Disability hate on MN

I totally agree.

Its always seemed like dis/ablism is perfectly fine on MN, but it does seem to be getting worse lately.

It’s upsetting

During the Covid lockdowns ableism was appalling - I remember getting told off by MNHQ for reporting an ableist comment, while the comment was left to stand.

Just seems a lot of mumsnet have had privileged lives.
No wonder it gets a bad name which is sad as there is a lot of nice people on here.

I wish the taxing of rich companies got as much leverage.

Maybe you'd be better off with pictures?

Ok, sorry. How have I misread it?

I am really interested but not in a bad way, but how does your son climb mount everest,?

That's exactly it. It's the injustice.

I read them because I want to know what I'm up against.

I'm disabled, but it's my disabled daughter that's in my mind when I see this stuff. If some adults on here have such attitudes, then it's going to filter down to their kids.

At least if my daughter ends up against abelism at school, I'd like to think the school would do something about it.

I am housebound so online is most of my social contact.
Somedays I struggle more than others to take on the nasty mean minded individuals who pile on any threads about disability benefits but today I had to speak up. I think if at all possible we disabled people need to challenge every misinformed prejudiced post as it appears and report to mnhq or the strength of feeling will never be acknowledged and the hateful sort carry on their merry way.

Otherwise, no one with no dog in the fight knows what you’re talking about and I assume you want this issue to reach a wider audience.

Yeah, I knew it would too.

People post in good faith and its gets taken over all the time.

I could sort of understand if the threads were started by someone questioning the benefits in the first place. But it's always some person's well meaning thread that gets absolutely sabotaged.

Folk are on here deliberately seeking them out.

That's surely some form of online harassment.

The posting histories are all there.

It would be helpful to the discussion if you quoted the disability hate comments to which you are referring.

Since and including the Brexit vote, use of online tactics to sway elections has become rampant. Disability is the latest Tory buzzword and pitting groups against each other is a classic Tory tactic. They want people to think that the disabled are lounging around at home having a jolly good old time while everyone else goes out being stressed and working hard when there are disabled people who are taxpayers and would give their right arm to be healthy for work again.

Every forum seems to have the odd poster who posts insane amounts on one topic. Labelling them as paid shills or bots probably comes under troll hunting.

FWIW I don’t think that these “loud” posters are indicative of normal people who probably hold less extreme views or they’d be out of a job.

Yes. It is upsetting, and it is utterly depressing.

I'm on a chat thread on here, and we all encourage each other not to look at the abelist threads and posts.

The problem with that, though is that's the metaphorical equivalent of us hiding away isn't it?

What's worse? Reading about how much you're hated as a disabled member of society? Disbelieved as an Autistic person?

Or literally hiding away and never engaging?

We often have to physically hide away. Being online is sometimes the only element of socialisation some disabled people get. It is for me, anyway.

Is it really too much to ask for a little respect? And to recognise the rampant levels of abelism that we are being subjected to on here?

It happens everywhere in real life. I’ve had countless problems with ignorant people and my disability including medical professionals.

I am starting to wonder if some of these posters are paid to come on here and whip up anger for political purposes. It’s started right as an election is looming.

Some of the posters are so ridiculous I don't think they can actually be real, especially the ones who claim to be educated and earn well but still think they should just pack it all in because they will be better off on benefits 🙄

Well said op…

As one of those threads is mine and I have posted against the prejudice, misinformation and hatred on others I whole heartedly agree.
How is any of this ok?

It has actually stopped me functioning a bit to be frank - I have things to do eg sort out the mess that is his A Level notes - make sure his place at university is definitely postponed , chase up next years transport and also try to see if I can get him moved from unfit to work to the other thing where he could try a couple of hours a week volunteering - but we have tried that before and it failed. I have a disabled group activity / excursion t sort out for a group of young adults as well and also my sons holiday activities

But instead I have been crying - just can’t help it it has really really hurt me