Who Is Going to Pay?

The Government has spent the first half of their term in power "over-hauling" the social security and benefits system and before Parliament breaks for the summer holiday it will have the first reading of the new Social Care Bill. Now, I agree that the system needed looking at, but I must comment that disabled people seem to have become the main method for CLAWING BACK public monies. "We want more disabled people in work, contributing equally". REALLY? This seems now that this is standard reterick by successive governments without creative policies to make it happen. I work, in fact I went one stage further than being employed, I started my own company. With Cerebral Palsy and a severe speech impairment to fit into current business models of sales or call centres it's like putting a square peg in a round hole. I like the challenge but it now feels the equal playing field is so steep its hard work.

 

Yeah, I hear you, "another disabled person belly aching about fairness". If only it was that simplistic. To start with this government has "got rid of" the Independent Living Fund (ILF) the vehicle that a lot of severely disabled people have been able to employ personal assistants to assist them living independently, work for a living and enjoy a social life. "Yes but its tax payer's money", I hear you cry. The reality is keeping people in residential care costs lots more and local communities don't benefit from disabled people contributing. I will talk directly to your pockets which are already under attack from rising prices, taxation and a general increase in the price of living. ILF is not open to new cases therefore those who would have been funded by ILF are now the direct responsibility of local authorities. Now, central government have reduced the amount of money they provide Local Authorities to run services. So the local authority has a duty of care and therefore the only option is to raise council tax that means you get even more taxation and disabled people feel an even bigger burden on their community, happy faces all around don't you think!

 

Then we have Disabled Working Tax Credits a system designed to assist disabled people who work and are on low incomes. Boy! What a system! It is not the most user friendly system and recently they have tinkered with the rules. The theory is good but believe me the stress it can and does cause can be phenomenal.

 

Disabled People will always cost the State money by varying degrees and people are now living longer so this combination will drive up the cost of social care in the UK considerably in the future. Question: would anyone put a sticking plaster on a leak in a dam? If you truly want those disabled people who can contribute to the workforce to do so we have to be radical. Impairments and disabilities by their very nature means the contribution will not always be equal. So why not have a top up system, work out what the individual needs in income to sustain an independent life. Have Direct Payments, PIPS (Disability Living Allowance) and Access to Work cover the support and specialised equipment needs. Encourage the thought of jobs and careers through the idea of the welfare system being there to top up whatever work income you earn to the predetermined minimum level. In real terms the tax credits and the array of other disability benefits are then used as income back up. This system will truly be a safety net and the more that you earn the less welfare state help you need. This system would also work for other groups such as single mothers. To me, this seems a logical solution that will lower the welfare state benefits budget therefore opening up extra income to put towards the growing social care bill.

Could I have some help please?

As a Disability Equality Trainer, I'm bemused by high street businesses. As a small business leader I come into contact with other small to medium business leaders and I suggest to them that I could add extra value to their businesses by delivering my disability awareness training. The reaction is fairly standard now, such as "that's a great idea but we cover that in our inductions". This is where my confusion lies, if this was the case I could walk into any shop or service provider and not be confronted by physical barriers i.e. steps, not cause a panic amongst the staff or be faced with blank faces or just sheer terror! I could speak and be understood or people would at least take the time to understand my needs. So what training are these people getting? Is it from the internet or is it just a sentence in the staff handbook which ticks the box?

In October I will be launching a 3-hour workshop on how to improve service for disabled customers. What a lot of people don't realise is one in five people has an impairment of some description. Whilst we find ourselves in this economic mess, can we really afford to ignore 20% of our customer base? Some of you who are following my blog may think where's the comedy gone? I'm afraid after 41 years daily struggles with getting petrol, getting a paper and shopping in general, the funny side has slowly ebbed away.

The other week as I live in a housing association flat my boiler had its annual test (just in case I'm poisoning myself with carbon monoxide!) Same old story, guy arrives and I'm faced with the ritual of being shouted at. Perhaps he thought I was deaf as I did have my stereo blaring whilst I was working on the computer in another room. More than likely though he confused my speech with having a learning disability and somehow people think shouting makes communication better. I'll tell you a secret, it actually makes you sound stupid and it's pretty annoying. So I'm stood in my kitchen thinking I'm a 41 year old man running my own business and this guy is assuming all the worst things about my disability. You can't tell me disability equality is being taken seriously although society is getting beginning to embrace disabilities it just seems it's at a pace of a slow slug. The point of this story is to demonstrate the need for a societal or culture change rather than picking on individuals, the guy in this case obviously thought he was doing the right thing, unfortunately though he was just simply unaware.

This post is meant to inspire the business people reading it to sign up to my workshop in October. I don't know if it will work, we shall have to wait and see.

