Criticising UKIPs "disabled policy".

http://www.staretheridge.co.uk/disability-policy-proposals/

These are the meagre disabled policy proposals made by UKIPs spokesperson for the disabled, a disabled person so privileged that she doesn't feel that she has to listen to the majority of disabled people.

They propose to fix the WCA, that is it, and the only thing they want to hear from us is "we support you" or "labour/the tories suck for what they've done". UKIP has no interest in fixing what they do wrong, they want to paint themselves as the disabled people's friends without actually bothering to change their spots. Which is why if you suggest that they are part of the problem, they go ballistic and accuse you of being bigoted against them, for example apparently I am racist against UKIP, I had no idea that political parties were races.

Let's talk first about what is missing from UKIPs proposals:

1. No proposal to tackle disabilism in the media, lies and distortions by the media are a leading cause of hate crimes against disabled people. It does no good to change the WCA with the media shrieking "scroungers" every five minutes.

2. No proposal for tougher access legislation or anything to make companies comply with the regulations, like say a watchdog. The current lot we have as basically toothless and relies on disabled people to sue.

3. No discussion of legal aid being available to disabled people who need to sue for basic rights.

4. No discussion of the cuts to social services, the impact or rolling them back.

5. No discussion of the appalling level of pay care workers earn for one of the most vital jobs for many disabled people.

6. No proposal to tackle the rampant disabilism in medicine and the NHS that leads to the UK having an 13 year average diagnosis wait time for long term and chronic conditions. No diagnosis, no support is the reality for far too many disabled people who wait over a decade to be taken seriously.

7. No proposals to center disabled people and disabled people's voices.

8. Most damning of all, no proposals on how to tackle the rampant disabilism, sexism and racism in UKIP itself.

I came across Star when she complained on Twitter that disabled people weren't coming forward to talk to UKIP.

https://twitter.com/star_pumpkin/status/356435366019997696

My response: https://twitter.com/Subimaginati/status/356436139097325568 I questioned the need for minorities to come to the political party rather than the political party to educate itself and approach the minorities.

The responses to me? Here's some of the worst and typical ones:

https://twitter.com/Davejf27/status/356440366012051456 Yup, I'm apparently bigoted against a political party because I don't trust them because their members have been ablist and sexist to me and others in the past and racist to people of color.

https://twitter.com/DavidSidney/status/356441192579338241 Typical "you criticised what we're doing so I'm going to derail about what bad shit other political parties do". Hint UKIP, if your best defense is "Other people suck", then you have a problem with bigotry.

https://twitter.com/Davejf27/status/356441690082521088 More "You're a bigot", keep this in mind, since this is the guy who later on insisted he was being reasonable.

https://twitter.com/DavidSidney/status/356441836031709184 More abuse. This is a running theme because at the heart of the responses is an attitude that the lived experiences of disabled people and our needs aren't important and unless they fit the agenda of "normal" people. And if those lived experiences of disabled people mean we're critical of "normal" people then we must be attacked rather than listened to because our criticism is that much of a threat.

https://twitter.com/star_pumpkin/status/356441924472803328 Apparently UKIP's token disabled person thinks I'm of no help to disabled people because I said that UKIP hurts disabled people.

https://twitter.com/DavidSidney/status/356442667795746816 Translation: "My experiences as a non-disabled person are more important than the experiences of actual disabled people so disabled people are wrong".

https://twitter.com/DavidSidney/status/356442799580782592 "Prove the racism" Yet another demand that minorities prove that our experiences are true before privileged people will treat them as such.

https://twitter.com/cosby_laura/status/356443043597000706 Apparently this person reckons I'm a druggy. Typical privileged dismissal of minority experiences.

https://twitter.com/DavidSidney/status/356443166116806656 Translation: "Everyone else is bad, so we're innocent!"

https://twitter.com/Davejf27/status/356443381813092352 "I work with people like you" Yeah, and? This is another "my experience is more valuable than the experience of actual disabled people".

https://twitter.com/invisiblehand11/status/356443624378085378 I am accused of being racist and sexist.

https://twitter.com/DavidSidney/status/356443849171800064 Promise to have it dealt with, this did not happen as you will see, instead the person argued that every example wasn't really disabilism.

https://twitter.com/davyjo2111/status/356444060631826433 Translation: You're bitter.

https://twitter.com/BrightonPatriot/status/356444380388790272 I'm called racist and blocked because apparently saying UKIP has a problem with racism is racist.

https://twitter.com/DavidSidney/status/356444905922498562 Conspiracy theory much? More like your parties shitty members give you a bad reputation all by themselves.

https://twitter.com/star_pumpkin/status/356445206905761794 Star is supposedly a lawyer, and thinks that saying a political party is racist, sexist, and ablist is libelous. I'd love to see the look on a judge's face if she presented it to him as that.

https://twitter.com/star_pumpkin/status/356445544639512576 I'm accused of not telling her anything. Apparently saying "disabled people don't trust UKIP because UKIP members say horrible disabilist things" is not telling her anything.

