to think there is many people out there who need disability awareness training......

[devilishmangerdanger]

including some who you think may touch upon the subject, such as religious groups etc?

I would really like disability awareness training. Disability was never discussed when I was at school and even though I have a cousin with severe physical disabilities I know very little about 'invisible' and neurological disabilities.

Yes I agree, can we start with the simply lovely church who refused to help me get there when I asked for help as I have become disabled. They are very good at throwing fairs & festivals to raise money for charities & poor starving Africans... But can't help someone on their doorstep who just wants to take communion.

Bitter? Why yes I am. Thanks kind 'Christians'. Have just been singing carols on my own & dissolving into tears.

Double

Yes, I think it would be very helpful, even to those who have disabilities themselves as the range of disabilities and extent of their effect is so vast. Particularly as youmaycall said, the invisible ones.

I was fortunate enough to sit in on a 1 hr seminar on the subject many years back and was surprised how ignorant I was. It should be taught in all schools and somehow made more 'public' for us adults. TV commercials or some other marketing campaign perhaps?

I am still so very ignorant, but at least I know how ignorant I am now

Who are you actually talking about?
What disabilities would you like them to cover?
Who is going to do the training ?
Are you just talking about paid staff, or do you mean every other person that attends the group ?

Just think it's a bit of a vague notion in your title and OP. I'd be interested in having the conversation if you can be a bit more specific.

Housing associations need it BADLY.

There is legislation to protect the disabled.... Do you mean training on how to put it into practice?

I've just devised a series of lessons to use in tutor time at my school. We have done them with Y8 and Y9 this year and I am presently evaluating their impact. The kids were really receptive and highlighted a number of ways that school could be more welcoming to people with disabilities from more accessible entrances to the use of pictorial and braille signs.

Thats awful Double, they should have been able to help :(

Organisations need training if they are not providing reasonable access to people with disabilities, whatever their disability is. Its the law to provide such access.

There are more people out there who need lessons in how to be a decent human being to be honest.
As for Christians, the man gave you two commandments to follow. Love God and love one another.
If you love someone, then you treat them as you would wish to be treated, you prioritise their needs above your own.
We are supposed to be a Christian country, so disability awareness shouldn't be a problem. Should it?

I think most people would benefit from this.

I have learned loads on Mumsnet and am now aware just how woefully ignorant I am. Hecate posted a very moving account last week of some issues she faces and I realised yet again that I know nothing about the practicalities of disability even though I work in a patient facing role in the NHS and may understand some of the technicalities.

I agree OP!

Ian Duncan Smith is a Christian. Very telling in itself.

I, as a permanent wheelchair user, think it's a terrible idea. I don't want people to be aware of my disability, I want them to be aware of me and to see me as a person, not a pet project that they have 'studied' at a seminar. It drives me beyond bonkerdom that people (usually able-bodied) think that I have the time or inclination to be offended at the daft shit people say about disability-- have a family and a job.

I also think that it's things like this that make disability an ishoo and makes people with disabilities stand out as different.

HTH

I have a disabled son, in the beginning the stares and the comments did bother me. However my thick skin grew and it all went like water off a ducks back. Yet today I had to chuckle at the comments made by this religious group at my DS's reaction to them. He also has an in your face disability as well as hidden ones, which make less stereyotypical to the specific and obvious disability.

Double I feel for you, sadly I'm not shocked.

I'm talking about everyone and anyone at some point, as every encounters something sooner or later. It needs to cover all aspects and not just the physical and health side of disability. There is people who do training out there.

I agree school is a good start, my sister is a teacher and she takes a photograph of my kids with her to one of her lessons as a discussion point and she has only ever come across a handful of kids who knew my DS's disability.

No offence Nolittle but this is why the likes of learning disability and childrens disabilities need to be made aware of. What you see isn't always whats going on.

Nolittle I was thinking of training in how to avoid inadvertently making someone's life harder than it needs to be rather than disability-spotting; no idea if that's what the OP meant.

