The View from Where I Sit

Tag: disability awareness

  • Disability Awareness Sunday

    Introduction

    Today, I got to share what it is like to be a wheelchair user, at the St. John’s Ben Rhydding Church in Ilkley, during their first ever Disability Awareness Sunday! There were also other disabled members who watched the service on Zoom.

    Opening  worship

    Songs  Amazing Grace ( My chains are gone)

    Waymaker

    Then we had a scripture Reading. Our scripture reference was Luke 5: 17-26. We watched a video at this point of this service: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54HVIqckVMc.

    Through the Roof and Roofbreakers was founded upon this scripture. The founder of the foundation is Joni B. Eareckson Tada.

    Song    God of the poor (Beauty for brokenness)

    Daniella Jade’s experience

    What difference in access to things did you find coming from Bermuda to here?

    College and University was wheelchair accessible, however the college made it mandatory to get an electric wheelchair because Bradford is very hilly.

    In education, what barriers were there and how were things changed to help you?

    Wheelchair Accessibility and Integration were the recurring barriers. There were two public high schools to choose from. One building was completely wheelchair accessible from it’s inception but I would’ve ended up in a special class/program instead of being integrated while the other high school was nowhere near wheelchair accessible which impeded on things like class participation, attendance and receiving an accurate product grade. Once I got to the high school phase of life, I started out in a building with all stairs, which made it hard to get to classes easily and on time. But in my second year, I moved to a fully wheelchair accessible building.

    What barriers do you in coming to church and how can we help you to be included?

    None

    Then we included the church in a Talk –  including a time for discussion.

    Song    Be still for the presence

    Prayers

    Song    God of justice

    The audience seemed quite interested and receptive. I’m very thankful for this opportunity. I enjoyed sharing my experiences and hearing other people’s perspective.

    The Enabling Church Course

    http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/my-body-is-not-a-prayer-request/409340

    https://throughtheroof.org/forchurches/celebrate-inclusion/

  • Wheelchair Privilege?

    “Privilege is not having to add the extra steps to make the recipe taste good.” – Jon Stewart

    Let’s think about that by looking at the concept of privilege. Privilege, from a sociological perspective is defined as: “Unearned access to resources only readily available to some people as a result of their advantaged social group membership.”

    What does this mean?

    Instead of taking it from a black/white paradigm, let’s look at it from a able/disabled paradigm.

    If you do not have to live life from a wheelchair, you normally don’t think about NOT having to be in a wheelchair. You don’t think about the access you get to have. You don’t think about how you will get from Point A to Point B on a daily basis. You don’t think about whether or not you will be able to get into Building One or Building Two. You don’t have to know how to evacuate the building in the case of a fire, as a wheelchair user.

    If you DO have a wheelchair, you can’t NOT think about these things. You always have to be aware of where you CAN and CANNOT go, the places you DO and DO NOT have access to.

    How am I privileged for being in a wheelchair when I was born unable to walk? I need it for mobility. These places aren’t wheelchair accessible!

    How am I privileged for getting extra help in class or exams? I have learning difficulties. Or if I apply for learning support, I have to pay for it?

    How am I privileged if I sign up to join a ministry team at church and the leader insist that I get supervised even after being trained?

    How am I privileged if my parents get asked to supervise me in class, because the Ministry of Education refuses to provide a Para-educator due to personal prejudices, preferences and opinions?

    You don’t have to walk up these hills. You don’t have to climb the stairs. You’re lucky.

    Attention both positive and negative

    Wheelchair users have to deal with dirty looks people through their way, especially when driving to a wheelchair parking space. Social stigmas are very evident as you’ll see frequent glares, discrimination in public transportation, public ridicule, and pinpointing as one drives to disabled parking spots.

    Even positive attention isn’t necessary as even well intended comments can get overwhelming.

    The race for getting into the elevator

    Wheelchair users find themselves competing with the rest to get to the elevator first. This is never fair since other people can climb the stairs fast and get into the elevator first.

