What is a disability worth?
The rhetoric around the value and worth of
disabled people is really depressing. So many people, private and public
organisations look at disabled people as an additional and often unnecessary expense.
Some government polices introduced over the last five years with the
regimes of austerity are even actually killing off disabled and elderly people.
We even have Ministers blaming disabled people for the countries productivity.
I have written about these before so am not going to dwell on these
things.
Recant changes to Universal credit
mean that even where disabled people could work voluntarily and get paid for it
(permitted working scheme). The amount they could potentially earn will be
reduced by up to 50%
What I want to do is to introduce you to five (trust me there a lot of others, I could go through the whole alphabet) people I know all with disabilities who are people who I have come in contact with. Each one has a disability and yet give so much back to society in so many ways yet they are unpaid and unrecognised. These aren’t heroes, they are people you walk past in the street every day and wouldn’t blink. You'd probably think they give nothing back to society. Yet you'd be so wrong.
Mrs A, is a mother and wife, she has three children. Mrs A has multiple disabilities, and is in severe pain, for which she has to take strong medicine. She is a wheelchair user. Her husband is blind and one of their sons has autism. Mrs A manages the family’s personal budget as best she can, saving the authority substantial money. Her family are also involved in working with the university to improve understanding of disabled people through the Adults Social Care degree course. They also run and manage a weekly disco for other disabled people. She attends many meetings for disabled people and is always willing to help anyone.
Mrs B has a neurological condition, she is married to her American husband, who has a similar condition. Mrs B also has a personal budget and manages her own and her husband’s care. Often using innovative techniques. She has been actively involved in the disabled community for over 15 years. She helps out at the university with Mrs A. She also spends numerous hours of her own time in helping run the local neurological society with administration and secretarial work. She has attended conferences on both sides of the world working delivering briefings in making consultants understand neurological conditions better.
Miss C, is a young woman, who was living and working abroad. Till she got diagnosed with a growth in her head. It was successfully removed but has left her partial sighted, and affected her voice. She has maintained her dignity and humour. Rather than sit around whilst she waits for a job she has decided to volunteer to help out at a charity.
Similarly Mr D, was in the army. He got injured and is now a wheelchair user. He wanted to volunteer, rather than rattle tins, he wanted to actively participate and now helps out with a local organisation.
Finally Mr E, who due to an asthmatic episode when he was 5 has been left virtually blind, has only partial use of one arm, and is prone to dropping things. He works as a carer helping another disabled person. The person he works for says he is one of
the most reliable, trustworthy and nicest blokes you could meet. He will turn up no matter what without ever complaining. He could claim benefits, but he refuses to do so.
The people above, are all who I have worked with, each one gives back to society in ways they can. They are all wonderful people. So next time you see someone who is disabled. Just remember there is more to them than their impairment. Yes they do work, the problem is they do it for free and it isn’t recognised by society. Could they work and make a living Yes but society doesn’t recognise what they do as work. What they do does have an impact on society, but like carers it’s actually not considered work.
If you want to start employing these people who have a can do attitude, and have the potential to do much under such difficult conditions. Then stop trying to fit them in to predetermined boxes. Understand what they have to give. Value what they already do and build systems that work around issues they face.
Its society attitude who disables people not people themselves. Until it is recognised that employment of disabled people require a change in non-disabled people’s attitudes, not the disabled people themselves.
What I want to do is to introduce you to five (trust me there a lot of others, I could go through the whole alphabet) people I know all with disabilities who are people who I have come in contact with. Each one has a disability and yet give so much back to society in so many ways yet they are unpaid and unrecognised. These aren’t heroes, they are people you walk past in the street every day and wouldn’t blink. You'd probably think they give nothing back to society. Yet you'd be so wrong.
Mrs A, is a mother and wife, she has three children. Mrs A has multiple disabilities, and is in severe pain, for which she has to take strong medicine. She is a wheelchair user. Her husband is blind and one of their sons has autism. Mrs A manages the family’s personal budget as best she can, saving the authority substantial money. Her family are also involved in working with the university to improve understanding of disabled people through the Adults Social Care degree course. They also run and manage a weekly disco for other disabled people. She attends many meetings for disabled people and is always willing to help anyone.
Mrs B has a neurological condition, she is married to her American husband, who has a similar condition. Mrs B also has a personal budget and manages her own and her husband’s care. Often using innovative techniques. She has been actively involved in the disabled community for over 15 years. She helps out at the university with Mrs A. She also spends numerous hours of her own time in helping run the local neurological society with administration and secretarial work. She has attended conferences on both sides of the world working delivering briefings in making consultants understand neurological conditions better.
Miss C, is a young woman, who was living and working abroad. Till she got diagnosed with a growth in her head. It was successfully removed but has left her partial sighted, and affected her voice. She has maintained her dignity and humour. Rather than sit around whilst she waits for a job she has decided to volunteer to help out at a charity.
Similarly Mr D, was in the army. He got injured and is now a wheelchair user. He wanted to volunteer, rather than rattle tins, he wanted to actively participate and now helps out with a local organisation.
Finally Mr E, who due to an asthmatic episode when he was 5 has been left virtually blind, has only partial use of one arm, and is prone to dropping things. He works as a carer helping another disabled person. The person he works for says he is one of
the most reliable, trustworthy and nicest blokes you could meet. He will turn up no matter what without ever complaining. He could claim benefits, but he refuses to do so.
The people above, are all who I have worked with, each one gives back to society in ways they can. They are all wonderful people. So next time you see someone who is disabled. Just remember there is more to them than their impairment. Yes they do work, the problem is they do it for free and it isn’t recognised by society. Could they work and make a living Yes but society doesn’t recognise what they do as work. What they do does have an impact on society, but like carers it’s actually not considered work.
If you want to start employing these people who have a can do attitude, and have the potential to do much under such difficult conditions. Then stop trying to fit them in to predetermined boxes. Understand what they have to give. Value what they already do and build systems that work around issues they face.
Its society attitude who disables people not people themselves. Until it is recognised that employment of disabled people require a change in non-disabled people’s attitudes, not the disabled people themselves.
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