Blood on their hands

Oh God, of course the ex professional ballerina. Amazing. Not just a few old grannies looking round a gallery.

Lucky old you with a husband who doubles up as a chauffeur , tickets for an exhibition with a tea room, blah blah blah.

Meanwhile thousands sit staring at a wall.

On the whole, I think that British people are generally polite and considerate in comparison to some nationalities.

That is not being a 'little Englander', that is from observation and experience.

As for the PIPs assessments, one of our Gransnetters does this, I believe. Her input could be very helpful.

or a 'little Welsher' either

Its a very powerful speech. It mirrors the experience of many people.
My husband is disabled and the vast majority of people are very kind and helpful. I think the people who behave less well do tend to stick in the mind though.

Mmm
Several of us were pushed to tbe back as the wheelchairs were given priority
Then
every one pushes to towards the point of interest and stepping back to avoid ankle bashing isn't always possible unless one chooses to flatten the people behind who have no idea why you want to move.
And
and exits from tea rooms blocked due to careless placement of the wheelchairs sfter users were transferred to dining chairs.
Then
We arrived after the wheelchair users were seated (we ushered them in first) and the problems occurred because the wheelchairs, sans occupants, were blocking our entry and later exit
So basically you shoved in and crowded round the wheelchairs then complained because you got knocked.
But I'm still unclear about the cafe. You couldn't get in then you couldn't get out. It might have been a good idea to move, or ask someone to move, the wheelchairs when you were trying to get in. Of course you may just have climbed over them. Ex ballerinas might be good at that.

MY husband wasn't the driver it was my friend's husband.
Does no-one on here ever have their husband/son/daughter etc drop them off at a venue or in your eyes are they all chauffeurs?
He didn't want to see the exhibits and offered to drive so I wouldn't have to find a parking space.
I've read several comments recently where a poster had afternoon tea in a cafe/tea rooms with a companion. Did you negatively comment on their outings and add that Meanwhile thousands sit staring at a wall ?
You are not very nice.

My 19.06 comment is to Elvive

Trisher
I'd stop there if I were you.
You're showing yourself up
Think what you like but don't come on here and lecture me on moving wheelchairs and what I should and should not do.
Add to the thread but don't start on my experiences as you're targeting someone who doesn't give a fig what you think.

Thankfully, when my DH had to use a wheelchair and when I was struggling up the underground escalators with it and he was behind me I had lots of offers of help. I ALWAYS let people in wheelchairs go first, and yes, , they are unwieldy, I'm lucky in that I don't have to use one, my DH hated being in one, thankfully his disability disappeared after our wonderful NHS surgeon operated on his spine

I'm not the one who thinks people in wheelchairs take up too much space and spoil their afternoon tea GabriellaG54 I know that it is difficult for people in wheelchairs to access many places and their lives are often very restricted. I know that they need to be at the front of a crowd or they see nothing. I know that carers are not always experts but often just family members trying to give their relative (or friend) a pleasant day out, and struggling to transfer them from a wheelchair, they sometimes find it difficult to manage, and that when they do they may just push the wheelchair away quickly. I also know that kind considerate members of the public don't mind stepping back, offer to move the wheelchair and ask if they can help. Thank goodness for such people.

This thread is about a very powerful speech on the deaths of disabled people caused by austerity, and it has already descended into a playground spat about, of all things, manners. For God's sake, some of you really need to grow up.

Sometimes I'm not very nice. Most of the time you are pretty objectionable.

Anyway too da loo......Mavis and Herbert are here and we are playing a rubber of bridge. Twiglets and sherry on the go. what fun we have in Basildon.

My comment to G.

It's not manners Drum1234 it is the very important belief that people in wheelchairs are not nuisances but have rights and deserve to have their needs met properly.
It links in to the thread because the people who support this government treat individuals with exactly the same lack of consideration this government treats all disadvantaged people. The results are more extreme but still cause the individual pain and upset.

I am a constant wheelchair user for almost 30 years and in that time I have learnt that while many people are thoughtful very many are not.
My most frequent gripe is in the supermarket, a person or persons will stand in front of me and wait for me to get out of their way when the only way would be to move sideways and wheelchairs don't move sideways.
this also applies on busy pavements. I move along slowly and carefully only to be faced with a small group/family who then wait for me to get out of their way.
Not sure why is happens other than absolute lack of knowledge and imagination that I can't move sideways in a wheelchair and backing up is also dodgy.
They are able bodied it is up to them to stand to the side which is what has to happen in the end.

As many building are not accessible I have had to sit outside the bank and wait for a passerby to call out an assistant, it made me feel really crap. Now I do my banking online.
Also I have been left outside on the pavement when the grandchildren need food and drinks and we can't find anywhere I can get into with a wheelchair.

Life as a disabled person does have it's own slant. I saw that speech on Question Time and wanted to cry....she was right we live a very different life to the politicians who are making our lives much harsher.

That was a very moving post pinkquartz

I have used a stick for a long time - I have never encountered anything but kindness and courtesy,

trisher my comments were actually meant for WWM2and I inadvertently typed your username ( with you being the OP) there was no ‘ire’ that I can see, in fact I was sympathising with the DIL having bad experiences( on the cruise.)Having a severely disabled friend I know that life as a wheelchair user is not easy, and very reliant on people being helpful, which they often are.

Incidentally, my friend has had a lot of help, both financial and otherwise (and still does) from both Labour and Conservative governments over the last 15 years.

I should hope so lemon but I wonder why you feel you have to say such a thing. Surely it's something we shoulld expect for everyone. Sadly there are many who don't get the help they need and some even die because they don't.

Why I feel I have to say such a thing? What thing in particular?
Is it the above comment that my friend has had help from both Labour and Conservative governments? Surely you started this thread because of what a disabled comedian said on QT?
We should expect help from governments, and plenty do receive help and we should expect good considerate behaviour from the able bodied towards the disabled and plenty do receive exactly that.There will always sadly be cases where bureaucracy fails and good manners and consideration fail too.Everyone.....both governments and people in the street could do better.

trisher there are some good points on this thread but I don't think that you can state categorically that people who vote Tory are the people who treat wheelchair users with a lack of consideration - I think that that is an assumption on your part.
People from all walks of life, all voting tendencies, treat others with consideration, others from all walks of life, all viting tendencies, are rude and inconsiderate.

I think that was well worth saying, lemongrove - speak as you find.

On holiday with the grandchildren, we went into a theatre where seats were not pre-booked.
Post-op for broken hip, I was still using a walking stick. We were approached by a young usher who immediately took us to some excellent seats.
DGS was so impressed that he said my walking stick must be like Harry Potter's wand as we had the best seats in the theatre!!
Not in UK but in Paris.
However, at home I was always treated with courtesy and consideration.
(Was bloomin' glad to get rid of the stick but the experience made me more aware of folk who might need a hand.)

Thank you for posting this Trisher. Everyone in power should listen to that speech.

Lemonwhat I actually said was that the culture of discrimination permeated from the top down into society and if you voted Tory you should be aware of this and think about what sort of a society you wanted. That isn't the same as saying everyone who voted Tory discriminates. I'm sure there are people who were convinced by the Tory propaganda that ony austerity would do. Perhaps on seeing the results of their voting they may change their minds.
As for governments failing 130,000 deaths is a terrible fail.