    Some people are confident to ask wheelchair users to wait and go last as the wheelchair will take more space in the elevator. This is very hurtful.

    The struggle for parking the vehicle

    Nowadays, most places, especially public areas, have parking for the disabled. These parking spots are near the entrance/exits and are bigger than standard park spaces. This hurts some non-disabled people, and they think it’s a privilege that wheelchair users don’t deserve; sometimes, you’ll find them discussing this.

    Parking in accessible parking areas isn’t that easy as it sounds. Non-disabled people often park their vehicles in these spaces. Whereas they may find it enjoyable, it greatly inconveniences actual wheelchair users.

    The other challenge is people parking too close to cars parked in the accessible parking spaces. This limits the use of the wheelchair ramp, which is very inconvenient.

    The grass only looks greener on the other side. Sometimes the wheelchair makes it look ‘easy to get by.’ We’ve simply been misunderstood.

    These days, the term “privilege” might be used to explain at least some of these hugely varied outcomes. The term is often poorly understood and sometimes misused. But it’s also often based on a solid base of real-life experience. This is certainly true for people with disabilities. Disability is most often a social and financial disadvantage. But that doesn’t mean people with disabilities can’t have and enjoy what in current parlance we call “privilege.”

    https://exploreaccess.org/disability-as-diversity-postsecondary/ableism-and-non-disabled-privilege/,

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewpulrang/2023/01/25/4-ways-people-with-disabilities-can-have-privilege-too/?sh=30d3aaad7f3a

    https://www.linkedin.com/posts/florabazie_linoratechinclusion-webaccessibilityexpertcoach-activity-7049376544066068481-Nf5c?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

  • Medical House Ltd.

    Medical House’s Managing Director is Mickey Robinson. Mickey started Medical House in 1995.

    Mickey’s greatest joy is when our customers of all ages communicate how Medical House staff have helped them get through and overcome challenges in their homes or workplaces.

    Medical House is a reliable and caring company that provides the very best products and services in the industries we represent. We are leaders in Medical Supplies, Home Health care, PPE supplies, Uniforms and Footwear; and Restaurant, Janitorial and Safety supplies. Our established and professional team are here to serve you. They are similar to BACES in Bradford.

    SERVICES

    • We offer skilled consultation with our occupational therapy, physiotherapy and nursing team.
    • Assessments, CPAP and Oxygen services by self referral or health care provider

    For example, as a disabled customer, I’ve also purchased other items from them like Urine Off spray to clean my wheelchair and new wheelchair cushions.

    They also encourage Compression Therapy. Compression therapy is an effective treatment used to help increase blood circulation in the lower legs, ankles, and feet. The elastic in the stockings helps provide compression to prevent blood from pooling up and fluid from building up in the legs, ankles, or feet. There are different categories of pressure depending on the condition of the individual and how much compression they require.

    CONTACT PERSONTinee Furbert
    PHONE NUMBER4412923622
    EMAIL ADDRESSmedicalhouse@medicalhouse.bm
    WEBSITE ADDRESSmedicalhouse.bm
    PHYSICAL ADDRESS22 Mill Reach Lane Pembroke HM 05
    2 Bakery Lane
    Pembroke HM 07
    Bermuda
    MAILING ADDRESSPO Box DV56, Devonshire, DVBX
    HOURS OF OPERATION9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday; Extended Hours Uniform Dept. 9:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m., Medical Sales 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

  • Kathleen Margaret Carter

    Sherrie-Lynn Lilley is the Founder/Director of Inspire Bermuda.

    This week Inspire Bermuda is celebrating women with disabilities for Women’s History Month!

    Today we would like to honour the wonderful and inspiring Kathleen Margaret Carter.

    She was the founder and long-time chairperson of the Bermuda Physically Handicapped Association, Kathleen Margaret Carter championed the cause of people with disabilities.

