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I've got a lot of time for the work of wheels for wellbeing.
http://www.wheelsforwellbeing.org.uk
When I was supporting adults with LDs, they provided an extremely worthwhile, supportive and inclusive service. There is not enough meaningful leisure provision for adults with LDs, especially those with PMLD or 'challenging' behaviour. Should be more services like them.
A worthwhile thread Oliver. Good to hear you're spending your time wisely Joe...
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I've managed to secure a position as 'multimedia designer' for the NPO I'm already working for...
The organisation I work for like to bang on about being 'on brand' but they still put out horrific stuff that really doesn't show the clients in the best light... I'm hoping I'll be able to make a difference...
After all, a little dignity isn't too much to ask... Is it?
I think a lot of people fall into working in the sector but have no real passion or attachment for the people they're supposed to be supporting... It fucking sucks...
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Good stuff, Joe.
In other news, the UK has been cutting back the progress on disability equality--let's by all means hit vulnerable people because there's a chance they might not be able to fight. This is the latest instalment:
I hope Bert Massie's still around somewhere.
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Was walking+talking with someone who is visually impaired last week so they could get to a bus to get the tube home, the more I think about it the more respect I have for them. Even with help it's putting trust in people you can't see, I was walking with them and being trusted with the direction/instruction I was giving and we had only known eachother about an hour. Without help the way most remember journeys I think is a string of landmarks and visual prompts so taking that away is a huge thing imo and even a simple journey a mistake of "was it the 2nd or 3rd turn" isn't one you can easily correct, checking a map isn't possible, calling someone how do you describe where you are enough for it to help. We also spoke about the journey they had to the event, they called tfl to check for disruption and was told the route was ok but then hit railworks with no replacement service so became a stranded and had to essentially get lucky with passers by/weekend station staff and modified phone apps.
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Mum's severely disabled (Ehler's Danlos, I inherited it too) so it's quite normalised for me. Ever since I can remember she's been in and out of hospital at least yearly, be it a shoulder or elbow replacement, bone block, wrist fusing.
She also has worked hard and never stopped, which is admirable and frustrating in equal measures. It also warps perspective, so I must be careful when seeing people playing on their ailments in a workplace, because it is relative at best. Not everyone has the same stubbornness or endurance, but frequently it's the disabled that do have it, out of necessity.
Interested to see what happens 'politically', and Iain Duncan Smith decided to resign too.
I remember once at work in a camera shop a guy came in with crutches to help walking, he had a back/leg problem. He really appreciated the frankness I could talk about his situation in relation to his purchase. Without embarrassment I made sure we grabbed a chair for him stating how long he'd be stood for, and he was more than happy to buy the repair protection plan because it was more important to catch himself from falling than the camera.
A few weeks later he brought in a camera in two pieces, and ended up with a significant upgrade on the protection plan. I was really happy it all worked out for him, and wasn't a hard-sold add-on he didn't need. He was always happy to see me.
There was an oldboy down at the Sclater St market who'd grab your arm to get slowly walked from one set of stalls to another. Seemed total normality for whoever was about to do it. Just like helping an elderly person onto public transport.
I'm always happy to see when people are being helped without prejudice.
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An interesting article that highlights how important and completely irrespective of party political positions advocacy for disability rights is:
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Plenty of political voices speaking out:
I still wonder what will happen. The last time, with tax credits, Osborne allegedly introduced other measures that were even worse than the tax credit cut he took back. Will something similar happen this time, i.e. the high-profile issue being taken away and something else introduced by stealth?
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It has to be said that when Steve Bell can sometimes be very good. I think a lot of the time he doesn't have a punchline, but this is one of the best I've seen:
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You get the most bizarre instances of discrimination:
Largely due to ignorance, I think, rather than malice, but that's obviously no excuse.
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A good article here on the language around disability and discrimination:
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This officer could be narcoleptic, but of course the possibility isn't reported in the first slush of indignation:
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An interesting case of a narcoleptic horse:
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It is absolutely disgusting what some people have to go through.
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Just when you think you've heard all the sad stories ...
The court of appeal on Tuesday dismissed his claim against the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) on the grounds that he did not exist at the time the crime took place.
I'm imagine that legally it's not a very interesting point, and the scheme may well really not apply here, but surely coming to be as a result of a crime is not too far away?
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The NY Times have a weekly series of essays, art and opinion by and about people living with disabilities. There are some excellent and thought-provoking pieces in there. Also interesting to see the cultural differences between the US and the UK.
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Worrying developments in the US:
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Two interesting links about making cities accessible:
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/feb/14/what-disability-accessible-city-look-like
Soho:
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This is a project I've been working on for the last few months, 100% client content, put together by me with their input/direction... Most of the people I work with were born with cerebral palsy, some have a mild form of CP and others are very disabled indeed, going from non verbal and full paralysis to mild intellectual impairment... Two of my guys are non verbal and in wheelchairs but act as advocates for people with disabilities and speak all over Australia, issues like disabled access and visibility being two of the most important... We made this online magazine as a way to tackle some of that head on, most people are afraid of people with disabilities and that's just through ignorance IMHO...
Please share where you can, the clients I work with get a real kick out of getting their stuff out in the world and getting feedback... Thanks! TS x
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Superb stuff.
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About
Disability
Posted by
@Oliver Schick
Disability is a subject I care about very much, both concerning the discrimination that disabled people often encounter and also in trying to improve understanding, especially of learning disabilities, to enable disabled people to participate fully in society. I was reminded that I'd been meaning to start a thread on it for some time by this lovely article:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/mar/03/katie-priced-disabled-child-disability
Discrimination is often based on the 'medical' model of disability, which is contrasted with the 'social' model of disability:
http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/accessability/staff/accessabilitytutors/information-for-accessability-tutors/the-social-and-medical-model-of-disability
(NB the spelling of the link is deliberate--AccessAbility.)
The UK has excellent disability legislation, based on the social model, and while it has been reasonably effective in bringing about certain kinds of change (such as better accessibility of buildings), there is still a long way to go in others. The law alone will never be enough, however.
Concerning cycling, in London we have the excellent Pedal Power:
http://www.pedalpowercc.org/
Anyway, it's a topic which is always in the news in one way or another.