A Powerful Message From A Disabled Woman On The Election Results
Rosa Davies wrote the below as a Facebook status on the afternoon of May 8th. I think it’s very powerful, so I’m sharing it with her permission.
I don’t think abled people understand the fear and threat and legitimate worry that the results of this election mean for a lot of disabled people. It’s not that we’re disappointed that our team didn’t win. Disability groups I am a member of are literally posting numbers to the Samaritans and other helplines for members to phone.
People care even less than I thought they did. A Tory majority is far worse than expected. They’re going to tax disability benefit (the same as reducing it) and they’re going to tighten the definition as to who deserves to get it. It’s not just money to us, or a pair of new jeans or whatever. It’s the difference between leaving your house and not. It’s a way to be less disabled by our impairments, a way to try to live our lives as best we can. Making disabled people poorer makes us more disabled. Money is access. It makes the circle labeled Things I Can Do bigger and Things I Can’t Do smaller. And that second circle is so big to begin with.
Even if you agree with the idea that making the rich richer helps the poor, what is happening to disabled people in this country helps no one. Marginalising the disabled doesn’t somehow improve things for anyone else. It makes it worse for the able-bodied too. Even if you are not caring for, a family member of, or friends with a disabled person, in the words of Richard Herring, “If you’re not disabled now, then one day you might be. When that happens you’ll want to go to the pub or get on public transport. You’ll want to be seen as a person, not as a disability. Purely out of selfishness you should be fighting for disabled rights. If you don’t, you are prejudiced against your future self. And your future self hates you and thinks you’re a dick.”
How can we push back? It is important to fight back, to get active. We need to win allies. We need to set up an activist group so that I can get on Channel4 News and swear at a politician live on TV. I don’t know what to do but I don’t want to be passive.
Same Difference 
My world got considerably smaller when the LA cancelled my transport and socialisation allowance in 2012. I’d already not had a holiday or a day out for 20 years due to the severity of my illness, so these little trips out locally made all the difference to my life.
I was still working when I first received such help, and by the time it was taken away, I was in some part relieved because I was sick of people first complaining why I should get the help, and also that I should have not had any ‘favours’ over and above my then working colleagues. That was when I was working; it got worse once I wasn’t able to.
I’m still able to go out now and again, which I’m appreciative for, but I can’t see my aged mother every week and I don’t get to see my daughters as often as I like. I’ve also almost completely lost touch with the group of friends that I made over the last 15 years. I can’t go to the occasional creative class that I want to or do anything like that; it all takes money in terms of transport. Once you’re out of the picture, things slowly drift. People need social contact and to feel that they’re part of the community. Just because you are disabled it shouldn’t mean penury and being stuck at home for weeks at a time!
Now it’s heading towards ‘not heard and not seen’. Moreover, constant worries as to whether there’s going to be a roof over your head, especially when the DWP can make people go without funds completely if you need to appeal an assessment decision (and you won’t qualify for housing payments under UC under the ‘nil income’ rule).
When you’re so sick and it’s going to be long term until you die, just coping with that fact alone, the daily/nightly pain, fatigue, and other symptoms is all-encompassing; it takes the psychological energy that you have and more. Incessant worries over and above that pressure really is too hard to bear for anyone, and is especially cruel.
I don’t know why we bother writing these comments however, because I’ve seen the hardened attitudes of people with regard to this, and that was 10 years ago when I was working, let alone now when I can’t.
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i agree completely with this. especially about needing to get out of your own 4 walls at times. so far Ive been lucky, as long as i can find money for the petrol my nephew will take me for lovely long drives in the country or coast.seeing things that we’ve neither of us seen before (statue of one of the Pendle witches we saw on the last trip out.)but at one time we could go once a fortnight ,in summer even weekly,. now I’m lucky to do it once a month. 3 trips since last august.(in 9 months because Ive simply not had the money to pay for petrol) ( but as above, i dread to think what it will be like if i lose any money at all.i don’t have fiends around me visiting me, i have my disabled sister (stroke victim) and her disabled son (above nephew..a dialysis patient of 30 yrs standing)my daughter (also with long term skin condition that at times prevents her walking lifting or stretching.) and my son, with fibromyalgia so also very limited.other than that i have 1 granddaughter but she only comes if i can afford to pay her bus fares.i live 4/5 miles from the last 3. 9 miles from my sis n nephew. but even if i had more visitors i would still need to get out of my 4 walls. but can only do so by car. i have to use taxis to go to drs,chiropodists,my son or daughters. cost from £7 return for first 2. £14 return for son or daughters.to go nearest main town its just gone up to £12 each way so £24 return.my granddaughter has just got yet another part time pub job.they keep her on a few weeks but then when its coming up time to put her on the books, they get rid under some pretext or other.true or not i don’t know.this interferes with my sons housing /council tax benefits.and not in a small way. as she lives with him. coming up 21 he loses money on both those benefits. council tax just for her living there. housing benefit when she gets a job,.he’s been trying to get out of his upstairs flat for a long time now as it gets increasingly more difficult for him to get up n down the stairs to ground floor. but just as soon as they get rent arrears paid off, she gets another part time job and because it takes so long for HB / CT to be worked out, they get back in arrears and cant bid again for ground floor accommodation. they are in a 1 bedroom flat. she has to sleep on the couch.so you can imagine how we are all feeling right now. i have been able to help my son n daughter at times when needed.i wont be able to do that soon.between us we have struggled to keep that flat going for him.but how much longer?it will be me struggling to keep my bungalow going. my daughter will lose her carers. we wont have money between us for her to get here to do the jobs i can no longer do.(something the powers that be do not understand. being able to walk 50yards does not mean you can walk miles. it does not mean you can work. working involves use of arms and hands.back and shoulders. if you cant use any of those because of pain then you cant work.sorry to go on./ but i think we all feel so very deeply about whats happening.
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I am thinking of starting up a new political party, as campaigns against the Tories are futile.
This is back to the dark ages.
A political party does not have to be registered with the Electoral folk until it has sufficient members and backers.
But the party needs young feet for it to have legs and walk.
I can write up a manifesto easy, as I’m half Greek and watched SYRIZA go from
4 per of the vote to 30 per cent and become the official opposition,
in one month of two general elections.
Just because the law says fixed 5 term parliaments, does not mean it will last.
A general strike, constant huge marches in London and other big cities again and again, and the Tory wives getting her state pension wiped out along with the rest of us next April, might change things.
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/state-pension-at-60-now
I’m calling the proposed new party, a draft name for now.
Need 2 or 3 people to get it going.
The party would only exist in England.
Scotland has devolution to protect its poor with the SNP win.
Plaid Cymru can protect the devolved NHS and Wales is hoping to devolve welfare to them.
Ulster is not liable to UK pension laws that will mean nil state pension for the rest of us.
You’ll have to be quick. Who knows how long this knackered old woman with nil benefit, unable to work and nil state pension will last, disabled / chronic sick.
http://www.theswansnewparty.org.uk
is a nice free page I got. Has links to a cheap free website, not so good.
My blog is on a drop down menu from New Party page menu link.
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