Ordinary Hopes

The ‘Equality Bus’ is not coming.

It broke down many miles away and no new service is planned.

All those who wished to board are asked to wait patiently.

There are plans to consider getting it moving at some point, but probably not this year. Maybe not next year either – it is, after all, a complicated business!

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I keep reading online about businesses “looking into” access needs or “having more awareness training” but it isn’t as though disabled people are brand new on the planet!

The need is well known. The solutions are identified.

Waiting politely and patiently is not working.

If it was, my 10 year old son would not have experienced so many hurtful situations.

But they keep happening, and they will continue to happen.

 

No amount of “awareness training” will make the difference we need.

My son is sadly all too aware that places don’t seem to want him to visit and he is reaching a point where he doesn’t want to go out.

Sometimes he has actually ended up with physical symptoms of illness  just at the thought of going out.

The law needs to get tough with big businesses.

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There are laws to protect disabled people from being treated less favourably but those laws do nothing unless the very people who have been treated badly take legal action themselves.

And that is where many feel failed by the Equality Act.

Even if you can get a legal firm to act on a “no win no fee” basis, there is still the enormous fear of what it might cost you if you do not win. You could end up responsible for thousands of pounds of legal costs by going up against a big business.

But if we don’t try, if we don’t take the risks, this situation will continue for yet another generation of children.

Disability campaigner Doug Paulley has produced a fantastic guide to taking action yourself, without legal representation. Do take a look at it HERE.

If you are not currently feeling able to go down the route of being unrepresented, why not contact a firm like Fry Law for advice? That is what we have done.

Those of us who can take action, need to do so.

Otherwise we are just waiting patiently for the bus which is never coming.