Month: April 2013

A Social responsibility to be positive

NewImage
Without wanting to blow my own trumpet, I am a role model for other disabled people because of my work and my growing influence. I therefore feel I have a social responsibility to be positive and I feel this extends of many well known disabled people and activists. 
If a well known black people like Lenny Henry or a gay people like Graham Norton were to say  they believe they were better off dead because they were black/gay, or people like them were all going to suffer at the hands of the government, they would be public outcry. But it is okay for a never ending of newbie paralympians to feel the need to voice their misinformed fears about the government reforms because they believe it is politically correct to do so.
The biggest barrier for disabled people is their own attitude and self doubt, and it is wrong for well known disabled people to exploit that for their own agendas, as they often have the power to help or hinder the true inclusion of real 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  

I’m 39 today

NewImage

Today I am 39 and now just one year from the big four zero! Another great year has flown by in what remains a great life. While others complain about their lot, I can not be more happy as we live in an enlightened age when technology has provided individuals like myself than freedom to  exchange with the whole world in a way not possible at any other time.

 

I am indeed exactly where I want to be in my life and heading in the direction I want to be going. If I had met myself at this age when I was eighteen I would have been very proud, although I may be disappointed I was not richer or even in a mansion! Indeed,  I believe anyone who has ever known me will not be surprised about where I am and what I have achieved.

 

I am off to Birmingham to enjoy a meal and celebrate another great year of my life! 

 

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  

 

I have a fun side

NewImage

People who read my blogs and my tweets may get the impression that I am a hard nosed activist who is always too serious but I do indeed have a fun side. I am not just talking about my stardom in I’m Spazticus but also the fact I can as much fun as anyone else. I am never too proud to deny my inner child and I have chilling, going out to restaurants, shopping and  of course water sports!

 

For me, disability is my work but it is not my life since while I am proud to have cerebral palsy, I do not define myself as being always disabled but merely the times I am facing direct discrimination or as a political term used in my work. When I am off duty, I am just Simon looking to enjoy life in any way I can.

 

I love laughing and I love making other people laugh, I think it is indeed a true sign of intelligence and a way to break down barriers. So when you meet me, prepare to chuckle as you get to see the whole of me and not just the political side you see in my blogs.

 

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  


Talking Rubbish

NewImage

Another hostile criticism I often get from people who do not like what I say is that I am talking rubbish. My initial response to this is we can appear to talk rubbish when people do not understand what you mean. I acknowledge that I write concisely and I tend to say my conclusions without explaining my thinking to the greatest detail. That said, I can indeed explain everything I say to the point to goes all the way back to one plus one equals two.

 

When I read a lot of stuff from some people, I really not sure that they have put any thought into what they are saying because it is often that I simply do not understand their logic for the wild statements they make rather than I disagree with them. Their arguments are often too disjointed and based on myths and so it is hard to believe they understand the full picture. It is not a problem, the problem is however the liberal media knowingly exploits this ignorance to present their rubbish as fact to an unsuspecting public.

   

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  

 

Having understanding

NewImage

As you can imagine my strong and often controversial views attracts criticism while can be constructive and can indeed be quite hostile. I am also told I simply do not understand especially when I challenge claims ‘sick people’ have more barriers than disabled people, a claim I find offensive.

 

My understanding of disability issues does not just come from my own extensive experiences nor I am an anti-tory nutter disguising myself as an one minute wonder disability activists to spout medical model hate speech. I am someone with almost forty years total experience living, working and playing with disabled people from all backgrounds. I have over twenty years working with many organisations from many sectors on many issues.

 

I do not see disability as a singular but as a whole large map of opinion and experience which I help others to navigate ensuring they can understand how their actions will affect different disabled people in different ways. I am not the one using awful stereotypes for political gain regardless of how many people it offended.

 

Understanding disability is far more complex than people realise and most people claiming to talk for disabled people demonstrate their ignorance by even attempting to do this, 

 

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  

 

Do I lack compassion?

NewImage

Many readers will undoubtedly be aware of my strong concerns about the attacks on the welfare reforms and my concerns that many people are claiming to be disabled for all the wrong reasons. I have been told by a few so-called activists that I lack compassion and I think it is an interesting point to discuss.

