Worked up

Twice in the last two days I've been all geared up to be really stroppy and a strong self advocate and really get my point made and things done.  Because with both things things looked as though they would be difficult (previous experience for one and information on the website for the other).  I was NOT going to take no for an answer.  And with the previous experience one (voting not being particularly accessible previously) I'd had several years of being annoyed for letting it go and voting in not fabulous situations with nary a complaint to be seen.

And both things have gone off without a single hitch or without my having to do any stroppy cow advocatey things.

Which, yay. Major yayness

But I'm now in advocate fight mode with nothing to do those things for (yes this is what we might call never happy).  I am of course really hoping that nothing comes up for a long while.  

I did get a business letter yesterday which needs a reply... and is really poorly written (which is another of my numerous complaints about said organisation most of which revolve around how they hell are they still in business and have they not heard of the term professional?! and are the reason why as soon as said issue is resolved I will have no more to do with them).  I'm tempted to channel my raaaarrrr-ness into replying with a corrected version of said letter.

I won't.  Even though it would be sooo much fun to do so.

Oh and going back to the things I was worked up about... the second one they said normally they would do various checks and require stuff but they would skip it all for me because my situation is "clear cut."

I was really pleased because I have no problem with their being checks and a system in place but what I objected to was the use of the medical model and the fact they talked about needing forms filled out by your doctor and all that.   Apparently however the website is out of date and now they do their own checks (meaning its more of a social model thing and done to prevent people taking the piss).  But for me I don't need any checks they'll just do it.

Must admit I didn't think anything of it.  Until I told my dad and he went "why is your situation clear cut?"

oh.

Very good question.

What is it about my situation where I ring up and say "I'm not going to be able to manage the new wheelie bins. I'm a wheelchair user and live alone." that makes them automatically  say I can have sacks instead and they'll take the bins away and collect from wherever I want?  Most of which is what I was asking for (or planning to), some of which (taking the bins away for sacks) I didn't think would be possible.

But more than that, what about all that makes it "clear cut" that I need this and yet others need to have visits to prove it and other stuff?  Some situations are borderline apparently and mine isn't.  

I suspect it probably comes down to them being overwhelmed by people complaining about the new system coming in this week and doing what I did - managing on the old one but no way of coping with wheelie bins.  

From a disability rights perspective however, it's crap.  Because for people like me it's great... one phone call and (hopefully) sorted.  There is an argument that this is a bit "pity model" but lets not go there.  For those who can't manage those magic words "wheelchair" and "live alone" (I suspect more the former) they aren't as deserving and have more hoops to jump through?!

So, in conclusion.  Yay for not having to fight for things but them being done.  But things aren't always what they seem on the surface.

I must make the point here that I would probably have not made such a big deal of this entry if I had been the one to think "why is it clear cut" rather than having my dad point it out to me.  My family are great but I tend to find that I look for disability stuff more than they do (and see it more than they do) so the fact that he wondered why and I didn't seemed huge to me.  Of course he was probably just wondering why without going down the whole discrimination pity model and all that jazz path I did.