Post for OMBH

I'd intended to take part in this blogswarm but found myself wondering if I really had the courage after reading some of the extremely personal posts. I do. However, as Emma has warned us, what I consider appropriate language for disability may not be considered appropriate by other people.

That said, who am I? Am I the 28 year old woman who needs to be hoisted and physically cared for much of my daily life? Am I the 28 year old woman who has embarked upon her doctorate of education, teaches in two primary schools as a volunteer and chairs a charity which supports one of those schools? I'm both those people and what I long for most is that people see me as the doctoral student and friend who happens to be disabled.

Mr. Cameron's latest reforms, although that's a polite word for them, will cause me to be even more isolated and struggle even more for a basic right to have some form of life outside of the four walls of my home. Heaven forbid! A career?!

The proposed reforms make me so angry. Mr Cameron wants everyone, and he stressed everyone (including wheelchair users with cerebral palsy) to contribute to his vision of a big society and to be aware of the lives of others than themselves. Someone, I think it was Mahatma Gandhi, exhorted us to be the change that we want to see. That's what I'm trying to do. Please help us Mr. Cameron. Don't hinder us. And did you forget - one of your family belonged to 'us' too? What you don't know, Mr Cameron, is about the black hole of lack of support a disabled person falls into once they reach eighteen.