Monthly Archives: April 2024

Negative Narratives

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Hello allo, 

The government has really ramped up it’s messages about Disabled people hasn’t it? 

There has been a lot of negative narratives and harmful stereotyping surrounding our community. But where to begin…? 

I think I’ll start with the blatant lack of understanding. The government does not seem to not understand the benefits system… They do not seem to understand that Personal Independence Payment or PIP, can claimed whether the person is in work or out of work. 

Furthermore it appears as though people do not fully understand the word ‘independence’. The payment exists to support Disabled people with extra costs of living with a Disability. 

You also do not automatically get the benefit because you are diagnosed with ADHD, or a Visual Impairment etc. 

It is a horrible process which a Disabled Person needs to go through. They ave to fill out a really long form where they tell the DWP how their Disability affects them. Once they have filled in this form, and provided medical evidence they then have to go to an assessment centre or have someone come to their home and ask them really invasive questions about their daily routine, washing habits, eating habits, whether or not they have job or friends… then the Disabled person is given a score and this score then adds up to how many points they get. This scoring system then decides if they are allowed any benefits which could help them to cover the extra costs which come with being disabled. 

More often than not the person will fail this assessment and will then have the option to appeal the decision. Again the decision could come back as a ‘no sorry your visually impaired and can’t see very well, you don’t ever leave the house alone on new or unfamiliar journeys, but you don’t qualify’. 

Then the Disabled Person has the option to essentially take the government to court. This is called a tribunal. You have to go and sit in front of a Judge and Doctors and make the case that you are Disabled and just want some help with the extra cost of living and keeping yourself alive. 

The tribunal process is separate to the DWP and it is independent. It does not have any government backed companies behind it, like ATOS trying to save the government money. 

A majority of the time Disabled People win these tribunals because the people at them are medical professionals and people who practice law. Therefore they understand the person in front of them and their needs and what they are entitled too. 

Do you honestly believe it is an easy process putting yourself through all of that? So many Disabled do not have the energy or support to go trough it. Quite often Disabled people might end up taking their own lives because they have run out of energy and money to support themselves because whilst they are fighting all of this they have no benefits because they have been stopped. 

Whilst I am writing this I am very much aware of the level of pain my right side is in due to my Scoliosis. 

Do not judge Disabled People. We have just as much as right to exist as anyone else. Our lives have meaning. 

If you are reading this and were not aware of how these new policies will impact Disabled People please contact your MP and express to them your concerns. Help Disabled People to be able to just have the right live. 

Thank you, 

Philippa B.

Bus Travel

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Hello all,

Lets talk accessible travel 

In the past I have written about floating bus stops and how they are not accessible to Disable people. If you want to read why then please follow this link. 

I wanted to write about the changes to bus travel in Bradford and how that is impacting me as a Visually Impaired Person. 

The bus station closed in January due to a collapse in an underground car park. The bus stops have since been relocated…well I don’t know where exactly as they are all dotted around the city centre. Some stops are outside the Broadway shopping centre, some are outside the town hall. I have no idea where my bus goes from or stops at. 

In this past week BBC has posted about this issue and the impact it is having on Disabled people.

The issue from my perspective as a Visually Impaired Neurodivergent person is that I cannot see where the bus stops are. If someone shows me this does not always eliminate the issue because what if the bus does not stop in the same place every time if it is busy? 

The other issue I will have is with it being busy when I set off work at rush hour what will happen if I can’t see where to join the queue to the bus? 

The other issue which I am concerned about is all the road works in Bradford at the moment. I am unsure of where I can cross the road safely. The main road in and out of town is due to close. Creating a pedestrianised area. With this road being closed I am unsure where I will get my taxi from outside the train station? I have asked the taxi drivers but they have not been informed of when the work will start on the new taxi terminus. 

There are a few issues which I have brought up here; 

The bus station is closed and has been relocated to multiple points across the city centre. 

I have no idea where my bus now runs from. 

There are road works across the city centre meaning I am not always sure where it is safe to cross. 

I have no idea when the taxi rank will move or what that relocation will look like. 

The council have not considered this impact on Disabled people. Whether we are just going into town or if we are using public transport to get to work. Our daily lives have been made even more inaccessible. This is before you even start on other issues which make travel inaccessible to us, like the floating bus stops. 

People need to consider the impact these unexpected changes have. If non Disabled people are finding it difficult to travel at the moment how are Disabled people meant to be coping? 

I will keep you updated with this ongoing issue. 

Autism Acceptance

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Hello all, 

It’s April, I hope you are still aware of Autistic People… we could be anywhere….even in your house! 

Right, now you’re aware, lets talk about acceptance. Acceptance is what Autistic people want. We want Acceptance because otherwise how are we to feel included? 

One of the ways in which you can accept Autistic people is by understanding we all have different sensory needs. Autistic people can struggle with sensory overload. Sensory Overload for me can come at anytime. It is not pleasant. It can be all consuming. 

It is too bright in here, can someone just turn the big light off and we only have a lamp on? Why is the music so loud…it is unnecessary. I can’t hear what you’re saying…Did someone just brush past me? Why is my sock hurting? I’m overwhelmed by all this…no push through you’re doing great…. You’re doing what the Neurotypicals want! Go you! 

Keep going… why are there so many people here… Now my jumper feels fuzzy… Who’s playing their music too loud on their headphones? What did you say you wanted? I’m tired…slam! 

Sensory Overload feels like you are constantly having every single one of your senses engaged all at the same time and everything you are feeling is at its most maximum level. Then you feel like you have hit a brick wall. That is what it can feel like.  

When you are helping someone who is dealing with sensory overload accept what they are telling you. Help them to find a calm and relaxing space. If they need to stim to regulate themselves, let them (I’ll write something about this for next time). 

Accepting what an Autistic person is telling you is very important. It is part of you recognising their lived experiences. Autistic people’s experiences are valid, even if they are different to a Neurotypical persons experience.

Thank you for reading, 

Philippa. 

Happy Autism Acceptance Month. 

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Autism Acceptance month is here- although we should be accepting of Autism all year round. 

There will be a lot of things going out this month from various places that you will come across showing support for Autistic people. 

Be mindful of what you are consuming, either for yourself or for your business. Who has written the piece you are writing? Is this person Autistic? 

You cannot advocate for Autistic people unless you are willing to listen to Autistic people. This includes every Autistic person at every stage of life. 

I do not normally write about Autism on here, being Neurodivergent, yes, I write about that. But it can be difficult to write about being Autistic. I think this is because I went so long without realising I am Autistic. It is quite a journey you go on when you find out you’re Autistic. You have to learn to understand this part of yourself which has always been there. But now…you know it is there. 

Like you’ve found a whole new room in your house and you’re thinking ‘wow look at this space! What can I do with it? What is even in here?…’ 

It is a lot to unpack, literally unpack… How do I now navigate the world through this new lens?

Everyone is different, just like Autism itself, we are truly unique. No one Autistic persons profile is the same as another persons.

This is why at the beginning of this page I said to make sure what you are reading has been created with an Autistic persons input. Because, verbal or non verbal we all have something to share and say. 

During Autism Acceptance month remember that every one of us is different and unique in our abilities. We do not all view Autism as a super power. Some of us absolutely hate this phrase. Some of us love it and see their Autism as a gift. 

Be mindful of every Autistic persons perspective on Autism and if it doesn’t fit your narrative, that is OK. 

I’ll try write some more later this month. But for now that is all. 

Thank you, 

Philippa B.