Self defence in a manual wheelchair

wandering_chris

Hi All,

Asking for a friend with CP, he uses a powerchair and is trained in Krav Maga (a type of MMA) so he can usually look after himself. Being a religious Jewish man he also wears a kippah (skullcap).

The problem is when he's in a manual chair he feels more vulnerable, and although he hasn't experienced antisemitism when out and about in his neighborhood (unlike some major cities). However. he feels that being openly Jewish and in a manual chair may be a bit too risky.

Now, there are Jewish organizations like the Community Security Trust who deal with this stuff but he doesn't want to bother them with such a small matter. Should he contact them? Or there are any other techniques he could learn?

If he absolutely has to, he can hide his faith, but why should he? As he told me "This is my country as much as anybody else, why should I hide?"

I look forward to hearing your responses,

Chris

Alex_Alumni

Thanks for reaching out with your query @wandering_chris you've started a really important discussion. 

If your friend is worried about experiencing antisemitism or ableism, or a combination of both when out and about, it could be argued that it's not a small matter at all. He might not be alone in feeling this way either, so it's always worth reaching out. 

If he feels able, I think it would be worth contacting Community Security Trust's general enquiries for advice and information on how to manage these feelings, and what to do if he does experience an incident. 

He might also like to read information on Citizen Advice about discrimination because of religion of belief and disability discrimination.

The Equality Advisory Support Service might also be helpful to get in touch with, they have a helpline and an online contact form. 

I don't know if you've heard of intersectionality? It's a term used to help describe the different aspects of a person's identity. When these are protected characteristics (things protected under the Equality Act), they can often overlap when we are discriminated against - so it can lead to a different experience from one person to another. Many often face different 'layers' of discrimination.

He certainly shouldn't have to hide his identity, I agree, I think it's a pressure that those in discriminated groups often feel. 

I'd love to know how other members of the community feel about this