What's the point of the two new SN topics for adults with disabilities?

[inheritancetrack]

So following requests for a topic relating to adults and/or children with physical disabilities, we now have two new threads... mumsnetters with disabilities and mumsnetters with neuro diversity.

The requests from the original poster and contributors to that thread were specifically asking for a topic on physical disabilities relating to PIP, wheelchairs, employment adjustments and generally advice on living with the multitude of physical disabilities which affect people. These include illnesses causing physical disablement, like accidents, arthritis, multiple sclerosis etc, as well as long standing conditions like cerebral palsy. So this audience is large and generally ignored.

So what have we ended up with? Two topics which yet again are all about neuro diversity, ASD, ADHD, dyslexia and so on. 2 out of the first 28 posts (gave up counting then) are actually related to physical disability. Those 2 posts are lost in the other posts and have a couple or no replies.

On the original request post there was a lot of pushback from posters pointing out that autism was classed as a disability and therefore there need not be a distinction. No one denied it was a disability but the request was for support for physical disabilities, which are quite different, and which has just been ignored.

Honestly MN, adding the word 'physical' to the new disability topic does not make you discriminatory. It just clarifies and signposts the topic and stops people like me, with a physically disabled teenager, from feeling pushed out into the cold. A good opportunity to embrace true inclusion has been thrown away.

It feels to me like the staff at Mumsnet are blind to those with physical disabilities - maybe they just don’t have anyone on the staff who is physically disabled. Come on Mumsnet, we expect better of you.

I hadn't realised this but you certainly make excellent points.

I'm just so incredibly disappointed. I've had years of no Mumsnet support addressing the physical disability issue of a young child, and believe me they are just as complex and wide ranging as a neurodiverse child, and there is still nothing. At least with something that appeared to address physical diversity there was something on the horizon but no it's not happening, we just have two new semi identical topics. Luckily Facebook has many groups for the parents of physically disabled children and adults.

I agree

Yes I just checked and you're completely right. The neurodiverse topic is very popular and that's great, but the MNers with disabilities topic is full of exactly the same issues.

Changing it to "physical" disabilities or adding an extra topic seems reasonable.

You're right and not alone in your disappointment.

I had a look and you are absolutely right!

Additionally I wonder why so many Mumsnetters with neuro diversity questions have ignored the Mumsnetters with neuro diversity topic in favour of using the Mumsnetters with disabilities topic, would be interesting to see what recent contributors say about how they came to choose which one.

So I am fully in support of a Mumsnetters with physical disabilities topic (sorry, forgot that bit)

There’s not 2 new boards, only one new one (neurodiverse mumsnetters) and one that has been renamed (now mumsnetters with disabilities, previously mumsnetters with SN). This is why there are threads about neurodiversity in mumsnetters with disabilities, because they were started there prior to the new board.

I'm nd and I agree. I don't see why there can't be a separate topic for physical disabilities if there is for nd mumsnetters. Although I privately suspect the nd topic will become overwhelmingly about autism. Or be invaded by people with armchair dx or with their offensive nt suggestions and opinions disguised as advice.

@FlibbertyGiblets I don't have any questions, but if I did it wouldn't occur to me to post in disabilities, purely because I don't personally consider myself disabled.

@Imitatingdory

There’s not 2 new boards, only one new one (neurodiverse mumsnetters) and one that has been renamed (now mumsnetters with disabilities, previously mumsnetters with SN). This is why there are threads about neurodiversity in mumsnetters with disabilities, because they were started there prior to the new board.

Ah yes, looking at the individual threads they are generally older. That makes sense.

I guess one topic has been renamed, but the threads are near identical on both topic headings.

I think neuro diverse would cover most of the 'hidden' disabilities, so don't understand why there is so much reluctance to address 'visible' disabilities, and give the original poster who suggested this topic somewhere they can post about issues relevant to their lives?

I have been posting on mn since 2006, my now adult dc has cp and is severely disabled.
I have been homeless for years as the sn children topice is maily about children with autism. Fin no problem with that.
When my dc moved on from being a child, i was one who asked for a teenage board, that didn't work as no one posted.
Fast forward and i ahve a mid 20's dc living in a care home with lds and severe cp.
Still no where to post.
People with dcs with cp have been left out in the cold for years.