If you are interested in the 3-hour workshop or know of anybody else, including businesses and organisation I can be contacted on hello@allinclusivecic.com

Until the next time ……. Goodbye J

Don’t Bank on it

Just to remind people I have a speech impairment and poor co-ordination so I find banking in this day and age almost impossible to do on my own. Let's take it one step at a time.
Cash machines: the invention for instant cash – I have more chance of sticking my finger in my ear than I have of sticking my cash card in the slot, let alone trying to hit the right combination of buttons. Instant cash? Instant disaster! So my cash card has now been swallowed by the hole in the wall so I phone the call centre to report this ……
Bank call centre: the world's worst invention for a guy who speaks like Chewbacca! First of all you get the menu, you know, "hit 1 for this, 2 for that" Hitting the numbers in the right order to start with is a gamble for me. If I get pass this, a voice comes on the end of the phone saying "can I help you" and that's when the fun really starts. You can't use personal assistance 'cos oh no, customers services can't talk to anyone unauthorised, even if they're sitting on your lap. So I try to express verbally what I would like. "My card has been swallowed by your cash point machine, can I have a new one please?" (simple enough if you speak chewbaccan). So we have a fun 20-minute conversation with me repeating the same sentence in several different ways and them saying "sorry but I can't understand you". It ends up with "you'll have to go into your branch and sort this out", which is code for can't understand ….. getting really embarrassed ….. so I need to get rid of you.
Chip and Pin: who's ridiculous idea was this? The banks all said when they first came out, we've consulted with our customers and this is what they want. Obviously they didn't speak to customers with co-ordination impairments, the last thing we want when going for a meal is to play 'press the right button' on the portable card reader machine. So what do we do? We have to tell partners, friends, the waiter(!) our pin number. Now that's really secure! So I have a choice, I can carry a wad of money in my pocket which leaves me open to being mugged or carry a chip and pin card with no security 'cos I've got to tell people my pin number when I pay for things. So thanks Mr Banker, I really feel consulted on this.
I've covered these topics in a rather jokey manner; this is to cover up my complete frustration. The whole point of technology is to enable greater independence but as you can read the banks have made me more dependent on others by having systems with no other options. What I'm trying to get across is, think about what you're doing and think about the customer base. One person in five has some sort of impairment, don't marginalise them. Speak to us. We can help with solutions that will work for everybody.
PS. I hope Chewbacca's not insulted J

Importance of Independence

As I continually stagger through life, sometimes physically as well as in experiencing life, I have a constant reminder that society is a constant uphill climb. Now, before you think this is another disabled "it's not fair" moan, think again. I live with the belief that if I want to be accepted I don't complain – I just get on with it. But, come on guys, cut me some slack! Yes, I have a speech impairment, and yeah I understand that I may sound like the Swedish Chief from The Muppets, but does that equal that I must have a learning disability? Please! If I used the same attitude with people with bad dress sense, well, there would be lots of unhappy people, men especially! And why shout at me? It seriously doesn't make words penetrate easier you know! Professionally, I have a Personal Assistant who, gamely, interprets my speech for others to understand. But again, I don't go around with a PA in my pocket! And, nor do I want to!
Disabled tax credits! I had the impression this was a system meant to ease disabled people into work. It's a real mine field and it's questionable whether it's a help or, indeed, a hindrance. The Government seem to be "reviewing" all disability benefits, saying that there are many that cheat the system. The latest thinking is that everyone on Disability Living Allowance will have to be re-assessed. I'm not being funny guys, but I have Cerebral Palsy, and with the best will in the world, I won't wake up one morning to find it has disappeared! So, what are they assessing me on?
People in my profession want to encourage as many disabled people as possible to be included within local communities. We promote working, independent living and the general use of services and facilities that everyone else uses. But, I can see why disabled people are reluctant to put their heads above the parapet, in case they get knocked off! Social care is going to be expensive and will continue to increase as we, as a society, live longer. We need to be creative in resources, but also, thinking. Stop penalising disabled people purely because it saves money. Use The Big Society to create better services and structure for social care to happen.

Day One

Hello, this is my first go at Blogging.

In terms of disability we are in a very important phase. The government has decided in its wisdom to make all disabled people claiming Disability Living Allowance to be reassessed. At the end of the month the Social Care White Paper has been promised to be published which will give solutions on how care in the community will be delivered to the disabled and elderly. In theory, the net effect of these two events is big changes. The irony is, whilst I partly agree the need to reassess people for benefits I do have trouble getting my head around the idea that one day I will wake up one morning and not have CP and therefore not be entitled to DLA. You would have thought some thinking would have taken place so they reassess cases where disability has been a recent thing i.e. people with back injuries, but there you go.

My Blog will be factual but humorous (hopefully!) I do have a unique take on life as a disabled person, so please don't be offended if some of the humour is disabled based. Life with cerebral palsy is very interesting, humorous and frustrating if you want it to be. For instance a few weeks ago I was brushing my teeth, merrily minding my own business, standing in my bathroom in my underpants using my electric toothbrush. All of a sudden the head from the top of the toothbrush came off and wedged itself in-between my gum and cheek. The automatic reaction is to take the offending item from your mouth, fine if you've got perfect co-ordination. So in my mild panic I accidently swallowed feeling the toothbrush head disappearing down my throat. The immediate thought is not "Oh my God I'm going to die!" but "Oh my God I'm in my underpants so someone's going to discover me in a state of undress if I pass out". Thankfully I swallowed said toothbrush head without choking and when my PA came to do my breakfast and my shave I asked her what I should do. When I picked her up off the floor because she was laughing so much (once she realised I was actually ok) we phoned NHS Direct who advised to go immediately to A & E. I think this happened so I could entertain the hospital staff!

Why am I telling you this? I suppose it illustrates that disabled people have to go through embarrassing situations just to survive everyday life. Luckily I have a great relationship with my team of Personal Assistants who 'get me' and we all end up laughing together, but many disabled people don't have that fortune and live in residential care with staff who really are overworked and underpaid. The government needs to understand our situation and not keep punishing disabled people for being disabled.

Self Directed Support

I would like to know what people think about self directed support. Comments would be welcome. Thank you!