Andrew Stitson,
I injured myself in July 1992 with a C5/6 incomplete lesion. At the time of my accident I was teaching at a comprehensive school in Hertfordshire I was Head of PE at the school. It wasn't really practical to return to this post so when I was well enough I returned to teach my second subject History.
In my case I returned to work in the first instance part time for one term just to get myself back into the job. After the first term I returned full time. It is worth mentioning the excellent support I had from the Access to work team at the local Job Centre. They provide all sorts of support and advice on making the return to work easier. They can provide financial grants for access improvements in the workplace and can provide all sorts of help with helping disabled people back to work whether it is with a new wheelchair or all sorts of IT equipment to facilitate you doing the job.
The fact that I was able to return to full time work has helped me enormously and made me feel able to make a positive contribution. I would certainly advise people to get in touch with their local access to work team to see what help they can offer.