Blogging Against Disabalism: Jemma’s Story

Disabilism definition: Discrimination or prejudice against people with disabilities.

Today I’m taking part in Blogging Against Disabalism Day (BADD). Why? Well five years ago I met Jemma Brown. Her super lovely guide dog Guss she was hard to miss at university. The three of us became friends. My view of disabled people had never been negative, but I had been ignorant of many of the specific challenges they face, and more importantly – what I could do to help and what I was doing that wasn’t helpful!

Able-bodied people won’t have a clue what discrimination disabled people are subjected to unless they take the time to make disabled friends. This may be stating the obvious, but it’s important to note right from the outset that the reason some readers of this blog haven’t heard of disabilism is not because it isn’t a problem. As you’re about to see, it is…

Thanks to Jemma I’m no longer ignorant of disabilism. I went from not giving a second thought to how to help disabled people to developing a more inclusive attitude – especially as I helped lead the university’s Christian Union society. This was a process. It took some time, and we didn’t get everything right. But I’m grateful that Jemma bothered to raise the issue again and again with me – both when I got it right and when I got it wrong. I’m still learning, and thanks to Jemma being so open and honest in the words below, you can join my on this journey right now…

So, without further ado, here’s the interview…

Can you set the scene on why a day like today (Blogging Against Disabalism Day) is so necessary?

BADD is now in its eighth year it’s important as it shares the every day life experiences of disabled people (both positive and negative) and encourages positivity towards disability.

Its also important for disability culture – I don’t think people without disability realise that as disabled people we have our own heritage, history and culture so its important for highlighting that too.

Able bodied people are often ignorant of the pressures and discrimination disabled people have to endure. How have you been affected by Disabalism?

Sadly it’s a whole life thing. Even at school when doing GCSE’s I had some teachers that although given the training, information, support and resources never made their teaching inclusive to me.

The story was the same at college and later at university, I eventually left my university due to extreme discrimination without finishing my degree which to this day saddens me as I grew up wanting to get a degree.

There can be days where it really piles up, today for example I stood at a bus stop waiting for my bus. I’m registered blind but have some vision. I normally use a Guide Dog as a mobility aid but 4 weeks ago my fantastic Guide Dog Gus had to retire suddenly so at the moment I’m using a long cane to get around.

So back to the bus stop today I’m stood there and I’m aware that there is a bus coming I turn around to ask the guy next to me what number it is and he simply tells me to “f*** Off”. On previous occasions strangers have told me its my bus when it isn’t I think I prefer being told to ‘f off’ than getting on the wrong bus and ending up in the middle of nowhere!

I’m told affectionately that I’m blinder than I look – I take that as a compliment (I think). But there have been times when I’m out and someone takes it upon themselves to start shouting abuse at me along the lines of ‘she aint blind she’s faking it…’  Once I was physically assaulted pushed up against a wall and told by my attacker that I was about to be stabbed because I was ‘faking scum’ and ‘People Like you make me sick”.

I cannot praise the police of Southampton enough for how seriously they take this. On the occasion when I was pushed up against a wall and threatened it was dark (I’m totally night blind meaning at night all I can see is lights like car headlights or streetlights I can’t get any information about my environment from this).

When taking my statement the police where incredible! I explained I was pretty sure it was a woman but I couldn’t see her at all so they asked me questions like ‘did the person have an accent?’ If I could hear other people around me and generally questions focused on my other senses not my vision. They then went into all the local businesses and asked them to look out for me.

Did the Paralympic Games change people’s attitudes towards Disabalism? 

I personally don’t think there has been a change as a result of the Paralympics – I am however very pleased that Channel 4 made such an effort to cover the games and promote shows like ‘the last leg’ I think its great that disabled sport got a chance to be in the spotlight but there was very little about the day to day lives of athletes.

Is it fair to call government cuts to disability benefits Disabalism in action?

