Students with Disabilities Often Overlooked in Gifted Programming – The 74

Gifted programming, already uneven across the country and prone to racial discrimination, has yet another blind spot: twice exceptional students.  These advanced learners, who may also receive special education services, can languish academically, their skills overlooked. The same holds true for low-income children, students of color and those learning to speak English.  Experts say most […]

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This is so true and not only in America, for it is, more than likely, the World all over.

This is due, as is everything, administered in a system and these systems are too rigid and maybe created by persons with no ‘expert by experience; knowledge, plus in many instances lack of sufficient finance.

Nobody, no matter who they are should have to ‘fit a system’ as systems should be created to ‘fit each individual’. However, it is believed it is easier to do the former, no matter how wrong it is, there being no equality and demeaning to those where are forced into the system.

Person-centred should be the prime factor, but it is institutional centred which is commonplace. This needs to change and to be changed by listening to ‘experts by experience’ and not just one expert but a cross-section of ‘experts by experience, then it would be a system for the people, by the people and not, as at present, a system by administrators and bureaucrats and also, be fully, adequately financed, while being extremely flexible to accommodate every person how they wish to be accommodated.

Then and only then will there be true equality for all.

Source: Students with Disabilities Often Overlooked in Gifted Programming – The 74

Council adopted ‘restrictive and wrong interpretation’ of Care Act in cutting brothers’ care, finds court – Community Care

A council wrongly stopped funding family holidays for two disabled brothers by adopting a “restrictive and wrong” intepretation of the Care Act 2014. That was the verdict of the Court of Appeal in a judgment last week, in which it rejected an appeal brought by Suffolk County Council against a High Court ruling last year that […]

 

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Local Authorities (LAs) are so poorly funded after 10 years of austerity cuts and then substantial COVID costs that many do all they can to cut costs to spread the meagre funding for social care as far as they can.

This requires that many needs are left unfunded and in doing so risk legal action, but it is far from easy to undertake legal actions against LAs, due to the Government changing Legal Aid eligibility, so many persons with unmet needs fail because of LAs underfunding and them trying to spread costs further and then the person with unmet needs not being able to bring legal remedies due to the limited eligibility criteria.

This and previous Governments doing all it can to ensure vulnerable people will have many unmet needs outstanding.

But do they care, well not for the vulnerable people.

 

Source: Council adopted ‘restrictive and wrong interpretation’ of Care Act in cutting brothers’ care, finds court – Community Care

‘I have to plan for if I am stranded, if I am dropped, if my chair is damaged’: the perils of travelling while disabled | Disability | The Guardian

Using trains or planes can be fraught with difficulty and danger for disabled people, from being forgotten about at stations to being unable to use the toilet on long flights

 

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This all shows how ineffective and totally unsuitable the current equality legislation is and that it urgently needs to be made more effective, for nobody should have to undergo the indignities that disable people have to contend with when flying.

They like all passengers are paying for a full service and not the diminished service they are currently receiving for they are undergoing indignities no one should have to and then being blamed for inconveniencing others, when it is the service being given which is at fault.

The airline industry should be ashamed for the service being given to disabled people. They have rights which are being ignored.

They are being told to wait for assistance, which should be there ready and waiting for them and in sufficient numbers so no one is left waiting. in doing so all passengers will be able to leave the planes at similar times.

But, I see this everywhere; like persons in wheelchairs being refused travel on buses because the driver says there is no room, but there is for passengers not in wheelchairs. Then being asked to wait for the next, but who says the next will be any different or the next and so on.

Transport should be made so that all passengers are to be treated equally. But it is the same with taxis, why should persons in wheelchairs have to order special taxis that accommodate wheelchairs, when legislation should be stating that all taxis should be made to accommodate all passengers, if not they can’t be used as  taxis.

Equality should mean equality.

