The Hostile Environment for Disabled and Sick.

[Shechemite]

This is quite a hostile environment in itself, is it necessary.

this board can be.

 

[treelover]

Disabled man 'starved to death during lockdown' MP claims

Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy said she was aware of a man in her constituency of Streatham, south London, had died after being unable to access food essentials

www.mirror.co.uk

story picking up, hope the DM gets it, very wide readership now.

 

[ginger_syn]

this board can be.

Yes it can, so why add to it , i understand its an emotive subject but i found the snarking up thread very off putting.

 

[equationgirl]

Yes it can, so why add to it , i understand its an emotive subject but i found the snarking up thread very off putting.

Do you know how many people with long term medical issues and disabilities there are on these boards - you may be one of them? Do you know how many of them are already doing what they can on this issue? As one of them, the constant rhetoric and table banging about how nobody cares or does anything gets pretty annoying. Urban is not really the target audience as many of us already know how shit things are, and are doing what we can to help or raise awareness.

So if there is any hostility on this thread, it's not surprising.

 

[Pickman's model]

MH is something i know very little about, and it is good news if groups are doing something, but read Anno's post above, the death of a disabled man by stavation should be a turning point, there should be mass interest, initiated by DASP themselves, but picked up by wider left, civil society, etc, exactly what has happened with BLM, though of course a very supportive media has helped here. Not sure what you saying in the last sentence, i have no involvement in M/H politics, though the lots of stuff i have done would benefit such groups.

Why should it be a turning point? Sad to say there have been many many people who have died in the most tragic of circumstances because of government policies and government failings over the past decade and if things were going to turn I suspect it would have been a while ago now.

 

[ginger_syn]

Do you know how many people with long term medical issues and disabilities there are on these boards - you may be one of them? Do you know how many of them are already doing what they can on this issue? As one of them, the constant rhetoric and table banging about how nobody cares or does anything gets pretty annoying. Urban is not really the target audience as many of us already know how shit things are, and are doing what we can to help or raise awareness.

So if there is any hostility on this thread, it's not surprising.

You do know i was talking about the personal snarking not the subject, reading this thread for me felt like intruding on a personal row that obscured the actual subject so I'm not totally sure what point you're making, but i feel theres some crossed wires somewhere.

 

[Shechemite]

It’s political problem not a personal one. The ‘no one cares’ mindset doesn’t help.

 

[treelover]

New alliance to scrap universal credit aims to mirror anti-poll tax campaign

​

Disabled activists have called for opponents of universal credit (UC) across the country to help mirror the campaign that led to the poll tax being abandoned in the early 1990s, by joining a new national alliance that is demanding UC is scrapped.


They announced the new alliance at an online meeting organised by Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) that focused on the ongoing campaign to “stop and scrap” UC.


Scrap Universal Credit Alliance (SUCA) will include disabled activists, disabled people’s organisations (DPOs), unions and allies.


Mark Harrison, from Norfolk Against Universal Credit (NAUC) and the Reclaiming Our Futures Alliance, said UC was “the 21st century workhouse” and was leaving people imprisoned in their own homes, in debt and reliant on food banks.


He said it was “urgent that we step up the campaign” to stop and scrap UC.


He said that was why DPAC, NAUC and others had set up SUCA, which will act as an umbrella campaign for all local campaigns around the country that are dedicated to scrapping UC.

Well, here is the opportunity for people to get involved, lets see what happens

 

[ginger_syn]

It’s political problem not a personal one. The ‘no one cares’ mindset doesn’t help.

Seriously what are you on about. I was talking about hostility that posters on the thread were showing each other .what did you think i was talking about

 

[equationgirl]

Seriously what are you on about. I was talking about hostility that posters on the thread were showing each other .what did you think i was talking about

And I explained why some people might be hostile.

 

[ginger_syn]

And I explained why some people might be hostile.

I find your post confusing .

 

[equationgirl]

I find your post confusing .

Why?

Let me try again then.

