Ableist abuse on social media

  • By Brian Leveson
  • •
  • 16 Nov, 2022
  • •

Abuse of disabled people from the cycle lobby and pro-LTN lobby is normal behaviour on Twitter - where is the outcry?

On motorists...

ABLEISM 101: The world wasn’t built with people with disabilities in mind, and because of that, the world we live in is inherently “ableist.”

The world wasn’t built with people with disabilities in mind, and because of that, the world we live in is inherently “ableist.” 

https://www.accessliving.org/newsroom/blog/ableism-101/

The social model of disability

There are two models of disability: the medical model and the social model. The medical model treats disability as a health condition. The social model views disability as a concept created by humans.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/ableism#disability


And in Haringey, we have adopted the social model of disability. Disability Action Haringey (DAH) was formed in 2020 with the aim of supporting disabled people living in Haringey to maintain their independence and freedom. DAH are committed to the social model of disability and building a society that accepts and accommodates everyone.

DAH doesn’t want any individual to be overlooked, which is why they decided to take action and establish DAH. With Trustees who have both personal and professional experience of disability, they are well-placed to provide the support that can enable the community to be more independent.

DAH are working towards creating a community where every individual feels included, with access to the services they need to live fully and independently

https://www.haringey.gov.uk/children-and-families/local-offer/preparing-adulthood/disability-action-...

Equality Impact Assessments for Low Traffic Neighbourhoods - disablities

Haringey's own plans recognise the needs of people with mobility issues

  • Older people: Elderly people also have increased GP and hospital appointments and may need to travel by motor vehicle more due to mobility issues 
  • Both disabled and elderly residents: (sometimes overlapping) are more likely to have mobility issues that require motor vehicle transportation.
  • Unknown impacts: The actual impacts of the scheme on journey times, and by extension, on disabled and elderly residents who require access to motor vehicles, are unknown
  • https://www.haringey.gov.uk/sites/haringeygovuk/files/st_anns_ltn_equality_impact_assessment.pdf
  • Many disabled people have mobility impairments, and some are wheelchair users meaning quality of footway surface and presence of obstructions is also key to accessibility
  • Driven trips that previously relied on minor roads to avoid major roads, disabled people may find journey times vary but this will be dependent ... ... disruptive incidents on main routes which are common in the capital.
  • https://www.haringey.gov.uk/sites/haringeygovuk/files/bruce_grove_ltn_equality_impact_assessment.pdf


Ableist abuse

Dealing with tweets like the one above is a usual part of my day on twitter fighting the corner for those people who are wholly reliant on motorised vehicles.

  • Its personal.
  • its insulting
  • Its normal

What cause this particular gem...

There was an Evening Standard article about the abuse of cyclists by trolls on twitter - I challenged the Standard to be impartial in their reporting - you can read their article here: London bike riders facing ‘dehumanising’ abuse online, British Cycling say | Evening Standard

And he wasn't the only one who was 'dehumanising'

On more than one occasion we have reported cyclists for their conduct around the wheelchair. I was discussing this on Monday with one of the Police Officers on our march against LTNs in Tottenham, when a cyclist did the very thing I was talking about.

An angry cyclist cut in front of me, not seeing the wheelchair and had to swerve quickly to avoid my son, not that this does not still cause significant upset for my son. The impact of his upset can be very damaging to him - and those who know us and him know just how bad that can be.

ABLEISM: According to analysis of the UK’s National Travel Survey, disabled people are five times more likely to be injured as a pedestrian than non-disabled people

But some times, you are just left speechless - this regarding those abandoned dockless bikes

This person kept bombarding me with questions insults and untruths like
  • Motorists cause disabilities - "no ifs, no buts" 
  • Motorists exacerbate disabilities - no space there for those of us who are reliant on cars
  • And I am apparently dishonest, twisted and using my disabled child as a shield
  • And i don't complain about cars on pavements

After hours and hours of him bombarding me I couldn't be bothered to reply to this

ABLEISM: YOU OWE NO ONE AN EXPLANATION OF A DISABILITY NOR NEED FOR ADJUSTMENTS

Everyone has a right to reply...

But then again, something's aren't ableism - they are just the normal abuse from a pro-cycling troll 

To be honest, this was a tweet to far - and I blocked him.

TOTTENHAM MARCHES AGAINST ROAD CLOSURES

Tottenham will be marching against the road closures on Monday 21st November 2022 meeting at Downhills Park Cafe at 5:30pm to arrive at Haringey Councils full council meeting at THE DECORIUM at 7pm.

The route will be via West Green Road and the High Road through Wood Green and left onto Station Road.

Vindictive bullying when a child dies

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About 3 or 4 times a year we get the euphemistic message 'Parents please note we have put a letter in your child's bag' - its a world away from how a child's death was handled in my child's first school

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By Brian Leveson • 27 Sep, 2023
More of a trial by ordeal than a well organised clearly set out administrative process for moving the care of vulnerable young adults from Haringey's Children's Services to Adult Services. We have been failed at every stage of the process.

Active travel does not work if you are paraplegic and Transport for London seem to make the rules up as you (try to) go along...

By Brian Leveson • 24 Sep, 2023
Never EVER get on the bus without a camera running if you need the priority wheelchair space

Move your f-cking buggies from the wheelchair spaces on buses

By Brian Leveson • 17 Sep, 2023
The reality of using a London Bus in the teeming rain on a Sunday afternoon is no joke when the parents of a paraplegic person in a wheelchair clash with the self-entitled buggy-pushing parents of toddlers.

The barefaced lies of Haringey Council

By Brian Leveson • 13 Sep, 2023
At 3pm today I received some barefaced lies from Haringey Council Adult Social Care in response to a photograph I published online yesterday and the media interest it generated

Haringey SEND Transport: 17 year old obnoxious diesel fume spewing death trap on wheels - and Haringey knows it

By Brian Leveson • 22 Jun, 2023
Haringey SEND Transport are insisting that a 17 year old minibus with no air conditioning is a suitable vehicle to transport my paraplegic son in this heatwave. The appalling conditions inside the minibus inside the bus is something they knew about last summer, yet they have to date done nothing whatsoever provide a suitable minibus this year nor appropriately mitigate the temperatures inside the minibus.The conditions inside the minibus are so bad that they triggered multiple seizures during the heatwave as my son has epilepsy, which they SEND transport department know about and they also know that they are triggered by heat.It is not just son who is impacted: last year we know of one child who died on Haringey SEND Transport in the summer heatwave and another who had seizures.

Is this really NECESSARY?

By Brian Leveson • 03 Jan, 2023
I am simply asking a question - are we all absolutely certain that the road closure / travel restrictions (commonly know as LTNs) placed on some of the most severely disabled people who are wholly reliant on cars are absolutely necessary

Disabled people need permission to travel for every single trip!

By Brian Leveson • 02 Jan, 2023
Haringey's road closures exemptions policy for disabled people is not fit for purpose, unduly burdensome and intrusive - it's time to stand up against the pro-LTN lycra-clad cycling bullies

2 Wheels GOOD, Blue Badge Holders EVIL?

By Brian Leveson • 01 Jan, 2023
Is the argument for and against exemptions for disabled people in Low Traffic Neighbourhoods really a case of GOOD versus EVIL?

Should Peray Ahmet resign as Leader of Haringey Council and take her pro-LTN bullies with her?

By Brian Leveson • 31 Dec, 2022
Letters from Labour Grandees and survey results from Haringey Council show people who opposed LTNs are women, elderly and disabled. Yet Peray Ahmet has described anti-LTN people as homophobic, islamophobic, sexist, racist and xenophobic.
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