Skip to main content

...look at Mother Nature on the run in the 21st century.

I have just read 'Rethinking Disability Policy' by Jenny Morris, a research paper published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and available here:

http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/rethinking-disability-policy

While I have long admired Jenny Morris and to a good extent have held her up as one of my heros, I'm a little disappointed in this paper. The words suck, eggs and teach come to mind. However, I must say it is a useful codification of how the present political dilemmas undermine disability rights and although she doesn't mention Tory ideology she tacitly refers to its destructiveness. BUT, most disabled people active in service user involvement today would be able to come up with more possible creative solutions – and perhaps more radical than Jenny's.

I think too, she is mistaken about how disabled activists are duped. Just one example encompasses 'personalisation' and 'co-production:'

Our expert user and carer group on 'Personalisation' is well aware of the misuse and misapplications the Department of Health and Norfolk County Council make of the principle and we make sure we lead on continually pointing out these aberrations while reinforcing the positive and accurate application of 'Personalisation' in our teaching sessions for health and local authority staff.

Co-production is naturally integral to the above activities. One of the enduring misapplications, particularly by the local authority, is that of the 'co' of the 'production' being presented as a 'uni' handed down policy to be just commented on by us. It is fast becoming standard practice to expect this and to stop it in its tracks by insisting that we work co-operatively on the original before we go any further. Facilitating meetings can be an expensive process and this kind of hiccup can make local government officers think twice about attempting to manipulate the process. I know of one occasion where a referral back to the originating committee was necessary. These are powerful messages that disabled people are no mugs.

I obviously agree that the survival and continuation of the full Welfare State must be promoted but we have (as just one facebook network confirms) more than enough creative thinkers and political activists to do this. What is missing is co-production to speak with one voice.   
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SURVIVOR HISTORY NEWSLETTER

>From Andrew Roberts Secretary Survivors History Group http://studymore.org.uk/ studymore@studymore.org.uk telephone: 020 8 986 5251 home address: 177 Glenarm Road, London, E5 ONB Survivor History Group Summer 2012 Newsletter The July London meeting of the Survivors History Group will be held on Wednesday 25.7.2012 from 1pm to 5pm at Together, 12 Old Street, London. Everybody is welcome and refreshments will be provided. The September meeting has had to be moved from a Wednesday to Thursday 27.9.2012 (subject to approval by this Wednesday's meeting) because of the availability of a room at Together.   -------------------------------------------------------------------- The agenda for the July meeting will be drawn up at the beginning of the meeting, but it will include Peter Campbell's regular report back on the research he is leading on the history of Survivors Speak Out and discussion of material received from other people about Survivors Speak Out.  Rick Hennelly has se...
Post a Comment
Read more

The DLA and Workfare Scandals.

This ConDem Coalition is exploiting the apparent helplessness of disabled people by taking essential money away from them and forcing vulnerable people, for example, people with mental health difficulties. I remember, when I was a practising social worker, the horror experienced by service users when they received a letter summoning them to undergo a medical examination (25 miles away in Norwich). Some became absolutely terrified at the prospect and the stress of having to get to and face the appointment led to one or two relapses and hospital admissions. Against local authority policy, I always took them to the appointment, went in with them and supported them through the interview acting as advocate. The doctors at these reviews were employed by the Benefits Agency and usually retired from practice. They were also usually empathic with the service user and mostly helped to reduce the terror of the interview. The new 'Workfare' reviews which every DLA claimant will have to und...
2 comments
Read more

inappropriate!!!

I tried to respond to a Patient Citizen Exchange blog by Laura Greene today. I said: Hello Laura. Welcome - and my admiration? for you "single-handedly representing the entire health voluntary sector and 1000+ PCX membership..." My first question has to be: what is the composition of the Strategic Advisory Board? And my second question: what proportion of service users to professionals is there on that Board? There are indeed millions of impatient citizens out there. They are called Service Users (primarily because 'Patient" carries the labels 'One that has things done to her/him'; 'One that is subservient to the "We know what is best for you" approach'; 'One that is at the wrong end of an imbalance of power.' etc). The Americans prefer the term 'consumers', but whatever, we should avoid the term with the negative connotations. I was listening to the 5 Live debate this morning on the Strictly Come Dancing row about whether...
3 comments
Read more