*This is a little disclaimer to say that this post is only my opinion, and I would welcome a debate about it*
If you're not familiar with it already, there's a meme that floats about on social networking sites that exclaims that 'The only attitude in life is a bad attitude', and I've seen it create an impassioned debate about what this means to disabled people and non disabled people alike. It certainly seems to divide opinion. I'm firmly on the 'I hate it' side, every time I see it, I flinch.
It's quite difficult to express exactly why I hate it so much but I'll try and explain my feelings as best I can. I identify strongly as being a young disabled woman. My disability certainly does not define me, but it's an integral part of my identity. It's part of who I am. I can't help but feel that when this quote is used, its tantamount to saying that the disabled part of my identity does not exist, that 'people do not see disability. I was born disabled, but have not always identified as a disabled person. For many years, I struggled to accept the fact I was disabled. When I was a teenager I'd feel disgusted if people dared label me a disabled person, I felt quite ashamed. However, when I was an adult, I did eventually accept the fact I was a disabled person, but it certainly wasn't an easy process. I'm now totally at peace with being a disabled person, and I worry that quotes such as this can be used to dismiss the fact a lot of people are happy and indeed proud to identify as a disabled person.
The second reason I really hate this quote is that I actually find it quite disabilist. First, a bad attitude is not a disability and secondly, it erases the fact that disability does exist. It is an undeniable fact that I am disabled. I cannot use my left hand, and require daily assistance to do tasks that a two handed person does without thinking. This is not a pity party, but the reality of my situation. This is a small part of what my experience of living with a disability is like. If you tell me that the only disability is a bad attitude, you are in effect telling me that this part of my life does not exist, and you're also undermining what living with a disability is like.
Finally, I don't really like this quote because I worry that it may encourage the shutting down of discussion of disability. To me, I feel that this meme is a bigger problem in that people chuck about these patronising sayings, in the hope that they will make us feel better about being disabled. I've seen it posted on support groups to try and inspire us to feel better about being disabled. To me, it has the complete opposite effect. It makes me feel bad about speaking about aspects of my disability that stress me out. I'm a realist, I will wholeheartedly admit that sometimes I feel incredibly negative about my hemiplegia. It's not often I feel that way, but I have days where it feels shit and frustrating. If I'm confronted with this meme on a bad day, it can make me feel that I should be quiet about my struggles. That it isn't 'normal' to have bad days, and that maybe I just have a bad attitude, and that I have no right to feel bad about my disability, or indeed that I don't even have a disability. I just generally think its seen as a social taboo to be negative about disability. It's actually bloody exhausting to be damn positive all the time. I think its healthy to discuss how frustrating living with a disability is, and we should not be shamed into feeling that negative emotions are insignificant and not important. I think its healthy to have an honest discussion, and to be real about things.
Anyway, I think I've ranted enough. As I said before, this is just my opinion, so don't flame me down! If you find the meme helpful, that is great for you, but I just wanted to share my perspective.
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Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Monday, 13 October 2014
Tuesday, 23 July 2013
An urgent call for action on Atos.
Hello,
I just thought I'd share the letter I've sent to my MP pleading for answers and action on Atos. Unless you've been living under a rock you'll probably be aware that Atos have been failing disabled people very badly. I've been rather angry since more news emerged this week showing that 40% of Atos assessments are unacceptably poor and I knew I needed to voice my concerns. I know it's probably a futile exercises writing to my MP, but I can't just vent on Twitter. So here's the letter I've just sent off:
I am writing to you to express my concern about Atos. As you are aware, Atos currently have contracts to assess disabled and sick people for Employment Support Allowance (ESA). It has become increasingly clear that Atos (and the work capability assessment) are failing vulnerable people woefully.
In the midst of the royal baby excitement, important news broke that the DWP has instructed Atos to raise their standards. It emerged that 40% of Atos assessments were 'unacceptably poor. That is no small number, it clearly indicates that the system is broken and in need of urgent remedy. One of the consequences of the failure of Atos is that appeals to overturn atos decisions are costing the taxpayer more and more money - the number of appeals have more than trebled in four years.
