Had an unexpectedly heated conversation on wheelchair access. I don't consider somewhere accessible if I have to wait for someone to get a ramp. I should be able to go in the main entrance like anyone else. Wheelchair users, am I being unreasonable? 👩🦽
If I had a £, or rather a $, each time I saw a disabled person in my local coffee shop sat looking bored and unhappy whilst the person paid to provide their social care scrolled through their phone, I'd be a wealthier woman today. It's not good enough.
A man helped me into chemist today as there is an awkward little step. He said you should get a powered wheelchair as it would be better. He came back to me and apologised and said that was none of his business. We had a good chat. That's stayed with me all day.
@blue_nose_amy
That's how I feel too. It impedes my independence to have to wait, sometimes for a while in the rain etc, to get in somewhere where I fully intend to spend money on their goods and services.
Watching news on some people with LD now getting vaccine. Great, just not enough. I need to ask, what is the point of the Minister for Disabled People? What has he been doing whilst so many disabled lives have been needlessly lost? What is the point of that role? I'm angry.
Ocado has just emailed to wish me and my new baby a happy Christmas? I have no babies, I want no babies and if a baby turns up it will have to fend for itself as I've got stuff to do.
Really good to hear
@jessphillips
say on
@BBCRadio4
Broadcasting House earlier that this
#Covid19
crisis should be a catalyst for how we fund and deliver social care going forward. It IS as vital as healthcare, now more than ever.
@Lucy_Webster_
'specialised brand for the disabled dater' I don't know where to begin with how offensive the response you received is. I'm sorry and I empathise with how this sort of thing knocks you back so much.
To calm the nation during this difficult time
@BBCParliament
channel should just show footage of
@DiploMog
and
@Number10cat
wandering around Whitehall in pursuit of Dreamies.
Got my PIP review decision. No change, and have been awarded it for 10 years rather than the three year award I had previously. Those of you who know PIP know how relieved I am feeling. Thank you
@BenFurner
for your advice and support.
My wheelchair means everything to me. I could not live without it. This is why I get so angry when people speak of me and other wheelchair users being 'confined' to them or 'bound' by them. To me it means freedom, choice and independence.
I was trying to explain how important my chair was to me. I said I’d rather put my child in the hold than my chair. Rather dramatic. But ppl don’t understand what a chair means.
Hearing a lot about being fair to taxpayers ahead of Autumn Statement. I'm a disabled person and a taxpayer, as are many others. Referring to taxpayers and disabled people as though we are different people demonstrates a lack of awareness of our lives. No surprises there though.
I noted Heather Mills is trending and out of curiosity clicked on the thread. My god the disablist jokes are truly awful. WTF does that to someone's character that they think that way let alone share it publicly? Pathetic.
Nightmare experience at Heathrow. The baggage handlers took my wheelchair to the luggage reclaim and wouldn't bring it to the plane. It's NOT luggage. I feel a very strong complaint coming on. Stay tuned.
@bean04
Indeed. I already often have to ask to go to the toilet like a 7 year old whilst someone clears the accessible toilet that they use as a store room!
@flowergirl_lon
I feel that the 'reasonable' issue should have evolved over the years. I think I'm very reasonable on older buildings, transport etc but no excuse for newer buildings, and yet I encounter stepped main entrances quite frequently.
The Judiciary and the Government now consider our lives are worth less than those of non-disabled people. As a disabled person that's a hard thing to take into my weekend at the end of a busy working week.
Aaaghgghgh Just heard an announcer on Channel 4 say 15 % of World population are 'living with disability'. Since we share the same planet then we are all 'living with disability' I however am a 'disabled person'. Get the language right for goodness sake.
@mrjamesob
I stopped going to matches as I was so fed up with the half-time arguments on dialectic materialism verses Hegelianism. Every bloody week it was!
This in Hackney in 2022 after decades of equality legislation and campaigning for improved access. Question for non-disabled people: why do disabled people matter less to you?
PIP review form has arrived in the big brown envelope. It's amazing how anxious I already feel. Despite nothing having improved with my condition and having the knowledge needed to be complete these type of forms, I am still anxious. Hate that.
I understand that the death of Prince Philip will mean nothing to some people but that's no reason to mock his death. Just say nothing would be my approach. Twitter at these times is a sewer.
Where is the Minister for Disabled People? What consultation has been done with disabled people, older people, people living with significant health conditions and representative organisations? Where is the equality and inclusion when we absolutely need it most?
Guidance & policy is not being drawn up with the involvement of people affected by it. The ingenuity, creativity & problem solving skills of people with first hand experience is not being harnessed. It's time for government, national & local, and its advisers to
#listenup
Seen an Ad on TV, not sure what for. In the background a wheelchair user wheels by behind a bus stop. That's all, they don't feature. Think it's an important representation. We're here, part of the community, getting on with life. This is the stuff that subtly changes attitudes.
