A bit of inspiration

loony · May 25

what do you all think to this attempt at a poem?

Catherine21 · May 25

What I needed to hear today Thankyou 🙌 I love it

Rosie_Scope · May 25

Great poem @loony, thank you for sharing it with us ☺️

Bluebell21 · May 25

Brilliant poem @loony I am glad you shared it with us. Take care.

Pickle72 · May 25

loved the poem. Thanks for sharing your wonderful poem.

steve63 · May 25

People need to be educated in order to get rid of the ignorance in society towards so many people, especially those with hidden disabilities.

I’ve suffered from epilepsy for over 60 years and worked for 40 years but my last employer who I left just last year, often discriminated against me for having epileptic fits or dissociative seizures at work. I had a substantial amount of money deducted from my pay, but if I discriminated against someone because of their sex, race, religion, etc it would not be accepted, but I had people of different races, different religion and different sex to me verbally and physically abusing me. One woman even stood with her foo5 pressed very firmly on the side of my face when I was having a dissociative seizure, so although it looked like a Grand Mal epileptic fit, I was fully conscious, so I could see, hear and feel everything, and although my brain was telling me to grab her foot and lift it off of my face, the signal just would not go down my arm and allow me to do so.

I want equality across the whole board so discrimination is discrimination, irrespective of what sector(s) of society the victims or perpetrators fall into.

yves · May 25

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/134936/a-bit-of-inspiration

What a very true and inspiring poem. Thank you for sharing.

loony · May 25

Thanks everyone, I’m fairly new on here so not quite sure how to respond to you individually?

Rosie_Scope · May 25

Hi @loony, you can tag people by putting the @ sign and then typing their name and selecting it from the list. Unfortunately the tagging system can be a bit temperamental sometimes, so it can take a few goes before it works properly.

You could also press the "quote" link under anyone's comment to quote what they said in your comment 😊

loony · May 25

@Rosie thanks ☺️ has it worked?

Rosie_Scope · May 25

Not quite @loony, but as I said earlier it can be a bit tricky sometimes, so please don't worry. The quoting link is a bit more reliable if the tagging isn't working very well ☺️

figraspberry41 · May 26

Hi @ Rosie and @ Loony,

Rosie, thank you for the info to 'personalise' a comment /response. I didn't know that either! My IT skills are very basic, so find that it takes a while to 'cotton on' to little things such as putting the @ symbol before the name.

To Loony, thank you for sharing your poem. Although, personally I am not a 'poem' individual, you have captured in essence what seems to be very familiar to disabled people whatever their disability is. I admire people who have a talent for writing regardless if it be in poetic form or more more formal style.

I'm sure that many of us can identify with parts (if not at times) all of your sentiment through your poetry. Thank you!

figraspberry41 · May 26

Hi @Steve63,

I am so sorry that you have experienced such dreadful behaviour form (presumably a colleague). I think that I can share your feelings, since before I was manoeuvred into retiring four years ago, I had suffered 'bullying' in the work place (that took place over several months previously), for which after some time of 'putting up with' I made a Formal Grievance, that was conveniently internally investigated but the outcome was there was no 'bullying' to answer to, (probably because the main perpetrator had 'influenced' other people to behave badly and 'stick together'). My newly diagnosed disabilities (even though both are life long conditions, that were never noted or 'formally diagnosed until I was nearly 60 years old); found Managers desperately trying to find an excuse (although of course would never be admitted by Managers'), to 'get rid off' an individual, so I fail to see how any Government legislation will truly 'help' disabled people who are disadvantaged by any disability but those with 'hidden disabilities' are not adequately 'catered' for.

You are correct, in my view, there is still a lot of ignorance as regards 'hidden disabilities' and how they can affect the individual. Despite having an Access to Work Assessment, Managers where I worked only paid 'lip service' to addressing my individual needs and spent so long organising some of the more important things like providing not only the recommended equipment but equally (if not more so) the training to use the equipment /software properly. It took so long that I had not only retired and returned to work in a lesser role but had been 'pushed' into resigning before they could agree and put in place what was required to assist me in being able to do the job (in essence I had done for over forty years) but due to the IT end technology was 'struggling' with and without the appropriate support. I think that I can empathise with you in the appalling manner in which you were treated. I wonder how the person would feel if you tried to sue the individual for assault or poor behavioural conduct?

The Government keep saying that more disabled people need to be in work but they pay no attention to how employers should and could improve the working environment for disabled people. Without wishing to categorise or make light of any disability, however, visible, physical disabilities do appear to be 'catered' for over those with 'hidden disabilities', yet this number could be 'huge' because of the various types of 'hidden disabilities' that Managers either 'choose' to ignore, find some 'loop hole' or find a financial reason to prevent employing people with 'hidden disabilities'. Reasonable Adjustments seem to take months (even if made at all) to put in place then there is the lack of 'funding' that conveniently prevents the individual receiving the adequate training to support their disability needs. It is very frustrating when an individual wishes to work but is 'forced' out of employment because Managers cannot afford to 'support' workers who irrespective of Government guidelines or mandatory changes to ensure those able to work can continue without being affected by any excuse that Management can find not to employ or maintain an employee just because the way things are done has now changed and the disabled individual finds themselves disadvantaged as a result.

Apologies, to 'rant' on, however, there appears to be so many people with all kinds of disabilities that are mistreated, ignored or their working lives are made so difficult that the individual resorts to leaving before they have to go through a Capability Process, which in my case after over forty years service would have left me potentially' disgraced and removed from a Professional Body's Register. As this was unacceptable to me, I was left no option but to retire four years early, which left me with four years less Pension plus a huge financial deficit. None of these things are considered or cared about these days by most Managers'.