At considerable cost to the Tax-payer.

Sensible logic from Poppy, but do Governments do logic let alone sensible.

Poppy's Place

I am so happy.

Saturday was a good news day for me.

After several weeks of waiting, I finally received the two brown envelopes through the letterbox which told me how I’d done with my enforced PIP (Personal Independence Payment) application and my ESA (Employment Support Allowance) reassessment and I was successful for both Benefits.

And, further to that, a very good family friend also received her brown envelope for PIP on Sarurday as well and she’s been successful as too. Virtual High Fives all over our social media pages let me tell you – we were delerious. We both got to sleep properly for the first time in quite a while that night and we can now both breathe freely once more because we know that our finances are guaranteed for at least the next few years at any rate.

Brilliant!

But, there is something we both want to…

View original post 727 more words

What will it take?

We all have a right to life and no one other being should decide on whether that right is not to be abided by.

Hate Crime is abhorrent and should not be tolerated and the full force of the law should be applied to anyone person who undertakes to carry out any forms of hate crime.

Poppy's Place

It’s horrible.

Yesterday saw a complete and utter tragedy in Japan when a man decided to attack and slaughter nineteen severely disabled people in a care facility outside Tokyo for the despicable crime of – being disabled. That was it, they were disabled. A cowardly attack by what sounds like a disgruntled employee, perpetrated against people who were unable to defend themselves against his blows and slashes and murderous assault purely because, to his eyes, they were not worthy of life. He attacked and mutilated and killed at least nineteen people in a frenzied knife attack before going to a police station to hand himself in, allegedly stating as he did so: “It is better that disabled people disappear.”

Why?

What was it about the disabled people living in this facility that he felt entitled him to snuff them out? Why did he decide that these people have no right…

View original post 517 more words

All Change and the Top

I agree with all of this, but in the end, unfortunately, it is just a wish list, mores the pity.

Poppy's Place

What an eventful political week.

Who could have predicted the momentous turn of events we have just witnessed only one, short month ago. Not me, for one. Saying goodbye to David Cameron and his team and hello to Theresa May and her’s is going to change so many things, long-term, for us all.

But, what do I as a disabled person, want to see delivered by the new regime?

Well, for a kick off I want to see an end to all Welfare Benefits sanctions, in particular sanctions which mean that disabled people are left without sufficient money to pay for food and medication and rent and energy costs and transport costs. I would like to see proper Welfare Benefits for disabled people where we didn’t have to continually justify our existence or prove how ill we are at every turn. Applying for Disability Benefits and attending never-ending face-to-face assessments…

View original post 594 more words

Roll-on the future

The way it is, not the way you want it, some choice is there but it is limited.

Poppy's Place

I don’t want to sound rude, resentful and ungrateful but I am getting completely fed up with the loss of dignity, privacy, autonomy and spontaneity that goes along with being a disabled person, reliant on homecare and personal assistants for my every need. It’s horrible and I hate it so much. I would give so much to be able to have a lie-in because I feel like it, not think about what I’m going to have for my lunch until I’m actually hungry, do something without having to plan it days in advance and have a wash and get dressed without an audience, but I can’t. Just for once, I’d like to be able to be left alone and to chose to do things, because I want to do them, without anyone else being involved, but it’s not going to happen.

After a year of frustration, with agency staff looking…

View original post 851 more words

‘Me Before You’, right or wrong?

Saying as it is, this is life, the good and not so good, being happy and not so happy, life as it is.

Poppy's Place

Ok, Hollywood centred rant coming up….

There is a new film around that has really rattled my cage and made me angry.

‘Me Before You’.

This block-buster film is due out next month, release date in the UK 3rd June.

I have two major problems with it.

Firstly, the disabled male lead character is being played by a non-disabled actor. Just why? AREN’T THERE ANY DISABLED ACTORS IN THE WORLD? Why a non-disabled actor? It’s not right. Secondly, and in my opinion, more importantly, it seems to promote the idea that disabled people are better off dead. Just NO. As a severely disabled woman I don’t believe this is true. Being disabled is NOT a death sentence, it’s perfectly possible, to live a good and productive life and be disabled at the same time.

So. Let’s start by looking at the issue of non-disabled actors playing roles depicting disabled characters…

View original post 627 more words

Public property? Probably not…

Poppy's Place

Why is it that, when non-disabled people are talking about or to disabled people, they feel that it is perfectly fine to say or ask whatever they like? Regardless. Absolutely anything. Things they would not dream of asking or saying about a non-disabled person but, because we are disabled, they feel they have a right to know.

Surely, people don’t do that, I hear you say. Well they do. Granted, it’s not everyone, most people are great, but it certainly does happen and it is definitely not fine. Just because we are disabled it doesn’t mean we don’t have feelings. Rule of thumb here guys, if you wouldn’t like people to say what you are about to say about yourself, then, in all likelihood, your disabled compatriot is unlikely to like it either.

And, most of the time, it’s not necessary either. Again, before you open your mouth ask yourself…

View original post 622 more words