The Paralympics – 6 months later

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!

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

Bullying keeps disabled people stuck at home!

Annie Giles-Quinn, bullied because she was blind

Annabel says:  I read a story in the paper about a blind woman who was bullied in the street by some men in a car. They threw eggs at her, shouted and laughed before they drove away. Use this link to read more about the story:

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1586573_thugs-attack-blind-mum-with-eggs-in-harpurhey-street

Malak says:  I heard about this too, someone did help her because she was very upset. I think it is really important to say how good it is when disabled people get help when they are being bullied. It helps us to feel that we are not alone.

 

 

Ace says:  This lady was just getting more confident at using her guide dog to go out and about. Now she has been bullied like this she might be too frightened to go out. My friend Stevie is blind and she says:

“Many blind people get stuck at home because it is hard to go out if you don’t have enough help and if you are scared of being bullied. Staying at home all the time can make people feel depressed and sad, eat too much and get unhealthy, be bored and lonely and not get a chance to make new friends.”

 

 

 

I’m unhappy about this; disabled people should have the right to go out!

 

 

 

Yes! And this lady should get some support to help her build up her confidence to go out again and to be less afraid.

Man with learning disabilities abused by family

A man with learning disabilities called Ghalib Hussain was abused by his family for over three years.  Ghalib came to this country for an arranged marriage and could speak very little English.  The marriage didn’t work and the family of his wife started to abuse him.

 

The family were cruel and violent to Ghalib and treated him like a slave.  They thought he was a financial burden on them because he couldn’t work.

 

They threatened to bury him alive and cut his tongue out and beat him all the time!  He escaped and was found wandering in the street.  The police came and someone in the street helped to translate.  When the police asked if they could take him home he go very frightened and clung to a lamp post.  Then Ghalib told them about being beaten and not being allowed to go back to Pakistan.

 

A relative took Ghalib home where he was very badly beaten for speaking out.  Four days later a police officer and a social worker went to the house and asked to speak to Ghalib alone.  The family lied and said he wasn’t there but the police found Ghalib huddled on the sofa.

 

Ghalib told them about how he was badly treated.

 

 

The professionals did a good job by going to help him and making sure they talked to him alone.

 

 

Ghalib was taken to hospital because his hip was broken by the abuse.

 

 

It’s great that Ghalib has got out of this terrible situation and is getting help.  The members of his family who abused Ghalib are being charged with threatening to kill, grievous bodily harm and fear of violence by harassment and false imprisonment.

 

They are all denying what they did because they think it was ok to treat Ghalib like that because he has a learning disability.

Disability benefit cuts – we won!

I am really over the moon that we won against the Government about the Mobility Allowance part of disability living allowance. The Government are not going to take away the Mobility Allowance from disabled people who live in residential care.

We wrote about this in the blog in November 2011′s archive called, The Hardest Hit – Thousands march against disability benefits cuts. Annabel also went to London in May 2011 to protest about the cuts – see our blog in May 2011, Disability March on London!

 

Congratulations everyone, we have won! Let’s go celebrate and have a party!

  

 

This shows how great it is that disabled people and our friends and family in Britain have spoken up for our rights and won!

The Hardest Hit – thousands march against disability benefit cuts

KA says:

On Saturday 22nd October I went to a march in Leeds.

 

Leeds

 

 Ace says:

What was it about?

 

KA says:

It was about the disability benefit cuts.  It was a big success – over 400 people came. The speakers were Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, Susan Hanley, Robyn Brockie, Paul Williams, Sheila Banks, Andy Smith, Steve Winyard and Tim McSharry. They all did a great job.

 

Malak says:

I was on holiday in Portugal but I saw it in the papers. I thought what a good job they did and I felt inspired that people with learning disabilities were speaking up for our rights.

 

KA says:

It was widely reported on local TV, radio, in the papers and on the internet.

 

Annabel says:

Across the country over 5,500 people went to the 12 marches, sending the strongest message to the government about cuts to disability benefits and services. I went to the one in Manchester, it was great! There were speeches and music. Cherylee Houston who is a disabled actress who plays Izzy in The Street was also there.

To find out more go to www.hardesthit.org.uk

Follow The Hardest Hit on facebook

Here are some more photos from The Hardest Hit demonstrations around the country:

Bristol

Cardiff

Edinburgh

Manchester

Norwich

 

Brighton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Newcastle

Disabled woman killed by friends she thought she knew

I felt sorry for Miss Hayter, the way she was treated. She was a vulnerable person with learning disabilities and she lived independently.

 

I am pleased the three people who did this have been given life sentences for what they did.

 

 

I know the other two people got lighter sentences for manslaughter. I hope this will teach them a lesson they will never forget.

 

 

I can’t believe the injuries Miss Hayter suffered and what the five people did to her.

 

This story is like the examples in the Equality and Human Rights Commission Report, ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’. The report gives examples of the harassment disabled people face. The stories show the horrible abuse that disabled people go through and they tell us how people are left alone to suffer. As a community, we let disabled people down when we ignore this kind of abuse. Shame on Britain!

Frances Affleck

 

Frances Affleck, CHANGE Power Changer Co-ordinator, says, “People with learning disabilities need good support. They should be believed when they speak up about bullying and information about how to get help must be accessible.”

Craig Bricklebank

 

Craig Bricklebank, CHANGE Power Changer Trainer says, “I think harassment of disabled people is wrong. Sometimes when a disabled person tells the police it doesnt get recorded as a disability hate crime.”

Winterbourne View Closed Down

Annabel says:

We are pleased that Castlebeck has closed down Winterbourne View.

 

Ace says:

The government should have looked into this before things went badly wrong.

 

 

KA says:

The government are now looking into what happened and a case review of the abuse is set for July.

 

Malak says:

I hope the residents from Winterbourne View will be happier in their new homes.

Disability March on London!

20,000 Disabled People March on London - May 2011

 

Annabel says:

“Recently I went London to join with about 20,000 Disabled People to attend a march in Westminster.

“The march was about cuts to benefits including the mobility part of Disability Living Allowance and to other disability services.

“It felt great to be with other Disabled People to speak up for our Rights.”

Leeds City Council Are Pulling The Plug On Two Sports Centres

Leeds leisure centres under threat

Plans are to close two sports centres in Leeds.  The sports centres are East Leeds Sports Centre and Garforth Squash and Sports Centre.

 

Annabel says:

“If these sports centres are to close then the nearest sports centre to East Leeds is Fearnville Sports Centre which is NOT accessible for those people who are disabled”.  

 

Malak

 

Malak says:

 “I like swimming but it is too far to go to Fearnville Sports Centre.  I like East Leeds Sports Centre because the staff are helpful and the centre is brilliant”

Ace says:

“If East Leeds Sports Centre were to close how will people with learning disabilities will get to Fearnville Sports Centre. There is no direct bus route and people with learning disabilities with have to go into town and out again which is harder to do and more expensive!”

KA says:

“Sports are an important way for disabled people to stay healthy and these closures will have a big impact on disabled people’s health”.