New MN campaign around children with special needs

[RowanMumsnet]

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

To the family staring and sniggering loudly in Starbucks as my son waved a toy back and forth right by his eyes

He's not "a weirdo"

He's Robbie, and he's autistic

Yes, I like the idea of the campaign just being,

'Don't be an ignorant fucker'

Simple and to the point!

I read most of this thread the other day, and the One that prompted it, but I can't keep up. all I want to say is that I don't like "I am X, I like this and I like that but find Y difficult" etc etc. I hope this is going to present the so-called unacceptable face of disability, the one most people don't understand or want to be exposed to. I have written long in the past on MN about the "sanitisation" of ASD which I am against.

I like the idea of making people think about their attitudes by showing them an ugly snapshot of themselves being an ignorant fucker.

I hope this is going to present the so-called unacceptable face of disability, the one most people don't understand or want to be exposed to.

I agree. It's like disability must be made palattable to the 'public' so as not to offend delicate sensitivities.

The message I really want to get across too is that people with disabilities (of all kinds, all severities) and their families are the 'public' and are society too.

Heyho - that is absolutely not what I meant. You completely distort my intentions.

I am challenging low expectations and the perception that individuals who are disabled can't develop their skills.

I have a son with an ASD and a brother who has cerebral palsy and learning disabilities. My brother in his late 40s and came from a time and a culture where it was thought better to offer pity and 'look after' him rather than teach him independence skills.

Since my parents died, with a great deal of effort and quality support, he has developed independence, a sense of who he is and personal autonomy,

I never assume, no matter how serious or profound someone's disability is that they are not entitled to develop their sense of self, sense of value, independence and autonomy.

Tis has nothing - NOTHING - to do with someone's perceived 'worth' to society. Quite the opposite. It is about society valuing EVERYONE.

Maryz, you put it perfectly.

I just think that, now, people will view this in itself as a disablist campaign, which it isn't!

I like lots of ideas on this thread and tried to make some notes but got overwhelmed! Kingfupanda and zzzz had some brilliant ideas. A couple around page 4 of this thread. I like facts and percentages etc but also the idea of asking people to sign a pledge to "think twice" or something. Sorry, very poorly remembered and expressed! I really like Notcitrus's idea of the London bus style cartoons (don't put your feet on the seats etc!). Maybe that wouldn't be right for MN but its a brilliant idea, somewhere around page 17 of this thread.

I agree with Maryz, focus on what this thread is about, and the positive ideas that have come from it.

Not everyone agrees, but it is a start and I am glad the thread and debate exists.

Kungfu.....you did good :)

Not everyone is going to agree that is why debates are good and happy mediums come about perhaps.

It is such a wide scope and everybody has their own experiences that they would like to see taken note of that is natural and expected.

People that are unhappy for whatever reason are entitled to say so and air it.

It would be good if the whole package of disability and its wide age range is included. After all inclusion means everyone. I am racking my brains trying to work out how and by which route.

But whatever the outcome its a good thing you have started :)

As I sai way up thread, 30 years of experience and hard work may not have given people with impairments civil rights, but we did at least learn how bloody hard it was to do any kid of large campaign when the essential truth is that no one message will ever cover all view points.

That said the only point where we reach anything like a settled will is that the problem lies with other people and society as a whole rather than with those and their families living with impairments. This campaign is a good idea as it does something that disability campaigners have always had difficulty doing, and that is reaching the parts of society such as middle class people who for a raft of reasons just do not see the issue. Many have been able to use their economic and educationnal provledge to get the help they need if they have someone with a disability, or they have a vested interest in accepting that either things are fine and the sytem works, or the reverse such as in the welfare reform.

There are many campaigns around at the moment that this one could be an addition to, the closure of schools and day centres reducing the opportunities, or the local council cuts to respite care and the introduction of personal payments all of which are massive challenges. I think anything that reminds people that for all the talk of budgets and austerity and cuts, that we are talking about the lives of human beings is essential.

Sorry for the mad typos the drugs and lack of sleep do not help vision or hand and eye co ordination.

Please don't be gutted Kungfu.

That site stuff thread is very unfair, unfair accusations that if challenged will lead to more accusations of bullying etc.

I agree with zzzzz, there isn't even controversy as such, we are all having a discussion.

Whatever happens some people won't be happy with it. what can you do?

I haven't really commented because I've been mulling it over, but I think simple statements are more profound.

How about

"See Me"

That covers every angle, I think, and gets to the core of the issue. Regardless of the things which might make someone noticeable, we want them to be noticed for what makes them 'them'.