Have you recently become disabled?

Alex

Scope are working on a new guide to help people who have recently become disabled. To illustrate it, we’ll be using photos of disabled people going through their daily routine. All we need is some people to shoot (with a CAMERA!)

Can you help us?

If you’re interested and have a few hours to spare, drop an email to Hayley at stories@scope.org.uk. We want to include a diverse range of people so if you can tell her a bit about yourself as well that would be great.

mossycow

I'd love to help in any way I can. I've chatted online to at least 5 people (some on here, some through a group) to people who are newly disabled and very anxious and low.

I can't offer much except hope that it does get better. Bodies might not improve but coping and managing will improve! 

How can I help?! You have my email address.  I will email Hayle, thanks

mossycow

Are you needing people to be at a particular place?

I'm diverse but... I might be... Too diverse hehehe

cripps

Hi everyone, i know just hard it is to keep your chin up when you’re disabled and people out there are looking at you very differently because I get it all the time. I myself have only just been registered disabled on a permanent basis so mentally it’s very difficult. One thing i have found joining this forum was for me one of the best choices I’ve ever made, so tell your friends and your family you’re not alone you have us. 

CB12

Hi I'm fairly new to disability (6 years),  I still don't consider myself disabled yet I don't fit into the able-bodied world, I struggle a lot with going out alone as I can walk a small distance then need to use a wheelchair, which is way more difficult than I realised, self-propelled going up and down pavements etc, so now getting my arm strength up to scratch then the simple fact of just feeling different, vulnerable, so for many years  I have held myself back by becoming insular, this I think is due to feeling everyone is looking at me in a different way, yet I know most of this is in my head as when I'm out I look at people all of the time, it's human nature, we all do it.  With that in mind, I've slowly got into the right headspace and I'm getting there, wherever there may be. 
This site is great, I've looked and liked but never really spoken until now, so hi and thank you. 

Pippa_Alumni

Lovely to meet you @CB12, and thank you for sharing this with us. I can certainly relate to your experiences and I'm sure others will too! Looking forward to speaking more in the future.

Narhar

Hi There CB12

I can relate to your post 

I don't fit in to able body world either. I'm finding it difficult to be independent.Am trying to get out an about I don't want to be stuck in the house. I think people are stareing at me. 

This website is helping because of the posts....So I know  it's not just me and other people are having difficulties.

I can walk but it's variable then I lose power to my legs...very frustrating . I have periods were I can only shuffle and periods I can't walk at all

I hired a scooter that packs into car boot. . Ooo Excited.  I  went to the park near me. I found some parts of scoot heavy and hard to cope with when assembling it.

Everything was going well. Into full swing 4mph yay

Then I hit uneven ground struggled to get off it .I could see it was going to be a continuing problem. People were staring at me . 

Back to car I thought I had an answer.I feel totally flat inside 

I Mustered together my confidence.

Off to try another park.Performed the very difficult scoot set up. 

Off I go. There was the healthy gang stareing at me .I tossed me head in the air am not bother (yes I am )Several other people were stareing as well.

I got to the end of the car park to find these3 ballads shutting off my way it was awful. All the people were stareing at me. I've lost my confidence since that happened

I don't think it would have worked anyway some scooter parts are heavy . After that battle I'm back in my house on the settee watching this morning 

Naraha

Pippa_Alumni

Thanks for sharing this with us @Narhar, I'm really sorry to hear about your recent experience and that you were subjected to that. How are you feeling about it now?  

nanof6

hi ive been in a wheelchair for 3 years i also have trouble with my shoulders so ive been given an electric wheel      chair, servist  every year, i went on the train, i tryed a short jerney a couple of times , i mustered up the curage it took a year, to go to london to meet my daughter who had travled from spain, to see a show, we cut a long story short i phoned for assistance 3 days pryor they gave me train times and to arrive 15 early at the station, i was on my way, well i got left on the train at paddington, the cleaners got me off in the end,  comming back no one on the platform to assist me went to the office the man shouting at me, anyway i got home made a complaint said i will never travel on a train again, had a letter from them with 2 £15 vouchers saying sorry about that. so i emailed emailed and got passed around for 5 months, so i took them to court, well i phoned the court to find out what happens next they said oh this will go stright to the judge at cardff crown court, so im wateing for that now next 2 weeks, i will up date  what the out come is.  proberly the train company wont turn up and will settle out of court and i wont have the chance to face them and tell them what they have done to me.

Narhar

Hi nano f6 That's awful what's happened to you . I hope you get that opportunity  to tell them .x
Naraha

nanof6

hi ,  yes ive put it all in a letter to the court in detail,wich has gone stright to the judge, have to wait for them now to get back

Pippa_Alumni

I'm truly sorry to hear about your experience, @nanof6. For what it's worth, I really hope you do get the opportunity to express how this has affected you. 

CB12

Hi nanof6,  I'm really sorry to hear what has happened to you and I hope you get a good chance to let people know how this upset you.  I do feel it's an ongoing problem as I had this happen to me a while ago with trains.  I tend to use buses more as I don't have to give notice on them when I'm going to travel. 

I do feel that the independence comes with practice and we find our own way around everything, for me I hire the mobility scooters from shopping centers, parks with rough grounds are difficult, unless they have a pathway I cannot use them, even with my other half pushing the wheelchair we struggle, bumpy ground causes pain for me so I avoid it like the plague. People look at me, I look at them, it's what we as humans do,  I've gotten to the stage now where it's getting easier, for you it will too.  

nanof6

Thankyou everyone , i will keep an update let you no what happens

AlexandriaUK

Hi all , want be going on the train LOL ok I might give it a go but will take a bottle

nanof6

lol

AlexandriaUK

Why did it only post the first sentence of my post grrr LOL

mossycow

Hi @Alex
What are you needing from this thread? I contacted Hatley but not heard anything