For 2 prime ministers that had SN children, why is the government so unfeeling/uncaring about disabilities???? Rant alert. join me please!!

(17 Posts)
marjproops Wed 13-Mar-13 18:17:00

Its so simple.

Child/parent/elderly has disabilities.

HELP, please.

Thats it.

NOT a million forms filling (yeah, we have all the time in the world)
NOT refused mobilty just cos child can JUST manage to put one foot in front of the other.
NOT refused special housing cos child AND parent have mobilty/mental health problems.

But then again, Bron and Cameron probably had round-the-clock carers and nannys etc etc.

why the hell doesnt ANYONE in Gov live in the real disabled world?


marjproops Wed 13-Mar-13 18:18:08

Brown. typo again.

montage Wed 13-Mar-13 18:34:30

Because money and privilege can protect people from a great deal of the difficulties that come with disability.

They don't protect people from the emotional impact of course.

But just think how many of the stresses that are increasingly heaped on people with disabilities would disappear if they had sufficient money.

Have you read Katie Price's account of raising her son? It is very apparent how much money and support make her life with him different than average. But she has not experienced the lack of either and she has no grasp that life would be different without wealth (near the end of the article).

The opposite to her perspective is Keith Duffy (of Boyzone) whose daughter was diagnosed autistic and he quickly began to think about how people without his wealth managed. He is now very active with Autism Action in Ireland, raising funds for other children.

I am not saying Cameron is unaware btw, but that he is wilfully blind.

It's a nightmare. And the lack of humanity from Cameron et al makes me weep.

PS Until this point in time I didn't realise there was a Carers section on MN. Hello all.

marjproops Wed 13-Mar-13 18:46:05

Same here, pheasant, didnt know about this section either, 1st time on carers and I just dove in the deep end!!!

As for the Gov, they take from the poor, line their own pockets even more, not to mention throwing it at places that got themselves into debt...oh rant rant rant away.

And carers working 24/7 who are invisible to this lot and any other lot in Gov.

Dawndonna Sat 11-May-13 17:00:52

I particularly hate this government. It's the nasty, pernicious narrative that they have created, too.

(First time I've been here too, been on Mumsnet over a year and didn't know it was here)!

ParsingFancy Sat 11-May-13 17:16:54

What sums it up for me is Riven being desperate for the 6 nappies per day her council was supposed to provide, when they were only giving 4.

And then Shiny Dave revealing he didn't know how many nappies his own child was given. Presumably his household just bought more, without him having to be aware of cost.

It's a small thing, but says it all really.

marjproops Mon 17-Jun-13 19:02:53

exactly. seriously im not watching the news any more, his smug face just makes me more and more sick each day. talking about tax evation and what about his expenses etc?

why dont they lead by example?

HarumScarum Mon 17-Jun-13 20:44:04

I don't think you can blame Gordon Brown for this. He brought in the Concessionary Travel thing so anyone with a disability could get free bus travel anywhere in the country, not just within their local authority, and also some legislation aimed at improving services for adults with autism. Perhaps small things but really quite removed from the current government's record. Not to mention that he has basically devoted himself to charity work since he stopped being prime minister and also didn't accept the usual pension given to ex-Prime Ministers.

marjproops Mon 17-Jun-13 20:48:33

its not so much him as scameron.

I don't think Brown was as bad as they say, he wasn't there for long, when stony Bleuuurgh stepped down he had mess to clear up, I can cut Brown SOME slack, even so.

I do hink its more tHIS government. but they did both have diasabilities in the family.

marjproops Mon 17-Jun-13 20:50:03

BTW Dc doesn't have a disabilityconcessionary thing, she has to pay on trains and I had to pay for student card for her even tough shes registered disabled?

Cameron said later that his wife gave him a row over the nappies question. She knew how many they got and that it was inadequate. He said she was frustrated with him for forgetting.

The trouble is that whilst David and Samantha must always have been anxious about Ivan and grieve bitterly nowm they NEVER had to face the really tough financial choices that confront some carers. They were both able to continue working as they wished. They could afford to raise other children. They could and did pay help.

I suspect that certainly Samantha and probably David could talk at length about the emotional impact of Ivan's disability and Gordon and Sarah Brown likewise but what none of them can ever do is describe what Pulp summed up as watching ' your life slide out of view' because it is NOT their reality of being the parent of a child with disability or chrinic illness.

HarumScarum Mon 17-Jun-13 21:05:07


I think you might have to pay on trains. It's buses that are free. I realise it's a small thing and in no way mitigates the enormous challenges that people face daily but at least Brown's govt were trying.

marjproops Tue 18-Jun-13 18:39:37

Thank you. I still had to pay £12 i thin k it was for her 12 and over buscard, even though in the last borough we lived in she had an actual disability thing even though she still had to pay on the train in that borough.


we do manage when i take her to places, she gets disability rate and i as her carer get in free or half price or whatever.

Harum you're making me soften towards Brown!! grin so why did he bow out then?

HarumScarum Tue 18-Jun-13 20:29:49

He didn't really, did he?! He got kicked out by us and knew Labour would have no chance with him in charge at the next election. Shame, really. I rather like him.

You should investigate the bus thing. I bet you can think of something else to do with that twelve quid!

marjproops Wed 19-Jun-13 17:31:07

Harum £12 to us is like £1000. to someone else, we really need every penny.


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