 |
 |
hello everyone Yesterday there was a knock at our door! A person was delivering the National statistics "census 2001" form. They asked for a few details like "my name" and then gave me the form to fill in. I explain that I'm a disabled person unable to fill the form in and asked what arrangements there were for people like myself. All they could say was haven't you got a friend who can help you with this. They also showed census helpline phone number. I didn't see any obvious reference towards disabled people who perhaps needed help. Surely this is discrimination with help line phone number, "not be free phone number" is surely more discrimination. If people able to fill the form in with out costing them any finance then surely it's discrimination forcing people with disabilities needing help to have to pay for trying to get this form completed. Remember it's a legal requirement to complete form and return. So what's the point of government providing anti discrimination legislation and claiming recognition of disabled peoples needs and don't appear to ensure equal opportunities themselves. Surely there should be a freephone number and a clear visual logo for people have impairments my severe dyslexia along with other recognised formats for different impairments. However that's this would clash with some disability activists who don't like use of wheelchair logo for "general disability". This logo was so valuable for myself with severe dyslexia recognising that the logo could indicate help, information or support that I may need. It seems that some disabled people are voicing around their needs and forgetting other disabled peoples needs. Logos are so valuable for people like myself and the National Organisation, BCODP don't see to recognise this as they don't use the disability logos to allow people like myself to recognise they are an organisation representing disability. Anyway at the end of the day with all the money and groups time spent on campaigning for disability rights and a national census form from government doesn't provide equal opportunities for me! This in the UK the not so Great Britain!!! I guess I'm not happy with disability movements failing to recognise those who have different difficulties. I'm also annoyed with myself because I haven't used the wheelchair logo on my web site "hi2u 4 people with hidden impairments" in fear of upsetting those disability activists who aren't recognising my difficulties that many others have. Well just thought I would share this with you. Bye for now, Andy www.hi2u.org There could be mistakes as I'm using voice recognition software. Perhaps I should mention that I am a wheelchair user too. This note was made on Saturday 13th April 2001. End of E-mail ________________End of message______________________ Archives and tools for the Disability-Research Discussion List are now located at: www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html You can JOIN or LEAVE the list from this web page.