    She was herself disabled, and one of only a handful of Bermudians of her generation with a disability to receive access to a formal education. That, along with her talents as an organizer and writer and her media savviness, combined to make her a formidable spokeswoman.

    It was largely because of her activism that the needs of handicapped Bermudians were placed on the national agenda. It led to more employment opportunities for the disabled and heightened public awareness of the need to make buildings and streets in Hamilton more accessible to people in wheelchairs.

    Without her influence, Summerhaven, the residence for the physically handicapped in Smith’s, would not have been built, and the Human Rights Act would never have been amended to include people with disabilities.


    Carter was the only child of George Caswell Carter, a British engineer who came to Bermuda to work for the Bermuda Electric Light Company, and Margaret Daisey (born Taylor) Carter. She was born with muscular dystrophy, a degenerative disease that put her permanently in a wheelchair by age 11.

    She received her early schooling at Mount St. Agnes Academy. When she was 13, she left the island to receive rehabilitation at Pinderfields Hospital in Yorkshire, England. Carter remained in the United Kingdom for three years and relied on her sense of humour to cope with her loneliness and isolation.

    On her return to Bermuda, she completed a correspondence course in creative writing and began to develop her talents as a writer and a doll maker.

    By the 1960s, she had written a novel based on her experiences in the rehab hospital, but despite favorable reviews from publishers, it never made it into print.

    She self-published two pamphlets “1609 was a Very Funny Year”, a satirical account of Bermuda’s settlement, and “Bermuda Joe”, about a talking sea horse with the secret for world peace.

    She began laying the groundwork for university education when she completed Colin Benbow’s G.C.E. history course, which he taught on television. Courses taken through Queen’s University Extension in Bermuda followed, which led to her receiving a Bachelor of Arts with a major in psychology from Queen’s in 1983.

    Carter’s life as an activist began when she took out a newspaper ad, asking people who were disabled to contact her. The result was the formation of the Bermuda Physically Handicapped Association (BPHA) in 1970. It became the forum through which Carter, working with a team of disabled and able-bodied members, led the fight for jobs and greater access to transportation and the integration of children with disabilities into the regular school system.

    By 1991, the BPHA could claim success in a number of areas. There were nine hydraulic buses on the roads, where there were none in the 1970s, providing transportation for residents and tourists with disabilities.

    A swimming pool had also been built at St. Brendan’s Hospital for use by the disabled for physical therapy, and amendments to the building code, requiring all new buildings to be accessible to the handicapped were on their way to Parliament. Hamilton City Hall had led the way, installing ramps and later an elevator.

    Carter served on a number of boards including Summerhaven’s and Government’s Human Rights Commission and the Rehabilitation Council. Her activism extended to the anti-Apartheid Group, which she helped found.

    She was a member of the Bermuda Writers’ Collective, and her short stories were included in two of its collections, Palmetto Wine, published in 1990, and An Isle So Long Unknown, which was published in her memory in 1993.

    In 1992, while attended a creative writing workshop led by Barbadian writer George Lamming, Carter suffered a stroke from which she never recovered.

    Her funeral, which was held at the Anglican Cathedral, was attended by artists and activists, Government and Opposition figures, clergy from different denominations and a host of friends.

    https://www.gov.bm/k-margaret-carter-centre

    https://bernews.com/2015/05/k-margaret-carter-centre/

  • ‘Home Automation for Physically Disabled People in the UK’

    CareFree Smart Homes began from a desire to enhance the lives of people with disabilities. As a disabled-owned company, we recommend all of our products to anyone disabled who is looking to utilise technology to enhance their level of independent living. During an interview with CEO Josh Porritt, this is what he said:

    1. What is a Care Free Smart Home?

    A CareFree Smart Home is one that provides the occupants with useful automation and voice controlled features that make it easier to control their home.