Source: ‘I have to plan for if I am stranded, if I am dropped, if my chair is damaged’: the perils of travelling while disabled | Disability | The Guardian

I’m BANNED from buying my council flat because it was adapted for my disability – no one told me it’d be a problem | The Sun

A DAD-of-two claims he is banned from buying his council flat because it was adapted for his disability. Antony Carter, who has cerebral palsy, had the bathroom in his South London studio converted…

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This is so disgraceful and so discriminatory for why should an adapted property not be included, as it is more likely a person will stay much longer in an adapted property for themselves, as to a person who does not need any adaptations. so, I would like to be advised for the reasoning for this.

It is not as though adaptions will not be made in owner occupied properties, as they will be, but in owner occupied properties adaptions will be made, but any servicing and repairs costs could have to be borne by the occupant, especially after the warranty period, which is more than likely 5 years. Again even that is discriminatory as for rented property these costs are borne by the local authority for the period they are in the property and being used.

Why should an owner occupier have more costs than a renter and why should they not be allowed to apply to own the property after adaptions have been made,

This is, yet again, more discrimination on persons with disabilities.

Also, as there was this restriction at the time the adaptions were made, then it should have been that the Antony Carter was made aware of the restrictions before the decision to have the adaptations done.

Here, I feel Antony Carter as a claim against Lewisham Council for their inability to fully advise him and keep him informed. Surely, Lewisham or any authority has a Duty to do so.

Rights of persons with disabilities are no where as many as there should be and where there Rights many councils are failing to uphold these Rights, either through ignorance or in some instances deliberately hoping the person will not know their rights or if they do, not exercise them.

Even when people are aware that their Rights have not been adhered to there is an inability to take action due to the restrictions on obtaining Legal Aid due to Government interventions, thereby restricting peoples rights even further on persons who don’t have the ability by finance to take actions.

Thus increasing the gap between haves and have nots, making availability of legal assistance restrictive and not available to all persons, so restricting equality.

 

 

Source: I’m BANNED from buying my council flat because it was adapted for my disability – no one told me it’d be a problem | The Sun

US faces new era of political violence as threats against lawmakers rise | House of Representatives | The Guardian

Members of the House will now get up to $10,000 to upgrade their home security as experts warn such threats endanger the health of US democracy

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It should be, without saying that violence of any nature should never be condoned and especially violence to anyone doing their job of work.

However, these days violence appears to be coming a ‘norm’, when it should never be. This appears to be occurring in all countries, be it left or right wing factions and everyone should be working against this trend continuing, especially those in some area of leadership and power of influence.

But, it appears America, to some extent, is an instigator of violence, with some persons in legislator areas, both past and present, actively encouraging violence to persons who don’t represent the same views of them without any apparent fear of arrest and prosecution. This only creates the impression to those whose reactions to be violent are their prime actions to do so. This has to be wrong completely and if allowed to continue will certainly lead to escalation of violent actions leading to eventual disintegration of Law and Order.

Yes, there is freedom of speech, but not to the extent of creating violence to others.

America holds the belief that it is the ‘land of the free’, but it should be free within restrictions so that the human rights of all concerned are respected and not just for the most powerful.

Democracy and Liberty for everyone not just a stated few.

Source: US faces new era of political violence as threats against lawmakers rise | House of Representatives | The Guardian

Sally Ann Hart says disabled people should be paid less as ‘they don’t understand money’ | Metro News

A horrified audience loudly shouted ‘shameful’ as Sally-Ann Hart spoke about people with learning disabilities.

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This is blatant discrimination and Sally-Ann Hart should be taken to task about it and it should not be ignored. Yes, plenty is being said, but are any actions being taken against Sally-Ann under the Equality Act 2010 and, if, not why not.

Blanket judgements are wrong in all respects, as why does not understanding money have anything to do with how much a person is paid for a task done. Surely the payment should relate to the task and not the person. Also, there are many people who don’t understand money and they will not have learning disabilities or autism so, should they also be paid less, well according to Sally Ann, maybe so, but she would never say that.

Picking on persons with LD and autism is so, wrong and could be that this is an indication of her views on disability, for which she should be prosecuted for, in making that statement.

