Could we have a disability board?

[quote KimMumsnet]For those asking about where to find help for their children/teens with physical disabilities, we hope that you can find some support on our talk board here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_needs[/quote]
It's very rare to have a thread about physical disability as it 99% autistic spectrum conditions which are discussed. I have a disabled child and never post there as the tumbleweeds roll over it. No one ever answers and I occasionally see other threads with very few replies.

At one time there was a dedicated cerebral palsy thread that was quite long running, but that eventually petered out too.

Not saying a physically disabled children's section would get much interest (simply don't know) but it would be worth running one for a year, after all there are a lot of topics with very little interest on MN.

I use Facebook anyway for all my support but it was just a thought.

Another vote here. Would be very beneficial

Maybe put this on the topic Mumsnet site stuff?

This thread is in Site stuff.

I agree, but if it's just for mumsnetters with disabilities, what about children and teens with physical disabilities, wheelchair users, cerebral palsy children and adults? There are a lot of them too and special needs is virtually all neurodiverse disabilities without significant physical issues. There is no where for me to get help with my sons disabilities

Bumping this to find out if you made a decision.

Just posting to ensure this request does not get lost.
I see you have tidied up the SN boards. Any progress on a disability board?

This would be such a helpful board. I feel like unless I'm discussing a particular issue I'm a bit lost on the main boards sometimes.

Carer, obviously!

Agree, I am both disabled and a cater, I would love to see a dedicated board.

I think if it's going to be just one topic then each thread needs to be very clear what the issue relates to eg ’fibro pain’, ’PIP problems’, ’autism - child’ so people know which threads to read to post advice. For example, I have no helpful advice about autism, so wouldn't read a thread about autism.

Having topics would help with this but I can see how defining them could be an extremely difficult and sensitive task. I

Just popping back to see if there's been any movement on this, and commenting to bump the thread.

Yes please!

My view is to have a single disability topic, not a disability area with a dozen sub topics. 90% of the topics on here are dead because there are so many of them; it dilutes the board terribly

Agree 100%. There is also the added hassle of having to check 3 or 4 or 5 different topics on a regular basis rather than just checking one topic and scrolling down through the posts.

One topic covering mumsnetters with disabilities.

I would also leave the current SN topic. It seems a very helpful place for the parents of ND children and don't fix what ain't broken!

This too. Re the earlier discussion I have ADHD and see it as a disability and not a special need, so would never have thought to post there.

There is also this stance on ND by arguably one of the biggest ADHD communities: We consider the neurodiversity paradigm to be harmful to people with ADHD, both directly in terms of its stated goals and indirectly via constant attempts to silence us for disagreeing with them.

And while I respect everyones right to completely disagree with that stance, I am more on the side of agreement.

A previous poster hinted at this earlier but it's why I get a bit... edgy when I see posts hinting that we could just bundle everyone into a "Neurodiverse Topic".

Like I have absolutely no idea why anyone would want me to celebrate the fact nobody can read my dyslexic DD10's writing as a "difference" and not see it for the deficit that it is? An impairment which has a substantial and long term negative effect on her ability to normal daily activities. Literally the definition of a disability.

She also has adhd and cannot dress herself without supervision amongst many other things, all of them impairments to her daily life.

But I feel like this movement can ultimately lead to what a pp brought up earlier, that wether it actually exists or not, it can feel like:

I think there’s some deep rooted othering of invisible disabilities on this thread. You can’t be disabled without having additional needs (special needs). A lot of this reads as though people are ashamed to share the “disabled” descriptor with people with neurological disabilities

And we end up in situations where disabled posters look at a board and see ASD and ADHD and think "nope, not for me".

When actually, if you click on my thread, you'll see I'm just having a vent because:

-This is the second night in a row I haven't slept a wink (though I slept 22 hours on Sunday)
-I haven't cooked since Saturday. Friday?
Amongst 100 other things I could post about that I won't bore you with right now.

Is the most important thing wether it's pills or pain causing the sleep? Physical or mental inability to prepare yourself a meal?

Or is the most important thing finding support from someone who understands what it feels like to constantly not sleep for two nights, or cook for four days? To reassure you about PIP and be someone who understands?

That's the main reason I would prefer one topic, personally.

Any movement on this?

My view is to have a single disability topic, not a disability area with a dozen sub topics. 90% of the topics on here are dead because there are so many of them; it dilutes the board terribly.

I would also leave the current SN topic. It seems a very helpful place for the parents of ND children and don't fix what ain't broken! I think most people have the same understanding, broadly, of the difference in the terms 'disabled' and 'special needs', and so most threads would end up in the right one.

I’d welcome a disability board. Would like to see a neurodiversity section.