disability news disability news It's News and Views for you it's disability news a 19-year-old disabled woman was told that she was not allowed to enter a pub without a parent or Guardian station staff laugh at disabled women having to crawl up station steps it's 2024 but disabled people are still an afterthought when it comes to electric vehicle charging points and finally the government listen to scope school to make playgrounds more accessible and inclusive for disabled children hello my wond
erful friends and welcome back to another episode of dis news if you are enjoying these don't forget to subscribe make sure to give this video a thumbs up consider sharing it with a friend and giving me a super thanks if you've missed any of the previous episodes of disability news I have now made a complete disability news playlist so you can go and binge watch them after this J packed episode in our first story we are going to meet Casey Jackson who is a 19-year-old disabled woman who when ent
ering her local pub crown and cushion don't think I've ever heard of a pub with a name like that before when entering she was told that she wasn't allowed to be in the pub without a parent or Guardian now Casey has a condition called Swan which is a syndrome without a name and this is a term used when a child or a young person may have a genetic condition but tests may have failed to identify what that condition could be people with Swan may have Global developmental delay they may have learning
difficulties and physical disabilities when talking to the Press Casey's mom said that she is a little childlike in her behavior but she wasn't causing any harm and was just popping in to say hello to a few friends Casey left the pub extremely hurt and upset as you can imagine this is what the crown and cushion had put on their Facebook page just to make you all aware due to some issues with adolescents and the complaints we are getting across the bar unfortunately children and a few of you who
are aged 18 must be accompanied by a parent or Guardian those of you over the age of 18 will be informed as they next come in as harsh as this may sound please remember after all we are a pub not a crash when reading that the language sounds quite basic and not much thought has gone into that the pub have since taken that down and have clarified that no adult needs to be accompanied I just feel that this whole situation is incredibly ableist and very stereotypical disabled people are often infa
ntilized um I have been infantilized before I sometimes get spoken to like I'm a child quite often people think Daisy and I are friends I have been ideed for alcohol in the supermarket only a few years ago I mean I was in my late 30s and ironically I was buying alcohol-free beer when the lady saw my ID she was very shocked but sometimes I do wonder if people are just instantly seeing sort of like Mobility AIDS and subconsciously infantilizing us some people might argue that I look young for my a
ge I'm aware that there are some people who think I look like a sea hack which is totally fine I don't care about that whatsoever but do I really look like a minor not like a digging minor like a small child I also feel that if Casey did need a parent guardian or a carer with her she would have done um and obviously in this moment she wanted to pop in and see her friends and she felt absolutely fine to do so and she didn't need any support she just wanted to go about her day with autonomy and I
can't imagine how crushing that would have been for her to have been segregated and called out like that in front of people it's disability discrimination in my my opinion and I know how upset I have been in the past when I haven't been able to access pubs or clubs with my friends you're all doled up you're going out for the night you're all excited you're there to have fun and then in the blink of an eye you're reminded that you're different and that's just taken away from you and it ruins the
whole night and it stays with you now some of you may recognize this face this is Jenny Berry who has the Instagram page whe good life and she also runs a Blog as well and is a disability campaigner when she was in London on business she was heading back to her hotel and once she got to the station which was pretty empty at that time of night she found that the lift was out of order the hotel that she was staying in was literally at the top of the stairs Jenny couldn't find any members of Staff
station which she had left from did not inform her that the lift was out of order and I think we've all been there where we have had no choice but to crawl the steps which is completely inhumane for a grown adult to be climbing steps in public and in the video you can see that Jenny is looking a little bit red a little bit puffed out it took her 15 minutes to climb these stairs and when she gets to the top of the stairs there are station staff that you can see who are laughing at her stuff did a
ctually appear at the top of the stairs by the time I got there but also found it hilarious when the lift technician announced that he just got the lift working when I'd got to the very top step he walking are you kidding me you can actually hear them on this recording laughing when they realize now at please be I mean I was heartbroken just watching that video but I can't imagine how frustrating and upsetting that must have been for Jenny having spent the whole day out and then just being meter