I think it is. My mum is totally blind she gets around with her guide dog Tara but her mobility is seriously limited. She can’t even send a text message yet alone use a computer (she attended lessons but struggled and eventually her class was axed by the government) yesterday she was told after an assessment by ATOS that she is expected to find work…The idea of my mum finding a job is ridiculous.

The UK’s benefit system is desperate for reform most disabled people agree that assessments for DLA are out of date but many are concerned about its replacement PIP (Personal Independence Payments) due to start being used this year.

Due to cuts in legal aid disabled people will no longer be able to challenge wrong decisions about there benefits in court because they will not get legal aid in the courts add this to the bedroom tax and the increased cost of living if you are disabled and we are getting a raw deal.

I do very much feel that as an unemployed disabled person people see me as a drain on resources. For the record I’ve been job searching for two years I was on BBC panorama highlighting how the government’s work program is failing disabled people.

So far every job I have applied for has turned me down due to lack of experience in some cases not even taking my voluntary work into account.

We have all seen stories in the papers about ‘benefits cheats’ and its led people to believe that disabled people are out to cheat the benefit system with their Disability Living Allowance (DLA) but the governments own cross party study found that less than 4% of DLA claimants were fraudulent.

Guide Dogs is a charity close to your heart. Tell me how they have helped you

I have a retired guide dog called Gus. Gus retired recently due to the psychological effects of dog attacks. Gus changed my life for the better. He gave me the confidence when I was a student to do all the things a regular student does. He enabled me to do everything from the local pub quiz to attending lectures.

My mum has been a guide dog owner for over 30 years – she is now on guide dog number six. Her guide dogs enabled her to be a normal mum doing normal things with her child. There are no words to describe the amazing work guide dogs do.

Its always been my dream to work for Guide Dogs but for now I give something back by volunteering. I volunteer as a speaker this means I go around to schools, colleges and businesses talking about guide dogs and the import and job they do. I also fundraise helping out at street collections the cost of a guide dog over its life time is around fifty two thousand pounds!

Technology has helped you and many other disabled people with day to day life. What future tech projects are you most excited about?

Future tech I’m most excited about has to be Google’s car that can drive itself – they have been test driving it using blind people although it probably won’t happen in my lifetime I dream of a time when I don’t have to ask friends for lifts all the time and can do more things and get more places on my own.

All Apple computers come with build in screen magnification and screen reader and I think the screen reader is a lot more user friendly than many that operate on Windows.

Apple were also the first to produce a touch screen phone with built in screen reader for blind people. The iPhone has literally transformed the lives of many blind people and I am one of them. The ability to look up the menu for a restaurant while I’m sat there on my phone is amazing my iPhone also has an app on it which for me turns it into a hand held video magnifier, meaning I can use the camera to enlarge the font of say a menu.

As a Christian, what have been your experiences of UK churches caring and providing for the needs of disabled people been like?

Sadly not always positive, I was once away from my home church and went to a different one with my guide dog I walked in and the person leading the meeting told me that dogs were not allowed, and in so many words asked me to leave.

You don’t expect to go to church and have to explain the equality act and that it is breaking the law to deny you access to church because you have a guide dog. At the time I was really upset by it I stayed for the service out of principle more than anything and left.

No one should ever be turned away from church/faith because of disability regardless of whether that’s blindness, learning disability or physical disability, but I learned sadly that day that it happens. I was a very ‘new’ Christian at this time and was so incredibly saddened by the thought that someone who does not yet know God could be in a sense prevented from going to a church because of access. I really feel that God allowed that to happen so that I could educate the church involved.

Since this happened I have been blessed to help many churches look at their policies and procedures to stop this sort of thing happening.

There is also a lot of stigma around mental health in churches which is incredibly widespread – mental health conditions are put down as a lack of faith rather than seen as a medical/biological issue with a faith component.

Thankfully organisations such as Through the Roof and Mind and Soul are doing a lot to change this.