Hidden Disabilities Time To Fight Back

mcspanna

nanokitten wrote: »

Taffyscot:
I think we all need to have it in our minds that what happened you in tescos was a hate crime and illegal:
you would have been fully within your rights to dial 999 and have the police deal with her. I understand your reaction to feel embarrassed but we must all try to remember that if she had been shouting racial slurs no one would have put up with it.
I guess next time you could consider pulling out your mobile and filming the incident, taking down a numberplate or the best thing, dial 999.

mcspanna: I guess you have to appreciate the irony, Most of us on this tread are being dicriminated against for not looking poorly enough, you've getting descriminated against for looking too poorly!

Tiannalee and blue monkey, this applies to you too:
I think that as long as you made it clear that it was your personal opinion and you tell the truth, you should be ok to name and shame (check with the board guide if you are worried).
I understand you get fed up complaining but let us know who the baddies are and I'm sure you'll feel better. That sort of publicity is very damaging to companies. if the companies had an objection they would have to take you to court and prove they welcomed you with open arms and gave you your carers reduction,

What happened to you all, in my opinion, qualifies as a hate crime too (a criminal act motivated by ones disability is a hate crime. The criminal act was denying the facility or service on the basis of their disability, a crime under the disability discrimination act.)

I guess once you've written one letter you can use the same template letter.
Maybe we should have a thread with template complaint letters - your building is not accessible, I was verbally abused in your carpark, you banned my child, I went up the escalator and couldn't get down.... I can think of loads already!

:beer: Nanokitten, I can still remember being in an english class at school the day I learnt the meaning of irony...it has to be one of the most common words in my vocabulary :rotfl:

I'd agree that what taffyscot and others have had to put up with is a hate crime, I also understand how scarey it is and therefore the first reaction is generally flight rather than fight. Personally I would love to have the time and energy to complain more but when it is such a common occurance it is difficult!

I've just done a google search for sample letters and it brings up a few but they seem to be for specific conditions...I'm sure there used to be something more generic from the Disability Rights Commission but since they changed to the Equality Human Rights Commission I find their website impossible to navigate...I shall try to find something useful and post back later

altocumulus

When I wore hearing aids, everyone thought they brought a hearing loss upto perfect!!! therefore they were often less than patient and often just gave up trying to explain things to me....

Now I can't wear aids, people look at you as if you are thick....
Even health professionals. When I went private for hearing aids the audiologist always treated me as an individual and made conscious effort to ensure I understood what was being said.
In the NHS (sorry), all the audiologists, who have treated and tested my hearing, have marked the values accurately on their graphs and then they continue to whisper or mumble even though their experience should indicate how difficult it must be for me to hear what they are saying.

Luckily no bus driver has, yet, challenged why I have a disabled pass... At least on a train one is already sitting down when the conductor comes round...

GlasweJen

I've never been challenged by a bus driver but i have for a rail card because there's no photo on it. My problem on buses is old people or people with sticks tutting when i get my card out to put it on the machine or making comments about not knowing the meaning of disabled. It's a pity i don't have "heart patient" tattoed on my forehead.

Shomac

I was challenged by a bus driver last week, yes, its a terrible foto on my card, (the photo booth chair moved), but it is little me.

As i got to the end of the cul-de-sac, i saw the bus approaching, so i stuck out my hand & the blooming thing went flying past me.

So i emailed the bus company & was informed, that it was dangerous for the driver to stop, unless it was a designated stop.

Well, its a funny thing, but when i get to the bottom of the cul-de-sac any other time, the buses stop to let me on & i dont always have my stick with me.

So, i keep smiling & swear at them under my breath. As for the auld dears who shout at me for taking up the disabled seats on the bus, my mum joined the local grab a granny club & now they pat me on the head, im 47!!!:rotfl:

painted_lady

I have a hidden disability and get strange looks when using disabled toilets, even though bladder and kidney problems are a major part of my disability. I dont have a blue badge but might apply for one again, waiting to see what level of DLA I get on renewal. If I get middle again I will get my GP to write me a letter for one.

Horace

Taffyscot - I have every sympathy with you with regard to supermarket parking. That rude woman has a lot to answer for with her silly attitude. Whilst I don't park in a disabled bay, I have been known to park in the parent and child bays when I am with my mother. I can remember once when we parked in such a bay at the supermarket, we were told off until my mother cut the woman short and said "I have every right to park in this space, because this girl (pointing to me - then aged 39) is my child":rotfl: There's not a lot you can say to that.:rotfl:

Savvy_Sue

Horace wrote: »

I can remember once when we parked in such a bay at the supermarket, we were told off until my mother cut the woman short and said "I have every right to park in this space, because this girl (pointing to me - then aged 39) is my child":rotfl: There's not a lot you can say to that.:rotfl:

There is now many supermarkets have labelled them for parents / carers with children under 3 or so, because they WERE being abused like this ...

Not that I have a problem with anyone doing this if they need to. It's a bit of a nightmare taking my dad out these days because he doesn't walk well but doesn't have a blue badge. He asks me to stop in all sorts of impossible places, and I just won't do it! If I was taking him to the supermarket, I would probably stop in a disabled space and let him out, then go and park elsewhere, because that's perfectly possible for him at the moment. Trouble is he has an annoying habit of getting out of the car before I've finished manoeuvring, then wandering off leaving the door wide open.

Mind you we do seem to have a bit of a problem here: those with hidden disabilities don't want to be challenged because they don't LOOK disabled, but equally we don't want those without disabilities using disabled parking spaces, but how do we educate people if no-one challenges them, politely of course?

I have sometimes ferried a friend with a blue badge around, and we must look quite suspicious when we arrive, because we both get out and walk off quite normally. It's on his return that you can see why he needs it. I've only used it legitimately, but would not have minded a polite enquiry along the lines of did I realise I was in a disabled space etc.

morag1202

12 yrs ago a very good friend of mine was challenged in a supermarket car park - we both looked fit. She smiled sweetly and pointed to her blue badge and said "oh, you get one automatically if you have terminal cancer" We were still laughing abt the reaction she got 2 days b4 she died. The thing was, she didn't mean it as a put down and wanted the ground to swallow her up the moment she said it.

maytaurus

painted_lady wrote: »

I have a hidden disability and get strange looks when using disabled toilets, even though bladder and kidney problems are a major part of my disability. I dont have a blue badge but might apply for one again, waiting to see what level of DLA I get on renewal. If I get middle again I will get my GP to write me a letter for one.

The Blue Badge parking scheme

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/MotoringAndTransport/DG_4001061

luxor4t

GlasweJen wrote: »

My problem on buses is old people or people with sticks tutting when i get my card out to put it on the machine or making comments about not knowing the meaning of disabled. It's a pity i don't have "heart patient" tattoed on my forehead.

I thought about this thread & your situation as I heaved myself up onto the disabled-unfriendly bus today & found all the access seats at the front taken.

Most passengers fitted the 'disabled' stereotype (ie grey hair, sticks etc) but one middle-aged lady(who was taking up another seat with her bag) looked away as I smiled at her while I limped towards the back of the bus. I was just trying to be friendly!