    2. Are Care Free Smart Homes wheelchair accessible? How?

    Products available at CareFree Smart Homes can help wheelchair users by enabling them to do more from their chair without having to move around as much or stretch for switches.

    3. Are Care Free Smart Homes digitally accessible? How?

    CareFree Smart Homes is all about technology. Whether you want to control your home whilst you’re there, or somewhere completely different. We have a website and are available on all major social media platforms plus live chat and WhatsApp.

    4. Do Housing Corporations know about your company?

    We are open to working with housing corporations and welcome them to contact us.

    5. Are Care Free Smart Homes legal?

    All our products and services comply with the law.

    6. When did you start Care Free Smart Homes?

    CareFree Smart Homes was incorporated in July 2022 and began operating in September 2022.

    7. Does a Care Free Smart Home, work without Wifi or Internet connection?
    Sort of, at the moment. The ability to control your smart home without an internet connection is becoming more and more possible every day. There will come a time where every smart home accessory can be controlled independent of an internet connection.

    8. You say that you like solving problems. Which problems arose for you to start building Care Free Smart Homes?

    It’s often difficult for disabled people to navigate properties, whether it’s fully adapted or not. As a disabled person, I understand this problem first hand. Coupled with the fact I’m obsessed with technology, I’m ideally placed to advise on how smart technology can be used in the homes of everyone, including disabled people.

    9. How do you build Care Free Smart Homes?

    Whilst there’s a broad range of smart products available, we focus on providing products and solutions that are ‘plug and play’. We believe that ‘plug and play’ products, if they can’t be installed by the purchaser, are suitable to be installed by family members, friends, carers, handymen, and for certain products, a short visit from an electrician

    10. Do you eventually wish to go global/international?

    At this time we are focused on establishing our name within the United Kingdom and making life easier for as many people as possible through use of technology.

    For more information about his company, you can check out his website at: Home Automation For Disabled Persons | CareFree Smart Homes https://www.carefreesmarthomes.co.uk/

    Seen by Josh Porritt at 14:35

    Enter

    Write to Josh Porritt

  • Where did the term ‘Handicap’ come from?

    You might have heard that the word originated from disabled veterans in England during King Henry VII’s reign (15th-16th century). Unable to make a living for themselves after war, they were forced to take to the streets with their “cap in hand,” begging for coins. King Henry VII made it legal for disabled people to beg because he didn’t think they could hold down jobs. Disabled individuals, therefore, became known as “handicapped”…It turns out, though, that this is not true.

    In contrast, “Cap in hand” actually refers to taking one’s hat off as a sign of respect, such as when listening to the national anthem or entering a building. This has been a custom since 1565, when people took their “caps in hand” to show subservience to certain individuals like judges. The phrase eventually took on the meaning “to humbly seek a favour.” It is still in use today, such as when referring to asking a boss for a raise, “cap in hand.

    Now in the late nineteenth century, the term “affliction” began to disappear and people started using the term “handicapped.” “Handicapped” arose in the context of evolutionary theory, the world was being reinterpreted as a place of struggle, of competition, in the midst of industrial expansion and growing commercialism. It arose in the context of an economy that was fiercely competitive and where people were increasingly seen as competing individuals.

    The term “handicapped” originally comes from a game called “Hand in Cap,” which is a game of chance in which every person would have an equal chance of winning in each succeeding game that you played. Later it was applied to horse racing. You would handicap a fast horse by hanging stones on it to slow it down. It began, then, in the late nineteenth century to be applied to people with disabilities, and it always occurred in the phrase, “handicapped in the race for life,” or “handicapped in the struggle for existence”. It was very much tied to the kind of competitive, social-evolutionist worldview that was obvious in the late nineteenth century. And that was the term that was used through much of the twentieth century until fairly recently, when the term “disability” began to replace it.

