Ableist abuse on social media
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
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.
