Tag: Equality

Why can’t the Paralympics and the Olympics be part of the same show?

On By Katy DalyIn My Disability Truth1 Comment

I’m going to need someone to explain it to me like I’m five or something because I’m really not understanding it.

It makes perfect sense for there to be separate events, but a separate show allows society to treat the Paralympics as if it’s not quite the Olympics. And over and over again it does this, the Paralympics Tiktok channel is one example of this. Many people think the Olympics is now over when the Paralympics hasn’t even begun. I can’t blame them, there’s been a very clear end to it all. I really don’t understand why they just can’t be combined to have one opening and closing Ceremony?

Am I missing something?

I’m not saying it would be easy, but I think that so many people have convinced themselves it wouldn’t be possible or it isn’t necessary, that they’re not even willing to consider the idea that it could work.

It would change the Paralympics from being a token idea of equality to actual equity.

The British love to Queue.

On By Katy DalyIn BlogLeave a comment

This is a stereotype of British culture, probably one of the most well-known ones. I would not say it’s particularly accurate, that we love it. But what is definitely true is that we do a lot of it, so I can see how that can easily be mistranslated into we enjoy it.

One place where there is a very long queue at least where I live is Primark, for those reading this who don’t know this is a clothes shop.

Primark have created what I lovingly call a perk of disability, where they allow (visibly) disabled customers, which I am, to skip the very very long queue.

They do this quite clearly without the intent of accessibility or inclusion, whichever way you want to frame it in this context. I could argue that they do it in order to get visible disabled people out of the shop as quickly as is possible, but even I think that is to negative. I truly believe that they believe they are doing what is best for us as disabled people to provide the most access for us. But in all honesty, it makes no sense to be.

It is to be frank, a bizarre expression of inclusivity, to allow us to effectively queue jump. That said it does fit with the generalisation of society of disabled people as need a one size fits all approach to our inclusion. What I’m in essence saying is that for the majority of disabled people, and please do feel free to correct me if you think I’m wrong, I don’t need to skip a queue. Some people simply need somewhere to sit while they wait, or someone to carry shopping, an accommodation like this would be more helpful.

Skipping a queue is a simply an accommodation afforded by Primark to tick the box that Primark provide an accommodation to disabled people.

And it got me thinking about how much of the accommodation given for disabled people is actually the accommodation that they need, for the actual inclusion of disabled people in society? And how much is accommodation for the sake of accommodation?

Does the answer to this question truly matter so long as the accommodation is being provided?

I think that most people who are not in need of such accommodations themselves, might say that this doesn’t truly matter. But I honestly think that it does matter, and that the action of Primark is a perfect example of this.

If they think they’ve ticked a box, there’s no reason for them to try to tick it correctly. My own experience on this suggests that they will be insulted if you try to suggest they might not have ticked the box correctly. By this I mean that I have been to places that call themselves accessible, and pointed out how they are not in fact accessible, they became frustrated with me.

People within society have started to at least see accessibility in some way, but they now seem to stop at step free access. As if the fact that someone can get in the building is proof enough of there inclusion. Never mind that they cannot reach the shelves within the shop, you give them priority in the queue and step free access of course, you have done enough. Congratulations.

I know I’m sounding a bit dramatic in this post, but honestly on reflection, this is how I usually feel I am being treated in society in general.

All of this said, when you can’t simply change the system at the flick of a switch, you should enjoy the perks that come with the position you find yourself in. Such as jumping the queue, but I also got a free balloon, and some ice cream that wasn’t technically free, but I did not pay for it, so it was free to me.

Putting in a complaint

On By Katy DalyIn BlogLeave a comment

One day I will be able to go to a concert and not have an access problem, but it seems Friday was not that day.

We arrived half an hour before the start of our concert to learn that our group of three had been split into areas, despite clarifying on the phone that we would only purchase the tickets if our group could sit together. We were told that the three of us would be able to sit together, if we were happy to squeeze into an accessible space for two, and this in itself would not have been a problem, if it was the only problem.

The space we were shown to had a camera placed in it, as the event was been live streamed, a picture of this is shown below. It seems this space was double booked as accessible seating and press.

Image Description: A picture showing a camera placed on a tripod on a platform.

It took more than 20 minutes for the staff to find somewhere else for us to move into, which resulted in us missing the first songs of the supporting act, who I was specifically looking forward to seeing.

I don’t think this would have happened for the non-accessible seating, as able paying guest would be unlikely to loose there seating to camera equipment. Our treatment at the event was there fore ableist and I am in the process of putting in a complaint.

Disabled show goers, already do not get to choose where we want to sit, we already have to compromise by sitting in the accessible seating area, that is usually near the back. We are told this is for our safety. But I personally believe it is to stop the event organising being sued. I personally wish that I could sign some sort of waver that would allow me to sit nearer the stage.

This specific event had seating near the stage, so I don’t really understand any of the logic as to why I had to sit near the back anyway. But at the very least I deserve to sit in the space I have booked.

I will let you know how the complaint goes.

Getting a Job

On By Katy DalyIn BlogLeave a comment

Getting a job is something I’ve wanted to do my whole life, but as a disabled person this is hard to do for several reasons. The exact area of my job is almost irrelevant, having a job is something I just want to say I have done, and also some extra money is nice.

But the world we live in makes it difficult for disabled people to get a job. For me specifically, my area of study is education, so the ideal job I would get to take advantage of my qualifications would of course be a teacher. Though I often feel like this is one of the most inaccessible areas for me to gain work in. But it is my passion so I try.

