Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob M
I can suggest an alternate use for your cane that will come in handy the next time someone tells you that.....   |
I can think of a use for that cane. It'll need replacing after though.
---------- Post added at 20:07 ---------- Previous post was at 19:43 ----------
Dilli, I don't mean to sound rude, but are you sure they are really your friends? In my experience when you are friends with someone, you deal with any differences they have (such as blindness).
For example, I work with someone who is wheelchair bound. He doesn't usually go out after work, but when he does, we just make allowances (things like going to the bar for him when he wants a drink etc). It's not embarassing, it's just life. People have different abilities.
Also, a few years ago, a friend had a blind girlfriend. Even though I didn't like her particularly (never worked out why, but we just didn't get on), if we ever went anywhere and my friend walked off somewhere (he did sometimes), I always made sure she was OK, and would help her go to wherever she wanted to (not sure what I would have done if she wanted to go to the toilet though
).
Sorry if it sounds like I am ranting, but I've known enough disabled people that I do find it quite irritating that people define people by their disability, and not by the person themselves.
Anyway, to get back on topic. The problem with the DLA form is that whatever it is designed for, it feels like it's designed to prevent people getting benefit. In fact, the whole system feels like it's designed to stop people getting benefit (while I don't claim DLA myself, I've dealt with the DWP a few times).
Take for example the example of the doctors mentioned earlier. A friend had an assessment for DLA. The doctor came around. Interviewed my friend. Now, the surgery my friend had years ago was experimental then, and still not that commonplace now. As such, it's not surgery your average GP would necessarily know about (although theirs does, obviously). The doctor who was assessing didn't know about the surgury and immediately concluded nothing was wrong, so recommend the DLA be terminated.
Luckily for my friend, they are still in contact with the consultant who performed the op (the consultant said at the time of the op that due to the experimental nature of the op, my friend was likely to be directly or indirectly monitored by the hospital for the rest of their life). My friend contacted the consultant who immediately wrote a letter to the DWP pointing out that my friend is disabled, is eligible for DLA and explained both my friend's condition and the op. The DWP reinstated the benefit immediately.