s away from your hotel but having a barrier like that in front of you is just so I mean words fail me really but beyond frustrating now Jenny put this video online and I have done my own videos like this in the past as well as you know these videos are there to educate to show people how inaccessible the world is and also to Hope hopefully make change in the future however these videos now are just being consumed and overly consumed by trolls make jokes and have the best line on the internet my
video and Jenny's videos have had millions of views and thousands hateful comments when disabled people speak up and they show these things people get uncomfortable with it and they don't want to see it they want to make fun of it they want to put us away in instit tions they don't want us in our society but remember disability doesn't discriminate we are the largest minority in the world and anyone can join this club at any time and that is another thing that really frustrates me a lot of peopl
e are saying boohoo The World Isn't accessible for you grow up and get used to it or why should we change the world for .0% of the population and that is just so far from the truth in fact 16% of the world's population has a disability that's about one in six of us and that number only continues to grow anyway let's see what Transport for London said about Jenny in a statement Transport for London apologized for the experience Jenny had and they are looking into the matter to ensure that it does
n't happen again and lifts are more available and fixed as quickly as possible we've heard it all before let let see actions ra rather than the words we have just heard some breaking news that the London Marathon 2024 will have equal price money for wheelchair users and non-disabled people the London marathon is set to become the first marathon in the world to offer equal price money for its wheelchair users and non-disabled races I feel like this is a huge step in the right direction for disabi
lity sport Elite athletes should be treated equally whether you are disable or abled two years ago scope started to campaign to make playgrounds more accessible for disabled children finally after all of their campaigning and the campaigning other disabled people as well the government have listened and as part of the disability action plan the government are pledging to make playgrounds more accessible and inclusive to disabled children disabled children have been left out long enough and this
needs to stop I was a disabled child I know what it feels like to be left out and to have your friends just run off and play and you're just sat there watching or you're struggling to keep up but not only for the children it's also having accessible playgrounds for disabled parents as well I remember when Daisy was little and we had a playground not far from us that was relatively more accessible it was concrete or it was like that spongy sort of stuff that was you know safer than concrete so I
could wheel in there um it had a wheelchair accessible swing it also had a wheelchair accessible roundabout that used to make me vit almost but it's all about being included with your child and being able to play and being able to get close to them quite often I was left on the sidelines while sha and Daisy went and played which I didn't mind I'm really happy that Daisy was able to have that time and one thing that help helped me through that was to take photos and film it but to make playground
s more accessible and inclusive benefits everybody not just children as well even though I know yes it is technically meant for children but it impacts everybody EVS electrical vehicles are a relatively new thing and electrical charging points I guess are a relatively new thing right and you would think being new and being invented well off after the DDA disability Discrimination Act that we wouldn't have to fight to have accessible charging points guess what kids here we are disability campaign
ers are calling for the government to do more to make electrical vehicle charging points more accessible House of Lords committee produced a report that said only a small portion of electrical charging points should be accessible the report says that it's crucial for disable able people to access these charging points but may not be practical for all points to be accessible and imposing this would risk jeopardizing their roll out this would mean only a limited number of public charge points woul
d have to have accessible bays and some public charge points may not have any at all possibly leaving disabled motorists with limited options and potentially stranded I don't have an electric vehicle but it is definitely something that Sean and I are considering if we did we maybe consider a hybrid one I would love to know if any of you have got electrical vehicles and what your experience is like but what I have heard is that these electrical charging points they're not accessible so they're ei
