Wednesday 25 April 2012

You can't be disabled because...

We are keen to break up the monologues version of the play with interludes, so we're putting out random questions on twitter and facebook. This one resulted in a phenomenal number of replies & they're still coming in. Lots of black humour, but also lots to enrage us. Thanks to all who participated, here are the answers to:

You can’t be disabled because…
First they came for the disabled.
We can't see PTSD and we've never heard of a hippocampus.
You do not meet my limited definition of being disabled
You drive an Audi. How would you afford it? It would be too difficult for a disabled person to get in.
You can text a friend
You fell for that old chestnut of attending this interview?
You can tweet
You watch TV and soaps and can sit comfortably for half an hour
The reflex test says so. Erm, reflex corresponding to ruptured disc is lower down, you professional, you
You've brushed your hair and you're wearing a nice coat
You can still stick two fingers up at WCAs 
'I saw you stand up!'
You're too young
You can pick up a £1 coin
"You seem alright to me"
"You're smiling"
You look butch. Can't be anything wrong with you.
You could fill in the form
The govt wants all your money simples
You answered questions that was asked
You travelled by bus
You don’t soil yourself every day.
You’re still breathing
You can spell your name backwards
You hold eye contact
You got dressed this morning.
You don’t look disabled enough to me
You brushed your teeth this morning.
You can deadlift 250lbs comfortably... doesn't mean the base of my spine isn't worn away. I can touch my toes too, same deal.
You’re faking it.
You can’t have PTSD because "you've never been in a war zone"
You're not a dribbling, disheveled lunatic howling at the moon and threatening to axe people to death
You’re at university.
You have a girl friend.
You don’t look autistic
You can talk
I cannot see anything wrong with you
You moved your leg.
You can lift an empty box up to waist height.
You’re so pretty.
You can’t be disabled because of Tory ideology.

Wednesday 18 April 2012

If Atos were an animal what would it be?

We wanted to liven up the monologue version of our play a bit, so we asked the question of our twitter and FB friends - "If Atos were an animal what would it be?" Our internet friends did us proud!

A cockroach
A tapeworm living in the body politic
Maybe a phoenix, always comes back. Or a flightless Rhea - it has the means, but doesn't know how to.
Not a real animal but an Orc & their HQ as Mordor.I also have a nickname for them "Napoleon's Revenge
I like to think of it as a virus. Like herpes
Some animals seem cruel and vicious to us, but they have no capacity for compassion, mercy or conscience - what's Atos's excuse?
A rat
AWWWW dont insult the rats, my remii and cappit were cute. What about a vulture instead?
Son suggests a leech might be adequate. Blood suckers !!!!
Does a vampire count as an animal?
They could be the European cousin of the Great Vampire Squid Goldman Sucks.
How about a mosquito?
A parasitic wasp
A snake in the grass
A rattlesnake with toothache
A ravenous wolf
Medusa
Necrotising fasciitis.

Thursday 5 April 2012

"ATOS KILLS"

"Atos Kills" is a pretty powerful slogan. And a pretty powerful indictment of a "healthcare" company that is supposed to be about ensuring the right people are supported back to work. But it's a fair slogan when you consider even Chris Grayling recognises 31 people have died whilst waiting for the outcome of their assessment. When you see heartbreaking stories about people committing suicide, dying of heart attack or long term illness following Atos assessments. When you take a moment to read the real stories of real people on Calum's list http://calumslist.org/.

Just one person dying because of a bad assessment hasn't recognised how ill they are is bad. Thirty is terrible. But now the Mirror has uncovered the real truth. Between January and August 2011, 1,100 people have died following assessment by Atos and being found to be fit for work related activity. ONE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED PEOPLE. That's not 30 people in a year, that's THIRTY TWO A WEEK.

"Atos Kills" isn't a slogan. It's a reality. Shouldn't they be up on manslaughter charges?