Has disability discrimination become worse over time?

Rosie_Scope
Rosie_Scope Posts: 9,797 Online Community Team
in Current affairs

I stumbled upon this article from Mik Scarlet today: I had an amazing experience as a disabled person at school in the 70s. Since then, discrimination has got far worse

If you're not able to read the article, Mik shares his experience of discrimination from childhood through to the current day. Over his youth, he felt some people did see disability as a tragedy, but many others focused on how he could succeed. However as he got older, the benefit scrounger narrative started to creep in. He describes it as an 'angrier, almost jealous' view of disabled people, with even close relatives commenting on his 'free' Motability car or benefits.

Mik believes that due to the government and media's attitudes towards benefits, these narratives are now embedded in the public's way of thinking. He even describes recently being punched in public for being a 'scrounger'.

It's definitely a thought-provoking article. But I wondered what your experiences are of this. Do you think disability discrimination has become worse over time?

Are people more or less accepting of disabilities now than back when you were younger?

Do you feel the way people discriminate has changed in some way? Interested to hear what you think!

Comments

  • ChrisR777
    ChrisR777 Community Member Posts: 2,137 Championing
    edited October 23

    I'm going to say society is more tolerant now, but that could change.

    We had "Pegleg Pete" at primary school, they taunted the life out of that poor lad.

    At high school, I can still see some wicked lad putting drawing pins on the chair as a mute lass sat down. She didn't cry out, just stood up sharply, silent tears running down her face. I only learned years later, that she stopped talking when her mum died. I couldn't imagine such ignorant cruelty amongst today's youth.

  • Rosie_Scope
    Rosie_Scope Posts: 9,797 Online Community Team

    That's incredibly sad @ChrisR777, that girl must have been so traumatised.

    I think you're right that youth of today are more tolerant. That's one part that I wasn't sure about in Mik's article, which is why I was asking whether people felt the kind of discrimination has just changed.

    I'm part of some volunteering in my community that involves young people. And while I can't speak for everyone's experience, I do feel like the young people I interact with are much more inclusive of their peers with disabilities than when I was younger. Their generation seem much more aware of different conditions and how to be inclusive. But it's quite a select group, so while I'd hope that this is reflected elsewhere, it's difficult to tell if it's a nation-wide thing!

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