ther a little bit too high and people can't reach them if people have limb differences they're not able to use them with one hand um people aren't able to reach them the lighting is really bad and when there are accessible ones these can be abused by people in Vans or larger Vehicles you know I have driven past these electrical vehicle charging places and I have looked at them and I've thought oh you know how am I how would I fit in there you know the lines are sometimes quite thin in between an
d I I haven't really seen any sort of like priority spaces and I have also heard that some charging points on street are taking up pavement spaces making it difficult for wheelchair uses and people with buggies and visual impairments and people who are blind to get through um and they're being blocked by um bards and things as well but what makes me really angry is these charging points are a new thing why not make them all accessible why not have all of these charging points at a standard heigh
t why not have them at a standard width if you make it accessible to everybody everybody can use them but yet here we are where the government of trying to make people be more green um go go electric and we've been forgotten yet again they don't even want to hear about it because it might jeopardize their roll out wheelchair user and ex auditor dick Fowler has written to the House of Lords to strengthen their recommendations disabled people want to go out but if we're going to be having these ba
rriers thrown in front of us all the time it's just making it harder and harder and we just keep on fighting and fighting and fighting I really hope that by raising all of these issues today we can kind of come together we can have this discussion and hopefully we can make a change until doing the research for this video I had no idea about the electrical vehicle charging points and in the future I can potentially see myself as having an electrical vehicle and I'm going to want to be able to cha
rge it when I'm filming around the UK do let me know if you've had any experiences with electrical Vehicles so my wonderful friends I hope that you have found this video useful and informative make sure to give this video a thumbs up share it with a friend and if you enjoyed this video I think you will enjoy this video thank you so much for watching and I look forward to seeing you in my next video bye
Comments
Disabled ADULT told she’s not allowed in the pub without a parent “We’re a pub not a creche.” What do you think about this? Has anything like this happed to you before? Please don’t forget to subscribe and give this video a like. Being a creator in 2024 has never been so hard, so your support means the world.
This is absolutely mad that in 2024 disabled people are subject to this type of discrimination. I as a newly disabled person struggle a lot everytime I need to travel to London using the tube, and my main concern is "what if I get stuck because there's no lift?" 😖
A big thing is genuinely remembering that all it takes is one car crash, one illness or one incident to become disabled. If you only care about yourself, at least fight for more inclusive things because if something happens, it will suddenly affect you too. If you care about others, do it because you have empathy and because you want other people's quality of life to improve.
Gem I adore the content and just last night I attended a venue and was told I couldn't wear my comfortable boots because they weren't smart shoes. I explained how due to my eds I had dislocated my big toe joint and couldn't fit my foot into my smart shoes. The owner of the venue came and I explained why I was wearing my version of an ugg boot. Fortunately he was very understanding told the doorman that it was a disability issue and I was permitted entry. This could've spoiled my evening but the owner gave me drinks on the house all night as a way of saying sorry. Proof some people see beyond and go beyond for disabled people.
I was ID checked yesterday, I'm mid-40s. I tell people the chair takes 10 years off, they don't believe me till they see it.
It’s DISGUSTING to laugh at someone period A. The list wasn’t working when she started up the stairs, B. You shouldn’t laugh at people anyway and C. (Not in this case but still) some people don’t want to use lifts they WANT to challenge themselves to get up steps. We shouldn’t laugh at them for doing a challenge. The staff that laughed are disgusting and should know better. I’d ask for their names and who is their boss then report them and ask that they go on a training course about disabled people.
Jen, there is other inaccessible issues that I have come up against, like a continual wait for an accessible home
I havent gone out alone for so many years. Being stranded somewhere bc there is a navigational barrier I couldnt account for is one of my biggest fears as a disabled person in public spaces.
Went out to eat with my family yesterday for grandfather's birthday. The restaurant was so tightly packed everyone kept bumping in to my wheelchair, the ramp to the front door was so steep that it was a real safety hazard and I had to walk to reach the non-accesible bathrooms. I felt really awkward and judged by the staff because they couldn't properly walk past me. And to ad insult to injury, a group of people decided that despite there being a huge front yard and stairs, the access ramp was the right place to smoke. It's just so frustrating!
I'd love electric charge points out and about for my wheelchair, why should cars and phones have charging but not wheelchairs.
