Scope's 'End the awkward' campaign

Former_MSE_Megan

What not to do when you meet someone with a disability..."Wow, you're so brave, are you on a special scheme?"

Check out Scope's new campaign to end the awkwardness around disability in this End the Awkward short film.

PS: Be prepared to cringe.

For more about Scope's campaign, you can visit their site here.

MrsEmma

This made me laugh! Especially the toilet thing as I had a similar senerio the other week.

Im sitting chilling waiting for my teenage daughter, My chair outside the building as i just needed it to get to the building not once i got there.

Lady Ive never met: 'Oh its so good to see you, did you find the toilet?'
Me: 'Escuse me?'
Lady Ive never met: 'The disabled toilet did you find it ok?'
Me: 'I don't need the toilet and if i did I don't need to use the disabled toilet'
Lady Ive never met: 'Would you like me to bring your chair in or do you need me to give you a hand to get to it?'
Me: (how did she think i got here!) Its fine over there thanks!

Same lady week after:

Lady Ive met once: 'How did you get here did somebody drive you?'
Me: 'Erm I drove'
Lady Ive met once: 'Oh (looked puzzled!)'

Made me think of her when i watched this

GlasweJen

Oh god, I have had people talk to me really slowly. I usually talk back the same way "I'm not deaf, I just need a wheelchair"

densol_2

MrsEmma wrote: »

This made me laugh! Especially the toilet thing as I had a similar senerio the other week.

Im sitting chilling waiting for my teenage daughter, My chair outside the building as i just needed it to get to the building not once i got there.

Lady Ive never met: 'Oh its so good to see you, did you find the toilet?'
Me: 'Escuse me?'
Lady Ive never met: 'The disabled toilet did you find it ok?'
Me: 'I don't need the toilet and if i did I don't need to use the disabled toilet'
Lady Ive never met: 'Would you like me to bring your chair in or do you need me to give you a hand to get to it?'
Me: (how did she think i got here!) Its fine over there thanks!

Same lady week after:

Lady Ive met once: 'How did you get here did somebody drive you?'
Me: 'Erm I drove'
Lady Ive met once: 'Oh (looked puzzled!)'

Made me think of her when i watched this

Yeah but what about the person who walks past and ignores someone in need ? That better ?

Id rather be asked if I was ok than bloody ignored. Ok the above person went a bit far but still better than those who ignore

Indie_Kid

GlasweJen wrote: »

Oh god, I have had people talk to me really slowly. I usually talk back the same way "I'm not deaf, I just need a wheelchair"

I had someone talk really slowly when I told them I'm partially sighted. Up until I mentioned the words "I'm partially sighted", they talked to me normally. Ok, you do have to be careful how you talk to me because of how I take things; but you don't need to start talking slowly and generally treating me like I'm stupid!

kiss_me_now9

Great campaign :T hopefully will get a few people to sit and think about their reactions to others!

MrsEmma

densol wrote: »

Yeah but what about the person who walks past and ignores someone in need ? That better ?

Id rather be asked if I was ok than bloody ignored. Ok the above person went a bit far but still better than those who ignore

This is why these videos are important, none of its ok! And thats the point, I wasn't in need.
Im new to using a wheelchair and I find it bloody hard. Not my wheelchair I love that as it gets me out and on with my daily life where i couldn't previously mostly.

But what I'm finding hard is when I'm not treated the same as I was before, especially when my whole family notice this even my youngest. Be that ignoring, staring, being patronising and making assumptions etc or just down right rude.

I really appreciate people who are helpful to me and for the most part people do talk to me like a human being are helpful and allow me to get on which is great and I'm really grateful for that. But theres around 10% of people who don't and that feels like a hell of a lot when your feeling self conscious anyway.

Theres a BIG difference between people being helpful and being over helpful, talking slowly and treating me like I'm an Alien. I think i would rather be ignored it doesn't play on my self esteem for so long. All of it contributes to making me feel different and it is mostly bought about by people just not knowing how to react.

GlasweJen

MrsEmma, the first few months are the hardest. The trick is to make people realise that they're being stupid without saying "what are you all about you moron".

In your scenario I would have just said something like "no the chair needs to take a walk every now again, gives it a bit of respite".

And the next week with the driving "no, I just wheel myself everywhere, can't fit a wheelchair in a car sear".

MrsEmma

I need to practice at my wit! That would have been a great response

GlasweJen

Believe me, you'll get there. Wheelchair users can't be quiet and shy or people will take it upon themselves to move you out their way, "park" you in corners or avoid all contact with you and talk to anyone else in the vincinity about you "do you know if she needs help". It drives me mad, I've recently started work in a hospital and patients actually move me about and try to take me to wards when I'm clearly in uniform and trying to self propel from a clinic back to the admin suite.