London: Disability rights

I live in London as this blog clearly shows, and this is the life of myself and what goes around in London. Well there is a show in the UK called the politics shows and they have a part which is for London, of course. Well this weekend they had a part of the rights of those who are disabled, and they were showing despite the fact the DDA has been in for nearly 6 months, nothing has literally changed.

Read the link and then I will go on to more

London: Disability rights

They interview the minister for the disabled, and I hope you will forgive me all for swearing on this, but she was an absolute bitch, she was so pathetic, so woolly in her attitude and so much turning it that the disabled had to sue companies, people, etc to get them to change. That wasn't the point of the legislation when it came in, it was meant to create rights for those who need it. The interviewer and I give him his dues, he really was gunning for the minister over her pathetic, downright offensive attitude and asking questions like why don’t we have a minimum standard of service and expectations, can’t do that say the minister, not fair on businesses and people, crap it isn’t, it is all about giving people equal access regardless of sex, race and disability. Disability is the one main area where people are let down, and yes being disabled I do have a right to get angry about this, because I have suffered it twice in just over two weeks at my local jobcentre, where they questioned my disability, they actually questioned my hearing. I am profoundly deaf, have been since birth and they had the cheek to suggest that I wasn’t. I won’t go into it all, but to give an example that might be easier to understand, it was like saying to a wheelchair user, come on, get up and walk, you don’t need the chair. Some people’s attitudes are disgusting, and whilst I never wish bad on someone, I hope these two people lose their jobs, because such a lack of respect is never warranted.

Back to the programme, it also transpires that disabled will have to wait until 2020 before anything is even close to decent, and why in the UK we treat people so badly with disabilities I have no idea. Another example of stupidity when it comes to disabled – London Underground is being upgraded, slowly mind, but upgraded, they are doing the stations, they have done North Harrow station on the Metropolitan line, and they had the opportunity to make it accessible for those with wheelchairs, and have they, no, perfect opportunity whilst doing the station up, and they fail to do the job, no excuses, this could have been done, but no, too short sighted, too arrogant. As for this minister, the sooner she is sacked and replaced by someone who clearly understands the issues for the disabled the better. The only MP I can think of who would be in such a position is David Blunkett and I am not a fan of him, but at least he would have a strong position to champion the cause of the disabled. I give another example of problems for the disabled, I own my own house, and it is specially adapted for my disability, I have special alerters so that I know the phone goes and the door goes, otherwise I wouldn't know, well in the DDA that was passed, landlords are supposed to make adaptations that disabled people need, well there is a clause, only if the landlord is willing, what is the point, apparently if the landlord thinks it will affect the value of the property they don't have to do it, in other words, the part of the act that says adaptations are meant to be carried out, is toothless, ie no power.

It is a soapbox issue for me, it really is, where is the idea that everyone is given an equal chance, and those who through no fault of their own are disadvantaged, with physical or mental disabilities, society should be there for them. But then this government in its pathetic wisdom is also closing special needs schools at a rate of knots, and then forcing the children into mainstream schools, which is an okay idea to a point, only if the resources from the special needs schools are then ploughed into the mainstream schools, but is it, not a chance, it is a way of saving money, so we are going back to the pre-war attitude of those with disabilities, and that attitude was – sod you, we don’t care, we consider you scum, so fuck off. I so hope those who aren’t disabled, never suffer a disability, because you will have a rude awakening to just how terrible things are for those with disabilities, so extremely terrible. I have an article from the Guardian which I will reproduce at a later date, and you will see what I mean, not nice.