United

Today was our local Go Forum, a small but growing group of local disabled people fighting for local issues that affect disabled peoples lives. It was one of the best I've been to, because there was a sense that within the general mess and struggles we are trying to improve there was a sense of coming together.

There are many different views on the group, which is probably it's strength & if honest there has been some tensions on the group, this is mainly in the context of discussions of major cutbacks in services in Merton and the best way forward. Well although there are still differences there was a general feeling that we stand together so that all disabled peoples needs are considered. New things are not a choice if they are at the expense of other things being taken away.

If something needs changing then change should be done by working together to improve things. People need to be involved and supported in being the author of their own changes.

We are concerned about these local issues because they have a very real impact on all people, not just disabled people, but their families, loved ones, children, older people, working people, disadvantaged and excluded people and the comfortable, regular folk. It's about all of us.

I genuinely feel that those we are working with within the local authority also do care & they are trying to do a difficult job in which they very rarely get praised for. I think & hope they are trying to get it right (or do I just see the good side of everyone?), we need to begin to build a dialogue of trust in each other. They need to trust that we can make the right decisions if given the right tools and we need to start to trust that they will not take the process away from us and yet again dis empower us back t the status quo. The reality is we're not going back to those dark days, we'll just move onwards.

My fear is that cabinet, the group with the power to decide only see figures, a balance sheet and the most in vogue initiative that will create good headlines. I have met a few good councillors to discuss the future of a CIL, and I can only hope that those that genuinely care about people out number those who have whatever other motives to balance the figures.

Disabled people can and do contribute to our society but can only do it if our needs are adequately met, actually fully met, adequate isn't enough. Once fully met we play a full active part in our community, we buy things, we work, we pay taxes, council tax, just the same as everyone else. The current discussions around cut-backs have very little to do with a genuine transformation programme. Transformation is generally a positive process where you start at one place and through learning and understanding, you move to a better place, transformation. The cut backs are about very basic things like getting around from a to b, having support for our loved ones, being able to meet friends that we want to have by choice, having a purpose to life.

I agree that services and provisions may need to change in terms of transformation, but that is different from creating cut backs to essential services and provisions. If people are genuine about transformation, then enter into a process of change, the new tag is co-producing, us together, with us having more control over the things that affect us, as a result we change, that change will also mean you need to change too!

By the way I still haven't heard from MP Mr Steen about his parking habits, sadly it is now obvious that when he said he was happy to hear from disabled people he obviously didn't and just needed the publicity. (thankfully he isn't an MP in Merton).

Free Sourcing

Thanks to free source software I've nearly cracked all the things I would wish to do on my computer. It also means that my back catologue of recorded music is now digitally enhanced, cleaned up a bit and secured.
I had two tapes of songs that were the only ones in existence and included a couple of successful blasts from the past that I would have been gutted had I lost them. The original recordings are on a reel but I haven't got one of them and the reel is in the darkest depths of "the big cupboard". I've downloaded three free source bits of software. All brilliant and they do the job so mind map, hi Q recorder and my old friend audacity, thank you, I'll be donating to the cause! They go to prove that as long as you don't go download crazy and run a few safety checks, you can get really good tools that don't cost a fortune and help to make those big boys even greedier for your money!

On another note after two days of preparration and getting a few things off my chest, I'm well up for that workshop I mentioned in the last blog.

One more thing is it only me that's sick of hearing about the american 'primaries'. The clue is in the title! There's loads more to come with the actual elections and its already getting as much air time as our UK elections and loads more than any european news, which we are actually part of. I'm not US bashing, more media bashing to get it all a bit more in perspective. We have lots in common with more countries than just america so calm it down a bit. Hilary and Barack will let us know which of them will be taking over from W.

Be lucky
JK

Free Sourcing

Thanks to free source software I've nearly cracked all the things I would wish to do on my computer. It also means that my back catologue of recorded music is now digitally enhanced, cleaned up a bit and secured.
I had two tapes of songs that were the only ones in existence and included a couple of successful blasts from the past that I would have been gutted had I lost them. The original recordings are on a reel but I haven't got one of them and the reel is in the darkest depths of "the big cupboard". I've downloaded three free source bits of software. All brilliant and they do the job so mind map, hi Q recorder and my old friend audacity, thank you, I'll be donating to the cause! They go to prove that as long as you don't go download crazy and run a few safety checks, you can get really good tools that don't cost a fortune and help to make those big boys even greedier for your money!

On another note after two days of preparration and getting a few things off my chest, I'm well up for that workshop I mentioned in the last blog.