 

 

Source: Sally Ann Hart says disabled people should be paid less as ‘they don’t understand money’ | Metro News

Abortion rights: history offers a blueprint for how pro-choice campaigners might usefully respond | The BMJ

In October 1971, the New York Times reported a decline in maternal death rate.1 Just 15 months earlier, the state had liberalised its abortion law. David Harris, New York’s deputy commissioner of health, speaking to the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association, attributed the decline—by more than half—to the replacement of criminal abortions with safe, legal ones. Previously, abortion had been the single leading cause of maternity related deaths, accounting for around a third. A doctor in the audience who said he was from a state “where the abortion law is still archaic,” thanked New York for its “remarkable job” and expressed his gratitude that there was a place he could send his patients and know they would receive “safe, excellent care.” Harris urged other states to follow the example set by New York and liberalise their abortion laws.

Just two years later, in 1973, the US Supreme Court intervened. In the landmark decision, Roe v. Wade, the Court …

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Abortion, an emotive subject whether you agree with abortion or not.

I honestly feel, that if it was males who gave birth, rather than women, then all these anti-abortion actions would be greatly reduced. Males don’t understand or don’t wish to understand the feelings of women and only look at everything from a male perspective. For far too long women have been and in some cultures still are controlled by males, when, really males and females should be equal. While in ma and in many instances this should be so, but as history shows many areas where women have gained more independence and control of their lives. However, hard fought for rights are always there to be taken away, as is seen in America by the overflow of Roe v Wade.

The American Constitution is held in high esteem in America and so it should, but it was written in 1787 and in force by 1789, but that is many years ago and time has moved on and in some ways so as The Constitution, but not as much as the Bill of Rights 1689, which is a somewhat equivalent in England and was in some way an extension of Magna Carta.

But these were written very many years ago and mainly by middle aged white men, based on hard Christian principles of that time. But, as we know time has moved on and so has the cultures both in racial, disability, gender and many others, including religion.

Women, these days have a much greater degree of input into all areas and rightly so, but in America, women, in some respects are still disregarded and certainly are some persons whose ethnicity is non-white. Unlike in 1789 we are now all equal and the Constitutional Rights should encompass that.

Overthrowing Roe v Wade is a retrograde step and the rights of women have been seriously undermined and not only that, as in the States that have now banned abortions, this is effecting the poor rather than the not so poor. As some of the not so poor could travel to other states who still allow abortions, but the poor can’t afford to do so. But banning abortions will not stop then, but it may reduce then, as the poor will more than likely still wish to have an abortion and will therefore find a ‘back street’ abortion, which is more than likely to mean the women and her to be born baby will be at more serious harm. Yes, the baby will still die, but in circumstances which are far from good and there is a very strong likelihood that the women could receive great serious harm and in some instances death.

The anti-abortionist are now elated that they have gotten their way, but at great cost to women and in doing so have returned women’s rights to medieval times, instead of the 21st century.

In reversing Roe v Wade it is not a great achievement, but forcing all to live their lives by strict, outdated Christian principles, which even in the 1600s were viewed to be extreme, hence the Pilgrim Fathers left England to the Netherlands before embarking on their voyage to the New America. In doing so they also seriously infringed the rights and lives of the Native Americans, who they treated abominably, pushing them off their own lands and killing them when they resisted, is that any different to Russia in Ukraine.

If the Pilgrim Father were doing this today, it could be viewed as a form of terrorism.

 

 

Source: Abortion rights: history offers a blueprint for how pro-choice campaigners might usefully respond | The BMJ

Federal court strikes down parts of Texas voting law : NPR

A federal judge has struck down provisions in Texas’ new law that set limits on how people can help voters cast their ballots.

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This appears to be some good news for voters in Texas, but, much more needs to be done for the right to be able to vote should be there for everyone and not just a few.