    The interesting difference between “affliction” and “handicapped” is that “affliction” was not something you should overcome. While an “affliction” was a spiritual burden to be borne with faith and lived with as best as possible, in submission to God’s wisdom, a “handicap” was a condition to be conquered, an impediment to worldly success that had to be overcome. Thus twentieth-century success stories about disabled people are most often stories of “overcoming.”

    ‘Handicapped’ is a word which many disabled people consider to be the equivalent of ‘nigger’. It evokes thoughts of being held back, not in the race, not as good, weighed down by something so awful we ought not to speak of it.

    However, “handicapped” is not universally offensive; while many disabled people do take offense, many others don’t care if it’s used, and some even prefer it. (Of course, “disabled” is seen by some as a negative word, too, with some people preferring “less abled.”)

    There has also been some attempt to “take back” the word “cripple” and use it in a positive sense, such as with the talented comedian, and sufferer of Congenital Muscular Dystrophy, Ally Bruener and her “I laughed at the crippled girl” comedy act; her definition of “crippled” being: “Something so awesome, it’s debilitating. Opposite of ‘lame’.”

    Inclusive communication and the proper use of specialist terms is important to me, especially as an upcoming journalist and Politician. It should also help to encourage mutual respect and self-respect. Furthermore, it will also continue to change our worldview on people with various exceptionalities and how we treat them.

    http://www.disabilitymuseum.org

    https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/12/origin-word-handicap/

  • What is Accessibility?

    The International Symbol of Accessibility, that white stick figure in a wheel chair on a blue background, was developed in 1969. It was borne of a contest held by the International Commission on Technology and Accessibility, which was won by Susanne Kofoed of Copenhagen, Denmark. Kofoed’s original design didn’t include a head (probably because she was trying to keep the figure unisex) so it wasn’t used right away; but once the head was added, it became quite popular.

    The Commission chose the blue background simply because it provided a nice contrast with the white stick figure, making the symbol easily visible on all kinds of surfaces. That said, the little stick figure might change some time in the future, as some parties are arguing that not all disabled people use a wheel chair and the figure needs to be more representative of other disabilities.

    This is a good start for disability representation and wheelchair accessibility. I hope the little stick figure changes in the near future so that it can change our worldview on medical conditions and the general outlook on life for people with different exceptionalities.

    https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/12/origin-word-handicap/

  • How to become a Disability Confident Employer and Why?

    Here in the UK, we have ‘The Disability Confident Scheme.’ The Disability Confident scheme helps employers recruit and retain great people, and to:

    • challenge attitudes and increase understanding of disability
    • draw from the widest possible pool of talent
    • secure high-quality staff who are skilled, loyal and hard working
    • improve employee morale and commitment by demonstrating fair treatment

    It also helps identify those employers who are committed to inclusion and diversity in the workplace.

    The scheme has 3 levels designed to support employers on their Disability Confident journey, these are:

    • Disability Confident Committed (Level 1)
    • Disability Confident Employer (Level 2)
    • Disability Confident Leader (Level 3)

    All employers join the scheme at Disability Confident Committed (Level 1), and progress through the levels to achieve the one that’s right for their organisation.

    For more information about signing up for the Disability Confident scheme, and how it can help your business check out the detailed guidance on gov.uk.

  • MENTAL RESILIENCE WORKSHOP UNDERSTANDING YOUR BODY: FIBROMYALGIA AND MENOPAUSE

    MENTAL RESILIENCE WORKSHOP UNDERSTANDING YOUR BODY: FIBROMYALGIA AND MENOPAUSE


    Ebony Ambassadors CIC Mental Resilience Workshops on Zoom was a huge success and well attended.
    The FIRST SPEAKER was QUEEN ESTHER OSAKWE, A Community activist, founder of Life improvement consults, Miss Commonwealth for Africa 2021/2022 as well as Project Manager for Ebony Ambassadors (voluntary role).
    Esther’s history is one that will inspire you. She was born with Spina Bifida Occulta (hidden) which she only discovered when she was a teenager. She was sexually abuse at a young age and deeply wounded by the trauma she experienced so much so she rejected herself, her roots was severely depressed and very combative in nature.
    However, despite having survived sexual abuse, homelessness, domestic violence, shame and trauma that comes with having a child out of wedlock, and then a failed marriage, Esther proved what it means to be mentally resilient as she strived against all odds.
    She is currently dating and lives alone with her three daughters.


