And as for Baroness Tani Grey-Thompson DBE, she's in a cushy little job with a whopping salary and a title to boot! She didn't show any understanding towards the point of view this program was trying to convey. Whether she claims DLA herself or not, she doesn't need it as she is well enough off even without it!
And what happened to learning disabilities? Dispatches need to do another program like this one, but with the focus on people with learning disabilities.
Last edited by ***Force_Majeure_007***; 25-02-13 at 20:45.
Please read the following link:
http://atosvictimsgroup.co.uk/2013/0...alympic-games/
FM x
^^^ good link, thank-you FM.
I enjoyed the program as it showed that disabled people do try to be as everyone else is but it does cost us more to be like everyone else. The blonde woman was an idiot I agree. As for Tani Grey-Thompson you are right she no longer needs DLA but she did point out that people with disabilities do need extra help, and that DLA was ok as it was but that it's just because it as the word disabled in the title I think if you read between the lines of what she was saying and that was the name needs to be changed but not the actual benefit itself, and she had a point when she said we don't want it to go back to how it was when we were growing up, where disabled people were stuck inside, put in different classes couldn't travel much etc and that if people lose this benefit that's what we'll go back too.
I think the reason learning difficulties didn't come into it is that people with learning difficulties don't need a mobility car or usually have problems with walking so don't qualify for the mobility component, they may need help from another person to go out but that comes under the care component I think though I could be wrong, but from what i've read some of the questions on the new pip are aimed at people with learning disabilities again that's only my take on what I've read. Think all of us who use Dla for getting around and equipment will find it hard without the money, especially as it looks like we will also lose our concessionary travel pass too so it will be a choice between getting an off peak bus pass for the week or using the money for a taxi with food shopping, and the way the cost of fuel is this will prob only be something that could be done once every 3weeks
With respect to the article that I linked above and here:-
http://atosvictimsgroup.co.uk/2013/0...alympic-games/
Maybe if a large portion, if not all of England's Paralympian superstars had chosen to walk out of the games on day one of the paralympics; (especially as it was sponsored by ATOS) it would have been a great platform, a worldwide platform, to express all disabled people's grievances about the cuts to benefits. I think that they would have got a lot more respect for that, than by winning any medals for our country.
Did ATOS sponsor the paralympics on purpose as a political move to ensure that they also got the government contract to do the medical assessments for PIP? There are many huge global and British companies that could have been approached to sponsor this international event. ATOS purposefully pitted disabled people against disabled people, they exploited the paralympians to showcase to the media what (some) disabled people are capable of and then our government let the media run with it.
Even media personnel and their families are not immune to disabilities, what if they or their children are born or become disabled, and then they get called scroungers and benefit cheats, but just like the Paralympians who had no way of foreseeing how their achievements would be twisted and used against the non-paralympian disabled people, the media also have no way of foreseeing what the future holds for them, except by what they choose to write next, as most of the population believe what is written in the news and the media are well aware of how they influence public opinion.
FM
P.S.
I know this is a big ask, but maybe, just maybe, if some, if not all paralympians give back their medals in front of a media spotlight, people might wake up and see how the paralympians were manipulated by ATOS to gain public support for disability benefit cuts? Or is it too late now to show their support?
I can't disagree, FM. I was quite disgusted that ATOS were sponsors.
For anyone who missed Dispatches: Britain on Benefits you can 'hopefully!' watch it here:-
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches/4od
FM![]()
Disappointing, it was as I thought, to subjective.
One of the things that stood out was that people kept saying the benefits bill needs to be cut, WHY? , shouldn't we be proud of the fact that we support vunerable people who suffer, to have a decent standard of life.
It's abhorent that a Govt has chosen sick and disabled people to fund economic recovery, whilst turning a blind eye to tax evasion etc etc etc.
I don't think the programme did anything to change public understanding. I agree with you FM, a protest by paralympians would have made far more impact to public awareness.
The logic of all this is to cut public spending.Correct?It's got zero to do with "helping" people.Even the employed disabled punters on this site must get that.If you become ill or more disabled or lose your job you will effectively be stuffed.There will be bugger all for you .Whatever happened to a united front ? This government's agenda is to destroy the Welfare State.As it's all about cutting public spending why not stop providing prosthetics , kafos,afos,wheelchairs etc. on the NHS.Think of the savings any government would make on all this.Then if that doesn't work they could always go down the old Nazi route and get rid of the problem once and for all.Oh this couldn't happen here.We're a civilised country.So was Germany.The best educated and cultured people in Europe and look what those bastards did.Here endeth the sermon.