Article in Guardian: Covid lockdown opening up world for people with disabilities Apr 2020

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...opening-up-world-for-people-with-disabilities

 

It's closed down my world, we can't get any groceries or much food online. Can phone our butcher (he delivers but isn't online), and can get random stuff off amazon, but can't get supermarket slots to get food delivered.

So it's actually closed stuff down for many (I'm assuming many in same boat as me) disabled as the able bodied are able to sit up till midnight to get first dibs on supermarket delivery slots. Yeah, maybe more interesting stuff for everyone, but less FOOD for disabled!

PS I note that there isn't below the line discussion on Ryan's article. Poor of the Grauniad to not give us the right to reply.

 

It's not just the shortage of slots, it's that even when I do get one what turns up is missing vital items, that would have provided the basis for several meals, and what turns up is the sundries, which are of little use on their own.

Easily fixed if I was able to go out, and had a car, and the ability to stand in multiple queues trying to find somewhere that sold exotic items, like flour, but none of these apply - I get one shot, and one shot only, if stuff isn't there in the 5 minutes my order is being picked then that's it for a few weeks.

 

I suppose it's to avoid abuse. I think they do this if the writer has received nasty comments before. Given how able-ist we are as a society, this doesn't surprise me.

 

I can't remember if Frances Ryan's articles have allowed discussion BTL before. But I do note that an awful lot of the Grauniad daily cartoons don't. Some still do, but say a year ago nearly all did. Now it seems they're a lot more picky.

Of course with Martin Rowson he can be very "difficult" in terms of his message! But I do love his cartoons, and am very happy to own a couple of originals, plus a signed print.

 

I guess it’s give and take really. On one hand I can watch phantom of the opera streamed online but on the other I’m struggling to get food and other people with more serious needs are struggling to get essential care. Oh and some cancer patients will have years knocked off their life. But, west end shows everyone!

I cannot express my hatred for the guardian in words anymore.

 

I don’t think this article is saying there aren’t big problems for disabled people with the lockdown (like with food, people with serious conditions not being able to get medical treatment etc), but it’s focusing on just one particular part of life, which wasn’t accessible before. Education, and entertainment.

I personally found the article to be good, it had points in it which were similar to that written in the blog from A life hidden. One thing that resonated with me is this (my bolding):

“As well as joy at being offered new opportunities, many feel frustrated that it took the non-disabled world to become house-bound before access was granted.. She was frequently refused – “I was told it wasn’t ‘feasible’” – but the coronavirus pandemic means her entire university is now online.

“I am so torn between being so grateful that I can get my education and […] feeling a bit betrayed that it was possible the whole time,” she said.”

I am glad that so much that wasn’t accessible, is now accessible.

My GP is more than happy to have phone appointments. Infact they’re even encouraging me to use online appointments & consultations (by text!). Likewise with the nurse. My local Hospital pain clinic called me, whereas A few months ago they insisted that however ill I was, I had to come in to see them, there was no way to do it over the phone. Yet there is, isn’t there?!

And some comedians that I love are now streaming online shows and put it up comedy bits every few days, which didn’t happen before...musicians...”learning to write” events, museums, yoga and meditation teaching, my local Buddhist centre (I’ve been wanting to go to this place for 4 years now)...but with severe ME I am unable to take part in most of it still as I become very tired and exhausted when trying to take on something new.

What worries me is that as soon as coronavirus is better; these will disappear - and all these opportunities would have slipped through my fingers, if there ever comes a time when my ME is less severe, and then it will be too late for me to actually participate in all these things. I just hope that many of these places still continue to offer online and accessible services even when things get better.

 

I think it should be easier for disabled people to use the Equalities Act (2010) to get these 'reasonable adjustments' when things go back to 'normal' - because they will now be able to cite concrete examples of how these things can be done!

 

Excepting Ryan, who's great, they have a terrible track record on ME and a few other things.

 

I personally found the article positive overall.

I accept there are pluses and minuses to the current situation. Personally my communication, sense of feeling involved in my community and social contact has improved on the basis that everyone is making more of an effort and that more is happening on line.

I am lucky with shopping as my support worker and neighbours are doing my shopping for me so I have not needed to worry about delivery slots and am using the local pubs delivery service for a number of hot meals a week. However being in isolation means I have no support within the house, so much less is happening and I am experiencing higher levels of PEM.

Long term, I can not say how much the benefits of more social contact will balance out the reduced practical support and whether my health will suffer or not. But I do hope the wider use of on line communication and social awareness will continue beyond the current epidemic.

 

Honestly, Frances Ryan (the journalist) knows these things. She is very active in bringing these problems (poverty of disabled people, struggling to get food, etc) to people's attention. She just didn't mention that in this particular article.

 

Yes but I think the point is the capacity to make such deliveries is rising, the opportunities rising, as aspects of society gear up for an increased delivery of services. Its the downside now that might lead to an upside later. The question is how much of this capacity will be retained after the current crises are over.

 

It's had a positive effect for me.

My usual Monday before coronavirus: sofa until 11:00, drive 40 minutes, walk a long way from the carpark and up two flights of stairs, teach 90 minutes, eat, teach 90 minutes, lock office door and lie down for 15 minutes, teach 90 minutes, walk to car, drive 40 minutes, collapse on sofa til Tuesday lunchtime, be lucky to get away with it without a headache.

Now it's: put down my coffee at 12:13, walk downstairs to computer, start lesson at 12:15. I can go upstairs to my sofa between lessons, and after the last lesson no walking, driving or collapsing - back on my sofa 2 minutes after the last lesson. Plus I can sit in my comfortable office chair for the whole 90 minutes whilst I'm teaching, instead of having to stand up and go to the board, hand out documents etc etc. My biggest movement is clicking my mouse.

Plus the uni has just given all part-time teachers a 20% payrise in recognition of the increased workload involved in adapting to teaching online, which is nice.

Same with a lot of my private students - I save a 40 minute drive per student, and a lot of petrol money.

Downside is that some private students don't want to use Zoom, and the ones remaining may soon have to save money and English lessons is the first thing companies cut when they need to save money, but I've lived with the uncertainty of being self-employed for 25 years so that doesn't bother me.

So everyone having to get used to working online has made my job a lot easier. Other than that, life continues exactly as it did before. For me.