Doug Paulley's blog

disability, data protection, activism and other such

Fat Pram

Posted on by Doug Paulley

Clogging the corridor train-aisle and bankpram
It’s almost the size of a light-armoured tank
The owner is therefore inclined to pull rank
“Do’you know I am?”
Fat pram, fat pram.

Wheelchair give way
Don’t you dare make a fuss
Mum and her precious are taking the bus
The baby on board must be supersize-plus
Weight of a freighter of ham – fat pram

In gentle, less-manic and sweet days of yore.
Pushchairs collapsed or were left by the door
Not in the shop taking up the whole floor
Causing a jam
Fat pram, fat pram

“Yes, it folds down!” – to the width of a cow –
But she hasn’t got time to be doing that now.
With shopping and tweeting to manage somehow
She won’t give a flying…
(tetragram)
Fat pram.

Martin Newell, “Sunday Express” 14/12/14

Wheelchair spaces on buses and Party Politics

Posted on by Doug Paulley

I appreciate and am truly humbled my the support offered and given freely by so many people and organisations (in particular disabled peoples’ organisations). I welcome non-partisan parliamentary support for this issue.

I wish to make it clear, however, that there are certain groups whose politics and behaviour is such that I have profound idealogical concerns about working with them. Whilst they are free to access any of the information I have put out, and I cannot control what they do with it, I will not work with the BNP, the EDL, UKIP or allied parties. Hence anything with such organisations’ stamps on is not sanctioned by me.

Doug Paulley

Equality vs Equity

Posted on by Doug Paulley

equity-vs-equality

(With thanks to the Becoming Radical blog for the image.)

If and when we win the case in the Supreme Court, I think we should rename the Equality Act to the Equity Act.

A lot of people seem to be talking about Equality between non-disabled pushchair users and wheelchair users. That may be Equality, but it’s not Equity.

Equal rights of access to the wheelchair space on buggies means I sometimes can’t travel – whereas pushchair users have the option of folding their buggy and traveling if I’m in the space. Particularly if they use sensible buggies, slings for newborn kids, etc. etc.