But for the right to vote to be accessible does mean that some voters will need more help than others so these rights need to be there otherwise there is a high degree of voter discrimination.
This would, if not enabled would be an infringement of their human rights

 

Source: Federal court strikes down parts of Texas voting law : NPR

What the Bible actually says about abortion may surprise you

Faith can inform opinions about abortion on both sides of the political debate, but the Bible itself says nothing directly about the topic, a biblical scholar explains.

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To use the Bible to prove anything is greatly debatable for it is a  book of thoughts and beliefs of some of the people of that time. However,, the bible was not written at that time, as it was written many years later and there have been many translations.

So, it could be said that what is in the Bible is the thoughts, opinions, beliefs and interpretations of persons after that time quoting and stating how they believed the original persons beliefs, who the texts are deemed to be from, were.

Many alterations and interpretations could have taken place and even more following the translations. So, to say the Bible is true, is only as true as their own beliefs now and is and very often open to many more interpretations.

Beliefs are what they are and only to each individual and beliefs should never be forced upon others, as we are all entitled to our own beliefs and live our lives as we individually wish to.

Religious fanatics always hold extreme beliefs and unfortunately religious fanatism and its political interpretations is what is currently being used to determine the Law and Justice of America, when justice should be for all the people and religion and politics should have no power on justice.

So, abortion should be an individual decision and religion and political beliefs should never overpower an individuals decision.

This is also for same sex marriage and other similar issues.

It amazes me, that many of these religious fanatics are also showing racial discrimination, when to follow their Christian beliefs they should be viewing all people as being equal and not some being more equal than others, just because they are not in their own image.

Also they believe Christ was a blond white man, when this would have been far from the truth, as he would have been some shade of brown/black. However, Christianity was overtook by Western followers who would never contend that Christ was anything but white, as white was seen as purity, which throughout history as been proved, many times, not to be so. For that is a form of abuse and abuse should never be tolerated.

White is purely a colour and should never be used as means of superiority, for to do so, is a mis-reputation of Christianity, for we all are to be equal.

Do not abuse Christianity for your own means.

 

Source: What the Bible actually says about abortion may surprise you

Nadhim Zahawi threatens 20% cuts to NHS and education in wave of Tory leadership austerity – Mirror Online

The multi-millionaire Chancellor said it would fund tax cuts – but Labour said he had exposed the cost of Tory tax jostling will be ‘dramatic cuts to the NHS, policing and schools’

 

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As there is now a new leader of the Conservative Party contest it could well be that Nadhim Zahawi will not be the new Chancellor so his threat of more austerity cuts of 20% to the NHS and Education may not materialise.

However, whoever will be the new Chancellor needs to understand from 2010 to 2020 we already had 10 years of austerity cuts and then additional finance problems due to COVID, hence the state of the UK financially today with many areas in crisis and strikes materialising in virtually every sector.

So the, very last we will want is more austerity cuts, growth is what is required and for workers to have salaries on which they can survive while having services that are desperately needed without more cuts on them.

A reversal of the austerity cuts over the 10 year period is what is required so that Local Authorities, (LAs) have sufficient funds to ensure the cuts in services are also reversed and that their workers have salary income to enable them to live.

Without these reversals we can, effectively, say goodbye to many, if not all LA services which we all rely on, some more than others.

Other workers also need to have salary increases and inflation, which is steeply rising, to also be reversed, it is not going to be easy, but could be achieved by some readjustments in the ever widening of the wealth gap in the UK,.

A possible way is to restrict the income of the top earners in each organisation is to have some factor in which their income is restricted to a certain percentage to that of their lowest paid employees and benefits for the poor, disabled and sick being increased inline with the current inflation rates.

This will need some alteration to rates on businesses in that each organisation pays all the they should be doing, by closing any ‘loopholes’ that are allowing them to reduce the amount of money they pay through the raft of taxes on their businesses and this also applies to the very high earners in all businesses.

There is an urgent need for ‘levelling’  up, which has been promised for sometime, but not delivered.

We all need to pull together, so that we all come through, not just a stated few.

 

Source: Nadhim Zahawi threatens 20% cuts to NHS and education in wave of Tory leadership austerity – Mirror Online