    The SECOND SPEAKER was ANTONIA ADEBISI ADEBOWALE who is women development specialist, health champion for women, and a Mary Kay independent Consultant. She said during her speech that “Her past does not define who she is”. She reminds herself of who she is no matter what she goes through.
    She was originally diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, in 2015. When Antonia got diagnosed, she was scared.
    Fibromyalgia is an invisible and chronic illness that causes pain, fatigue and trouble in sleeping. It can cause depression, whole body is sensitive to pain, migraines and brain Fog.
    Actual cause of Fibromyalgia is not yet known and there isn’t a particular cure for it yet. Although there has been some link between Fibromyalgia and stress.
    We were encouraged to go to the doctor, to get checked if we notice any change in your body. Regular check-ups will help you to understand what is happening when you sense change in the body or experience symptoms you are not familiar with.
    She also spoke on symptoms to look out for during pre- Menopause and Menopause as well as what to do to help reduce the stress that come with it.


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RRw6Xd1oVA

    http://www.ebonyambassadors.org

  • ‘Through the Roof Charity’

    Did you know that, there are 1 billion disabled people living in the world today, and 12 million in the UK (18% of the population)? Statistics show that globally a disabled person is more likely to live in poverty and isolation and to be a victim of crime and discrimination.  They are less likely to be in employment and have less access to education, transport, appropriate housing and the internet (Office of Disability Issues).  The cost of bringing up a disabled child is three times greater than bringing up a non-disabled child (Scope). 

    Through the Roof is a registered charity that exists to ‘transform lives through Jesus with disabled people’.
    The charity’s name comes from the Bible account where some men break through the roof to help their disabled friend meet Jesus according to Luke 5. We recognise that every person is made in the image of God and has inherent value and worth, which includes people who have personal experience of disability.

    “they went up on the roof and lowered the paralysed man on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus”-Luke 5

    Many of our dedicated trustees, staff team, volunteers and donors have personal experience of disability and seek to make a positive difference to the lives of disabled people and their families by:

    • Providing life-changing opportunities for disabled people
    • Equipping the Christian community to fully involve disabled people

    We achieve these aims by delivering three activity programmes:

    Through the Roof is part of the Churches for All network. Follow this link to find out more about CFA. 

    According to the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, “90% – 95% of the world’s disabled people never hear the Gospel“. It is vitally important that our churches and ministries include them.

    This ministry is the brainchild of Joni B. Eareckson Tada. She is an international author and speaker and the founder and Chief Executive of Joni and Friends International Disability Centre in the USA.  We are privileged at Through the Roof to be an affiliate of JAF since being founded in 1997, after Joni’s European speaking tour in 1994.

    At the age of 17 a diving accident left Joni quadriplegic and in a wheelchair. She founded Joni and Friends in 1979 to provide Christ-centred programmes to families with disabled children, as well as training to churches. Joni and Friends serves thousands of families with disabled children through Family Retreats, and has delivered over 100,000 wheelchairs and Bibles to disabled people in developing countries, as part of their Wheels for the World programme, which Through the Roof UK ‘imported’ in 1997. Joni’s lifelong passion is to bring the Gospel to the world’s one billion disabled people. What a great way to Deal with Disability in the Church!

    Joni survived stage 3 breast cancer in 2010, yet keeps a very active ministry schedule. She and her husband Ken were married in 1982 and reside in California.

    You can learn more about Joni’s ministry at www.joniandfriends.org or can write to her at response@joniandfriends.org.