Month: March 2013

Could I try wrestling again?

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About 10 years ago I tried olympic style wrestling and even competed in non-disabled competitions. While I was not the best, I tried and I enjoyed it, it was also good to just try something because I could and it was great being a part of a non disabled event.

 

I still have my wrestling leotards and boots, and I am wondering if I could try wrestling again? I have come through a terrible period of illness over the last ten years and I am now feeling healthier than I have felt in a long time despite my impairment and other difficulties and I really want to try more and do more. I also believe from experience you can never say never so who knows? So when we finally get some decent weather I may certainly give wrestling a try again!

 

If you like what I say, have a look at my site at www.simonstevens.com or follow me on twitter, @simonstevens74, or even leave me feedback on +44 (0)121 364 1974 or email simon@simonstevens.com  

 

Well, the taxpayers pays for everything, don’t they?!

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This was the remark made by a fellow ILF users and so-called activists when I challenged her to why she supported the high court case, as a waste of money, and I think it is a remark which really sums up the arrogance that now exists within the so-called movement. We have a generation of middle class disability activists who entire existence is funded by the state. Even if the work it is an user-led charity which receives public money since the charity is paid to control the voice of disabled people.

 

So with their socialist values, they have led themselves to believe the state revolves around them and that they are not responsibility to others. It is an attitude we must challenge and conquer if we can ever achieve true equality for disabled people.

 

If you like what I say, have a look at my site at www.simonstevens.com or follow me on twitter, @simonstevens74, or even leave me feedback on +44 (0)121 364 1974 or email simon@simonstevens.com  

 

Liberation politics is the new oppression

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Since I went to university I have been involved in liberation politics in one way or another. I see liberation politics as the politics of empowering ‘minority groups’ to achieve equality regardless of gender, race, ability, sexuality and so on. I have always believed in liberation politics as fundamental to my own values but I am concerned that in terms of disability, liberation politics has been corrupted.

 

It is clear to me that the many user led charities that were formed to empower disabled people and campaign on their behalf for a better and more equal society as actually become the oppressors. It is okay to campaign for what we have not yet achieved but when organisations refuse to acknowledge the achievements made and continue campaigning in the need to prevent disabled people feeling empowered, so the charity can survive, then we do have a problem and this is indeed what is happening.

 

Things are never perfect but disabled people have far more opportunities than they had ten or twenty years ago and they can achieve more without these charities getting in the way by teaching them they are still oppressed, simply because of their own denial.

 

If you like what I say, have a look at my site at www.simonstevens.com or follow me on twitter, @simonstevens74, or even leave me feedback on +44 (0)121 364 1974 or email simon@simonstevens.com  

 

Aspirational oppression

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I have noticed over the last few years that charities like to use a clearer trick to disempower disabled person and especially their own service users which I call aspirational oppression. The trick is to design, with their users, a list of top levels ‘aspirational’ goals for everyone to get excited about, like the right to have accessible housing, with the belief it is too big to be achieved in their lifetime. This than makes the users happier to accept the second class existence the charity is prepared to offer them.

 

There are two points with this. The first is these aspirations are a way for the charity to claim to control the destiny of their users when in reality this may indeed not be the case. And the second is the goals set, like accessible transport, have already been achieved but the charity need people to believe otherwise they will lose control over their users and funding from the public.

 

It is just one way charities abuse disabled people and others in this era of political correctness since when they were just patronising, it was clear what they were doing.

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If you like what I say, have a look at my site at www.simonstevens.com or follow me on twitter, @simonstevens74, or even leave me feedback on +44 (0)121 364 1974 or email simon@simonstevens.com  

 

Saving ILF may cause more cuts

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There is a gaggle of middle class and mostly female ILF users portraying themselves as one minute disability activists, backed by a secretive, hostile and dangerous socialist movement, who are doing anything they can to save ILF, like it was a prisoner of death row, or an animal needing saving. Their logical is flawed and frankly stupid because saving the organisation called the Independent Living Fund, may not achieve their real objective of preventing the government of cutting their support.

 

As I have said before, I believe if the government is forced to keep the fund open, whether or not it becomes open to new users (which these activists do not care about), the focus of the government will be to ask the fund to establish a new eligibility criteria with the intention of making cuts. It is clear there are service users that have enjoyed a level of comfortable lifestyle at the public’s expense without being made accountable for their outcomes and this is why they are probably scared the council will burst their bubble and bring them back to the real world. Why should some pensioners have support to enjoy endless days of leisure while non-ILF users are having it hard to get the basics? And remember these are users who have a very low opinion of people who are in residential care, thinking them better off dead!

