Month: December 2015

I always felt that people didn’t expect very much of me because I was disabled. I don’t think anyone would do this maliciously or even consciously, but my annoyance at these adapted expectations has shaped me into the person I am today. Most of the time, i.e. when I am not mooching around the house and binge watching the Bridge, I am extremely driven and not only want to succeed, but help others to succeed too.

I have been going to Moorfields eye hospital ever since I was little. One year (not that long ago), I had a new consultant looking at my eyes. Whilst looking, he asked me some generic questions about my life, and then dropped the question; “Can you use a computer?” You can imagine my surprise! Then I thought about it, if he was making assumptions based on the state of my eyes alone, I must be blinder than I gave myself credit for. This means I am not clumsy (take that, lamp post), but I still don’t see (ha-ha…get it?) why I wouldn’t be able to use a computer. Things like that happen often, people can make very quick assumptions about what I can and can’t see (and therefore what I can and can’t do) without asking. I know they have the best intentions but it can get quite frustrating. I hear ‘You won’t be able to see that’ quite a lot. Did they somehow manage to steal my eyes when I wasn’t looking? I feel that the expectations society sets for someone who is disabled are lower than for a non-disabled person. This can have really damaging impacts. It can mean that a disabled child may not get the same level of independence (which can in turn have impacts on ones’ confidence). Therefore, when a child gets older, they may start putting limitations on themselves, for example, ‘I can’t travel by myself’ or ‘I couldn’t possibly get a degree’. I know this is the reality for quite a few disabled people. If other parents, like mine, support disabled children to live independently, give them room to make mistakes and (most importantly) let them grow, their child is a lot more likely to be independent and achieve more.

My drive comes from my experiences and my parents. My parents always held me to the same standards as my ‘normal’ sister. This meant that I was striving to get good grades, striving to go to university and to get a good job. My experiences have made me want to try so much harder, so I can continue breaking stereotypes and help others do it too.

I am now going to be on a Christmas break. My first post in the New Year will be on the 2nd of January. Have an amazing Christmas and I will see you all in the New Year! 🙂

You will be relieved to know that I am not linking disability with the likelihood of being a terrorist. However, recent terrorist attacks and a knife attack a few tube stops from our flat, have made me think about the impacts of terrorism to disabled people. I wondered if anyone had considered this before, and did some research. It’s a very niche area, but I did find one study about the impacts of terrorism to vulnerable people (Eisenman et al, 2008). It found that several vulnerable groups, including those who are disabled, reported more worry and avoidance behaviours because of concerns about terrorism. I think I fall into that category.

The UK Government have issued guidance about what to do in a terrorist attack. It essentially says don’t play dead, run away and get yourself behind a brick wall. Since reading this and hearing about recent events, I have been very fearful. If I was caught up in an attack, would I be able to see where they were aiming to shoot? How would I know where is safe to run? What would a terrorist do if I told them I was disabled? If I tell them, are they less likely or more likely to kill me? Would it make any difference if I had a disability that people could actually see? These questions have been buzzing around in my head since Paris. After a knife attack in east London yesterday, it is clear to me that I need to have some kind of plan to ensure that I don’t die in an attack. I think I shouldn’t leave the house by myself if I can avoid it. This means that a ‘normal’ person would help to keep me safe if there was an attack. I hate relying on other people, feeling constrained and I (generally) like taking risks. But, there are some things even I don’t feel powerful enough to take on.

In a primarily inclusive society, I was surprised about the lack of guidance for disabled people in the event of an attack. I would really like some guidance issued by the Government. It wouldn’t just be of help to me, there must be plenty of disabled people asking the same questions. Fear can be paralysing, disabled people seem to be more fearful than a ‘normal’ person (given the results from the study above) about an attack. Don’t disabled people deserve to be just as prepared for an attack, and have their fears addressed as much as possible?

Stay safe. The next blog will be more light hearted, I promise.