I'm anxious about what may be announced on Weds on benefits affecting disabled people. I don't rely upon benefits for my income but there have been times in my life when I absolutely did. I can only imagine the stress felt by many whilst the media focus on inheritance tax cuts!
Find myself amused at the number of times a non-disabled person corrects the language I use around disability. Is it ignorance or arrogance? Not sure. It needs to stop though.
Had an unexpectedly heated conversation on wheelchair access. I don't consider somewhere accessible if I have to wait for someone to get a ramp. I should be able to go in the main entrance like anyone else. Wheelchair users, am I being unreasonable? 👩🦽
This should prompt all hotels, bars, restaurants etc to up their game on disability access. There is absolutely no point spending money on accessibility features if they are not properly maintained and your staff are not given appropriate training.
@SmilerTurner
Yes, I completely understand that for older buildings and those listed, but there really is no excuse for newer buildings or those with space to work with. Portable ramps should not be the first option and so often it is, with no further thought given to other options.
I've used a wheelchair for a very long time and you'd think I'd be good at it by now. I fell out of it earlier and have really hurt my back. I'm in agony. One upside: I know now I can do a forward roll! Hope the gymnastics won't affect my PIP award... 🤸♀️
BBC News - Wheelchair user pulls himself up steps to sit DVSA test This test centre should be closed until it can provide appropriate access. If that is not possible they should find premises which are accessible. It really is that simple.
@BlondeHistorian
@GuideDogAva
So so so many things but a recurring one is "Have you tried walking?" Yes, tried it as a toddler and just thought it wasn't the right lifestyle choice for me.
Nothing encapsulates the Christmas spirit less than people who should know better dismissing deaths from Covid19, and suggesting older people and those with certain health conditions be locked away. I'm calling them out for the cold callous bastards they are.
Given 20% of the population are disabled we should see many more disabled panellists on
#BBCQuestionTime
and many more questions on disability from the audience.
Only had the briefest of reads through the
#NationalDisabilityStrategy
but my first thoughts are that it reflects the views of a government which doesn't really understand the many ways in which we are held back and therefore doesn't come near to addressing the barriers we face.
@trm234567
@lewis_goodall
I can see why you would think that but I feel the campaign to bully and undermine the Committee has really angered so many MPs, and particularly Jenkin.
Taking a
@YouGov
poll. One option to the question on employment status is 'permanently disabled'. There is no option for employed AND permanently disabled. This is dreadful
@YouGov
, and makes me question the validity of your polling. Have your staff had any DET? You need it.
@mrjamesob
Workplace bullies usually behave as they do as they feel they have the backing of more senior staff. This is one reason why those who experience bullying leave rather than raise a formal complaint.
Ordered a new wheelchair today. Cannot wait for it to arrive. It was expensive and means cutting back on other things but it is essential. Important to understand that wheelchair users often have to buy their own essential equipment.
Delighted to be on the
#DisabiltyPowerList100
Thank you
@ShawTrust
for a great event today. Met up with such great friends and colleagues who are doing so much for disability leadership, equality and inclusion.
Today is
#IDPWD2018
We know disabled people face many barriers to equality in work, services, education and many other areas. Today offers a wonderful opportunity to think about what we can all do to help remove those barriers and change attitudes towards disabled people.
Husband laughing at the large number of pairs of shoes I have. Four times as many as him and I 'don't even walk on them'. As if a woman ever bought a pair of shoes for the sole purpose of walking on them! Man's a fool.
As a wheelchair user, to have been able to see this on TV as a child would have been immensely empowering, and I hope it's had that impact today for disabled children.
@ruth_madeley
you are an absolute star in so many ways.
#DisabilityRepresentation
#accessibility
@hzeffman
@MichaelPDeacon
Sally-Ann Hart also said some very offensive things about disabled people at a hustings a few weeks ago. I guess she thought she could say what she liked about us. Happy to offer her, and any other MP with similar views, free Disability Awareness Training.
Apologies for this self-indulgent thread. Recently I found myself saying I was proud to be a disabled person. Don't recall saying it out loud before, but I am proud to be associated with people who have achieved and continue to achieve so much, despite barriers placed in our way.
@edwest
Lived on Isle of Dogs for 11 years. Saw this statue many times and never knew his slave trade background. There's an excellent Museum of Docklands nearby where I learned a lot about slavery. That is where this statue belongs.
The tone and language here is so damaging to people's awareness and perception of blindness and disability more generally. We need more disabled people in journalism who may take a different approach on disability issues and raise awareness with their non-disabled colleagues.
“Despite her blindness, Lilien’s family insist she’s a happy girl who can’t stop smiling”
This whole article is so deeply ableist it infuriates me. The implicit assumption that a blind child can’t be happy? Imagine reading this little one growing up & reading this. Horrendous.