One more thing is it only me that's sick of hearing about the american 'primaries'. The clue is in the title! There's loads more to come with the actual elections and its already getting as much air time as our UK elections and loads more than any european news, which we are actually part of. I'm not US bashing, more media bashing to get it all a bit more in perspective. We have lots in common with more countries than just america so calm it down a bit. Hilary and Barack will let us know which of them will be taking over from W.

Be lucky
JK

Nothing's ever perfick, but thats ok?

I'm working on planning for a workshop happening next week and I'm excited and nervous about it all at the same time. Its important to me personally and I can see how it could and will be really good and I can also see where it might not be perfick. I'm putting as much as I can to make it a good, enjoyable day that people feel that they can participate and join in with. I also know I won't have key people/colleagues there who could make a valuable contribution.

Trying to make the day accessible with limited resources is also a challenge and is the bit I worry the most about because it needs to be addressed if people are to genuinely engage. Access is probably the only bit that isn't ok if not in place.

An event or event not being perfick is ok if it's part of a journey, a step in a learning process and of course, if all feel they are part of that process or journey. Even mistakes made around access can sometimes be forgiven if the mistake is learnt from and not made again.
I think the worries are set within fear of a blame culture a fear that we are not open to trying something in a new way. Again if it's a collaboration, we can take responsibility for our actions and move on without fear of being put in the stocks or being defensive. I hope next week will be a collaboration, a step along the journey and I hope it will be a positive, enjoyable experience. We will be talking about really important issues and I hope we see the struggles and barriers as a challenge and part of our growing strength rather than an insurmountable mountain.

My personal glass is almost always at least three quarters full, that's just me, life's to short for me to be beaten by negativity and problems, I see them and try and do something about them. Sometimes I get it right and oh yes I also get it wrong too. I really hope all that come on the workshop will feel that their glass is at least half full too. At least we can join together and say cheers to the next event!

Was I just in the wrong place?

The 3rd December is/was International Disabled Peoples Day, but you might not have known that. I kept a look out, told people on my face book, was hoping there might be a story or two for my students to pick up and talk to me about in their lesson. Nothing, zilch, zero. I know there must have been something going on, the day couldn't have gone by un-noticed, could it?

The UN started the day and each year have a different theme, this year was 'decent work for disabled people (well people with disabilities is what they say, but I just can't physically right it that way, it's not very social model now is it). The aim of the day is to mobilise support for disability issues! Well I'm mobilised, but did it touch your day? Did the person who has never thought about disability issues suddenly see the light as a result of the day?

I know it takes more than a single focus day or some gimmicky thing to change attitudes and I'm sure that there were some excellent conferences and seminars, debates and lunches and I know not everything has to be splashed across the media for it to make a difference, but just one ickle recognition of it would have got my mobilisation up to full speed. An opportunity missed? probably. Attitudes changed or challenged? Who knows. Disability issues promoted in the media? Not much.

Well next year I'm going to colour my hair yellow and blue, get naked (dependent on the temperature and speed of my mobilisation as a result of other events on the day) all day and I'm gonna get Guinness to mobilise me inside and then I'm gonna head to Downing Street and I'm gonna celebrate my unique diversity and my general contribution to global politics and get on the news for kissing Gordon Brown whilst singing The Stranglers golden Brown, but humorously singing Gordon instead of Golden (D'oh). Or then again, I might just carry on doing my own little thing, obviously that will still include Guinness but fully clothed and with no trip into central London, so probably better all around, and it probably won't mobilise many new allies!

Be Lucky,

JK

Oh Voltaire

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it!"

Sounds good, apparently he had some very dodgey views indeed, which has put me off this quote a bit!

It's going round my head as to how it works, especially when people see you as all the same. Positive & negative freedoms all link towards discrimination and oppression, I'm not sure what I wanted to write here, but new I wanted to say something as theres so much in my head. It's exciting, it's hard, it's confusing, it's tricky...Once I know what IT is I'll be sorted.

Question Time had a good debate last night about The Oxford Union & their Freedom of Speech debate the other night. It's tricky to know whether it was a genuine debate where extreme views could be put down for what they are through academic rigor, or was it just a publicity stunt? Certainly the BNP had a publicity shot up on their site of Griffin in the Oxford chamber within a few hours of his entrance (the bbc news story had a link to the site).

