By Sue Newman  September 16 2011

Look beyond the wheelchair and look at me, says 19-year-old Sam Quinton.

The bubbly teenager is on a life skills course at Aoraki Polytechnic, but to graduate she needs to complete 20 sessions of work experience.
She's approached businesses around Ashburton, offered her services, but no one is willing to take her on.
They take one look at her wheelchair, listen to her hesitant speech and write her off.
And that, says Sam, is simply unfair.
"People won't look beyond my wheelchair, but there's nothing wrong with my brain. I just have cerebal palsy.
"All I want is a chance, an opportunity to see what's out there."
Sam has worked her way through the mainstream education system and is now intent on acquiring as many qualifications as she can.
She's completed a teacher aide certificate, has solid computer skills and her long-term aim is to go to university to study law.
For her, life is not about what she can't do, it's about what she can do, what she wants to do.
And what she wants more than anything else is the chance to work, the chance to make her own way in life.
Her course requirement is for 20 work experience sessions, each of more than two hours duration.
She's picked up one or two placements, but said most employers say no almost before they've said hello.
She isn't asking to be paid, just to work.
"I've still got 17 sessions to find. They can be at lots of different places but if I don't get them, I don't graduate."
Sam's realistic about her physical disabilities.
She knows she works slowly, but she also knows she'll complete the job and she'll do it well.
It just takes her a while to get there.
She might be disabled, but she doesn't waste time feeling sorry for herself.
She rides a quad bike, has a firearms collectors licence, is a registered first aider, is learning to play the keyboard, but she can't find anyone prepared to let her do what most people take for granted, have an opportunity to work.
Sam says she's fighting, not just for a chance for herself, but for other disabled kids too who will leave school and want to make their own way in life.
Working is much better than sitting back and doing nothing, she said.
If you can help Sam please contact Sue Newman at the Guardian, phone 307-7958 or email sue.n@theguardian.co.nz

Pictured: Sam Quinton is brushing up her computer skills and looking for work.