The View from Where I Sit

Tag: blogger

  • Beyond the Ballot: Building a Disabled People’s Charter

    Disabled people are too often excluded from the political conversations and decisions that shape our everyday lives. From transport and housing to social care, employment, healthcare and accessibility.
    That’s why I’m really pleased to be part of this upcoming online conversation hosted by the Purple Collective and Our House.

    We’ll discuss building a Disabled People’s Charter shaped by lived experience, collective discussion and practical ideas for change.
    If you’re disabled, working in disability inclusion, interested in policy and systems change, or simply want to contribute to a better future, we’d love you to join us.

    Reimagining a society and democracy that works for disabled people.

    Our House is proud to partner with the Purple Collective to host this one-hour online workshop bringing disabled people together to help shape a new Disabled People’s Charter.

    This session is about more than individual policies or political parties. It’s about asking a bigger question:

    What would society look like if disabled people were genuinely heard, valued, and included in decisions that affect our lives?

    Together, we’ll explore the changes disabled people want to see across areas such as:

    Transport
    Housing
    Healthcare
    Employment
    Education
    Social care
    Participation in public life

    The ideas and outcomes from this session will help feed into Our House’s wider People’s Charter initiative, which seeks to build a fairer and more inclusive future for everyone.

    Who Is This For?
    Any disabled person who wants to see their voice at the heart of power and their experiences and ideas used to help shape a better future. You do not need any political experience or expertise to participate. Just your lived experience, ideas, and willingness to contribute.


    Too often, disabled people are consulted after decisions have already been made. This session is an opportunity to come together earlier, share experiences openly, and help shape a collective vision for what disabled people need from society and from those in power. Bringing together Our House’s expertise in people-powered democratic methodology and Purple Collective’s dedication to authentic disability representation and inclusion, we will draft a Disabled People’s Charter.

    You’ll be invited to decide the next steps and build on what we cover in the session. So, if you’re passionate about disabled people’s rights, disability justice, or just want a better political system, come along and help shape the beginning of the Purple Chartist movement!

    We hope this will be the beginning of an ongoing conversation that grows into a community focused on building lasting change together.

  • When Advocacy Becomes a Risk—And Systems Stay Silent

    In many parts of the world, disability advocacy is celebrated as participation, empowerment, and progress.
    But in others, it carries a heavy price.
    Speaking up about inaccessibility.
    Challenging powerful institutions.
    Demanding real enforcement of rights.
    These are not neutral acts everywhere.

    In some contexts, they trigger professional backlash, social exclusion, loss of opportunities, and at times, genuine personal risk.
    The global conversation often fails to acknowledge this reality.
    We champion the slogan “Nothing About Us Without Us.”
    We urge disabled people to raise their voices and lead the change.

    Yet we rarely ask the harder questions:
    At what cost?
    And who is protected when they speak?
    Advocacy without protection is not empowerment; it is exposure.
    Systems that depend on individuals to carry personal risk, while offering no structural safeguards, are not inclusive.
    They are fragile, and they are unjust.

    If we are serious about global disability inclusion, protection must be built into systems, not left to individuals:

    • Secure and anonymous reporting mechanisms
    • Enforceable legal protections for advocates and whistleblowers
    • Enforced institutional accountability when retaliation occurs
    • Sustained international solidarity that does not abandon local advocates

    The burden of change cannot continue to fall on those already most at risk.

    “Nothing About Us Without Us” must also mean:
    Nothing at the expense of our safety.
    Inclusion is not only about access.

    It is about protection, dignity, and the freedom to speak without fear.

  • Black Disability History Matters

    It is vital to acknowledge and honor Black Disability History since Black disabled people have made such a paramount impact in leading our community and passing legislation for disability rights. This is where intersectionality plays a big role in the community because the Disability Rights Movement was crossed over and modeled from the Civil Rights Movement.

    Not only were many of these historical disabled Black activists fighting for their civil rights and to just exist peacefully, they were also facing discrimination for their disabilities and facing challenges with access & medical needs. Many of these activists also brought over their wisdom from protesting for the Civil Rights Movement and even being members of the Black Panthers.

