April 27, 2010
'TALK' (part 1)
The award-winning 'Talk' portrays a society in which non-disabled people are a pitied minority and disabled people lead full and active lives. Jonathan Kerrigan, of BBC's 'Casualty' fame, plays a business executive whose negative preconceptions of disability are dramatically shattered.
This is what it's like to be me!
This is what it's like to be me: living and overcoming life with a disability
April 26, 2010
disABILITY
The World Health Organization defines Disability as follows: "Disabilities is an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. An impairment is a problem in body function or structure; an activity limitation is a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action; while a participation restriction is a problem experienced by an individual in involvement in life situations. Thus disability is a complex phenomenon, reflecting an interaction between features of a person’s body and features of the society in which he or she lives."
An individual may also qualify as disabled if he/she has had an impairment in the past or is seen as disabled based on a personal or group standard or norm. Such impairments may include physical, sensory, and cognitive or developmental disabilities. Mental disorders (also known as psychiatric or psychosocial disability) and various types of chronic disease may also be considered qualifying disabilities.
A disability may occur during a person's lifetime or may be present from birth.
An individual may also qualify as disabled if he/she has had an impairment in the past or is seen as disabled based on a personal or group standard or norm. Such impairments may include physical, sensory, and cognitive or developmental disabilities. Mental disorders (also known as psychiatric or psychosocial disability) and various types of chronic disease may also be considered qualifying disabilities.
A disability may occur during a person's lifetime or may be present from birth.
Against bullying!
Bullying is persistent unwelcome behaviour, mostly using unwarranted or invalid criticism, nit-picking, fault-finding, also exclusion, isolation, being singled out and treated differently, being shouted at, humiliated, excessive monitoring, having verbal and written warnings imposed, and much more.
Bullying is present behind all forms of harassment, discrimination, prejudice, abuse, persecution, conflict and violence.
A bully is a person who:
*has never learnt to accept responsibility for their behaviour
*wants to enjoy the benefits of living in the adult world, but who is unable and unwilling to accept the responsibilities that are a prerequisite for being part of the adult world
*abdicates and denies responsibility for their behaviour and its consequences *is unable and unwilling to recognise the effect of their behaviour on others
*does not want to know of any other way of behaving *is unwilling to recognise that there could be better ways of behaving.
*has never learnt to accept responsibility for their behaviour
*wants to enjoy the benefits of living in the adult world, but who is unable and unwilling to accept the responsibilities that are a prerequisite for being part of the adult world
*abdicates and denies responsibility for their behaviour and its consequences *is unable and unwilling to recognise the effect of their behaviour on others
*does not want to know of any other way of behaving *is unwilling to recognise that there could be better ways of behaving.
Bullying is obsessive and compulsive; the serial bully has to have someone to bully and appears to be unable to survive without a current target.
Let's fight bullying!
April 19, 2010
You don’t have to put up with it!
You have a right not to be discriminated against. There are specific anti-discrimination laws protecting you from discrimination because of the following factors:
Race, colour, nationality or ethnic origins
Religion or religious or philosophical belief
Sex (gender)
Transgender
Marital status
Sexual orientation
Disability
Age
Political belief (in Northern Ireland only)Even if one of these factors does not apply to you, you may still be protected from discrimination under human rights laws.
You should not be treated unfairly for any reason. Not only is it disrespectful and wrong to treat you in this way, it may also be illegal.
If you think someone is discriminating against you, you don’t have to put up with it. It doesn’t matter whether it’s your boss, colleague, social services, a shop, or your local bank. Discrimination is unpleasant, unfair and, in most cases, against the law.
Race, colour, nationality or ethnic origins
Religion or religious or philosophical belief
Sex (gender)
Transgender
Marital status
Sexual orientation
Disability
Age
Political belief (in Northern Ireland only)Even if one of these factors does not apply to you, you may still be protected from discrimination under human rights laws.
You should not be treated unfairly for any reason. Not only is it disrespectful and wrong to treat you in this way, it may also be illegal.
If you think someone is discriminating against you, you don’t have to put up with it. It doesn’t matter whether it’s your boss, colleague, social services, a shop, or your local bank. Discrimination is unpleasant, unfair and, in most cases, against the law.
Discrimination is where someone treats you worse than they treat other people because of who you are. For example:
Oskar’s story
Two months’ ago, I moved from Poland to East Anglia in the UK. I know some other people from my town who moved here also. I came to work as a farm labourer. There are many farms here that need people to pick crops like lettuces in spring and summer time. Some of the local people have been very welcoming to us. But some do not like us being here. There is only one shop in the village where I live but when I first moved here I could not go there. The woman who owns the shop refused to serve any Polish people. So whenever I needed to buy anything, I had to go into the town. But, my friend, he told me that this was against the law. So I went in and complained. Now I can go into the shop whenever I want. But I’d rather spend my money somewhere else.
Two months’ ago, I moved from Poland to East Anglia in the UK. I know some other people from my town who moved here also. I came to work as a farm labourer. There are many farms here that need people to pick crops like lettuces in spring and summer time. Some of the local people have been very welcoming to us. But some do not like us being here. There is only one shop in the village where I live but when I first moved here I could not go there. The woman who owns the shop refused to serve any Polish people. So whenever I needed to buy anything, I had to go into the town. But, my friend, he told me that this was against the law. So I went in and complained. Now I can go into the shop whenever I want. But I’d rather spend my money somewhere else.
Hannah’s story
I used to waitress at a restaurant down the road from where I live. On one of my shifts, I seated and served a lesbian couple. After they’d gone, my manager called me into the kitchen and told me not to serve anyone like that again. If they came in again, she said I should just tell them that
the restaurant was full. I didn’t say anything at the time but I made up my mind that I wasn’t going to treat anyone like that no matter what my manager said. So, when they did come in again on my shift I gave them a table like everyone else. And I got the sack.
I used to waitress at a restaurant down the road from where I live. On one of my shifts, I seated and served a lesbian couple. After they’d gone, my manager called me into the kitchen and told me not to serve anyone like that again. If they came in again, she said I should just tell them that
the restaurant was full. I didn’t say anything at the time but I made up my mind that I wasn’t going to treat anyone like that no matter what my manager said. So, when they did come in again on my shift I gave them a table like everyone else. And I got the sack.
Who is discriminating against you?Anti-discrimination laws protect you from discrimination by:
Employers…when you’re applying for a job, to stop them offering you a job on less favourable terms and conditions (such as paying you less than they would other people), to make sure you get the same training, promotion and transfer opportunities as everyone else and so that they can’t sack you just for being who you are
Employers…when you’re applying for a job, to stop them offering you a job on less favourable terms and conditions (such as paying you less than they would other people), to make sure you get the same training, promotion and transfer opportunities as everyone else and so that they can’t sack you just for being who you are
Education and training providers
…such as schools, colleges, universities and vocational training services
…such as schools, colleges, universities and vocational training services
Public service providers
…such as GPs, hospitals, local authorities, job centres and prisons
…such as GPs, hospitals, local authorities, job centres and prisons
People selling, letting or managing property…such as a local authority housing departments (in Northern Ireland, the Housing Executive), housing associations and private landlords
Shops and other service providers
…such as pubs, restaurants, cinemas, banks and insurers
Shops and other service providers
…such as pubs, restaurants, cinemas, banks and insurers
Read more about this here.
April 09, 2010
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