Bethany Handley, a 24-year-old full-time wheelchair user and writer, has spoken out about the intrusive questions and interactions she experiences on a daily basis. “What’s wrong with you? What’s happened? I get that every day I go out,” she says. Disability Wales has reported a significant rise in unwelcome interactions with disabled people, a trend that is on the increase. Bethany says strangers ask her for information about her medical history, and have offered to pray for her. In another incident, a restaurant manager physically pushed her out of a seat that was needed for another customer.
Angharad Paget-Jones is a 30-year-old disability campaigner from Port Talbot who is severely sight-impaired. She too has faced unwanted interactions, with one person in a shop telling her she was “disgusting” for being pregnant while disabled. She has also been challenged about her guide dog Tudor, and people have touched him without her consent. Angharad says that people act entitled when it comes to disabled people. She feels like she is public property.
The UK government launched the Ask, Don’t Assume campaign, designed to address the issue of unsolicited advice and assumptions about people with disabilities. However, the campaign has faced criticism, with many claiming that it could lead to disabled people being asked even more intrusive questions. Disability Wales says that unsolicited questions are increasing, especially since the launch of the campaign. The intended message of the campaign, which encourages people to listen to disabled people rather than making assumptions, has been lost. Instead, some disabled people are being asked, “what’s your health condition? What can or can’t you do?” multiple times a day.
While people may have good intentions, there are better ways to offer assistance. Bethany’s advice to non-disabled people is “don’t do it,” and instead, they should be open to the response of the disabled person. Angharad says that people can offer help by suggesting something specific, rather than assuming what is required. The UK government says that the claims that their campaign is leading to negative interactions are baseless and lack specific supporting evidence. The Equality Hub states that the campaign has a clear message that promotes listening to disabled people and not assuming their capabilities. It is still too early to measure the impact of the campaign on a national level as it is still in its pilot stage
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