@MikScarlet
I just saw your Tweet on your experience when out for a pizza and it's exactly the sort of thing I was thinking of when I asked the question.
@nelsabbey
@samnreed
I've been thinking about these two women throughout this week. Not just the tragic circumstances of their murders but of the aftermath and how the police responded.
It's
#InternationalWheelchairDay2023
My wheelchair (and me) are well travelled. Please consider the language you use. It never, ever confines me. Describing me as being 'wheelchair bound' simply makes 'wheelchair' sound like a great new holiday resort. 👩🦽🏖️🌞
Looking at flights and BA ask if I'm 'travelling with a disability'? What the hell does that even mean? They don't ask if I'm travelling with my fabulousness!
@AdamBienkov
Harry Potter books are probably responsible for a lot of children learning to love books. If you don't enjoy reading then studying anything becomes much more difficult. I appreciate though we are not dealing with top minds here.
I've read so many stories today of disability discrimination and access failures. We were getting better at this in the UK. We have to be more savvy customers if we want things to improve. My money has the same value as that of a non-disabled customer.
I have no medical training but I think I might know why the Queen has cut back on official duties. She's 96! Now for heaven's sake give her and us a rest on this.
#Newsnight
Got notified that I can book my booster jab but on inputting my access requirements I'm told no vaccination centre can give me those options. I'm a a wheelchair user living in East London so that is ridiculous!
May be my most unpopular Tweet, it's a crowded field, but do people realise that there is no human right to a holiday abroad? Many seem confused. Been out of London twice in two years and both were day trips. That's fine though, I can wait for a more settled time to travel again.
Service Providers: If it is easier to find information on if you're a pet 🐶😺 friendly venue, hotel, restaurant etc, than whether you provide disability access, then you've got your priorities very wrong. Access, and accessible information, should be easily found on websites.
Not been able to watch any news today but have listened to radio. On social care debate I have not heard the views of a single person who draws upon social care. Has anyone else seen/heard any good interviews in news bulletins?
Throughout my life I have been impressed by the tenacity and determination of the disabled people I know. Were I an employer I would want people like that working for me. The employment gap needs to close.
#EmployableMe
BBC News - BBC commits £100m to increasing diversity on TV This is great news but please, please, please BBC don't forget about disabled people in that diversity strategy. We're 20% of population yet remain largely invisible. We can fix that!
@Wyld_Wych
The UK is much better than it used to be on polling station accessibility. I remember in late 1990s they carried the polling booth out to the car park as the venue had no wheelchair access. It was an awful experience but I made sure I got to vote.
Beyonce has decided to remove that offensive word from the lyrics. Good. Great in fact. But the damage is done. Please tell me what mindset decides it is ok to include it in the first place? We have a mountain to climb on disability awareness and equality.
BBC News - Half of disability benefits appeals won in tribunal
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49891159
Behind every appeal is a person trying to manage their condition in an often hostile environment of prejudice and stigma. We need to get this right.
@KatiePennick
Thank you for posting this. I have been in that position so many times and the stress of it is awful. On a few occasions the train doors closed and the train moved off to next destination. Awful experience and there is simply no reason why it should ever happen.
As a disabled person in UK I've benefited from so many improvements thanks to legislation and greater awareness. I'd be lying if I did not acknowledge that in recent years progress has stopped, and in some cases, rights have been reversed. We must continue to progress.
#IDDP2022
@charitybegin4
Thank you. Obviously there are restrictions with listed buildings but should be no excuse at all for buildings built in the past 20 years.
Hubby trying to tap into my disability policy knowledge for his work. Do I charge a fee? What would that fee be? Dinner, bottle of gin, hoovering and dishes for a week?
@robbeckettcomic
Pay someone to take them on separate plane and pick them up at the airport in Portugal. Someone will earn some money, your children will make a new friend, and you will be a calmer better parent ready to start the holiday. (I have no kids)
@tottielimejuice
Yes, I've seen a few of those . Clearly an irony free zone! I think the assumption is that we will always have someone with us which is not at all the case.
Another train return train journey from Euston today. On both my outward and return journeys assistance was perfect. What is going on Euston? You no longer have a problem! I may need to find new jokes now.
1. I have never accidentally watched porn at work.
2. I have never accidentally watched porn at home.
3. I have never accidentally watched porn anywhere.
This is as much a feminist issue as a disability issue. Disabled women's health matters every bit as much as non-disabled women's health. We need women, all women, to support this.
This is so disappointing. I was due a smear “again” (I’ve NEVER been tested) last month. My GP surgery wanted to know “what to do” with my letter. No appointment, no fuss, and zero urgency on what is a routine test for nondisabled people with a cervix. We will press forward!