RICHARD Shakespeare is used to fighting battles to get what he wants.

Born with cerebral palsy, he and his family launched the ‘Standing Up for Richard’ appeal in the 1980s to pay to send him to Budapest for then pioneering intensive physiotherapy treatment to help with the condition.

More recently, when almost 2,000 job applications failed to produce a position, he set up his own disability consultancy working with firms including Eurostar.

Now he hopes his life experiences will inspire sixth-formers at special needs school Bardwell to achieve their dreams.

Mr Shakespeare, who grew up in Bicester and now lives in Derby, was invited to talk to the Hendon Place school after a chat with teacher Laurie Smith.