Treelover makes these types of posts (nobody cares, nobody is doing anything to help) fairly regularly. As someone who does their best to help those with long term medical problems and disabilities, being told I'm doing nothing is irritating at best. In the past I've pointed this out to treelover and his response has been 'i didn't mean urban'.

When one sees this happening again and again, I am not surprised other posters are becoming hostile.

 

[ginger_syn]

Sorry whats treelover got to do with two other posters bitching at each other, i must have skipped a page of this thread somewhere I'll read the thread again and see where the confusion started .

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

Is that comment aimed at me? I wasn't bitching at people in this thread, or other people with disabilities in general, because I'm aware of spoon theory and know not everyone has the spoons to campaign etc.

I made an observation about the lack of solidarity that I've noticed personally, in relation to activism, whereby activisty types that I know personally, some friends, others acquaintances, others who I vaguely recognise from activist scenes, who might engage in activism and solidarity relating to a number of issues, but not disability rights, and I must admit I'm disappointed by that.

 

[Shechemite]

taking the politics of disability seriously would also mean parting with the ‘police = bad state violence; medical/care establishment = good state violence” dichotomy. Which activists will never do.

Oliver McGowan: Police probe teenager's hospital death

Avon and Somerset Police said they would "interview a number of individuals" as part of their inquiry.

www.bbc.com

 

[Shechemite]

Sorry whats treelover got to do with two other posters bitching at each other, i must have skipped a page of this thread somewhere I'll read the thread again and see where the confusion started .

Bitching?

 

[treelover]

why is there so much dissent on here, non on the BLM one from allies, etc, disabled and sick people lives are being destroyed, I just lost 280 pounds a month in benefits post Atos interogation, yet sheffield council have only took off 4.50 a week off my paymnts to them, for social care, so its still 87.50 a week, another DASP is paying 470 a month, and she is a pensioner! Ohl and today we find out out our payments to social care are going up as PIP is now linked to inflation again, can't go on, call out for actions need to be done, problem is, DASP issues are so invisible, especially this one, that its hard to get allies, public understanding.

 

[Shechemite]

There is shocking silence over the thousands with disabilities dying during the pandemic

Where were the howls of anger and protest that all lives should matter in our society?

inews.co.uk

 

[hash tag]

Here we are in 2022, at least I think we are and we are far from getting it right.
I have started to research a place where my family can meet up later this year and need a fully accessible place for y elderly inlaws.
Searched a couple of hotels, saw the disability sign in their facilities but it turns out they don't have the basics like a walk in shower/wet room.
Then I have a quick look at the peak district website and access is not even a search which the offer. For interest, I look at the British Tourist Board website.
Brilliant, they offer lots of search options, I try them, nothing. I have carried out searches for hotels in previous years; oh yes, we have a room with an accessible
bathroom, but guess what, it turns out it is a shower over the bath - which would be impossible for many disabled people or people who struggle with mobility.
This is what the basic search has given me. I didn't ask for step free access or wheelchair access Etc. It just beggars belief
It really is time people started to get their act together.

 

[Dystopiary]

Here we are in 2022, at least I think we are and we are far from getting it right.
I have started to research a place where my family can meet up later this year and need a fully accessible place for y elderly inlaws.
Searched a couple of hotels, saw the disability sign in their facilities but it turns out they don't have the basics like a walk in shower/wet room.
Then I have a quick look at the peak district website and access is not even a search which the offer. For interest, I look at the British Tourist Board website.
Brilliant, they offer lots of search options, I try them, nothing. I have carried out searches for hotels in previous years; oh yes, we have a room with an accessible
bathroom, but guess what, it turns out it is a shower over the bath - which would be impossible for many disabled people or people who struggle with mobility.
This is what the basic search has given me. I didn't ask for step free access or wheelchair access Etc. It just beggars belief
It really is time people started to get their act together.
View attachment 313410

"Accessible" (as with the catch all "disability" symbol) really can mean pretty much anything, and will vary from place to place. Sorry that's not very helpful, but it's true.
It might be worth writing down a list of very specific requirements and contacting individual establishments to see if they can accommodate your in-laws.

