Could we have a disability board?

Obviously I only know my own experience and those that I have spoken to over the years. As I’ve stated previously (and did when this was last discussed) I really do prefer disabled to SN.

I wouldn’t however have posted on an autism specific board when Ds was younger without feeling deeply uncomfortable and I would have struggled to “give advice” to those with a rubber stamped dx even though Ds is severely disabled for want of a better descriptor. I think my contribution to the boards was helpful to some and participation was definitely a big support for me.

Yes, another vote here for a disability board!

5zeds possibly some wouldn't but quite a lot of people already post on the SN boards when ASD etc are first suspected.

It’s fairly course mmmm to be diagnosed later with invisible disabilities. Would others post on an asd specific (for example) board before dx?

5zeds EHCPs may be a legal document, but the majority of parents don't post in SN legal/financial and won't post in Legal (Disability) about EHCPs, especially parents new to EHCPs. They post in SN education, SN chat, SN children and SEN.

Yes please - I would definitely appreciate an inclusive, all-welcome disabilities board. I really don't think there's any need to divide it and chucking it all in together will keep the board active. Popular topics can have long running threads e.g. the chronic pain thread.

I know that there's an adults with SN board, bit would never post on it. The term comes from the special educational provision that schools should make for those who need it. If some neurodiverse adults find that term helpful and want to use it, that's great, but I think the majority of disabled people would not recognise it as applying to us whether we have visible or invisible disabilities.

I agree that disability stuff all needs to be in one place and that it needs to be signposted as Disability so that everyone concerned knows it relates to them.

Personally I would like to lose 'SN' altogether but appreciate that some people may relate to that term more.
As an aside I think one reason why the wheelchair/mobility aids topic is so little used is because it is under 'SN'.

However there is a well established group of users of mainly the SN chat topic who mainly (though not exclusively) have children and young people with ASD. It seems a shame that they should lose that resource both as support for themselves and information for new posters in that situation. I don't think there is anywhere else on MN where they could post instead, which is why a think a specific ASD (or neurodiversity) topic would be good but under the umbrella of disability.
Then when posters on that topic need advice about general disability matters (legal, financial, educational) they can easily go to the general disability topics.

As a family we deal with ASD, mental health conditions, wheelchair use, other mobility problems, chronic pain, fatigue, visual impairment and other physical health issues. I would look for advice relating to any particular condition in a dedicated topic (if there is one) .
However a lot of what I need advice on is general disability stuff and I also just want to chat to people who 'get' disability whatever kind it is.

I think the financial stuff highlighted by @NoHaudinMaWheest is really important. The fact UC is available for 16-18 year olds in education had never been mentioned to me by anyone!!!! If we get it he will have nearly double what he gets from PIP and that will mean more support/experience every week.

How about just reorganising the whole thing @DawnMumsnet ? ATM it all seems a bit scattered.

Have a disabled section, put “disabled parents” and “SN adults” & “autoimmune” or whatever already exists in it. Then maybe add “physical disability”, “chronic pain” & “disability cafe” (for chatting)?

That way it’s all under one umbrella and we all know which direction to limp in?

Please 🙏🏻 and thank you 😊.

@Samcro we’re post 16 now and I feel the same.

I would say EHCP process would come under legal but I think education is useful for problems at/with school and ideas for solving them.
Maybe 0-5s, 5-16s, and 16+ would be helpful????

i would hate to see the sn children's topic changed in any way. I haven't been on it in a long time. but it used to be very well used and a godsend for people with young children.

There just doesn't seem anywhere to talk when your child is an adult and no longer in education.
looking at residential options is so hard. seems sad that there is no where for that. or to talk once you have the option sorted, yet face the problems that having someone living in a care home produce.

I like the latest list, but I would add in Chat because currently SN Chat threads get deleted after 90 days. Sometimes posters post there instead of e.g. SN Children because it gets deleted. It's also one of the 2 busiest boards currently.

Also possibly add in Education because things like the process of applying/appealing EHCPs cross over children and teens & young adults.

@tentosix the present board

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_needs_wheelchairs_and_mobility_aids

Gets so little use that they are talking about merging it. Thanks for saying you’re sorry and that the othering is unintentional.

@5zeds I'm sorry you feel that way, as there is no intention to 'other' any section. People just want a section that does address the needs they have managing physical disabilities because there is an enormous difference managing a wheelchair user child and a child with an ASD diagnosis. The current SN board is of very little use when it comes to a wheelchair user, as whereonthestair points out. I used to also post on the thread she mentions, and it would frequently slip down and get harder to find. Then disappeared altogether and there are now very few post relating to physical issues.

However much I agree we should all get support in the SN board the practicality is, we don't. With a physical disability board, it can cater for adults and children.

These categories sound good to me. I wouldn't bother with chat as it seems just replication as it's all chat really.

Children with disabilities
Teens and young adults with disabilities
Adults with disabilities
Wheelchairs and mobility aids
Legal/financial (disability)
Carers

Do posters who don't post on the SN section because posts about ASD are more prolific and posts about disabilities other than ASD fall down the page and get lost not read or post on any threads not in active? Do you never, for example, read/post on a thread at the bottom of page 1 of Chat or the top of page 2 of AIBU? Because as I posted the other day all the SN boards are quiet and only 2 have posts on enough threads in the last month to warrant them going on to a second page.

Definitely supportive of this idea!

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

Great idea. Didnt there used to be a disabled parents board?

DS is physically disabled and a wheelchair user. He is always referred to as disabled and no one has ever said he has special needs, even though he clearly has needs over and above non disabled children. I think we need a distinct section for children like him as well as other conditions, and especially adults with disabilities. They are a completely forgotten section.

@Blowingagale Facebook have many pages, especial UK ones, with lots of help and support, as well as selling and advice on equipment pages. Most are closed groups so are not open to your private pages.