This is probably as confusing to you, as it is to me, but it'll make sense at some point in the future. I know learning of any value is confusing for a bit so I must be learning masses at the moment. I went to a friends funeral yesterday which was sad and has probably added to my reflective mood. His two son's spoke and I realised the strength we have within ourselves in the most difficult of situations, it's our humanity that comes out and speaks the truth and when it does, it is so powerful. They were amazingly strong and were not afraid to show emotion. I'm sure Alan was so proud.

I guess the two bits to this blog are linked, the first bit is about freedoms that we have and don't have and how we either use those freedoms properly or we abuse them. The second part is about when we speak from the heart because we feel & we believe, we recognise the positive strength of our humanity and thats what quashes people who speak just to wind things up and have a bit of fun with it, because it doesn't affect them in any way. One is Intrinsic because it means everything & the other is extrinsic because it means nothing to the person saying it and everything to those who are oppressing or discriminating.

I had an embarrassing blog moment yesterday when I commented on another blog and my tag read "sit back & enjoy the ride" the observant amongst you will see I've made a few changes, but this blog demonstrates that my blog is a bit of my journey and I don't always know where I'm going...Tom tom anyone?

Be lucky

JK

Why do we need a CIL in Merton?

That's the question I was asked today.
As some of you will know, I've finished my degree studies and am using some of my time before my next venture in a productive and local way.

The answer to why we need a CIL or Centre for Independent Living is that there is no officially recognised disabled people led organisation which is providing an effective voice for disabled people in Merton and we need that (not that I know of at this point). We need an effective peer support organisation around issues of Independent Living, a CIL provides a new opportunity to have that focus and for disability issues to be listened to on our terms.

There are gaps in support services which are responsive to independent living that can campaign and lobby for equality and better participation in society locally that is led & controlled by disabled people. Nationally, where CILs have been successful services have improved and been closer to what disabled people want, because disabled people have led them themselves. There is a gap in supporting disabled people in a way that doesn't split us into catagories or that tries to fit us into boxes.

In a nutshell, disabled people who want to live independently with control over their lives want a peer support organisation that is resourced to encourage social change and full inclusion in our communities and that understands what is needed to achieve independent living at a level that we can choose and control.

There are lots of organisations doing some good work but they rightly have a focus on their particular interest group. Undoubtedly they are important to supporting disabled people to take control of their own destiny and a CIL will need to work in partnership to fill the gaps that do exist. So it's about collaboration rather than competition, choices rather than this or that.

Unfortunately, discussions about the new CIL have been drawn into a context of cut backs and reductions in other social services. A CIL must be about adding to choice and filling some of the gaps around supporting independent living that reflects a social model of disability. It is not a replacement day centre or any other type of replacment centre. In fact, until disabled people get together and decide locally, we only have our own thoughts and assumptions and examples from other CIL's as to what our CIl will be or do!

What a local CIL is and does must be decided by disabled people locally and should be very different from traditional services, thats where the gap is. If it replecates any other service already in place it will not be achieving it's purposes and will be the same old same old. A new CIL is a different discussion from what is happening in terms of current reviews and cut backs in existing services. A CIL cannot be seen as a replacement or a cheap option. It is only when a cIL is working that it can demonstrate it's value and people can make a choice for themselves, but it cannot be limited by assumptions and limitations even before it gets started.

I do support the proposal for a disabled people led CIL, as I've experienced and hear from Disabled People every day about the gaps and barriers we face in achieving a decent level of independent living and also the ability to make choices and have control over what's important to us. All of this is essential to our ability to participate fully in our community.

In the past couple of months I've talked with perhaps 50 to 60 disabled people about issues around developing CILs both locally and nationally, some for and some against, and the key message has been to get it [the CIL] done properly with adequate and varied funding and infrastructure and sustainability and secondly that it needs to be developed on our terms.

A CIL is about providing a different or alternative choice for people, not forcing them to have a CIL instead of something else. It is also not about grouping us together because f some imposed label. We are individuals who share common experiences that can bring us together, but just as important is our lives in relation to all people, friends and communities. We are not just all about disability. How effective a local CIL is, is dependent on how well Disabled People get involved in partnership to make it work, adequate funding and capacity and how inclusive it becomes as a user-led organisation. As a disabled person I value having control over my life, what I do & how I do it. Direct Payments has put me in control and a CIL would help to ensure more disabled people have the support and opportunity to have more control over their lives.

I'm old enough now to know that it won't be the answer to all our prayers but it will be a massive leap in the right direction towards disabled people being heard and valued in our local community. There is of course an important role for non-disabled allies and organisations to collaborate and share with us the journey, so it is up to us all to make it work.

Be lucky,

JK