    Also, it’s even more important that we honor them because non-disabled people already leave disabled people out of history, much less Black disability history. We know more than anyone we are the marginalized group that is always forgotten about. So do not forget to acknowledge our disabled Black brothers and sisters.

  • Disability Pride vs. Healing: Are We Falling into Ableism?

    The relationship between Disability Pride and healing is complex and multifaceted. While Disability Pride can be a powerful tool for self-acceptance and empowerment, it is essential to balance it with the importance of healing and recovery.

    What is disability pride?
    Disability pride is the acceptance and honoring of each person’s uniqueness, viewing it as a natural and beautiful part of human diversity. It celebrates the disabled identity and promotes self-determination, combating stigma and shame associated with disabilities.

    What is healing?

    Healing is the act or process of curing or of restoring to health. It is the process of becoming well again, especially after a cut or other injury, or of making someone well again. Wounds should be covered with a gauze dressing while healing occurs. Healing can also refer to the process in which a bad situation or painful emotion ends or improves.

    Here are some key points to consider:


    Disability Pride as a Source of Healing: Pride can foster a sense of community and connection among individuals with disabilities, which can be therapeutic. It can also serve as a reminder of the strength and resilience that come with living with a disability.

    Balancing Pride with Healing: It is important to recognize that pride and healing are not mutually exclusive. Individuals with disabilities can benefit from both aspects of the Disability Pride movement and personal healing processes.

    Addressing Ableism: The movement for Disability Pride is also a response to ableism, which can be a barrier to healing and personal growth. By challenging and countering ableism, individuals with disabilities can create a more inclusive and supportive environment for themselves and their communities.


    Seeking Professional Help: For those struggling with anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues related to their disability, seeking therapy from a professional trained in disability issues can be beneficial.

    Fostering a Culture of Healing: It is crucial to create a culture that values the healing process and recognizes the importance of personal growth and recovery alongside Disability Pride. This can involve advocating for accessible healthcare, educational resources, and legal protections that support the needs of individuals with disabilities.

    In conclusion, while Disability Pride is a vital aspect of the journey towards healing and personal growth, it is essential to maintain a balance between the two. By embracing both aspects, individuals with disabilities can work towards a more fulfilling and empowered life.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ywYUJ8ORxI&list=PL9lUmHuFTiytByr_ZlUySjdkgUkpGojtP

    https://www.instagram.com/p/DJm0ALnNEdJ/

    https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/disability-is-diversity/202008/how-disability-pride-fights-ableism?msockid=30a9b117ac516ec22315a595ad9a6fc2

    http://heartsc.org

  • Fanny J. Crosby, a renowned American hymn writer played a significant role in the realm of disability history.

    Born on March 24, 1820, in Putnam County, New York, Fanny lost her sight when she was only six weeks old. Yet, she did not allow this disability to dampen her spirit or ambition.

    Crosby’s contribution to American hymnology is immense, with over 8,000 hymns attributed to her name. Despite her blindness, she became the most prolific hymn writer in history, penning classic favorites such as “Blessed Assurance,” “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior,” and one of my personal favorites “To God Be the Glory.”

    Apart from her musical prowess, Fanny Crosby was an active advocate for people with disabilities. She supported efforts to improve education and opportunities for those who were visually impaired.

    Attending the New York Institution for the Blind as a student, she later returned as a teacher and was deeply involved in advocating for the rights and education of visually impaired individuals.

    Crosby engaged in social causes, often speaking and organizing support for various charities aimed at alleviating the struggles of the disabled.

    Fanny J. Crosby’s legacy is a testament to resilience and faith.

  • Swimming for People with Special Needs

    Walking onto the beach, feeling the sand between your toes and as you step into the ocean you can see your feet through the clear blue water. What a wonderful experience for many, but for some of us who can’t walk, going to the beach may not be such a joyous occasion.

