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MNHQ

New MN campaign around children with special needs

642 replies

RowanMumsnet · 31/01/2013 09:17

Hello

Following on from this, um, lively thread from a couple of weeks back, we wanted to follow up on kungfupannda's excellent suggestion of an MNHQ-backed awareness-raising campaign aimed at - in kungfupannda's words - 'making it absolutely, uncompromisingly clear that in order to fully include children with severe disabilities, people might have to accept a bit of disruption once in a while.'

We were thinking about something along the lines of our We Believe You campaign on rape myths; that is to say, an ongoing awareness-raising project aimed at the general public, rather than a short-term campaign with specific policy requests attached. We would be thinking about pages on Mumsnet itself featuring the experiences of our posters, activity on our Bloggers Network, ye olde Twitter hashtagge, and any press coverage we can grab.

The suggestion on the thread was for the campaign to be called 'Tolerance is...', but we at MNHQ are a little unsure about the word 'tolerance' (which can suggest barely-contained irritation, rather than the kind of empathetic understanding and generosity of spirit we'd all like to see). So we were wondering whether something along the lines of 'This is my child' would work better?

Please feel free to use this thread to give us any feedback and ideas, and generally let us know what you think.

Thanks
MNHQ

OP posts:
zzzzz · 01/02/2013 20:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AmberLeaf · 01/02/2013 20:02

zzzzz I was gonna mention something like that too!

It would be either compare, or recite a lecture about what we do in public and what we only do in private Grin

WilsonFrickett · 01/02/2013 20:23

Yep, he'd get 'no-one wants to look at that!' in exactly my tone of voice.

Dev I don't really know what to say to you. I'm truly sorry that it is such a struggle for you and your family. But this is a campaign and we have a chance to shape it. It can't be all things to all people but it can (possibly) do some good for all people. Does that make sense?

RollingThunder · 01/02/2013 20:54

Firstly, I agree with the poster who said we shouldn't imply that it's easier in a wheelchair, or easier if x, y, z! It's just all fucking hard. (Bad week here too)!

Secondly I am coming at this from a hidden disability point of view. Ds1 has asd!

But I really like the idea of a campaign about not being able judge from appearances! You could do it both ways. I.e. nt appearing child, who has profound difficulties and severly disabled looking child who is achieving amazing things.

Possible tag lines; you can't know! Don't presume! I do like 'this is me!'

Also want to second the point that our children grow up and become adults with SEN, who have even less protection and support, it's definitely about adults too!

bialystockandbloom · 01/02/2013 21:12

I haven't read the whole thread yet so it may have moved on, but I really like heyho suggestion of using a kind of deal with it tone.

Something like

'I live with my disability. Can you?'

Or (too confrontational?): 'I live with my disability. Why can't you?'

Anyway will read whole thread now.

HotheadPaisan · 01/02/2013 21:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

threesocksmorgan · 01/02/2013 21:52

reading this thread makes me wonder if it is not just the disabled person that needs a campaign, but carers too.
all very well to high light the acceptance of disability, but to ignore how hard it is to be a carer/parent to a disabled person especially in the current political climate.
reading devientenigma's posts high light to me how hard it is when every avenue is closed to you, when how ever hard you try, nothing works.
this is going to be the future for a lot of carers, they need help.
I am reluctant to be part of a campaign that just settles on one issue and will not in the long term really help.
devientenigma I do hope you continue to post, I think people need to know the reality of life for a lot of people with a child with sn

hazeyjane · 01/02/2013 22:02

On the other hand I think there could be a danger of a campaign trying to be too wide ranging, and losing any focus of what it is trying to achieve.

It seems a shame to say a campaign is going to fail to achieve anything, before anyone had even decided what the aims of the campaign are going to be!

PolterGoose · 01/02/2013 22:38

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

threesocksmorgan · 01/02/2013 22:46

so you want a campaign for children with sn?

BeeMom · 01/02/2013 22:50

Apparently this thread has become heated - I think the idea of a campaign is brilliant, but agree wholeheartedly with hazey that too broad a campaign waters down the message.

The only campaigns that totally fail are those that are dismissed before they get off the ground... BUT carer stress and burnout is an exceptionally important topic and deserves recognition. We fight with all we have for our LOs, and often, at the end of the day there is nothing left for us to give ourselves... when that spirals out of control, the outcome is unpleasant at the best of times... and at the worst, it is tragic :(

MNHQ
OliviaMumsnet · 01/02/2013 23:01

@BeeMom

Apparently this thread has become heated (
We certainly wouldn't want to upset anyone, that's really not what we're about.
threesocksmorgan · 01/02/2013 23:12

I would just like it clarified if this is going to be a campaign based on children with sn.
if so I can say good luck and walk away

AmberLeaf · 01/02/2013 23:15

That wasn't the impression I got from the OP threesocks.

zzzzz · 01/02/2013 23:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BeeMom · 01/02/2013 23:20

Threesocks (please forgive me if I am incorrect and it has different headings elsewhere) but the title of the thread in the SN section is "New MN campaign around children with special needs"

That seems kind of clear... I think. Confused

threesocksmorgan · 01/02/2013 23:22

thanks. will stop wasting my time then, my dd is nearly 18 so i am well aware that disability is for life.

AmberLeaf · 01/02/2013 23:22

kungfupandas quote in the OP says 'children with severe disabilities'

But yes as zzzzz says, arent we still discussing what it should be about?

AmberLeaf · 01/02/2013 23:23

I think we are all well aware of that threesocks.

threesocksmorgan · 01/02/2013 23:27

AmberLeaf thanks for that.
I won't waste your time any more. just please remember that one day you will be at the 18 plus stage.

devientenigma · 01/02/2013 23:37

'children with severe disabilities' Hmm provided your a nodding dog, not too isolated, don't have too much of a combination of disabilities, especially not a mix of physical, neurological and medical, have some fight, a little support, with progress or not.

Sorry got drawn in again but kids like DS will still be hidden and not known about. Hospitalized, institutionalized. Hidden away. Why do I not have a friend online or in RL with similar situations/issues to bounce off? Why do I not find total support on forums of all different kinds? Because they and there families are just as isolated.

Defo last post from me (again) I feel the need to fight this subgroup (which that is what it seems to now be)

AmberLeaf · 01/02/2013 23:39

Oh FFS threesocks.

I think my last post indicates that I know that one day I will be at the post 18 stage.

You're not wasting my time in the slightest.

threesocksmorgan · 01/02/2013 23:40

devientenigma we might not walk the same walk, but you always have my support

zzzzz · 01/02/2013 23:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

threesocksmorgan · 01/02/2013 23:43

AmberLeaf sorry I must have misread, Thanks