to know that having a disability may mean doing things differently, but it should never stop someone from living their life, following their dreams and doing the things they enjoy.
