DisABILITY in 2012 – A Paralympic homecoming

On Wednesday 29th August 2012, the 14th edition of the Summer Paralympic Games got underway with an opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium in London, Great Britain and by doing so, came back to their spiritual home for the first time.

Not since the time of Sir Ludwig Guttmann, a German-born neurologist that gave hope to those with spinal injuries of a good life at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Stoke Mandeville, Great Britain, has the flagship event of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) returned to its founding nation, but it finally did in 2012.

He opened up opportunities to injured servicemen and women of a healthy and happy lifestyle as he opened up a National Spinal Injuries Centre at the hospital in February 1944 and from this, the Summer Paralympic Games were first held in Rome, Italy in 1960.

DisABILITY in 2012 – The British Paraorchestra

A group of British musicians have found a way of expressing themselves and in some cases, having a voice to share with others for the first time in their lives.

Thanks to Charles Hazlewood, a conductor who has led orchestras around the world for more than 20 years, the British Paraorchestra is welcoming people with a disability to make music and find a chance to shine which has often eluded them in the past.

In the words of Hazlewood himself, “The Paralympics have shifted attitudes, so we want to do the same with music and the performers have a great chance to showcase their skills” and where he admits that it can be tough for musicians to achieve mainstream popularity if they are disabled, his vision is offering an opportunity to challenge and change perceptions.

Latching on

Are you a latcher, or do you suspect that a close member of your family or a friend may be one?

It’s nothing to be worried about and it’s not something that you can catch by being in contact with somebody who latches.

However, you do need to be careful of the signs and make sure that when you begin to feel that a friend is moving too close to you and relying on you too much, you evaluate the situation and keep the latcher at a safe distance.

The Graduate

On the morning of Thursday 22nd November 2012, I achieved something which has been the biggest goal that I have tried to achieve in my lifetime to date.

I’ve graduated from a BA (Hons) degree course in Sports Journalism at Southampton Solent University and by doing so, escaped from a four-year hold of mental distress and ill feeling that made me look at my life in a completely different way to how I seen things before I began studying.

Sure, the classification of the qualification which I ended my time at university with is something that I still feel odd about, but I can now appreciate that I have gone a long way along my own personal journey by living independently, making friends and studying.

Breaking down barriers

The National Autistic Society are celebrating their 50th birthday by making lives easier, and trying to bring a greater level of understanding on a variety of complex disabilities, for people that have autism in Great Britain.

For people that live their lives with a disability that has a place on the autistic spectrum, whether it is Asperger’s Syndrome or any other kind of autism, there has always been a sense of misunderstanding and confusion about how being disabled can affect the way that they see the world.

On a regular basis, myths are spread around about how they seem but there isn’t too much knowledge about why autistic people behave in the way that they do.

Being part of the 79%

I am autistic, I am looking for full-time employment and I am not alone in discovering that it is almost impossible to find any.

However, there is a reason why the chance of a change in the near future is nothing to get excited about.

The National Autistic Society, a charity that is based in Great Britain which aims to improve the lives of not only those that live with a disability that can be found on the autistic spectrum but also families and friends that are affected too, have commissioned a report which explains how tough it is for those with autism to find full-time employment.

Is it professional to be unprofessional?

For a couple of months now, there have been a few occasions where I have began to question my faith in professionalism and generally, a lack of common decency towards others.

I’m not entirely sure if I’m just reading people in the wrong way, whether they are looking for contributors to feature in a documentary that is being made by themselves as part of a television production company, whether they are a receptionist at a hotel or whether they are part of a customer services team that is essentially looking to find employment for unemployed members of society, but it is something that is starting to affect my belief in professional behaviour.

I am not looking to name any names or make it too obvious about who I am targeting by writing this post, but I want to share my thoughts about how it is making me feel when I’m being treated like a second-class citizen.

Meet Desmond

I WAS AWARDED A FIRST!

Yes, a first. The highest honour that you can bestow on anybody in life for an achievement that they have worked towards, but it wasn’t for my endless nights of studying in the library at university that I eventually reaped this reward. It was for a daily challenge match that I won on Stick Tennis, an application on my smartphone which takes no skill or real knowledge to master.

However, I’ve also met Desmond. A new friend that isn’t the best at much in life, and perhaps he will not be a person who becomes the CEO at a major global company as he reaches the top of their hierarchy, but he works hard and is very keen to make the most of what he has.

A chat with Agelikki

There is a song which should encourage all of us to celebrate our differences. A song which acknowledges that everybody is individual as people and that a truly personal set of abilities is something we all possess.

Does such a thing sound possible to you? Can it be comprehended that such a strong message can be delivered through a piece of music?

Agelikki, a female singer and songwriter from Chicago, United States believes that music is the best way to instill a positive belief in those who hear it.

The penny drops for 50 Cent

On Wednesday 4th July 2012, 50 Cent saddened and alienated many of his followers on Twitter and members of the general public that are either affected by or know others that are affected by autism.

Having received a tweet from one of his many followers that seemed to cause offence, a response which branded the sender as disabled by saying “Yeah just saw your picture fool you look autistic” has caused mass outrage.

Such a way of making feelings known is merely childlike. Names and insults are usually shouted out on the school playground between little children who are looking to cause trouble or retaliate.