Wheelchair week for MP's

littleacorn

Do you think it would be a good idea for the likes of Scope to have a wheelchair week for MP's?  It would raise the awareness of everyday barriers for wheelchair users and thing might change for the better. After all the Equality Act has not made life easier for us.

Hannah_Alumni

Hello @littleacorn

It would raise awareness! I am tagging @Tori_Scope who is one of our National Campaigns Officers  

CATP

littleacorn said:

Do you think it would be a good idea for the likes of Scope to have a wheelchair week for MP's?  It would raise the awareness of everyday barriers for wheelchair users and thing might change for the better. After all the Equality Act has not made life easier for us.

i think it woud be a great idea as well. i woud love to help out if you have some ideas.

iive noticed so many times,ramps for example-clearly designed by people who arent using chairs-the angles need to be a lot softer.

and then a bad one at the moment-festivals are so ignorant on disabled fans even those who lay down tracks over bumpy grass clearly have never understood how dificult it is to push yourself over these tracks if you have arm and hand weakness to.

i asked creamfields acesiibility email a few questions about the festivals acesibility when tickets for this years whent on sale, i was really hoping i coud have gone to CF with my support staff.

the CF acesibility team said to me, "buy the tickets and we will answer your questions." ?? vile,no respect and no care for disabled peoples money.

i had always wanted to go to creamfields so i was extremely put off by that,im researching going to pacha in ibiza and a couple of other clubs instead if theyre acessable, the WAV taxis need booking months in advance or so ive read though.

DayDreamBeliever

I agree it would potentially raise awareness of the issues but also a part of me loathes the idea that they can just use mobility aids temporarily, get a mere slither of a taste of what it's like and then go back to their normal lives thinking they understand what it's like to be a wheelchair user. Instead id rather just see them actually listen to the experts (actual wheelchair users) and not only non disabled people who think they get it because they used a wheelchair for a week once. 

Whilst it might encourage some to seek changes I think it perpetuates the infantalisation of disabled folks, sort of like "they can't tell us what it's really like and what the true issues are so we need to see for ourselves". Like personally, I think in reality you (parliament) just need to listen to disabled people when they speak about the issues and what's important. It's not like there aren't disabled people campaigning and speaking out about these things. 

I'd prefer they just listen and give weight to what disabled people say rather than participate in a short-term stunt that makes it seem like they're taking the issues seriously when in reality they will most likely just go back to living their lives and forget all about it. But they'll look like the good guys because they took part 

littleacorn

@DayDreamBeliever I totally understand your point however as the MP's don't seem to change things at all or are very slow to do anything maybe its time to add this to our armoury. If they had to start the day getting out of bed and getting into a chair it might speed thing up. I am usually not favour of these kind of exercises but this has not been tried before so I think it's worth a shot.