 

I believe that these nasty activists should stop wasting time, effort and money on saving an organisation who will simply be forced to cut ALL our support, and start campaigning about what will benefit all disabled people and not just themselves.

 

If you like what I say, have a look at my site at www.simonstevens.com or follow me on twitter, @simonstevens74, or even leave me feedback on +44 (0)121 364 1974 or email simon@simonstevens.com  

 

The bedroom tax

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I live in a three bedroom place, one bedroom is for myself, one is for my live-in volunteer and the third ‘bedroom’ is my office, where I am typing this article. This means as someone on housing benefit with one “spare” bedroom I am going to be affected by the bedroom tax and there is not a lot I can do about it.

 

The ironic thing is I actually agree with the principles of the tax but I am not sure it has been properly thought through. The aim was to free up social housing by encouraging people to transfer down to properties when they had spare rooms but the fact pensioners are except when they are the ones who are holding onto homes too big for them means the whole point has been lost.

 

I think that in the end people on the high rate of care component of DLA will be except from the tax because there are so many different and valid reason why a disabled people with support needs may need a spare room. The media are going to be full of very reasonable examples of why it is not working for disabled people and the government will be force to concede the point within the next six months.

 

We need to wait and see how far the mess with the bedroom tax goes.

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If you like what I say, have a look at my site at www.simonstevens.com or follow me on twitter, @simonstevens74, or even leave me feedback on +44 (0)121 364 1974 or email simon@simonstevens.com  

 

Youthful memories

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It is sometimes great to take a bath in my own memories and simply smile at the many wonderful things I have experiences in my lifetime including the places I have visited, things I have tried and  people I have met. These memories keep me young and reminds me how since I was very young, I have always been a very positive person. Even when I was 3 I told people with confidence I would be a writer and run my own business.

 

Many people think that because I have cerebral palsy, my quality of life is compromised but I challenge anyone to have a better collections of memories than I have. If people could share just a fraction of the memories I have, from the opportunities I have made for myself, they would be very lucky people and everyone should be able to enjoy life as I have.

 

 

If you like what I say, have a look at my site at www.simonstevens.com or follow me on twitter, @simonstevens74, or even leave me feedback on +44 (0)121 364 1974 or email simon@simonstevens.com  

 

Time for payback

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As I suggest in my blog yesterday, accessibility has been steadily improving for disabled people for the last 40 years, as well as having more rights an improved attitudes. It is now time for disabled people to begin ‘returning the favour’ and start paying back to society by taking the opportunities provided to them and taking responsibility for their actions.

 

I am fed up of hearing from ‘activists’ how bad things are because they are not getting their own way since we have never had it so good. Disabled people are on the verge on full inclusion and equality but they must do their part and let go of the past and embrace the future. I sadly fear that  many disabled people are not able or willing to do this and society is now waiting for them to catch up.

 

If you like what I say, have a look at my site at www.simonstevens.com or follow me on twitter, @simonstevens74, or even leave me feedback on +44 (0)121 364 1974 or email simon@simonstevens.com  

 

The investment in an accessible environment

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Since the part M building regulations in 1970, buildings have needed to be physically accessible, especially after the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act. You can therefore argue that over the last 40 years that accessibility have been a key component of the investment made by all sectors and this can not be ignored.

 

In terms of physical access, we do live to the most part in the social model world disabled people fought for. The country is more accessible and we should have disabled people being more positive and using what society has given them. If some disabled people are still complaining about barriers as a reason to stay at home and do nothing, society has wasted money providing something that was not wanted.

 

We must respect what we have achieved and not just take it for granted, claiming nothing has changed,

 

If you like what I say, have a look at my site at www.simonstevens.com or follow me on twitter, @simonstevens74, or even leave me feedback on +44 (0)121 364 1974 or email simon@simonstevens.com  

 

Helping people with their baggage

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One element of ‘social care’ which is increasing but is still very much ignored is the assistance travel companies give disabled people and others with their baggage. Whether it is at train stations, coach stations or airports, this simple service gives freedom and independence to so many people.

 

The demand for these services are growing, partly because many older people now think its a right and perk of the service. This is clearly adding strain and cost to services which I fear will result in new rules and restrictions being put in place that may harm the people the services were originally designed for.

 

These sort of mainstreamed social care systems are what the government and local councils  would support and encourage as a way of ensuring more disabled people can be independent without needing formal support.

 

If you like what I say, have a look at my site at www.simonstevens.com or follow me on twitter, @simonstevens74, or even leave me feedback on +44 (0)121 364 1974 or email simon@simonstevens.com