I've had such a time with our local council over playgrounds. Our local council who took out a main playground that was very nicely wheelchair accessible and had a fence all the way round. Sadly no play equipment for disabled children though. So when a new playground was proposed we mistakenly thought it would be better. Nope. A brand new playground that is only wheelchair accessible in a few places, no fence at all (obviously affecting all parents of fast running toddlers too!) and only one basket swing suitable for disabled children. One. No other consideration at all. I could no longer take her to the park by myself in my chair. I needed a supporting adult. Their decisions affected not only safety but my autonomy in creating a care support need that was not already there and would cost me money. Their reply to my letters was that they had provided funding to a special needs centre. I replied that that was all very well, but it wasn't publicly accessible nor did it address the lack of access for disabled parents. This was a few years ago and now they just ignore me and the other parents who write to them.
Could the station staff not have told her that the lift was getting repaired and would be up soon?
That is so wrong Gem, disabled people are wrongfully discriminated, it’s 2024 not 1824! 👨🏻🦽
I really don't understand why it can't just be standard to make all charging stations a standard (accessible!) width and place things at a standard height. Having the spaces be an accessible width would benefit people with mobility aids, yes, but it would also benefit anyone leaving their vehicle while it's charging who has kids or animals with them. Most charging stations along long stretches of road over here in North America are going to be at truck stops with bathrooms and food service. People are going to take the whole family out of the vehicle while it sits there for half an hour or more charging. It also opens up a guaranteed gap for people walking through the parking lot. Making things a standard height would benefit not only people sitting in mobility devices and people with limb differences, but also just people who stand significantly shorter than average. Standard heights also means muscle memory will aid in completing charging tasks in low lighting and won't lead to injury because you just shoved your hand into a pole when you were expecting a movable object to be there. Plus, I don't think I've ever come across a gas/petrol pump that didn't put the dispenser cradles at roughly the same height. I've seen plenty of stupid curbs and oddly placed screens & card readers, but the dispensers themselves are pretty standard.
As a wheelchair user, I hate lifts! My real gripe is where there’s only one lift and no alternative. I always prefer ramps. If a lift is absolutely necessary, there must be at least 2 that are not in any way co-dependent.
Thats disgusting that the adult had to have a parent or guardian with them
Actually they had the number of the disabled at 15% of the population before the pandemic and 25% after the pandemic according to the Center for Disease Control. The sad part is people don't understand unless it affects them. I really appreciate what you do. We have to show them what it is like from all kinds of disabilities so they can try to understand the difficulties we deal with everyday.
Hi Gemma, I’m mobility disabled and just changed my EV to a hybrid. Why? Because the charge cables are incredibly heavy and difficult to manoeuvre. I struggled so much with them. I used Instavolt as they were almost always in good working order but I’m finding the full hybrid so much better. I would not recommend an EV to anyone with mobility issues as there is hardly any space to get around the car to initiate a charge, the charger is too high, some cars (mine was an MG Excite ZS EV) have the charge point under the front grill, also not easy to open as you have to thump it to open the spring opener. I now have a Renault Clio full hybrid and it’s so much easier. I’ve only had it three weeks but I’m so pleased with it. It is also for travelling distances as full electric on a long journey is not easy. You’re always planning the next charge stop. I love your vlogs and find them so helpful! Vanessa (Aussie living in Yorkshire).❤
I think you look young… You have good skin. I was last ID’d at 42! Saying that, the lady who couldn’t enter the pub without a parent or guardian is completely shitty.
I’m in my 30’s. When I was in my late 20’s and buying things some places were ok and let me buy things, others asked for ID. My local asda when I was at college let me buy alcohol without ID but once when I tried to buy a craft knife from my local Wilko as I’m a crafter I was asked for ID. Thankfully I had my passport in my handbag. I look slightly younger than I am because I had stunted growth due to a brain tumour (now removed) when I was in my teens. But I moved in 2020 and now EVERYWHERE i buy things that are age restricted I get asked for ID not just sometimes. It can get frustrating at times. Even freeking buying food from Ocado I get asked for ID at the door if My mum has ordered alcohol & my parents are out when the delivery comes I sometimes get asked for ID.