As the title of this blog says, “Somedays It’s Hard Not To Get Angry…”, but this is a story that I should start from the beginning.
As you will all know by this stage, the disability I have is called Mucopolysaccharide Morquio and it’s a name I still have trouble spelling… With this disability, it brings many differing symptoms with it. Too many to list here, but the one that brings the most discomfort is Scoliosis. In simple terms, that means that my spine is in an S-shape. This means that I am constantly uncomfortable at the best of times and a lot of times, I am in pain. These last few weeks the pain has increased a lot and can leave me drained and not myself. As some of my friends know, if my Facebook posts on my personal account increases even more that my usual influx of postings, something is amiss. So apologises to all my friends on Facebook in recent weeks.
So why am I sharing this news with you tonight? Because of my disability, it means I cannot work the hours I want to or need to. I work at Omagh Enterprise and when I first started there in 2002, I used to work 28hrs. Not the full 40hrs that most working people work, but I felt I was capable to work it. However it wasn’t long before I realised that I couldn’t work even these hours. I was tired and in pain, which meant I couldn’t focus on the work during the hours I was at work and gave the time I was there my full attention.
Thankfully I work with great people and have very understanding people around me, so I was able to reduce my hours down to 16hrs per week. Not a lot of hours, but it meant that I would work to a high standard within them hours and to a reasonable comfortable level. For that, I am forever grateful to them.
In recent weeks, the pain in my back has increased a lot and I find it difficult to work these hours. I still power on, as I enjoy the work and the people I meet when I’m there. I do find then, that I can get a little more irritated at people and tired with that.
So with that, this brings me up to today. I was reading articles from the Tory Conference in Manchester this year and I can find the anger, frustrations and tears bubbling up inside of me and finding myself having to speak out against it.
Jeremy Hunt MP for South West Surrey and Secretary of State for Health in the British Government. He stated at the conference that the UK must be as hard working as the Chinese and the Government is right to press ahead with cutting Tax Credit. Jeremy says that this would send out the right ‘cultural’ message and get people to work harder.
See BBC report by Brian Wheeler.
“Friend” of disabled people across the UK, Iain Duncan Smith MP for Chingford and Woodford Green and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions were also speaking at the Tory Conference this week too.
Iain has said is not the work of the Government to pay the disabled enough to stop them being poor and that the correct way to escape poverty was by working. Iain also went onto say that many sick and disabled people wanted to work and that the Government should give them support to find jobs and make sure the welfare system encouraged them to get jobs.
See The Independent report by Jon Stone.
Rather than go over old ground, here is link to a blog I wrote about Welfare Reform in May 2015 – Worried For What The Future Brings As A Person With A Disability. From reading the blog, you can clearly say that the Government providing support and actually delivering support are worlds a part.
Yes I would love to work more hours, but due to my disability, I am unable to. So reading speeches from Jeremy Hunt and Iain Duncan Smith saying I need to work more and it’s my ‘culture’ than I am not, infuriates me.
Without the safety net of Tax Credits, I would not be able to continue working. I would not be able to feel that I am making a contribution to society. I would not be able to socialise with people in both a professional or personal capacity.
I would also not be able to continue My Way Access. This is a social project, which does not generate any money for myself or anyone else. This is something that I believe in passionately.
Bit by bit, I feel my identity and sense of dignity is being stripped away from me. Somedays it’s hard not to get angry…
hard to read DD.
but i agree on every word.
HUGS
HHX
Thank you Helen. Hopefully it will shed a like to show how the Tory Government decisions and policies really affect people and their chosen words to tell people.
Sadly this is what happens when we are governed by a political class and a civil servant class that are more concerned with them selves. NI Government is a circus and instead of going to London and supporting social issues they sit in the right clubs and say nothing! Republicans don,t even vote?Our press pander,s to this circus as they are as corrupt as those clown,s they are supposed to report on!MSM are more concerned with how they performed on the news as to whats in it. The Church,s should have been on to this but they are as corrupt and as vile as the rest and have no shame.
Thank you for your comment Norm.
It is very frustrating sitting here and seeing what policies are being implemented in London. We need to speak up and let everyone know how it affects the everyday person across the country. Not just myself, but others as well. How many people with cancer are waiting treatment? How many people are being penalised over Tax Credit?
The list goes on, but we have to ensure that the people we elect fight our cause.
Dermot, thank-you for, once again, highlighting this issue. The comments from IDS were incredibly patronising, naive and completely misunderstood the situation many disabled, and/or otherwise ill, people find themselves in. Unfortunately, his comments represent the thoughts of many people, as society in general simply does not, nor cannot, understand the difficulties faced minute by minute by those living with chronic pain. So many are simply unaware because it does not affect them, or anyone they love. And, so they go blithely on about their lives, exhibiting zero empathy even in the face of astounding evidence that something is terribly wrong with our society, system, morals and awareness.
Thank you for your kind words Dawn.
You’re right in that it is a wider problem and not just with IDS. When we are feeling at a low with the pain and somewhat vulnerable, hearing these comments just add to the problem. Understanding is all that is needed sometimes.
This made hard reading dermot. You are an inspiration to everyone who knows and loves you x its difficult not to be angry when you read this stuff x love and hugs x
Thank you Ann, that’s very kind of you to say x