The inaccessibility of the education system (and the rest of the world) honestly explains why I do not have a lot of experience in teaching, (and by extension many things in the world). This leads to a lot of anxiety when I do actively try to do do things in the ‘real world’ including getting a job because I simply have not done it before. I often feel like an adult with the confidence of an child, and yes I’m aware this is self infantisation, but it is also the truth.

So when I had a phone call a few hours a go from someone asking me about teaching roles, my experience and what I was looking for, to say I had mixed feelings about it all is is honestly a bit of an understatement.

I obviously want a job, but the every time the possibility of obe gets closer, I become terrified yet again. And I know that the only way too overcome these feelings it’s for me to actually get a job, as with much in my life I won’t know how I deal with it until I am dealing with it. But unfortunately that doesn’t make the thought any less scary.

Somewhat related to this search for work it might be worth mentioning that I’ve also been looking for online work, while this is in particular what I initially wanted it is work that will definitely be more accessible to me and that does less than some of the anxiety evolved.

All of this is of course without considering the effect on the benefits I receive. I of course need to make sure that I am knocked in a worse position financially simply because I try to work, as odd as the sounds it can and has happened to some people on benefits, so I do have to be careful.

This is to say the least a complex journey as many things are in life, particularly when you are disabled, We will just have to see where it goes. And while I don’t know where I am with this yet, but hopefully it will come to something and before too long I will be earning my own income in one way or another.

Do they forget when they’re not there?

On By Katy DalyIn Blog2 Comments
Quote taken from comment on Facebook, Quote reads: It’s strange because whenever a driver is in of near the vehicle they always ask me if I can get through ok but they don’t seem to consider it if they’re parking up.

Now this comment was left on one of my Facebook posts and I personally find it very interesting.

I think it hints at a wider issue with inaccessiblity and indeed accessibility, that is, that it only seems to exist when we are there to enforce it.

Our lives as disabled people only matter if we are there to say they matter.

We have this notion in society or a notion we are supposed to believe in, that everyone matters. And yet we don’t think of everyone all of the time, do we?

We go to this standard idea of what a person is supposed to be, of ‘normal’. And in doing so, so easily and readily, we forget groups of people that exist.

This standard idea of what exists does not include disabled people. And this is why we have to fight for our rights. This is why inclusion has to be fought for, and exclusion exists. As unless people see us they forget we exist.

I don’t send my whole life to be fighting to be seen. But if existing means I’m doing that then I’ll take that as a double win.

Disabled people deserve not to be forgotten. The world should be ready to include us, we should not be the ones having to remind the world we exist.

Finishing my dissertation

On By Katy DalyIn Writing PromptsLeave a comment

What is the biggest challenge you will face in the next six months?

I lost my mum last year. Like everyone who looses a parent, I never thought I would have to say that sentence.

My mum has always been a big part of the work I do. She spell checked everything, she let me explain it to her 100 times. She was always behind me.

You may have noticed there was a spelling mistake in the web address for this blog, I fixed it now. But if I had my mum that would have never been there.

So my mum was a big help with the start of my masters dissertation, but I’m really struggling to get it finished without her. In all honesty I’m struggling to find the motivation to even try.

But what does this have to do with inacessiblity? I wouldn’t be writing about this here if it was unrelated.

As a physically disabled person, who is academically capable there is a lot of pressure for me to do well in academia. I’ve had this pressure from able people who say I shouldn’t let my disability hold me back. And from disabled people who say I owe it to the disabled people who can’t succeed in academia, to succeed in academia.

Both sides of my life, both halves of the whole, mean well and they just want me to succeed. I want to succeed.

But sometimes that’s a lot of pressure.

One of the reasons I was initially pushed away from active activism for disabled people when I was young, was because of the pressure.

But without my mum sometimes it feels like I’ll never be able to navigate the pressure again.

I used to pride myself on never having missed a deadline. But when mum got sick I obviously took a break. And that break meant that I missed the initial deadline. I missed a deadline and the world did not end. And honestly sometimes that feels a little rude. The world should have ended when I failed as a disabled academic, when I missed a deadline. The world should have ended when my mum died, right?

But it didn’t, and this deadline still looms over me. I don’t want to fail when I’m so close to succeeding. I really hope I won’t but I’m honestly not sure right now.

If the world were more accessible to me I wouldn’t be forced to put all my eggs in one basket like this.

My deadline is the end of April, wish me luck please. I feel like I need it.

Miss you forever mummy 💜

I was restricted on Facebook for fighting for equality for disabled people.

On By Katy DalyIn BlogLeave a comment
Screenshot reads “You have been temporarily blocked from performing this…”

Yesterday I received a 24hrs ban from commenting on Posts in Facebook groups. This is because someone reported something on the posts I have been making.

I’m actually less annoyed that I was reported and more annoyed that Facebook allowed that report to be turned into a restriction on my account.

This is not fair, as I have been restricted from fighting for equality and equity of disabled people in my local area. This is shameful ableism from Facebook and I have contacted them to demand not only is the restriction removed, but also and more importantly, an explanation for how fighting for disabled rights can result in a restriction. I want to know exactly what I said that they didn’t like.

Screenshot of Facebook Restriction Notices. The screenshot reads “You account is restricted at the moment. You’re temporarily restricted from commenting in groups until tomorrow at 22.50. If you think that this doesn’t go against our Community Standards, let us know.”

I am also aware that it is almost certainly a bot of some description that decides whether an individuals account is restricted. But this is not an excuse. Facebook are still responsible for the restriction of Disability activism on there platform. And I will fight this.

I am aware that the restriction is not very long, the issue is that I’ve been restricted at all for activism, not for how long I have been restricted.

Quote reads “Courage means going against the majority opinion in the name of the truth” By Václav Havel.