Your Letters - October 2009

Your views

Arthritis funkier at Funky Arthur

Thanks for your recent piece on websites aimed at disabled people: this is an issue dear to my heart.

Earlier this year I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and spent an enormous amount of time trawling the web for aids that would help me get on with my day-to-day life as easily as possible.

I was really disappointed with what was out there.

Most of the sites I found were highly “medicalised”, with very poor quality images and layout. To be honest, seeing what was out there made me feel worse than I did already.

So I decided to do some­thing about it and in May this year I launched www.funkyarthur.co.uk

We’re now one of many websites selling arthritis aids but the whole tone and feel of the site is different and more upbeat. We have good quality, enlargeable images, an opportunity for people to leave product reviews (although we don't have many at the moment!), a twitter link, a blog, a live help facility that appears when someone is available, and a colour scheme that departs from the tried and tested blue!

We've still got a long way to go and the site is constantly evolving, but I hope you agree that it is rather different from other existing (and depressing) websites out there.

It can be difficult to design a website that’s trustworthy but still takes advantage of modern design and functionality. Funky Arthur has gone some way to achieving both.

Angela Lown

Why can’t they let us decide for ourselves?

My wife and I read your article about Sir Bert Massie and the fiasco surrounding Sir Trevor Phillips with anger.

Yet again we have an able-bodied person trying to make decisions for disabled people. At least Sir Bert knows what he’s talking about when it comes to disability issues.

Whatever the problem is, we must get back on track. The Government must treat disabled people with a bit of respect.

Ron Carter-Bonsteel

Motability insurance must be more flexible

I’ve returned to Motability after several years away. I used to feel that there were too many rules and not enough mileage. That’s now been changed and, may I say, for the better of all us disabled people. Full marks to Motability for doing so.

Unfortunately I also see that the insurance provider Royal & SunAlliance doesn’t seem to have moved with the times. I feel it could also do a lot more to ease the operation of Motability, for which it is the accredited insurer, for all of us and at no extra cost to us or them.

For example, if all drivers on Disability Living Allowance (DLA) were allowed to drive other scheme members’ cars, it would cut mileage, reduce emissions and save fuel costs to those wishing to travel together, without the need to phone and place drivers on the insurance policy (and then remove them).

If three DLA scheme users travel for a day out, they only need to use one vehicle but they’d all be able to drive the car if the need arose.

I have other ideas, and if anyone’s interested, they can contact me through Disability Now.

Charles Stephen Gilles

Disabled bay users can also offend

I commend the fact that you’re once again doing a survey of disabled parking in supermarket car parks, but nobody seems to be addressing what in my opinion are the worst abusers of supermarket disabled parking bays.

I’m referring to disabled badge holders who sit in their cars in blue badge bays while their able-bodied passengers go shopping. These are people who should know better.

Both my wife and I have, in the past, approached such people and asked them politely to vacate the bays they were occupying. Almost all refused to move and the verbal abuse we got back made our attempts unpleasant and not worth the effort.

Malcolm Hosie

Assisted suicide is not a legitimate choice

It is natural for those of us living with disabilities to look kindly upon the notion of choice and rights. But despite all the rhetoric, our choices tend to be limited. Many choices are made on our behalf, and some help we have to beg for.

That very fact should alert us to the danger of slipping in the word “death” as one of the choices remaining to us.

When so much is difficult, the struggle to live from day to day can sometimes seem too much. But once the idea of assisted suicide is accepted, it will become acceptable, and once it’s acceptable, it will become inevitable; and then the pressure on anyone who holds out against it will become almost unbearable.

Why seek expensive cures and treatments when a barbiturate cocktail is so much cheaper?

In 1930s Germany, the amount of bread consumed by disabled people was minutely quantified, down to the last ounce, although then the talk was of euthanasia – for compassionate reasons, of course.

Now the talk is of rights and choice, which sounds much more acceptable, but assisted suicide is the choice that will end all choices, because it is the final choice.

Ann Farmer

Come out and be proud

I’ve noticed lots of posts on Facebook about Gay Pride weekend. That got me thinking about why we haven't got a corresponding Disabled Pride Day.

I think we should do and so I’ve set up a Facebook page. The response has been amazing: I've even got help starting a website.

A Google search on “disabled pride day” will bring up “Why is there NO Disabled Pride Day?”

Please promote it: the more support we can get the better it will be for all concerned.

Helen Convery