 

[hash tag]

"Accessible" (as with the catch all "disability" symbol) really can mean pretty much anything, and will vary from place to place. Sorry that's not very helpful, but it's true.
It might be worth writing down a list of very specific requirements and contacting individual establishments to see if they can accommodate your in-laws.

There were other options which I tried to no avail - they included wheelchair accessible, car park accessible, hearing, sight and one or two other bits and like I say
accessible was not even a search option in the Peaks. There is no way I would book somewhere without fully checking it out before hand - it could make it a really
miserable break if I got one little bit wrong.

 

[Dystopiary]

There were other options which I tried to no avail - they included wheelchair accessible, car park accessible, hearing, sight and one or two other bits and like I say
accessible was not even a search option in the Peaks. There is no way I would book somewhere without fully checking it out before hand - it could make it a really
miserable break if I got one little bit wrong.

I just remembered this Euan's Guide - Disabled Access Reviews - it might help you to narrow your search.

 

[Dystopiary]

A disabled woman says she was left behind during a fire evacuation at a Premier Inn.

Dr Hannah Barham-Brown, 35, was staying at the County Hall Premier Inn on the South Bank, central London, when a fire alarm went off at 01:15 GMT on Thursday.
Staff had earlier told her they would collect her in the event of a fire, but she says "no-one came".

She said hotel staff had told her she would be placed on a list of customers to be escorted out of the building in the event of a fire, if she stayed in her room.

When she tried to return to the hotel that evening via a disabled access gate she had been told to use, she found it padlocked shut, she said.

An assistance bell went unanswered until her colleague went to find a staff member.

She said she waited for more than 10 minutes in her room after the fire alarm sounded, but "it quickly became evident that nobody was coming to get me".

I wonder if the staff are even trained properly for these circumstances.

I keep reading about disabled people being left alone on public transport after booking in advance, explaining the situation and being promised help.
Access is very shit and public transport companies advertise assistance as part of their service, if needed. But then often the service is not forthcoming, and with no notice. I thought of starting a thread about that since there've been so many examples, and they're just the ones that reach the news.

Now it's hotels, and I doubt it's the first time. Dr Barnham-Brown could have been left to her death if there'd been a fire.

Premier Inn: Disabled woman 'left behind' during hotel fire alarm

 

[GarveyLives]

Disturbing:

​

 

[GarveyLives]

"A man who had to abandon his plans after getting stuck at two railway stations says accessibility provisions need to improve ..."

Unacceptable:

Disability advocate's journey ruined by broken lift at Cambridge Station

(Source: weareincludability.co.uk)

Unable to leave Cambridge Station (after travelling from London), Isaac Harvey MBE eventually returned home to Dagenham in a fruitless nine-hour round trip.​

 

[Sasaferrato]

Unacceptable:

Disability advocate's journey ruined by broken lift at Cambridge Station

(Source: weareincludability.co.uk)

Unable to leave Cambridge Station (after travelling from London), Isaac Harvey MBE eventually returned home to Dagenham in a fruitless nine-hour round trip.​

What the fuck would have happened if the train caught fire? Would they have just left him there to die?

 

[GarveyLives]

"A man who used to get around in his electric wheelchair says he has lost his independence after the council installed a narrower front door ..."

(Source: BBC)​

Haringey Council sorry for narrowing wheelchair user's front door

"It means I have to rely on someone. It's restrictive. It disables me. It takes away your independence."​

 

[GarveyLives]

"The government is rejecting more than 40% of applications for disability benefit from people with multiple sclerosis (MS), cerebral palsy and arthritis – and one in four applications from amputees, the Observer can reveal ..."

Revealed: people with cancer, arthritis and amputations among 40% denied disability benefits

 

[Dystopiary]

Revealed: people with cancer, arthritis and amputations among 40% denied disability benefits

It really is bad. So much for "actual disabled/ill people don't need to worry."

 

[GarveyLives]

Former gold-medal-winning Paralympian, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, says that she was forced to crawl off a train shortly after 10.00 p.m. on 27 August 2024 when staff from London North Eastern Railway failed to come and help her on her arrival at King's Cross station from Leeds:

​