If you carefully examine much of the campaigning done in the name of disabled people you will find that much of it assumes disabled people are second class citizens and reinforces this. By this, I mean it is often generally portrayed that people with impairments are poor, unemployed and have low expectations.
While in specific definitions of disability, like working aged adults claiming benefits, this could be seen as the case, it is not reflective of the total population. For the most part, impairment happens regardless of class or how much you for worth. The cost of managing impairments can also vary enormously and so having a Blue Badge can not be seen as a symbol of poverty.
However, the systems that manage disabled people, which include user led charity, seem to work on an assumption of poverty and unemployment. This can been seen by the fact most consultation exercises relating to disabled people are in day time office hours on an assumption we have nothing else to do.
We are not in a chicken and egg situation where we must wonder whether those who campaign/moan about disabled people being treated as second class citizens are helping things or simply re-enforcing dependency? Until we all demand disabled people take responsibility and raise the expectations placed upon them, I fear things are never going to change under charities let go and empower disabled people to be first class citizens.
Behind more drool 