A Day in the Life: Sarah's Journey

In 2010 the Equality Act replaced the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The Equality Act is to cover more areas of an individuals life not just employment like the Disability Discrimination Act did previously. One of my main concerns is how a number of different minority legislation's have been lumped into one and that this is meant to be sufficient, wont this make the current Act less flexible? limiting those who are seen as having a disability as not all individuals fit nicely into a category of impairment. So does the Equality Act really work? I have come to recognise that there is a mixed view on whether it really works or not depending on the individuals that are spoken to, especially with regards to reasonable adjustment within the workplace. When speaking to officials (including trade union officials who deal with case work) they can not speak highly enough of the Act and are able to state that as a result of the legislation they have been able to resolve a number of c...

I am writing this when there is much uncertainty in the world for disabled people. The government is making it their mission to hit disabled people with unnecessary cuts and attacks on benefits for disabled people that, contrary to the story the media feeds the general public, are not abused. Only this week, approximately 8000 people joined the Hardest Hit March to protest against the devastating attack on disabled people. Disabled people as a whole have always been some of the poorest people and this is only set to get worse. For many, every day is a fight, made worse by the fact they can't afford to live. To live with a disability means expenses that the average person can't even contemplate. I have always tried to live as 'normal' and 'full' life as possible, but unfortunately, this has always come at an extra cost, financially, emotionally and physically. I will focus on finances for now as this is a very hot issue that all disabled people can relate to. F...

I have a lot of experience of pain, which is a direct result of my disability. I regularly feel that people just don't understand, so I am qualified to share my opinion on this. I have been a wheelchair user all my life, and my body, to put it politely, has taken a battering and is a mess. This has meant that as I get older, I have suffered from more pain, especially regarding my back going into spasms. I perhaps haven't looked after my body but have I had a choice? Not really; if I chose not to do something due to the risk of hurting myself, I wouldn't do anything. This is not a life worth living! So I make the only choice possible to put myself at risk daily to live as normal as possible. Expectations of other people put pressure on me to do things that I know could potentially harm you. Since I have been driving, I have had to get my wheelchair in my car independently. As I can't stand at all, it means I have to drag my wheelchair over me to place it on the passeng...