Casdok's Story

I thought society was making some sort of progress by closing down the long stay hospitals ‘allowing’ us out into our own communities. Obviously society wasn’t ready for us as they are putting us back behind closed doors unable to afford to go out.

My mum has always hated the injustice I have received. She fought for me not to be restrained/confined in a wheelchair for the ease of staff and today as a young man I don’t need one.

But by 2012 I maybe confined to my bedroom.

Not everyone finds it easy to access public transport even with free passes. Busses/trains can be unpredictable. The smells - the sounds - the chaos. Sensory overload. I try and block it all out with fingers pressed in my ears and eyes to keep control. Overwhelmed with pain and confusion I smash my head repeatedly against the window to regain some sort of coherence. I black out.

Staff are scared one day I may not come round. For protection they will chemically restrain me or not take me out on public transport. The government are taking away our mobility money/cars – my lifeline to doing things that everybody else does, shopping, appointments, leisure, visiting family and choice - will be no more. Attitudes of staff will regress to the archaic mindset of pity, inequality and devalued.

Care homes will go back to being more institutionalised as social services cut their funding. PCP’s will no longer be seen as opportunities for disabled people to join the 21st century as now even transport will be cut.

My future is frightening.

Disabled by the government.


By Casdok on behalf of C.