Month: August 2013

Let the autumn work begin

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As I come back from my week in Belgium, it is now to look forward to the autumn ahead and the latest chapters in work and adventures for me. I never know what I am doing from one month to another which can be frustrating in terms of planning my finances but also exciting in terms of not knowing what is coming around that corner.

 

Day by day steadily and slowly I am becoming more organised, more stable, more influential and more well known as each day remains a day worth living. This autumn will see my campaigning and other work go to the next level as other things full into place. I therefore look forward to getting back to work and getting stuck right back in!

 

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  


Lifejackets need crotch straps

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As someone who has tried a whole range of water sports throughout my life and as someone who can not swim unaided, I have gained the understanding that an important component of any lifejacket is the crotch strap(s). The strap(s) are important because they stop the jacket from riding up and potentially going off in the water. Because of my movements, this is very important and I prefer to never where lifejackets that do not have crotch straps!

 

It is often these little things that keep me safe and makes all the difference.

 

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  

                                           

They huff and puff

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Regular readers will have realised that as well as doing this blog, I am also now also blogging for the Huffington Post on a weekly to twice weekly basis, this is a very interesting experience, It is interesting that some of my articles so far has received few comments while other articles have received many more comments, My article of Urban Myths and ATOS received a total of 88 comments on the article itself, along with endless comments elsewhere, all is which have been quite negative and hostile, even personally hateful towards me.

 

It is interesting that how when people start to huff and puff, it seems to explode into a barrage of comments as they fail to understand what I have said, make huge assumptions about myself as well as making lie upon lie about how I am. It has been hurtful but I am thick skins and will not back down because a mob has decided they do not like me.

 

People can huff and puff all they like, but my house is not going to fall down!

 

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  


Just being blunt

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Yes, I admit it, I am often very blunt in how I explain what I see and what I think, and that is just all I am. With a speech impairment and someone who get tired easily, I sometimes do not have time to waste on niceness and when something needs to be said, I just say it! I may offend people but I am never rude and too personal, not in comparison to how others can respond to me. 

 

While my bluntness can be seen as a weakness, it can also be seen as a strength as I feel honestly above many qualities because too few people are to me about what they think of me, as well as what they think about themselves and others. If I can use my bluntness to help others be challenged to think differently, then I think that is better for everyone.

 

Bluntness is a quality I value and I will not be trying to change that.

 

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  


My week in Water

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I have a passion from watersports and I have been a water baby since well I was a baby! So getting the chance to spend a week in a wetsuit doing something I really enjoy is a dream come true and this is exactly what I am doing this week, windsurfing in Belguim, having my first holiday of any kind since Christmas. Sitting on my board in my wetsuit, booties, helmet and lifejacket, I can really blow the cobwebs away and prepare myself for the Autumn ahead.

 

The most difficult part of the week will be putting on and taking off my wetsuit, a nightmare especially if you have cerebral palsy. But a wetsuit keeps you warm by using your own body heat to warm up the water trapped by the wetsuit (as opposed to a drysuit that keeps you dry) and therefore it needs to be skintight to work. I am many kind of wetsuits for different types of activities at different times of the year. I found two piece wetsuits easier to put on, but it all depends on what you are doing and how warm the time of year is.

 

But it is so great to have a whole week in water and I am very happy indeed,

 

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 may be wrong

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I say what I see and what I think but despite how others portray me, this does not mean I believe I am always right. I am an individual who represents no one but myself and I never design to deliberately upset people, but to say things I believe in a way others may see as blunt but nevertheless truthful. I am not prefect and I have always accepted that I may be wrong but maybe people are things are wrong.

 

I think people feel to understand that in the way that I see the world, what other people say about disabled people being victims or imply as such I find deeply offensive and I feel I have the right to challenge them. While they seem to be allowed to be as hostile and rude as they wish, I am attacked for challenge them with passion that I am told I must be polite. Well, I am sorry but I rather be wrong and imperfect than political correct all the time!

 

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  

 

Windsurfing sitting down

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As you read this, I will be on my way to Belgium to attend an international disabled windsurfing camp. I was always fascinated by windsurfing but I wondered how on earth I would be able to do it since standing up, my balance is so poor. When I had the idea that actually I could sit down on the board, it become to make perfect sense and on this camp, I windsurf sitting down.

 

It is a really empowering experience moving the board just by the wind. Wearing a wetsuit and lifejacket, I am reassured that if I fell off that will not get too cold and I am safe. It is also I have to travel to Belgium to find somewhere they does adapted windsurfing as I do not know anywhere in the UK offering it, other than myself having one to one lessons  where I am adapting a mainstream service.

 

We are all find a way of trying things we find interesting if we are determined enough.

 

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  


Can people be more positive?

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On social media and in other forums, I meet a lot of people, especially disabled people, who are quite negative about their situation and I must wonder to myself, can people be possible? I strongly believe that attitude is everything and for example it is not often the amount of money that causes poverty but rather our attitude towards money. While I know things can just not feel difficult but actually be difficult, it will often be sheer determination that will make the different between succeeding and failing.

 

While people can receive support to be possible, they also have a responsibility to grit their teeth and be as positive as they can. It can be hard but determine has its bigger rewards as opposed to playing the victim.

 

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  

 

What do I want?

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It to now very clear to me that so many people do not understand how I am and what I want, assuming and believing my objective is to harm disabled people for profit.  The reality is I really want a better quality of life experiences and opportunities for everyone especially disabled people, especially those with significant impairments. I want the next generation of disabled people to be fully included in society as contributing members of society.

 

I am very passionate about the human potential of disabled people and the value they bring to others, and how disabled people can be supported to find themselves and their goal. I am tough on people when they need that push to stop feeling sorry for themselves and start being positive about what they do can. I want people to be happy, not miserable, and I truly believe this is possible.

 

I want good things and that requires hard work and commitment many seem unwilling to put in.

 

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 we bother educating disabled people?

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Many disabled people with live long conditions consider themselves unable or unfit for work and can be assessed and tested accordingly, currently writing them off as able of make any contribution to society. So why do we not go a step further and use ATOS to assess people to see if they were worthy of an education if they will never be able to work? Using this logic, it means fair not to waste money educating people who will not benefit from it!

 

It is interesting of the disabled people who are capable of going to university and work hard to get a degree, and are then supposedly unable to work for one and other excuses! Why did society bother wasting money of providing a higher education to people who never really intended to use it. It is these double standards that really reveals how much disabled can or can not work! 

 

I believe every disabled person should in reality have an education because I believe in one way or other, the majority of disabled people can work.

 

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