‘Never for me the lowered banner, never the last endeavour.’
Posted by Kevin Nuttall, published on 12-03-2010These words of the great Antarctic explorer Earnest Shackleton have been at the forefront of my thinking in the last week. Welfare rights work can be so exhilarating when things are going right and so frustratingly disappointing when they are not.
Comfortably Blind – A Journey in Three Parts – Part Two – Meeting the World
Posted by Shezan Hirjee, published on 10-03-2010The decision to travel solo, to spend three months in Nepal on my own, did not come easy, but I knew I had to do it. I'd be able to fully test the limits of where my vision lay, of what I could and couldn't do. It would also clear up all the psychological clutter of how I defined and represented myself to other people, of how they should understand my visual impairment and whether I was making too much of an issue out of it.
Employing a visually impaired person makes good business sense
Posted by Sandi Wassmer, published on 09-03-2010I am lucky. There are no two ways about it. I have the good fortune of having everything any human person needs to be happy and fulfilled. I have a loving family, have had the benefit of a great education and, this is where the luck bit comes in, I have been afforded opportunities.
What do we want? Free travel. When do we want it? Now!
Posted by Kevin Nuttall, published on 05-03-2010As a dyed-in the-wool socialist I am disturbed by fundamental services such as healthcare, education and transport being offered to people on a postcode lottery basis. Often this arises due to the government seeking to bring in strong legislation but then succumbing to lobbies from amongst others the private sector and local authorities. The Free Bus Pass Scheme is no exception.
Inclusivity may be taking over, but it isn’t leaving Accessibility behind
Posted by Sandi Wassmer, published on 02-03-2010I made a commitment quite a few blogs ago to hold the Accessibility torch and forge forward and I can report that I have done just that, but now need to make a slight alteration.
Fit notes are a coming
Posted by Kevin Nuttall, published on 26-02-2010From 6 April 2010 it is almost certain that the 'sick note' will be replaced by a new 'Statement of Fitness for Work'. What will this look like and what help is available?
Comfortably Blind - A Journey in Three Parts - Part One - Taking the Plunge
Posted by Shezan Hirjee, published on 25-02-2010Hi. My name is Shezan Hirjee. If you read Sandi Wassmer's blog, you may recall that I have Glaucoma and after a year of unsuccessful operations, I finally had success and got a healthy amount of my vision back so I decided to chuck in my job and go trekking in Nepal for three months. When I returned and told Sandi all about my experiences, her immediate reaction was to ask me to write about it, so here I am. But, before I went, I did have a few concerns...
Carers who care for loved ones. Not a job for the fainthearted.
Posted by Sandi Wassmer, published on 23-02-2010When I decided to grab hold of the grieving process with both hands and mourn the loss of my eyesight wholesale, I tried to get my husband, Mark, to come along for the ride. But, the truth was that, although he was going to be there to love and support me and catch me when I fell, which he did plenty, it was a journey that I had to take alone. But, and boy is this a big but, it would now appear that although he did not need to join me on my journey, he did need to have one of his very own.
Can you see my arms now?
Posted by Kevin Nuttall, published on 19-02-2010The Work Capability Assessment for people claiming Employment and Support Allowance is supposed to be a thorough test to establish levels of capability for work. It involves a long questionnaire and a medical examination performed by a 'healthcare professional'. This person often has only a basic knowledge of visual impairment. So how professional are the tests that are carried out to establish degrees of sight loss?
Impaired? Yes. Able? Definitely. Disabled? Occasionally.
Posted by Sandi Wassmer, published on 16-02-2010I know that I have made it unreservedly clear that I am not a fan of labels or political correctness for the sake of it. I guess that's because my interest, or at least where I think the crux of the issue lies, is not with what you call people but more about how you view them and, consequently, treat them. I am a big fan of human rights and seem to be quite happy with the label 'human being', although many people that know me might question this and try to redirect me to my home planet.
recent posts
- ‘Never for me the lowered banner, never the last endeavour.’
- What do we want? Free travel. When do we want it? Now!
- Comfortably Blind – A Journey in Three Parts – Part Two – Meeting the World
- Employing a visually impaired person makes good business sense
- Inclusivity may be taking over, but it isn’t leaving Accessibility behind
- Fit notes are a coming
- Comfortably Blind - A Journey in Three Parts - Part One - Taking the Plunge
- Can you see my arms now?
- Carers who care for loved ones. Not a job for the fainthearted.
- Impaired? Yes. Able? Definitely. Disabled? Occasionally.
Kevin Nuttall
Kevin is Welfare Rights Officer at Action for Blind People in Lancashire. Share the pleasures and occasional disappointments as Kevin helps visually impaired people sort out their benefits.
Shezan Hirjee
Shezan Hirjee was born with Glaucoma and is Partially Sighted. He is a Business and Economics teacher based in London, having taken a little detour trekking in Nepal and absailing in Vietnam and is now here to tell all.
Sandi Wassmer
Businesswoman Sandi Wassmer registered blind a year ago. In her blog, she shares with us the 'shenanigans of visual impairment'.
