General Chat

hi im also appalled at some adults behavior towards disabled people, they should know better. I have a little girl who suffers from cerebral palsy, and when she was about 3 and just learning to walk (with the aids of splints) my MIL came to take her out for the day, well my little girl couldnt keep up with her just walking to the car, that she came back, picked her up and said we havent got time for this!!! i was so shocked i didnt know what to say, our relationship suffered and we didnt speak for ages, i was in a bad situation at the time not being very confident children at school are great with her, but now shes at the age where she is becoming more aware of herself and we are having a battle at the moment, she now doesnt want to wear her splints as she says people stare at her my heart breaks, but ive told her to hold her head up high and ignore them but not sure whether this is enough. id appreciate if anyone has any ideas how to deal with this situation many thanks, Scarlett.

it really does annoy me. some people are so thoughtless. both of my late parents were disabled, and used mobilty scooters as they had problems walking etc. i got into so many fights (proper fist fights) and arguments when i was a teenager due to people taking the mick etc. it wasnt my parents fault they ended up usuing mobilty scooters they were involved in accidents at different times and had major back and walking problems. through my parents i met loads of lovely people who were disabled including the lady who made my wedding dress! just becasue people are in a wheelchair etc doesnt mean that they are 'freaks' (sorry)!!! most of them can do as much as you or me if not more and sometimes do it better. i wish people wouldnt be so shallow.

Just having a quick break in between doing my ironing :( Thank you all very much for your comments, but I must repeat, I felt I did nothing else that any other adult 'should' have done. I am even more appalled reading your comments and the way that disabled people are treated. I am no hero, just someone who is not afraid to say what I think, and if necessary, speak out for anyone who is unable to defend themselves. Please feel free to use this thread, I will look in from time to time. But, I feel I cannot comment anymore than I have done at the moment. I think I have made my feelings on the subject very clear. Take care everyone. LL

Well done LL for speaking out. What ignorant people they were. I wonder if the butchers was an independent or one of a chain? if the latter I would be tempted to write to head office and suggest the manager and staff attend a course a course on dealing with disabled people. I am a Trustee for Gloucestershire Lifestyles (they have a web site), a charity to enable disabled people to live as normal a life as possible (socially etc). Two of our trustees are in wheel chairs, one who was 'normal' until late in life but is a wheel chair user because of illness, and his legs and speech are affected, the other who is only in his early 20s because he was born with cerebral palsy. The older one has a blue badge for his car which his wife drives. His friend said to him, that's lucky now you can park close to the shops. His reply was, 'you can have my blue badge, if I can have your legs') The young one has trouble controlling his limbs and sometimes his speech but he is our secretary and very intelligent. If he was out in his wheel chair he might appear retarded and a figure of fun to others, but he would know what they were doing and saying. Our chairman has cerebral palsy and is dyslexic but is able to walk, albeit with a rolling 'gait' that makes him look drunk sometimes, and he also is vvery intelligent - more intelligent than I am I have to say. and they are all such caring people, being very concerned for me being able to hear what they are saying (I am hard of hearing) and very patient with me because I am the minutes secretary, difficult when they don't all speak clearly. Ann Glos

Well done for speaking out but I would have gone mad! being a mother of a child with servere mental disabilities I know how hard it is going to be for her when she is older. I have had many people tutting staring and laughing at my daughters actions when out, I found it very hard to cope with at first but now I make sure I say my piece. I been called an unfit mother, been told 'that child should know better' and one man even told me to 'give her a hard slap that will sort her out!' If only more people were like you lot on here the world would be a better place for children& adults with mental & physical disabilities, after all these are special people and I am blessed & proud to be a parent of a disabled child. It just proves how uneducated some people are

i am horrified at the reaction of the butchers concerned. i hope that you reported them to the customer service desk or a manager or something. we get a lot of disabled people in with their carers in our supermarket where i work. they often come through my till (about 8 of them) all with their debit cards to practice their life skills. it amazes me! i never have any trouble as to when they put their card in the machine, which way round it goes, when they put the number in, how much cash they require or their manners. then you get the every day person who cannot do any of this! lol tina x