    First of all when it comes to accessibility, there are the barriers to get into the beach and in order for a wheelchair to get through it takes two or three people to lift it over.

    Also, sometimes because of various disabilities, some of us have no sensation in our feet, the waist down or even the neck down. So consequently, we don’t have the luxury of feeling the sand between our toes or the ocean on our feet, which makes it even harder to enjoy.

    But aside from that, there are many swimming tools that we can use to enhance our swimming experience like rubber rings, life jackets, and other devices. There are also beach chairs available for wheelchair users to sit in while in the water.

    One summer I worked as a junior counselor at an inclusive camp at Wind Reach Recreational Village. While working there, there was one little boy named Dylan who needed to use a trachea and I remember when the camp had Water Day every Friday he was not able to participate with everyone else because if he got his trachea wet it would be harmful to him.

    There was also a girl there who had a problem where she had to be constantly monitored in the water and all counselors had to make sure that she didn’t fall asleep because if she did she could end up having a seizure in her sleep which is life threatening for her. Working at the camp was such an eye opener to the vast range of disabilities that are in Bermuda.

  • The only disability in life is a bad attitude

    We have ALL heard the quote “the only disability in life is a bad attitude”.

    This quote is profoundly stupid, misleading, and harmful because it oversimplifies the complex nature of disabilities and dismisses the real challenges faced by disabled individuals.

    What we need is a change in societal attitudes, not a dismissal of the lived experiences of those with disabilities.

    People with disabilities deal with pain, fatigue, accessibility issues, medical costs, and social discrimination.

    Does having a bad attitude often hinder your life and personal growth?

    In my opinion absolutely.

    But suggesting that a bad attitude is the only real disability is nonsense.

    Why are people still using this quote?

    My name is Daniella Jade Lowe and this is The View from Where I Sit!!!

  • Reflections and Key Messages from Luke Chapter 5

    1. Paralysed Man
    • We don’t know if the man had always been paralysed – for some people disability is life-long, for others it happens through illness or accident or later in life.
    • Being paralysed, he wouldn’t have been able to move around by himself, leave the house or earn a living – he would be completely dependent on others for everything.
    • It is likely that the only way of him being able to get his basic needs to survive would be to be carried outside into the town square to beg.
    • This same situation happens today in many developing countries where disabled people are still treated as outcasts.
    • Through the Roof ‘Wheels for the World’ mission trips constantly meet people who are in this situation. The trips take refurbished wheelchairs and mobility aids, along with Bibles, for people just
      like the paralysed man in Luke 5.
    • What did the paralysed man need – he needed to know Jesus.
    • What do our Wheels for the World recipients need – the need is still exactly the same – they need to know Jesus – demonstrated through the love of Christians providing a wheelchair and a Bible.

    2. The Four Friends
    These men were true friends – they saw past the man’s disability. They saw the man himself as a friend and responded to what he needed. They treated him with love, respect and compassion.

    • It probably wasn’t easy carrying the man on the stretcher.
    • We don’t know how far they had to carry him.
    • They worked together and they were determined, because they knew how important this was for the paralysed man.
    • When they arrived and couldn’t get into the house, they must have felt they were never going to succeed in getting their friend to Jesus.
    • It was a brave idea to break through the roof – what would the owner of the house say, or do to them?
    • They put their friend’s needs before their own safety or reputation. They knew how important it was for him to meet Jesus.
    • The situation is exactly the same today – it is just as important for disabled people to meet Jesus today as it was then
    • Through the Roof’s ‘Roofbreaker’ project is exactly this – to break down the barriers that might prevent disabled people from meeting Jesus.
    • It goes further than that too… once someone meets Jesus, they will want to serve Him and tell others about Him too – so barriers need to be removed so that disabled people can not only come to faith, but grow in faith and share that faith in the same way as everyone.

    3. The Crowd
    The Bible account says that those who were present when the man was lowered through the roof were ‘amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe’.

