Will Disabled People be worse off? Changing DLA to PIP
12 Mar
Disability Living Allowance Demonstration
I am worried about PIP and how it will affect me and my family. I don’t know why they are changing DLA – I wish they would leave it as it is.
I am frightened of having to go for a new assessment. Being asked lots of questions puts me under pressure and makes me anxious.
It feels like another attack on Disabled People and the cuts in our benefits. I don’t think they asked Disabled People to give their views on the changes. They don’t listen to us and our experiences.
I’m worried that my means of getting out and about will be taken away and I’ll be stuck in the home, like a prisoner. We have to fight against being made poorer and not having a fair chance. We have to show how this affects our equal rights.
The Paralympics – 6 months later
26 Feb
Track event at London 2012 Paralympics
I wonder if the attitudes of British people about Disabled People have changed since the Paralympics?
I think it’s good that younger Disabled people will get more involved in sports because of the Paralympics. It is great to have role models like Ellie Simmonds – she’s a celebrity now!
But I would like to see lots of Disabled People as role models – like newsreaders, actors, musicians and people doing amazing work in everyday jobs.
If the Paralympics made people feel positive about Disabled people we need them to get behind us now – when Disabled people have lots of problems.
We hope less Disabled People will be bullied or suffer hate crime because of the Paralympics.
Have attitudes towards disabled people changed since the Paralympics?
More Bad News About Child Abuse!
17 Dec
Ace
There is a new report out today about children and young people getting abused. The report has come from the Children’s Commissioner; it is her job to speak up for children and young people in Britain. Click on this link to see the report:
www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk
KA Maracas
The report says that this abuse is happening all over Britain. This happened in Rotherham and Rochdale where groups of asian men abused young women, but it’s not just asian men – it is men from all walks of life who do this.
Annabel
The report says that all professionals should do a better job of helping young people and not blame them when they are being abused like this.
Malak
The report is very good but it is quite hard to understand. I think the Children’s Commissioner should make these reports easy to read for people who have a learning disability.
KA Maracas
Let’s all work together to stop this abuse
Abuse by Jimmy Savile – What a terrible story!
20 Nov
Jimmy Savile in his favourite t-shirt
Jimmy Savile was a star but he did bad things. He targeted children and young people, both men and women. He sexually abused them, this means he was touching them on their private parts and raped them or forced them to have sex.
I am very angry and upset about this, how did he get away with it?
Because he had friends in high places who covered it up.
I am disgusted about what happened, I feel sorry for the victims. It is hard for them to speak up because they are scarred and they don’t know who to tell. They might worry that their family and friends won’t believe them.
A lot of the victims were disabled people, it is even harder for people who have learning disabilities to speak up about abuse.
Also a lot of the abuse happened in the 1970s and 1980s when people were not aware of sexual abuse as much as they are now.
In Britain we need to get better at helping victims to speak up about abuse.
Disabled people should support each other to tell about abuse and help the victims. So speak up by telling the police, support workers or call a helpline like:
Stop Hate Helpline: 0800 138 1625 (open all the time)
Victim Support: 0845 30 30 900 (open all the time)
Respond: 0808 808 0700 (Friday, 12.30 – 4.00pm)
Voice UK: 0808 8802 8686 (Monday - Friday, 9am – 5pm)
Childline: 0800 1111 (open all the time)
Women’s Aid (National): 0808 2000 247 (open all the time)
Mencap Helpline: 0808 808 111
National Autistic Society Helpline: 0808 800 4104 (Monday Friday 10am to 4pm), minicom: 0845 070 4003
The Police and Crime Commissioner Elections
13 Nov
Who will you vote for?
Malak says:
Have you heard about the Police and Crime Commissioner elections?
KA Maracas:
What is it about?
Ace says:
Police and Crime Commissioners are people who can be voted in to manage and check how the Police do their jobs.
Annabel:
The elections will happen on 15 November in 41 areas across England and Wales (but not London) Each area will have one Police and Crime Commissioner.
Why is it important and why should we bother to vote?
It’s important because each person who might be elected has different ideas about things.
So it is important to choose the person who supports equal rights, disability rights, women’s issues and knows about disability hate crime.
So it’s important to vote because your vote will make a difference. To find out more about the people in your area you can vote for, go to this website:
www.choosemypcc.org.uk
or you can telephone 0800 1070708 for more information.
Police & Crime Commissioner Elections to be held on Thursday 15th November
Winterbourne View – Stop the Bullying!
12 Nov
GUILTY – 6 of the 11 Winterbourne View careworkers have been sent to jail
I am very angry and upset about what I have heard on the news about Winterbourne View. Winterbourne View was a home for disabled people where the staff were bullies. They closed it down and now the bullies have been sent to jail – see BBC News 26th October.
The people who lived there have been moved to different places but a journalist has found out that many are still being bullied in the new places – BBC News 29th October.
This is disgusting, I hate this so much that this is happening again. It will cause problems for the disabled people in their later life. I think they should stop all the bullying, it’s not fair and it’s not funny!
It is wrong, professionals should step in and stop this as soon as it happens.
A lot of bullying is going on, it is getting worse and the bullies are getting away with it!
Many disabled people get worried and frightened when they hear these stories in the news. They might think that this will happen to them if they have to live in a home.
If you are being bullied ring the police straightaway, we say:
Report it to Sort it!
In Memory of Fiona Pilkington and Frankie Hardwick
29 Oct
- Fiona Pilkington and her daughter Frankie Hardwick
On the 23rd October 2012 it was a sad day because five years ago on that date mother and daughter, Fiona Pilkington and Frankie Hardwick, killed themselves.
They killed themselves because they were fed up with the years of bullying they went through. No one helped them, not even the police. They tried to get help, they phoned the police 30 times but they didn’t listen.
If the police had helped them and stopped the bullies they would be alive now and maybe they might read our blog!
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is a group whose job it is to make Britain more equal and to speak up for disabled people. Last year they did a report called ‘Hidden in Plain Sight ‘about disability hate crime. On the 23rd October they put a new report called ‘Out in the Open’. This one is all about what should be done about disability hate crime and you can see it on their website:
EHRC – Inquiry into disability-related harassment
I think we should make October 23rd a special day to remember the Pilkingtons and other victims of disability hate crime. It could also be a day when we get disabled people to speak up about bullying and for professionals to learn more about how they can do a better job of helping. Look at the report for more ideas about what professionals and groups can do to improve things.
Disability Hate Crime – Stop It!
The A-TEAM
