Megan is a serving
police officer who is currently on long-term sick as a result of being in a
vehicle accident it 2015 while on duty. As a result, she fractured the base of
her spine which led to Complex Regional Pain Disorder (CRPS) and PTSD. She is
currently studying a master’s degree in international public policies and
volunteers with her local Girlguiding Organisation.
Adjusting to life with a disability has been challenging,
finding myself hobbling through new obstacles on a daily basis. Some of these
obstacles are glaringly obvious like the need for accessible buildings or
better assistive travel provisions. However, many of these are disguised well
within society, such as people’s perceptions and attitudes towards
disabilities.
It has been three years since sustaining my disabling
injuries, but it has only been very recently that I have begun to look properly
into the assistance I am entitled to. For years I refused to accept support,
desperately clinging on to what I thought was my independence and free-spirited
nature. It has been far from an easy process of navigating the labyrinth of
information out there on disability entitlements. Now I have come to see them
not as a substitute for my independence or loss of identity, but as a necessary
mechanism for me to exercise my independence and a new element of my identity.
I was not prepared for the indirect prejudice I faced within
the workplace; many people perceive the police service as having rooted
solidarity and pride in taking care of their own. This was something I believed
before I returned with a disability, one which I must emphasise had occurred
due to an injury sustained on duty. I can only speak from my own experiences,
but the police service is lacking in terms of supporting disabled employees. I
faced completely inadequate occupational health services. With no continuity of
care, I found myself having to consistently repeat myself as the staff had no
knowledge of my circumstances, with contact often being rushed or delayed.
There was a distinct lack of knowledge when it comes to reasonable adjustments or
accommodations, providing suitable equipment in my case took 9 months and I was
repeatedly advised that I was on waiting lists, they had no resources, or it
wasn’t in the business interest.
Returning to the workplace was difficult enough, due to no
longer being on the frontline of a job that I genuinely loved. There were a few
colleagues who made this even more heart-breaking. My disability was commented
on, judged and not believed to exist even when I was hobbling around the office
with my walking stick, my back brace was poking out at the top of my shirt or I
had to leave the office in tears through pain both mentally and physically.
There was also a lot of jealousy and alienation, for some I was being given
priority treatment because my reasonable adjustments meant reduced hours or
working from home. I became isolated and felt unable to be open and honest
about my disability and how it was affected my work and myself. This severely
damaged my mental health and the fact this was coming from my colleagues really
hurt.
In October 2018 I travelled to Florida with my family. The
main reason for the trip was to reconnect with family and spread my fathers’
ashes in a place he loved. It was a massive thing for me and one I was
determined to do before my mobility deteriorates further. My nieces came along
too, so of course we visited Disney and Universal. A colleague commented that “she
can’t be that bad if she is going on holiday to Disney”, but it wasn’t a
holiday like able individuals experience. There was a lot of planning involved,
I was in my wheelchair most of the time, I had to arrange assistance, it was
hard work.
It’s as if you’re not allowed to find enjoyment in life, you
have a disability therefore you must be miserable and if you aren’t then you’re
not really disabled. I have constantly been criticised for being ‘too
functional’. Disability is very misunderstood in society and made worse by
people not wanting to ask questions to educate themselves. I would be very open
and honest if people asked me questions about my disability, in fact I would
encourage it. The ownership shouldn’t be on the disabled individual to provide
an overview of their disability, society should be taking an interest, asking
questions, and educating themselves on how to support disabilities.
This is why I enjoy volunteering with children, they are
direct, they are interested in things they can’t understand, and they ask you
how it is. Adults can learn a lot from them.
Have you experienced judgement as a result of having a disability? What can be done to increase
disability awareness? Let us know in the comments!