    • The Pharisees and teachers of the law who were present didn’t recognise who Jesus was. Jesus chose a disabled man to demonstrate exactly who He was.
    • Jesus could have just healed the man, but He didn’t. Jesus chose this moment to demonstrate that He was indeed the Son of Man and that He did indeed have authority to forgive sins.
    • What an honour for the paralysed man to be chosen to display Jesus’ authority in this way.
    • How much more important it is to meet Jesus, to know who He is, and to have your sins forgiven than just to be physically healed?
      Physical healing can only be temporary – our earthly bodies will one day die – but when Jesus forgives our sins, He is giving the gift of eternal life.
    • So, what impact did it have on the lives of those who witnessed this?
    • Imagine you were one of the people in that crowd. That moment would be a transforming point in your life because of what you had witnessed. That’s why it’s important today to hear about how God still works in and through the lives of disabled people.
    • The personal stories of disabled people whose lives have been changed by Jesus are incredibly powerful. We need to hear more of them, so that Jesus can work through those to transform other lives too.

      4. Our Response
    • How does the account of the paralysed man affect us even today as we hear it and respond to its message?
    • What do we learn from the paralysed man – are we seeking our own encounter with Jesus that will transform our lives completely?
      Jesus can take our weakness, transform it, and glorify God. Like the paralysed man, our lives will never be the same again once we have had a life-changing encounter with Jesus. And of course, then we need to respond and make sure others can come to know Jesus too.
    • What do we learn from the four friends?
    • God can use us if we have faith in Him. We may not need to break through roofs, but there are still barriers today that prevent disabled people from coming to Jesus – what can we do?
    • Let’s dig through that roof!
      Let’s break down the barriers!
    • The barriers might not always be what we would think. The barriers in our churches are not always
      to do with the building, there can be other barriers too – we need to ask disabled people themselves so that we can break through those barriers as the four friends did.
    • And what do we learn from the ‘others’ in the story?
    • Are we people who are amazed and give praise to God?
    • Are we ‘filled with awe’ by observing Jesus in action as they were?
    • Or are we like the Pharisees and teachers of the law clinging on to our traditionalism and not being willing to change?
    • If we see Jesus for who He really is, all this will be turned on its head. How will we respond?
      It’s time for churches to make sure there aren’t any barriers for disabled people coming to Jesus. Take an honest look, but most importantly ask disabled people if there are any barriers they are facing. And remember there’s lots of help available – Through the Roof will be delighted to help.
      We all need to be transformed by Jesus and that’s exactly what Through the Roof is aiming for.
    • Through the Roof’s mission is: ‘Transforming lives through Jesus with disabled people’. That is exactly what we see in the account of the paralysed man. It is Jesus doing the transforming, but Jesus not only transforms the life of a disabled person, Jesus also works through this person to transform the lives of others too.

    Stay tuned for our next Disability Awareness Sunday Service on the 17th of September 2023!

  • Bradford for Everyone Shared Values Campaign

    Manningham Housing Association has a new project called Building Bridges Bradford Project of which aims to bring diverse groups and voices together during the Pandemic. Besides building the community, the project aims to tackle mental health. As has been highlighted by the experts and in the media, with the pandemic, some cases of mental health have been raised.

    The new project by the Association therefore aims to build bridges between its residents in the community in various ways.

    In the next year, between January to March, we would be delighted if you could deliver a confidence building/ awareness workshop on the disabled group.

    Our aim to activate community conversations and bring different communities together.  For you, how you deliver the session/s is up to you (to be discussed).

    Information useful for the project:

    1. We would like course structures between 2-8 weeks, a session each week/ fortnightly/monthly.
    2. They can run between 60 mins-2 hours a session (2 hours however might be too long. We recommend 1hr sessions max to ensure active engagement and participation. You might however have other ideas-open to hear about them).
    3. Suitability of time depends on your structure and audience you wish to target (family programmes for instance may happen after school or on weekends in the afternoon).
    4. Regards to the number of participants expected to attend, this depends on the audience interested in this session and themes that you are keen to offer. For example,  you could incorporate a number of 121 sessions to specifically positively impact some individuals who may best benefit from this. You can also run group sessions.
    5. Age range: any (might depend on your offering/s). We would, however, like to impact all age groups for greater impact. Maybe you might like to break down activities by age.
    6. Ethnicities: All (we aim to inspire community integration, conversations& learning)

    As you may have gathered, we are very flexible on your delivery. Our main aim is to positively impact as many people as possible. It’s however not about numbers, you might propose to work with few individuals of whom you can truly positively impact…impact is better than numbers.