Sorry forgot to say my dc uses a wheelchair and is visibly disabled

This has been asked for before as most Mn with SN was 99% autism related which fine and now have own board but meant anything else was lost. And as a disabled adult or parent carer when you looked it didn’t feel like right place to ask about wheelchair or cushions or PiP or million other things.

There are plenty of hidden disabilities that are not a neurodiversity. If you change mumsnetters with disabilities to only include visible disabilities where do you suggest they post?

The threads on both boards may be about neurodiversity but that is because, as I posted, the threads on mumsnetters with disabilities were started prior to the other board’s existence. Maybe if given time that will change going forward now neurodiverse mumsnetters is an option.

It’s a bit of a self fulfilling prophecy if posters don’t post somewhere because there aren’t many threads about e.g. CP. Perhaps if more posters posted there there would be more relevant posts and traffic.

@FlibbertyGiblets

I had a look and you are absolutely right!

Additionally I wonder why so many Mumsnetters with neuro diversity questions have ignored the Mumsnetters with neuro diversity topic in favour of using the Mumsnetters with disabilities topic, would be interesting to see what recent contributors say about how they came to choose which one.

I don’t think everyone has noticed the neurodiversity board yet. It’s only been two days.

So where do i post.
Use me as an example.
Adult dc with cp lives in a care home, full time wheelchair user.
Has all the stuff connected to cp, no autism.
Where do i ask about communication aids, covid rules about visiting, and all the other stuff?....

@Imitatingdory

There’s not 2 new boards, only one new one (neurodiverse mumsnetters) and one that has been renamed (now mumsnetters with disabilities, previously mumsnetters with SN). This is why there are threads about neurodiversity in mumsnetters with disabilities, because they were started there prior to the new board.

Oh yes and that.

It will settle down.

Why is neurodiversity under special needs and not general health? Doesn't seem appropriate to me!

There was a huge 7 month discussion on Site Stuff, with a lot of disagreement. I think MNHQ actually did really well to
come up with the best possible compromise on the request for some kind of ND board, given the range of opinions on classification, vocabulary and so on.

They will ALSO be changing the name of the section title too according to the announcement (see screengrab) but it obvious hasn’t been actioned yet.

So, for anyone struggle with the tiny type they’ll be changing the name of the whole section from “Special Needs” to “Special Needs & Disability”.

@Samcro what extra board do you think would cover your circumstances?

Samcro there is nothing stopping you posting on the teens and young adult board, mid 20s is still a young adult. As I said it’s a bit of a self fulfilling prophecy if posters don’t post on the boards.

Last year, under another name, when some SN boards were merged and posters posted they didn’t post on the SN boards because threads about ASD dominated I posted a count of the threads on the first pages. While there were many threads across the different boards about ASD there were also many about other disabilities. And many threads did not rely on disability specific knowledge.

The results were:
SN Chat:

2 long running G&C threads.

23 about ASD, some mention other disabilities too e.g. LD, JHS, ADHD, SPD, MH conditions.
25 about other disabilities - DCD, DLD, CP, SPD, expressive language disorder, not diagnosed (discounting where suspected ASD is mentioned), no diagnosis mentioned.



SN Children:

26 ASD (including PDA) - some also mention other disabilities.

16 other disabilities e.g. CP, DCD, SLI, ADHD, verbal dyspraxia.

1 long running auties support thread.

SEN (I got board of adding more detail at this point!)
:
22 about ASD.

26 about other disabilities. 


SN teens and young people:

31 ASD
.
17 Other.



Mumsnetters with SN (as it was then):

29 ASD

20 other

1 long running neurodiversity thread


@Thoosa

So, for anyone struggle with the tiny type they’ll be changing the name of the whole section from “Special Needs” to “Special Needs & Disability”.

@Samcro what extra board do you think would cover your circumstances?

No idea, been asking for years. Just hoping someone will say, pop over here.. Sn children does not work, so where now?