Plus the person is the forefront of disability awareness training.

I don't know maybe it is certain disabilities that people don't understand. I mean breakfast news has discussed how positive the paralympics have been and how this will change the future for disability. However there is still a lot of disabilities who are not able to compete in the paralympics due to their needs, my son for one. He may get a chance to enter the special olympics if some of his needs change but until then kiddos like him may never be understood. Then even a well known paralympian said wait until the hype wears off, things may change for the worse again.

Devilish, I know all about unseen needs, as I went to SS I have very close friends with a variety of needs and I was a disabled child myself (long time ago). I just don't think DAT helps those with disabilities, it's just another box for people to tick on a CV/ corporate responsibility thing tbh. As I have said, it's more important to see the person rather than the problem. It's the framework that needs to change, building regs, education provision and so on. IMHO DAT seems to promote a traditionally, medicalised and paternalistic view of disability, which doesn't help to change the framework IME.

I think it would be better to have Engage Brain Before You Speak Or Stare training to be honest (EBBYSOST) This would be a much cheaper/ effective option as it would address all forms of dickery in society.

I would like people to be more educated, but then again, there are so many conditions that affect people in so many different ways, it would be almost impossible to cover everything.

The next cheeky arsehole that asks me why I have a stick might find themselves getting a closer inspection of it than they intended, however.

Yes well, I am really hurt that when I needed help no one could quite be arsed to give a shit. It's alot easier to throw some loose change in a collection box for the poor 'others', than to come up with some ideas to help someone get to church. Most rubbish thing is that there is a school attached which is the closest to me & is all on ground floor but as I don't go to the church my Ds won't be allowed in. Horrible horrible people.

They refused to help last year & it's a year on & I still haven't been able to get to church & they prob won't even remember. Sorry am really upset as its Christmas & I really want to go to sodding church!!! I want my Ds to go too & I hate that someone else's casual cruelty is stopping me from practicing my faith. Im having a totally rubbish time & I can't even go to church to pray.

As NebulousBoomjam said, it's really about teaching people how to be human. I think alot of people just need to hear more about different peoples lives & then they have some facts to empathize around. Its not about making it into a 'cause' or an 'ishoo', its about making the whole gamut of disabilities more eveyday & familiar & understood.

Unfortuneately alot of others don't care at all about anyone, disabled or not. And no amount of educating or awareness raising will make a ha'penny of difference.

Yes I like EBBYSOST but I still think more needs done. Forgive me if I'm wrong but I still feel somethings missing. I mean you seem intelligent enough to fight your case but what about those who are challenging and complex and unable to do so. Some of the comments from professionals as well as public that we have had would make some cringe.

It won't Double, your right but we can hope.

I agree something is missing, but it's not specific to attitudes towards disability, I feel people just need not to be such wallies sometimes and remember this simple question: Would I be pissed if someone said, asked that of myself or any member of my family? If the answer is yes, STFU or talk about the weather.

Catching up on posts... Def not anymore of the paternalistic help please! If we are designing the ideal awareness training then let's move away from any of the rubbish around at the moment!

I have to fight against the 'we know best' condescension of adult social services all the time whose perpetual state of ignorance & superiority means they ignore what I actually need & try & force me to be the disabled person they believe all disabled people should be! This involves ignoring medical professionals too btw! Rubbish - but not as upsetting as the church turning their back on me.

What I've noticed from threads on here is that the main gap in people's understanding is that they think in terms of 'making life easier' rather than making life possible. So assume the stuff that makes it just about possible to exist is a nice to have benefit which can be ignored if it clashes with their own needs to make their lives easier. Like accessibility, loos, seating, seats on public transport, dla etc etc etc.

People really don't understand how tough it is or how necessary this stuff is, & once they believe it's a nice to have rather than an essential, it's easy to put your own needs first & end up making someone's life completely impossible.

That's the main thing I'd like to change!