But things aren't always so easy for every Sheffield teenager, say helpers and organisers of Sheffield's summer school for young people with disabilities.

"A lot of the people here want the same chances to meet and do activities with new friends as any other young people," said Saara Nawaz. "They say they don't always want to go around with their parents in the holidays, they want to go around with other young people. We hope we're empowering them to become independent."

The summer school, which ran all this week at Centre in the Park in Norfollk Park, was the first time a summer project had been arranged for disabled and non-disabled youngsters in Sheffield.

Twenty-six young people took part in the week's activities, from Talbot special school and from Newfield secondary, which will share its new site with Talbot from the autumn. More than 20 helpers and volunteers helped the week take place, including students from other local secondary schools.

"The theme of the week is Widening Horizons," said Pippa Murray of IBK Initiatives who organised the summer school. "It's not just about giving young people a good time, although we do do that, but it's about saying that there are so many things you can do when you leave school and you don't have to accept the choices that are put in front of you."

The activities on offer included art, photography, games, yoga, drama, music and a special dance workshop led by Alan Martin, who runs his dance sessions from his wheelchair using a voice computer.

The idea was to give the participants the chance to think about their future aims after school and some of the workshops helped disabled young people to think about how they could gain what they want from life by being assertive about their needs.

They were also aiming to finish with a CD of music they'd composed, an animation film and a personal portfolio and plan about their future aims.

Pippa Murray founded the Sheffield-based IBK Initiatives organistaion after bringing up her own son Kim, who had as she puts it "multiple and complex impairments".

With a non-disabled child a parent can just access whatever they want, Pippa says, but in Kim's case she had to "negotiate, beg, whatever" in order to get things for Kim, even simple things like a place in a playgroup.

After Kim's death ten years ago at the age of 15, Pippa studied the issues of support for people with disabilities at university and then set up IBK Initiatives five years ago (IBK stands for Inspired By Kim).

"Legislation and policy have moved on over the last ten years but it takes a long time for practice to catch up," Pippa said.

"Sadly there's not much difference now to how it was for me more than ten years ago."

The summer school was held with the help of a National Lottery Awards for All grant and Pippa hopes the scheme can take place more regularly in future, again to include both disabled and non-disabled young people, like 16-year-olds Kerry Wilson and Sam Spendiff.

"We're enjoying it, because it's something different and it's nice to think you're helping people"' said Sam.

In Pippa Murray's view, people like Sam and Kerry will be learning just as much from the disabled people they help as the Talbot school students will be learning from them.

"Kim taught me so much," Pippa said. "Disabled people may not be able to talk or sign but if you listen carefully you can follow their lead. The aim of IBK is to help disabled children and young people to live ordinary lives. One of the aims of this week's course is to help disabled young people to gain confidence about directing support, so they can be in control."

www.ibkinitiatives.com/