Your letters - November 2008

Hooray, brave Mikey

Regarding the comments made by Mikey Hughes (Disability Now October, Mikey: ‘I’m a national hero’) in which he said he had “noticed” something. If you are a wheelchair-user like myself you are looked at strangely by some people when you state that you are going for “a walk” and not “a ride”. It sadly seems to encourage remarks like: “I thought you couldn’t walk!” Hopefully, as people learn to understand the concept of disability, they will eventually take on board that the words people use do not necessarily change once they become disabled. Well done to Mikey for having the courage to face the
world from the Big Brother House.
Dorothy Hilton, Brigg, South Humberside

Doc who turned me down was a novice

I was disgusted to read of the lady considered fit for work because she wore a standard heel ladies’ shoe (Disability Now October, Guest Column). Her bone condition was also dismissed. I had similar problems with a Department for Work and Pensions doctor. The DWP admitted the doctor had come direct from medical school.
I reported the doctor and complained that she was denying people the correct benefit. I succeeded with my appeal.
Martin Lightfoot, Peterborough

BBC leads the way, despite its flaws

With reference to your story on BBC political correspon­dent Gary O’Donoghue (Disability Now October, Media Watch), I have worked extensively for the BBC and have ME/chronic fatigue syndrome. When I was inter­viewed for a job at BBC Radio Cumbria, after being discriminated against in commercial radio, I declared my condition on the applic­ation form. They put me up in a hotel the previous night so I would be refreshed for the interview, and didn’t ask once about my disability. I told them about it myself at inter­view and although I didn’t get the job, I was offered a casual contract. I was allowed to work five-to-six hour shifts, drive pool cars and report like any other journalist. When I was too ill to drive, another reporter would take over.
The BBC has specialist disability staff who play a crucial role in assisting disabled staff. The BBC’s disability affairs correspon­dent Peter White, for example, has an assistant to help him operate complex radio and TV machinery. Peter is a broadcaster with amazing talent and the broadcasting fabric of the nation would be much the poorer without his skill and flair as a presenter.
When I was interviewed at the BBC World Service as a trainee, I was again put up in a hotel the night before, had my train fare paid and was told they were “highly impressed”. The last words on the interview panel’s notes were: “Enter intake”. This didn’t happen and illustrates that the BBC isn’t perfect, but does it deserve the scathing headlines occasioned by Gary O’Donoghue’s poor treatment by one deputy editor? There is bad practice in the BBC, like anywhere else, but mostly it is an example to other employers.
Ian Birch, by email

Better provision might lower incarceration rate

Anne Owers, chief inspector of prisons, says “there is no doubt...there are disabled prisoners who are failed by the system” (Disability Now October, News View). My first reaction was that prison is punishment, so why should disabled convicts get preferential treatment? This overlooked the fact that disability takes many shapes and forms, from deafness through to wheelchair-users. Inevitably, some convicts with mental health issues should not be in prison and the idea of wheelchair-users who cannot get their wheelchairs into their cells is horrifying. Anne Owers thinks we need better provision outside prison. Maybe that would prevent many being jailed in the first place.
Spencer Arnott, Holmer Green, Buckinghamshire

Quote policy drives me to distraction

I read with interest the article on car insurance for disabled drivers by Helen Smith (Disability Now October, Road Test). May I suggest she try to get a quote for a wheelchair accessible vehicle? She’d be lucky to get a quote at all, even by phone, as most such vehicles are van derivatives and vans are not categorised. The question I get asked is what the logbook says.
Mine says I drive a panel van, even though it is a Renault Trafic, adapted from new. The usual response is that they do not insure vans. Is it not time the motor insurance companies created a wheelchair accessible category?
Tony Wyer, by email

Government has no idea how we scrimp

I’ve read all the articles about the increase we are facing in our fuel bills and I don’t know how my wife and I will manage this winter. My fuel bill (electricity and gas) is now £1,436 for the next year. I am disabled and have severe osteo-arthritis in most of my joints, and in particular my spinal column. I have also had two major operations on my spine and now have virtually no feeling in these extremites and little circulation. I also have angina and other health problems. I must keep warm, which means savings in some other area. But where? I already have a very tight budget for food, etc. My wife is also disabled, and has peripheral neuritis. This means she has bad circulation in her legs and feet, and in her arms and hands. She, like me, feels the cold dreadfully, and suffers terrible pain if the temperature is allowed to drop. We live off my pension (which is not full, as I did not have full stamps) with a top-up from pension credit to bring us up to a sum which the government says we should be able to live off. What a laugh. I would like to see them live off this amount.
Les Harrison, by email

New format still splits readers

I would like to add my name to the list of folk unable to physically turn the pages because of the way Disability Now is bound.
When the new format was published, we were invited to comment on it. I got my PA to fill in the form, and said that I didn’t think much consideration had been given to the people that it was for. Yet I was surprised only to read positive opinions. I had no problems turning the pages in the old format. But for anybody who has difficulty using their hands or who uses a headpointer or other gadget (as I do), trying to turn the pages now is like fighting with a paperback book.
Please look at a better binding or go back to no binding at all. I feel frustrated when I have to call for help with every page (when I can read a daily newspaper without any problems at all). Please change the binding.
Linda Sargant, by email

Last month, someone wrote in to say that they did not like the new format of Disability Now.
I would like to say that my daughter and I find the new format much better. My daughter has congenital physical disabilities and I have rheumatoid arthritis. We both read things on our laps and the size is easier to handle. Also, the paper is thicker, making it easier to turn the pages. I suppose, as with all magazines and books, it depends on how and where you are reading them as to whether it suits you.
Then add in the wide range of disabilities of your readers and it is impossible to cater for every type of need.
Diane Burfoot, by email

EDITOR’S NOTE
The overwhelming majority of respondents to our relaunch liked our new style and format and we reflected this in our coverage of it. In subsequent months we’ve run a number of letters from people who find the magazine difficult to handle. While we’re anxious to make Disability Now as accessible as possible, bespoke solutions are sadly beyond us.