I really feel for the person in the chair. Whats to say that he wasn't aware of those idiots who thought they were being funny!!! I use a motability scooter and get the most painful looks from adults who should know better. I used a wheel-chair for the first time a few weeks ago and have to say PLEASE DON'T TALK OVER OUR HEADS. Yes I know I'm shouting but oh! it is soooooooooooo frustrating. Good for you LL, go get em' girl. LIn xxx

There are far too many ignorant and rude adults who go on to teach their offspring the same ignorant and rude attitudes to others, for whatever reason. Anyone who has the nerve to stand up to them as some of you have described, deserves a medal. If only all the people in this world could think 'There but for the grace of God, go I', this world would be a kinder place. I would definitely stick up for someone unable to do so for themselves and would shame someone who was unkind to a disabled person. Liz

i think adult can be so cruel,the kids then learn off the adults,and we have another generation spewing poison.very sad.xx

My daughter was at school with a little girl who had cerebral palsy and was mostly in a wheelchair. The care and concern shown by the other children towards her was truly awe inspiring. She was included in all their games and was accepted entirely as she was. Not so their mothers who grumbled at the gate that 'that girl ought to be in a special school' OC

Good for you.I used to work on a neuro centre.I think i would have hit anyone that had laughed at any of them.They were all very special. Annie

Hello Lady Lucan - l agree with you completely. l used to work with physically disabled adults and adults with learning difficulties - in both cases ADULTS were the most ignorant and would say such cruel things. Most of my clients were very loud, but thats because they could'nt actually speak and some were also deaf so could'nt hear how loud they were. l think its a good idea for the public to spend a day or more in a wheel chair, be blindfolded and stick cotton wool in their ears then see how they like it. One of my lovely friends who still sends me cards can only communicate with a machine attached to his wheelchair, or via email - it takes him approx 10 mins to type each word,and the thrill he gets when he's sent it!!!! its simular when someone you know has had depression and can finally have a good day and be happy, when previously had felt so sad and ill!! Take care. jude xx

I am so amazed that peple are this rude, because that is what it is. How sad. I used to work with struggling teenagers and at one stage we had two kids with Downs Syndrome at a mainstream school. Some of the other teenagers had dysfuntional backgrounds which had affected them badly, learning disabilities and so on, and the boy who was kindest to the Downs children, helped them do up their pencil cases because they had 'slow fingers', strolled with them to lessons because they couldn't walk fast, generally kept an eye out for them, was a boy with a very sad background and a lot of anger inside him. He was transformed with these children. He was eventually returned to his family, never to be seen again, and the Downs kids have jobs at a special unit close to their homes where they are very happy. I often think about that boy. Adults are definitely more unkind than children. Sorry to ramble on!!

Hi Joy, Well as I have said I was and still am absolutely annoyed. It was obvious to anyone with half a brain that he WAS mentally as well as physically disabled. Had he been only physically disabled, he would have maybe said something back himself, then the laugh would have been on the idiots trying to look 'big' for picking on someone less able than themselves. These sort of people would be the first to say something, if a member of their family was being picked on especially if they were disabled. They think they look big, and that they are funny. But they could have walked out of that Market and straight in the path of a bus or something, then they could have been in the possition of that poor man. I think I have said all I have to sy on this matter. I was hopeing I would calm down talking about it. I haven't so will leave it running for anyone who wishes to add. Take care everyone and thank you all.xx LL

think i,d have gone for the jugular LL,i would of blown,some people are just very sad.like anyone wants there negative opinions.xxx

Most people seem also to think anyone in a chair is either deaf .blind or mentally ill,or all 3,,,,shame on them and also the people in this shop...........I hope you didnt buy anything LL.... as been said---there go for the Grace of God,,,,,,,,,,,

LL I had to really try and keep calm with her............I wanted to rag her all over the airport............................... so narrow minded and self centred.

Maddies Mate, Pity you didn't see the same woman getting off the plane you could have shouted same to her lol. LL

How true................we do have to wait until last to get off, But do we moan - NO - we let everyone rush off to stand for an hour to wait for their cases - lol

Thank you Linda, and good for you Maddies Mate. As you said, your dad wasn't in a wheelchair for the fun of it. Why are people so rude to disabled people?....silly question, because some can't answer back, thats why. I would have also been tempted to say, 'He might be the first on, but, he will have to wait until all you able bodied people disembark, before he can be helped off'. LL