 

I do strongly believe everyone should get the support their need to fulfil their desired outcomes, so long as its lawful, regardless of who they are. What I am pointing out is what they think they are entitled to because they have fallen in love with the label of disability may have very little to do with what they actually need. I also strongly believe having a negative or hostile attitude about ‘being disabled’ is not helpful at all and is damn wrong, and until people can pass their anger, they can no be helped and no amount of cash will satisfy their obsessive need for pity.

 

I feel I am the one with compassion and it is others who lack compassion since I am not the one  to believe disabled people should be left on benefits because they are unemployable victims of society. I am not the one refusing to disabled people for what they can achieve as equal members of society rather than focusing on their impairments in a nasty socialist attack of the government.

 

I believe I will be remembered for playing my part in defending the dignity of disabled people from those who have mistaken their disgraceful pity for so-called compassion.

 

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 truth about my situation

NewImage

When it comes to the so-called welfare cuts, the truth is for my personal situation is that I see no cuts or changes to my benefits apart from the bedroom tax but since I work from home with one bedroom as my office, I am not sure I can really complain. My PIP assessment will not be for at least two years and despite the hype the facts of my impairment may mean they may not even waste time and money on a face to face assessment but if they do, I will embrace it with dignity and humour as I am confident I am the person I believe I am.

 

In terms of the ILF closure and the future of my personal support, I am also confident but not complacent. After a bad experience from a nasty social worker many years ago, I have prepared lots of self assessment material of my needs, outcomes and risks which I am continuously refining and I am prepared to argue every second of my support to the nth degree.

 

So this is the truth about my situation and I believe this is more truthful of the paranoid ramblings of the newbie disabled, one minute activist or young paralympian trying to impress, which the disablist liberal media are exploiting to paint their picture of misery for their personal delight.

 

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  

 

It should be about facts not feelings

NewImage

It is clear to me that the majority of the articles by the disablist liberal media on the changes to the welfare state talk about how people feel rather than based on any clear facts. The simple reason for this is the facts will prove not live up to the disastrous predictions they are hopeful for in their ideologically attack on the government.

 

It is very easy to lead any disabled person to feel and therefore believe they will lose their benefit, assuming of course they are really disabled and have not been fooled into believing that also. This however has nothing to do with the fact that most disabled people will not lose their DLA/PIP. The people who will their DLA are likely to include people who are alcohol or drug dependent who have been abandoned by the NHS and while qualify as being disabled, may not reflect what the intention of the benefits were designed for.

 

We can not predict the future and it is deeply offensive for the nasty anti-cut movement, the same people who are disgustingly celebrating the death of Margaret Thatcher, to boil down the quality of my life to whether I am written off by being given DLA to disappear. We need facts not feelings but feelings are the only weapon people abusing disabled people 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  


The onion exercise

NewImage

I was first introduced to the Onion Exercise when I was at an ‘European Human Bridges’ youth seminar in Stockholm in 1997. The exercise immediately struck a chord with myself and it is now an exercise I use when I am assisting people to develop themselves and especially their  personal identity.

 

The exercise uses an onion to show a person’s identity where each ring of the onion represents a different level of importance. The things people put towards the outer edge of the onion may be more visible but less important like someone’s hobbies or where they live,  while those in the middle are things which are more important to their core identity but maybe less visible like their faith or impairment. The exercise works on the basis that our identity is made up of many components which may or not be important including our background, our hobbies, our likes and so on.

 

The exercise can be the first time a person can see their identity for themselves as well as be able to show others and this can indeed be a powerful tool in helping people move forward with who they are and where they wish to be.

 

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  

 

Why do disabled people moan?

NewImage

I was talking to a friend who also has cerebral palsy a few days ago and she remarked they are two types of disabled people, those who are disabled and those who claim to be disabled. Those who are disabled very much get on with it because there have nothing to prove to others and see the greatest barrier in their lives as the attitude of others. Those who are claiming to be disabled often have major identity issues and need other people to see them as disabled and so moaning about their situation is a tool to impose their needs of others.

 

People claiming to be disabled are likely to have the same prejudices towards disabled people as anyone else and as they attempt to claim to be the voice of disabled people, they cause great harm to real disabled people as they reinforce prejudices. Since the wider society are ignorant of the situation and happy to attempt the voice of so-called disabled people who look okay and agree with their low opinion of disabled people as equal citizens, real disabled people have been pushed out the organisations claiming to represent them! And it is only a few people like myself who are prepared to challenge this terrible situation.

 

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