When the people who claim to help are the problem.

[jackandahat]

Right now I'm looking for work, and I've just been sent to an agency - Remploy - who deal with getting disabled people into work. I'm hard of hearing and I have arthritis so I walk with a cane.

I was sat with "my" advisor, Jonathan, getting lectured on how I would be wonderful in this job and I had to think positive thoughts. He yet again pulled the "All you need is adaptive technology" speech - I've discussed with them several times that adapted phones just don't work for me - I've never met one that does, and frankly, it's too much of a bloody struggle.. I was sat down, my cane was propped against my backpack.

The other advisor - I don't know his name, call him Stupid Fuck - picked up my cane and put it behind his back, and started giving a speech about how now no-one would know I was disabled, and I had to think of it like that.

The only thing that kept me from getting up and punching him was knowing I'd lose my benefits if I did. Oh yeah, and the fact he had my cane.

Did I mention this is an agency designed specifically to deal with getting disabled people into work?

So there was absolutely nothing I could do. If I did anything, they'd have stopped my dole money and I wouldn't have been able to afford to, you know, pay rent and eat. I told Jonathan that being told "You don't look disabled" is not helpful, but I was too much in shock to work out what to say about the cane thing - when I go in tomorrow I Will be having words with Stupid Fuck, I just didn't know what to do and he was standing over me.

Anyone else faced this kind of thing? Any ideas what to do/say to him? (I know the obvious is "Put in a complaint", but if that's how the staff act, I suspect they'd laugh in my face.)

Comments

[jadey]

I don't know if they would respond to this argument, but this guy didn't just take away your cane - he took away your autonomy, your ability to choose to sit or stand. He might have given the cane back if you'd asked, but that essentially means that you would have had to ask permission to stand up, which is all kinds of fucked up. :( I would really hope that this agency would understand that assistive devices, whether they be wheelchairs, service dogs, canes, etc., are part of a person's body and personal space, and, just like our bodies, are supposed to be out-of-bounds without consent, especially in relationships with as unequal a power dynamic as an essential service provider and a client who is in a marginalized position. Then again, hope is not the same thing as reality. :( I think the reason that my place of employment had to emphasize things like, "Don't pet service dogs or push wheelchairs around without asking!!", was because so many clued-out people do crap like that.

[jackandahat]

Yeah - that's what annoyed me, the fact they don't *think*, and yet their whole purpose is to help people with disabilities. If they're like that then what hope is there for other places?