Hidden Disabilities Time To Fight Back

azjh77

I am not registered disabled, but as an asthmatic I often have trouble walking to the end of the road. I have often had to sit in the car while the family have gone shopping as I haven't had the 'puff' to walk around the shops... On a good day I can blow 180 on my peak flow and make it all the way to the shopping centre. Today I'm going to have trouble just walking up the stairs to bed.
Asthma is another of the well unrated hidden illnesses - is it classed as a disability? It sure feels like one when I'm hooked up to my nebuliser! ........................................Pity party over, I sound like a right miserable git now don't I!

System

I am very much aware that currently, one council is trialling a new disabled person card, especially to benefit anyone that is disabled but looks OK. I have copied something from another site which I hope might go some way to give everyone hope. As I get more information, I will pass it on. I make no apology for it being a bit lengthy.

Re: More on Disability Cards
The problem with the Nottinghamshire card at the moment is the way we have had to set it up (I use 'we' as I have been heavily involved with council officials and meet with them regularly to discuss progress). In order for the council to adopt the card idea, it had to be kept simple to administer, so we set it up with certain requirements. If I may, these are:
Registered blind or partially sighted
Hold a Blue badge permit (for the elderly who are too old to get DLA)
Receive one of the following: DLA (any rate for either care or mobility), Attendance Allowance or Industrial Injury Constant Attendance Allowance; Have a stoma.

The above were decided to keep costs down by using Disability Living Allowance as the filter. Let me explain why this had to be done. The council was contacted by the chair of a major disability group to ask if they could become a special case and not need DLA. Unfortunately, the condition varies from giving a bit of pain which can be dealt with by a couple of paracetamol to being a full time wheelchair user. With the spectrum of need, from none to very serious care needs, how does the council decide where to draw the line? If everyone has the card, then the card itself is devalued and worthless. If you have a scheme where applications have to vetted by a trained nurse and with an appeal system if turned down, the card would become too expensive for the council to consider doing. I was asked to discuss this with the chair of the local Crohn's Society. I explained this to her and we agreed that those of her members who should get DLA and don't that, then the problem is the fault of the DLA system rather than the disability card. She agreed that it is better for 850 people to benefit from the card (the current number) and a few to miss out than to introduce a scheme so expensive that the council could not afford to do it and then no-one gets a card and continues to suffer.

Under DLA, someone with a continence problem where they either wet or soil themselves from time to time should qualify for the lowest level of care component at the least (and probably higher, especially if this happens in bed as well - that would be middle or higher care) and so qualifies for the card. The stoma requirement is simply that someone has one or they haven't! If they have, then they need to use disabled toilets and so may experience discrimination.

We (the council and I) are really trying hard to get a national scheme going or, at the least, to get as many councils as possible on board to have cards in as many areas as possible. Now that the Commission for Social Care Inspection, CSCI (pronounced See-Sky for short) has said that this is something councils should be doing, it makes it far more likely that councils will start this, particularly when they learn that is is cost efficient -it costs nothing to run as the initial fee covers the costs of issuing and administration of the scheme.

And this came through since:-

Funny you should ask that question.... I was at County Hall today about another matter and was told that the Audit body is probably going to recommend that all councils join in to produce a national scheme for a disability card. I will be able to publish the full text when I get a copy at the end of the month.

So things are slowly happening.

Ames

Why should I have to carry a card as a disabled person? Surely that's just singling me out as different. It's happened in the past where one section of society had to have proof of their differences, and it ended up badly for them.

altocumulus

Ames, your comment is understandable.

I only carry a card in order to obtain discounts or freebies.

System

Ames wrote: »

Why should I have to carry a card as a disabled person? Surely that's just singling me out as different. It's happened in the past where one section of society had to have proof of their differences, and it ended up badly for them.

I am quite sure you are right in what you say. It may well be that by introducing this information regarding these cards perhaps out of context, might have been misleading. The person that has fought long and hard for these, did so out of sheer frustration from being cross-examined each and every time they used a disabled loo, something that is essential due to his personel condition. Maybe I should have presented his health issues prior to the quote, in order that it made for a better understanding. If and when these cards are made available, one would assume they will be optional, depending on whether an individual has a need for one.

robpw2

i took my friend yesterday to the cinema , he has knee problems and walks with sticks so i booked our seats in advance , after he finally got up the stairs we went into the screen to our designated aisle seat and there was an older lady sat in one of them so i asked her if she had been given my seat number as i had hers and the one next to hers and she was so rude ..
then after me asking again to see if there had been a mixup she went spose you want me to move then. I was like please as i booked these because of my friends condidtion .

Im usually the first to offer up my seat to those who need it , even if it means putting myself in pain but i feel bad for them but not when they are rude and abusive when they can see why i booked certain seats.

hilstep2000

My disability is hidden too. I have MS. Some days it's really good, and some days it's really bad.:o
My daughter gave an elderly couple a mouthful when they made a comment about my blue badge. Most of the time, I say "You can have my badge and my MS, I'll have your health!" That usually shuts them up!:rotfl:

I've found if I use my stick or wheelchair, people are nicer to me, but why should I have to explain myself? My disability is my problem, which I think I deal with pretty well. It's other people who are ignorant, and you can't change that!:T

robpw2

i have noticed with sticks and wheelchairs people cannot be patient they tend to bump into my friend alot or try to squueeze past him when hes in his wheelchair or just staand in his way .

woosh0

I have a condition called spina bifida occulta with ankylising spondylsis and bony growths on my vertebrae. Ok so I have good days and I have bad but just get on with my life. On several occasions when I have displayed my blue badge to park I have received the odd sarcastic comment. eg. [EMAIL="She@s"]She's[/EMAIL] too young to be disabled, I'll bet thats not her blue badge,I can't see that she's disabled etc etc. I will not be intimidated and neither will I use my stick or wheelchair unless I absolutely have to. All I say to these ignorant people is "since when have I seen you in clinic?" or " since when did you qualify to be my consultant?" If I do get another remark I suggest to them to get in touch with the traffic warden or car park attendant to make an official complaint as to get a blue badge you should qualify for tax exemption on the vehicle which is automatically displayed on the tax disc. This always resolves any issues.:j

bigturnip

I think the card thing could be a good idea, so long as it is an opt-in service and the cards aren't issued automatically. It's no different to cards already offered by some charities to explain people's disabilities, but hopefully it would be instantly recognisable and avoid the need to keep explaining things to people.

However there are two things about it that concern me, firstly people who don't wish to carry a card may end up being ostracised and finding it even more difficult to access services they need. Secondly I don't think for one minute it will stop the rude and abusive comments, as the people who make these comments aren't going to pay a blind bit of notice to a card which says disabled on it.

Essentially I guess it would be a blue badge for when you're not in a car.