George loved his weekly visits to the film club run by the local library where they would watch and then discuss films from all over the world. They were a tightly knit group who valued each other’s friendship as much as their contributions to the discussions. The group were naturally shocked and upset when they heard that George had had a stroke.

Initially, George had difficulties with mobility (he had partial paralysis of his left arm and leg). He also experienced some cognitive difficulties caused by damage to areas of the brain controlling his mental processes such as thinking clearly and logically, paying attention, memory, decision-making and planning.

With support from the hospital and his family and friends, George soon began to make a good recovery and after a few months he was able to return to the club. However, in addition to some residual difficulty with speaking and reading, he still had some problems of perception that included trouble recognising everyday objects such as a kettle, and problems interpreting what his eyes saw. This was clearly going to limit his ability to watch the films.

His peers and the film club facilitator did everything they could think of to help George to enjoy the club’s activities again. Although George was frustrated and uncharacteristically irritable to start with, he valued the efforts that his friends were making. They took it in turns to watch the weekly film in advance of the club night and tape recorded their summary and views on the details that George might miss because of his perceptual difficulties.  It wasn’t long before George made an almost full recovery, apart from some residual lack of sensation in his left arm. His doctor told him that the intellectual stimulation of attending the film club – as well as his close friendships – had no doubt played a part in his recovery.

Two people with the same disability can experience different effects. Furthermore, the effects of one disability can be similar to the effects of another (for example, deaf learners and learners who have autistic spectrum disorders may both experience difficulties in using abstract language).