Disability-inclusive Flood Recover for Disabled Women in England

Elizabeth100

Improving flood recovery

Your help will influence how people are helped after floods in

the future.

Do you identify as female, and as someone who is disabled or has a physical or

mental impairment?...and have you experienced a flood?

If so, please think about sharing your thoughts in a friendly and confidential

conversation (1 hour maximum) to help others who experience similar events in

the future.

INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING? Text “YES” to 07512 763042

or E-mail: Elizabeth2.Harrington@live.uwe.ac.uk   

You will receive a £15 shopping voucher for your time. Thank you.

Cartini

Not wishing to start a contentious "argument", but what about disabled men?

Elizabeth100

No problem at all, it's not the first time I have heard this question, and it is a reasonable one. It just that often (and I say, often, not always) women are the people who look after things after a flood.....mind the children, deal with the builders, the insurance, offer emotional support to those in the household, volunteer in the community, watch out for neighbours.  Again, men do these things too, but women often take what is known as 'the mental load', and it's all worse with a disability....it happened during Covid too....women most likely worked from home, And home-schooled children etc.  

But the bottom line is that when, for example, universally designed equipment is designed for women, many more people get to use it.  Think of text messaging, it was created for people who are deaf, we text every day....vegetable peelers for people with arthritis, we use one of those most days too. So by looking after one sector of society, it means a broader swathe is helped.  Think of really accessible flood evacuation transport...if it can take a wheelchair, it can take a pram, someone newly injured because of the flood etc.

I hope this explains things.  Best wishes, Elizabeth 

Cartini

Elizabeth100 said:

No problem at all, it's not the first time I have heard this question, and it is a reasonable one. It just that often (and I say, often, not always) women are the people who look after things after a flood.....mind the children, deal with the builders, the insurance, offer emotional support to those in the household, volunteer in the community, watch out for neighbours.  Again, men do these things too, but women often take what is known as 'the mental load', and it's all worse with a disability....it happened during Covid too....women most likely worked from home, And home-schooled children etc.  

But the bottom line is that when, for example, universally designed equipment is designed for women, many more people get to use it.  Think of text messaging, it was created for people who are deaf, we text every day....vegetable peelers for people with arthritis, we use one of those most days too. So by looking after one sector of society, it means a broader swathe is helped.  Think of really accessible flood evacuation transport...if it can take a wheelchair, it can take a pram, someone newly injured because of the flood etc.

I hope this explains things.  Best wishes, Elizabeth 

Hi Elizabeth,

Thank you for a very detailed explanation.

Andy

Tori_Scope

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