https://twitter.com/cosby_laura/status/356445975696510979 Apparently what I am doing is useless, disabled people should never speak up, it's useless. Says it all really.

https://twitter.com/AmpersUK/status/356446063722364929 "Stupid" and "imbeciles" two disabilist slurs.

https://twitter.com/ThomasHoof1/status/356446109675159552 Translation: The viewpoints of able bodied people who work with disabled kids are more important than those of actual disabled people.

https://twitter.com/DavidSidney/status/356446303783354369 Again, a demand for proof, because god forbid a disabled person's viewpoint be considered valid.

https://twitter.com/davyjo2111/status/356446486772449280 Yes, they did just imply I belong in an asylum.

https://twitter.com/DavidSidney/status/356446848057212928 Yup, more "you're an icky bigot, if we keep calling you this, we don't have to actually examine what you're saying".

https://twitter.com/AmpersUK/status/356447413646532609 Disabilist slur "Idiot".

https://twitter.com/NigelParkin3/status/356447587152310273 Disabilist slur "Idiot".

https://twitter.com/davyjo2111/status/356447961733017602 Disabilist slur "Idiot" directed at a disabled person.

https://twitter.com/cosby_laura/status/356448200674127872 Translation: Quick quick derail at her, I feel reality impinging.

https://twitter.com/__GriffCo__/status/356448246886965248 Admits the problem, but tries to blame it on a small minority. This is basically a "but we're not like that" argument.

https://twitter.com/DavidSidney/status/356448303493292033 Apparently I can't think for myself.

https://twitter.com/DavidSidney/status/356448700828102657 Tone policing "you should speak in a positive way" and implying I'm prejudiced because I smelt the stink of disabilism. Oh and I clearly didn't make my own mind up from all the experience I've had with UKIPpers, no sirree.

https://twitter.com/ThomasHoof1/status/356448752531279873 More "I know disabled people and I'm not like that" in response to me pointing out that UKIP members often dehumanise us.

https://twitter.com/ross_crispin/status/356449252140003330 Short version: "We're not disabilist, you're mean".

https://twitter.com/NigelParkin3/status/356449296155017216 Translation: Deny Deny Deny, Danger Will Robinson, Deny! Cos hey if you say UKIP members aren't bigoted after they've been throwing slurs at and dogpiling a disabled person for disagreeing with them, it totally makes it so they're not bigoted despite them being bigots.

https://twitter.com/ross_crispin/status/356449447066091520 This tweet is hilarious and hypocritical given all the UKIP members who called me a bigot and dismissed my experiences with UKIP's racism/sexism/disabilism as bigotry on my part.

https://twitter.com/__GriffCo__/status/356449613248593920 More "I work with disabled people". Seriously, nobody gives a shit if you do, are you disabled? No? Then you don't get to decide our experiences for us.

https://twitter.com/BrightonPatriot/status/356449989829996545 Disabilist slur "crazy".

https://twitter.com/DavidSidney/status/356450352301740032 Disabilist comment saying I need therapy for criticising UKIP.

https://twitter.com/__GriffCo__/status/356450379015270401 Another empty promise to do something about disabilism in the membership.

https://twitter.com/AmpersUK/status/356451220514275328 Another "I know disabled people so I get to dismiss your experiences and privilege my own".

https://twitter.com/ross_crispin/status/356451476119363589 Disabilist slur, calling me deluded.

https://twitter.com/ross_crispin/status/356451572038897664 More slurs, deluded and "idiot" again, plus a derail "you're looking to be offended".

https://twitter.com/ross_crispin/status/356451816994648066 Claims to be visually impaired. I'm betting he wear glasses. Hardly one of the primo targets for disabilism.

https://twitter.com/paultm/status/356451938969190402 "You're not being fair". Because disabled people who are hurt by UKIPs shit are always obliged to be "fair" and nice to them.

https://twitter.com/ross_crispin/status/356452875012022272 "You're looking to be offended!"

https://twitter.com/ross_crispin/status/356453164586778624 Translation: It's okay to use slurs if I don't think they're slurs, watch me argue that a diagnosis used within the last twenty years is old enough that it's okay.

https://twitter.com/ross_crispin/status/356453397899124736 Translation: "Yeah, you don't have a right to your own experiences, let me a far more "normal" person tell you what is and isn't disabilism".

https://twitter.com/__GriffCo__/status/356453595153055745 Translation: "Slurs are only slurs if they know the person they're flinging them at is disabled. Slurs totally can't feed the casual dehumanisation of disabled people."

https://twitter.com/DavidSidney/status/356453719157645312 Slurs "Insane" "Nutter".

https://twitter.com/ross_crispin/status/356453730939445250 Translation: "We can't manage without slurs!1!!! *panics*"

https://twitter.com/__GriffCo__/status/356454220272119809 Translation: "But people call my able bodied self these slurs all the time and they don't bother me, so how can they bother you?"