    As of  Covid-19 ,  all sessions will run online ( over Zoom/other) unless Covid-19 Tiers allow otherwise.

    If you have any more queries, please send these or send a time of your availability so that we can discuss this further.

    Bradford District Shared Values

    https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/1e05b983451d484fb7ad920ee2aa01f9

  • What does Independence mean to me?

    All throughout life, I’ve been encouraged and trained to be independent despite being diagnosed with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus at birth. Independence is important to me. This pandemic has actually caused me to live at a higher level of independence, especially, in relation to self care and health care.

    Some wheelchair users prefer their own independence because receiving help makes them feel more disabled than they already are. It’s partly about dignity and respect. Other times it can be about disability pride. Their disability pride can be fuelled by entitlement, and identity. Wheelchair accessibility is one right that wheelchair users are entitled to.

    Wheelchair inaccessibility causes one to be co-dependent. I experienced this in Bermuda. I also cannot claim benefits at all in addition to relying on family. Fortunately, wheelchair accessibility enhanced my Independent Living. I experienced this in England. Wheelchair accessibility causes one to be independent because you can access things without relying on someone. I also cannot claim benefits while living with family.

    For example, when I was eight years old, I got my first manual wheelchair. From that age, I was always encouraged to push myself instead of allowing anyone to push me. This reinforced my independence.

    Another level of independence that I’ve experienced was high school. During my first year of high school, the building was nowhere near wheelchair accessible so I required hands on support. However, while in my second year of high school, it was taken away from me. I did everything on my own without a Paraeducator, because, when I transferred to the new wheelchair accessible building, it was assumed that I no longer needed support. This wasn’t a smart move because I struggled under pressure, failed two subjects and had to do Summer School to catch up on credits. This also affected my G.P.A when I graduated. This was quite stressful and frustrating for me. I cried and complained to my parents so they met with the school to sort it it out.

    However, it made me more self aware and helped me improve time management. Having an extra pair of hands helped me to navigate the school faster.

    The next example was during the first semester of my first year in college. I took classes without learning support for fear that I’d have to pay for it, because I was being treated as an international student instead of a home student. Before my January exams, lecturers raised concerns about my grades and overall progress. When this was realised, I was given assistance from learning support without paying for it. But I must admit, that it made me more organised and it improved my study skills and habit.

    Another aspect of independence that I learned, especially in college, is speaking up for myself while living independently. I had to move to another country to further my studies due to wheelchair accessibility issues.

    During my first year of college, meeting with the learning support department was very frustrating. Communication between my lecturers and the learning support department always seemed disconnected. The week or day before my exams, lecturers always asked me what was the learning support plan for my exams. This stressed me out because after every meeting, they assured me that they would share our discussion with the staff members. This almost never happened and I found myself repeating all of the information just to ensure my needs were met. This took away from my personal study time.

    However, all of these experiences taught me how to advocate for myself and cultivated the desire to advocate for others with disabilities.

    Unfortunately, due to struggling to balance studies, personal care and health I got help from disability services. This came in the form of a social worker, carers, district nurses, and a GP, after my first year of college. I received these services because I started losing weight and getting pressure ulcers. This means I had to rely on people more to help me cope with the demands of life. They helped me with cooking, cleaning, laundry and sometimes shopping. It helped me to set my priorities straight and enhanced my independence.

    Independence means taking ownership, taking responsibility, and taking action. It’s all part of maturity and putting on my ‘big girl panties.’ This is what independence means to me!