You must have been horrified to see people with disabilities trying to flee war-ravaged Ukraine.
Old ladies in wheelchairs amidst the wreckage of their homes, people with sticks being helped over debris from the latest bombing. We can see the horrors of war on TV but we don’t know what will happen to these poor souls.
Although they are not in a conflict zone, disabled people in your neighborhood can tell you what it is like to be in a hostile environment.
Imagine being a wheelchair user and being able to get transport to a safe border. How do you get to the train or bus? I would need ramps, helpers, and someone to lift me from the chair into a chair and back again.
Imagine being in pain for a long time and not having any medication because your pharmacy was bombed. How can you provide toilets for people who have no legs? I need a grab rail and a raised toilet seat. My legs work a little bit, and my arms are fine. Because of my poor balance, I can’t use the train loo right now and would need assistance getting off the normal loos. Humiliating.
Who will assist these people to climb the stairs? Who will push the wheelchairs during a bombardment? I have a staircase lift, but stairs anywhere are a big challenge for me. What can you do when you have no electricity and no one to lift you?
Walking is the end of your normal life. You can’t cook or prepare food. Washing dishes and bathing require special equipment. Slipping is a risk. It takes helpers to put on clothes and it is more time-consuming than most leg users can imagine. I’m glad I can still wash clothes and put them on. Many refugees cannot wash or put on clean clothes, and the elderly disabled are in even worse shape.
The refugee centers do not have the necessary adaptations for people with disabilities. This can lead to families being separated. Or killed. It is difficult enough to get medical help for refugees.
A woman spoke out about her disabled mother in a heartbreaking news story. She preferred to risk the bombs in her flat than travel, and she was unable to speak.
I wonder what I would choose.
Although we may not be in a conflict zone, disabled people in the UK are still suffering from the neglect of politicians. They live in unsuitable accommodation, lack basic equipment, and fight for benefits in a system that hates the vulnerable unemployed. It is difficult to choose between eating well or paying for warmth. Death from inaccessible and endless waiting lists.
I can afford my savings to buy my scooter and my lift. Most elderly disabled people can’t. However, savings don’t last forever and only a better-funded NHS can reduce waiting times.
