At least we've stopped pretending

[DGRossetti]

To give a shit about accessibility anymore

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-59128618

COP26: Wheelchair-using minister unable to attend summit

the UK. Refreshingly honest.

That's inexcusable! It's not hard to make provisions for wheelchair access. That's what happens inclusivity is effort-free rainbows not people who really need it.

@Alltheprettyseahorses

That's inexcusable! It's not hard to make provisions for wheelchair access. That's what happens inclusivity is effort-free rainbows not people who really need it.

I think it's actually a breath of fresh air. Much better than the usual hypocrisy of pretending to give a shit for the cameras whilst you're busy putting steps, rails and obstacles all over the country.

That's the reality for every less able person in this country. And now the world sees it too.

I agree. U.K. has terrible reputation for way it treats the disabled/differently able.

@PlanDeRaccordement

I agree. U.K. has terrible reputation for way it treats the disabled/differently able.

and it's getting worse.

That is really shameful.

Appalling. It feels like things are going backwards in regards to disability/accessibility, rather than progress being made.

"It's all the Israeli's fault - they didn't tell us beforehand"

I thought there were requirements on all public spaces to be accessible, and nowadays there are requirements to make private homes either newly built or being extended to comply with rules around having an accessible bathroom and ground floor.

So if those rules are there, and are normal requirements for any public event I've sen for the past 15 years at least, how can it have been so fundamentally overlooked at this event?

Oh, yea, it's the big "look over here, there's no Brexit, fishing blockade, supply chain problems, lack of workers due to COVID soaring out of control etc" trick of distraction...and not something that actually means anything in the real world.

The only "eco friendly" transport of the future according to UK govt....cycling? Walking? More eco friendly public transport?

No, the ONLY mode that is acceptable is the electric car.

@inawe

Appalling. It feels like things are going backwards in regards to disability/accessibility, rather than progress being made.

That's because we are. Accessibility is still an afterthought wherever you go.

And this is a climate change conference, where we must all make sacrifices to prevent the planet being destroyed...but many of the world leaders attending came straight from the G20 meeting in Rome last weekend, so surely sharing transport would make sense when all going from 1 major city to another?

No, they all flew their own jets, not even commercial flights, with many having full sized jets (and a number of delegations had multiple large-body planes), and yesterday there were the photos of all the limousines waiting outside the venue with their engines running for hours on end...

What a joke.

Unfortunately the equality act is never applied equally. It is so hypocritical. People with disabilities are always at the bottom of the heap.

What a joke.

I prefer refreshingly honest . And if you are going to do hypocrisy big-stylee, then really the UK is the natural home for it. Much as Rio is home to Mardi Gras.

@endofagain

Unfortunately the equality act is never applied equally. It is so hypocritical. People with disabilities are always at the bottom of the heap.

I think you are being overly positive in viewing them as part of the heap. To many people they aren't even in the same room, let alone heap.

I tried emailing the DWP accessibility team recently. The email address no longer exists. I assume the team doesn't either, but I don't know because I can't find a way to contact them.

There are so many examples of this government sticking two fingers up at people with disabilities. Inaccessible PIP assessments, discouraging claimants from taking a support person or carer 'coz covid', suggesting those losing UC payments take on more work when they've been deemed unfit for work.

I tried emailing the DWP accessibility team recently. The email address no longer exists. I assume the team doesn't either, but I don't know because I can't find a way to contact them.

Complain about their pronouns. That'll have a team on it for a week.

I am half appalled that this had happened, I'm half not at all surprised.
But at least it's made the headlines. I go out regularly with a wheelchair user and her daily struggles never make the news.

This is sadly not surprising at all.

Notwithstanding the general hypocrisy of the whole thing, where leaders flew in on private jets from everywhere, even though they could have had a video conference. All while pontificating to us little people about recycling our coffee cups and other piddly stuff.
And Boris, who preaches about 'defuse the bomb of climate change', conveniently ignores the fact that one of the main causes of climate issues is overpopulation, is himself a father of 7 children!

How can it be that many government departments are falling over themselves to accommodate and pander to a certain rainbow group, who aren't even part of the Equality Act, and yet consistently fail to uphold even the most basic requirements for people with disabilities, who not only are a much larger portion of the population, but actually are part of the Equality Act.

It's almost as if they don't give a shit .

This is bullshit. And the jets? Omg.

Accessibility is dire. Not just access to buildings, pavements, blocked pavements, lack of pavement dropped pavements
Disabled WCs with massive, impossible to open doors. Down difficult to access corridors- Center parcs I'm looking at you
Or used for storage
But let's paint fucking rainbows on everything, waste public money on Stonewall and calk ourselves inclusive

Accessibility is still an afterthought wherever you go.

IME accessibility and inclusion only exist at the convenience of non-disabled people. As soon as non-disabled people think they are going to be inconvenienced or that disabled people are getting some sort of "perk" then the inclusion and the access vanishes.

Thh Bu is is exactly why I have been screaming about since... well since the flipping rainbow exclusivity bandwagon roles into town.

Oh we must be inclusive - so make loos unisex. NO! Ramps, handrails, lighting, screens, Braille, steps highlighted, signers at events, staff trained... THATS WHAT IT MEANS... things that people can’t bloody well change. You don’t choose to be blind or deaf, but you can choose to be ‘offended’ by being obliged to use a single sex facility.

And breathe... 🤬

@Clocktopus

Accessibility is still an afterthought wherever you go.

IME accessibility and inclusion only exist at the convenience of non-disabled people. As soon as non-disabled people think they are going to be inconvenienced or that disabled people are getting some sort of "perk" then the inclusion and the access vanishes.

Yep. If it didn't give able bodied people the warm fuzzies then who cares?

Bit of inspiration porn at the expense of disabled people? Hell yes.
Actually making the world more accessible so disabled people can play their full part in society? Nah.

Our local city has paved a large chunk of the city centre with textured paving that is a nightmare to walk on with mobility issues. I find it really difficult to walk over. would rattle your teeth out if in a wheelchair.

Agree accessibility is an after thought. They usually manage to give a nod to wheelchair users, but it will be further away, round the back, you will have to wait for someone to come out and deploy the ramp, it will be in a less well lit, and not safe at night with hidden corners etc.

There’s a large road near us that is now an ‘all user’ road - no pavement, some ‘bobbled’ areas but no kerb. It is slab bang next to junior schools, student dorms, large park, tourist attractions...

Of course it was said before it happened that this was a stupid idea. Blind charities said it was dangerous, I worried about tipsy students wandering home, tourists launching across the road (looking the ‘wrong’ way), children scampering across the road, those less mobile trying to navigate the street...

Yes, it’s dangerous, no they don’t have the £££ to put it back.

It's not surprising. The UK has really just shown how utterly inept it is from the start of this conference. I am aware that day to day navigating transport / infrastructure is a minefield for disabled people but I'd have thought that at something like cop it would have been sorted.

This thread has reminded me to write to the organisers of an event that I recently attended with DD (impaired mobility, walks with a crutch). The event was described as "fully accessible", but that just seemed to mean that you could move around in a wheelchair without considering that people have different mobility needs.