Of course, it's not just the financial cost of poor Atos decisions and subsequent appeals that needs noting. The human cost of Atos incompetency is much greater. If you are one of the unlucky 4 in 10 that experiences a poor atos assessment, you will likely have your entitlement to ESA stopped and told to go get a job and put in a JSA claim. What happens if you're too disabled or ill to seek and hold down a job? It regularly takes months and months of waiting until you get a tribunal date to get your atos decision overturned. In the meantime, the stress and strain of the uncertainty can cause a deterioration in both physical and mental health in people that are already having to cope with illness and disability. It's not just the disabled person this impacts upon, but also carers and families who will have to offer more emotional and practical and financial support to help them through the Atos crisis. The situation is getting increasingly desperate and more and more horror stories are emerging. We've had whistleblowers speaking out against the callous way they've been told to treat disabled people. We've heard of many people committing suicide in the wake of wrong atos decisions and poor treatment. There's frequent reports of Atos 'doctors' subjecting disabled people to humiliating treatment, such as one doctor telling an incontinent lady to wear a nappy to work. It is a system which is completely devoid of compassion and humanity. It's reported that Atos receive £3billion for their contracts. I believe it's in the interests of the taxpayer for the government to take urgent action against Atos before any more lives are lost or ruined.
In the wake of the news of unacceptably poor Atos assessments, Mark Hoban announced that new firms would be brought in to conduct assessments from Summer 2014. I would like to know why the government think its fair and acceptable to subject disabled people to poor assessments in the meantime? I would also like to know who in government is being held accountable for the failings of Atos? It is simply not acceptable to place all the blame on Atos. Someone in government has allowed this Atos incompetency to continue, despite repeated warnings and evidence that the Atos situation is not working. I do believe the Conservatives and Lib Dems have missed an open goal here to right the wrong of Labour. It was Labour who created this Atos and WCA, however, your reluctance to take action urgently means a sizable portion of blame lies at your door.
Thank you for reading I look forward to hearing from you.
I just thought I'd share the letter I've sent to my MP pleading for answers and action on Atos. Unless you've been living under a rock you'll probably be aware that Atos have been failing disabled people very badly. I've been rather angry since more news emerged this week showing that 40% of Atos assessments are unacceptably poor and I knew I needed to voice my concerns. I know it's probably a futile exercises writing to my MP, but I can't just vent on Twitter. So here's the letter I've just sent off:
I am writing to you to express my concern about Atos. As you are aware, Atos currently have contracts to assess disabled and sick people for Employment Support Allowance (ESA). It has become increasingly clear that Atos (and the work capability assessment) are failing vulnerable people woefully.
In the midst of the royal baby excitement, important news broke that the DWP has instructed Atos to raise their standards. It emerged that 40% of Atos assessments were 'unacceptably poor. That is no small number, it clearly indicates that the system is broken and in need of urgent remedy. One of the consequences of the failure of Atos is that appeals to overturn atos decisions are costing the taxpayer more and more money - the number of appeals have more than trebled in four years.
Of course, it's not just the financial cost of poor Atos decisions and subsequent appeals that needs noting. The human cost of Atos incompetency is much greater. If you are one of the unlucky 4 in 10 that experiences a poor atos assessment, you will likely have your entitlement to ESA stopped and told to go get a job and put in a JSA claim. What happens if you're too disabled or ill to seek and hold down a job? It regularly takes months and months of waiting until you get a tribunal date to get your atos decision overturned. In the meantime, the stress and strain of the uncertainty can cause a deterioration in both physical and mental health in people that are already having to cope with illness and disability. It's not just the disabled person this impacts upon, but also carers and families who will have to offer more emotional and practical and financial support to help them through the Atos crisis. The situation is getting increasingly desperate and more and more horror stories are emerging. We've had whistleblowers speaking out against the callous way they've been told to treat disabled people. We've heard of many people committing suicide in the wake of wrong atos decisions and poor treatment. There's frequent reports of Atos 'doctors' subjecting disabled people to humiliating treatment, such as one doctor telling an incontinent lady to wear a nappy to work. It is a system which is completely devoid of compassion and humanity. It's reported that Atos receive £3billion for their contracts. I believe it's in the interests of the taxpayer for the government to take urgent action against Atos before any more lives are lost or ruined.
In the wake of the news of unacceptably poor Atos assessments, Mark Hoban announced that new firms would be brought in to conduct assessments from Summer 2014. I would like to know why the government think its fair and acceptable to subject disabled people to poor assessments in the meantime? I would also like to know who in government is being held accountable for the failings of Atos? It is simply not acceptable to place all the blame on Atos. Someone in government has allowed this Atos incompetency to continue, despite repeated warnings and evidence that the Atos situation is not working. I do believe the Conservatives and Lib Dems have missed an open goal here to right the wrong of Labour. It was Labour who created this Atos and WCA, however, your reluctance to take action urgently means a sizable portion of blame lies at your door.
Thank you for reading I look forward to hearing from you.
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