https://twitter.com/paultm/status/356454951578386433 Yeah, I have to give Star a chance to win my political affiliation, but she doesn't have to take the time to listen to me it seems.

https://twitter.com/__GriffCo__/status/356454993538187264 Derail: "you're looking to be offended/interrogating it wrong".

https://twitter.com/gase_edwards/status/356455180935499776 Slur: "deluded".

https://twitter.com/ross_crispin/status/356455208294952960 Slur: "deluded".

https://twitter.com/DavidSidney/status/356455393154707457 Slur: Derivative of "idiot".

https://twitter.com/__GriffCo__/status/356455773146054656 Translation: "I'm trying, can't you see me trying so very hard, it's not my fault I'm dismissing instead of listening because I'm trying!1!!"

https://twitter.com/ross_crispin/status/356455817198837761 Translation: "We need to use slurs!!11!"

https://twitter.com/Rebel_Rock_On/status/356456413758889984 slur: "idiots".

https://twitter.com/ross_crispin/status/356456673944145920 Slur: "moron". and in https://twitter.com/ross_crispin/status/356456779162456064

https://twitter.com/__GriffCo__/status/356456798552719360 Derail: "you weren't polite enough"

https://twitter.com/__GriffCo__/status/356457167374663684 Translation: "The world is ordered according to my feelings, not those of disabled people. Ergo my refusal to acknowledge the issues, denial of them and blatant dismissal of the experiences of disabled people is not dismissal."

https://twitter.com/__GriffCo__/status/356457502063345664 Translation: "By genuine concerns, I mean ones that agree with what I believe and that come from "normal" people like me. People like you don't have genuine concerns of course".

https://twitter.com/Davejf27/status/356459243278319618 Slur: "deluded" and again the insistance that I am bigoted against UKIP.

https://twitter.com/SentientNumber7/status/356463211287035904 Slur: "Idiot" and "stupid".

https://twitter.com/Maurice97ILF/status/356466071445835776 I'm accused of calling someone deluded because I said working with disabled people is not a shield against doing or saying things that harm them. Bonus slur: "Raving".

https://twitter.com/Maurice97ILF/status/356466867919003648 Another "I'm 'normal', you're not, my viewpoint is valid, yours isn't" assertion.

https://twitter.com/UKIPDandH/status/356467052493553664 This proud UKIP member went to my journal digging for dirt it seems. The post says, that disagreement is not a rules violation. But what UKIP did by setting their members on me and abusing me with dehumanisating slurs based on my disabilities is not disagreement, it's bullying, abuse, and a hate crime.

https://twitter.com/BrightonPatriot/status/356467115546517504 Disabilist slur: "loon".

https://twitter.com/ChopwellUK/status/356469390188879876 Slur: "stupid" and "others are bad as well" derail.

https://twitter.com/Davejf27/status/356471983719976960 Slur: "crack pot" and derail: "It's only a few people, we're not all like that".

https://twitter.com/__GriffCo__/status/356472948879654912 Unsaid: "Like you know, being a "normal" aka privileged as hell person, preferably male and white".

https://twitter.com/Maurice97ILF/status/356473553392123905 Apparently I have a mental issue because I tried to explain to UKIP members why this shit is shitty? Yay, slurs.

https://twitter.com/DavidSidney/status/356474897905618945 I think they meant to say "Rot in Hell" or something. I'm once again accused of hating everything.

https://twitter.com/DavidSidney/status/356493276926328834 Slurs: "Padded cell" "Crazy" "bitch"

https://twitter.com/DavidSidney/status/356493973969317888 Yes, politics have nothing to do with politics. Slurs: "Crazy" x 2 and "bitch".

https://twitter.com/Davejf27/status/356494237098979328 Derail: It's only a small amount. (Which explaind why I have yet to have a UKIP member be anything other than disabilist to me?)

https://twitter.com/DavidSidney/status/356494820556025856 I am accused of being fucked in the head.

https://twitter.com/Davejf27/status/356495524272148483 Victim blaming bullshit, clearly it's my fault for existing and daring to answer a UKIP person who asked why disabled people are not interested in the party. Nope, UKIP members don't have a responsibility not to bully, abuse or fling disabilist and sexist slurs at people.

https://twitter.com/Davejf27/status/356495853151731712 Because god forbid "your party has problematic members and attitudes" result in "hey, tell me more about it" *listens* *fixes it* Instead of "waaaaaaah our butts are hurt, how dare you tell us we need to do more to not alienate disabled people?!" which is what I got.

https://twitter.com/Davejf27/status/356498942902546432 According to him I'm the abusive one, because saying UKIP members are frequently disabilist, racist and sexist is abuse, but ganging up on one person and slinging sexist and disabilist slurs at her isn't.

https://twitter.com/Davejf27/status/356499173710893056 He's losing patience with me? Yeah, cos us sub humans are just supposed to take their shit and keep on being nice and educating them and shit in the face of their ignorance.

https://twitter.com/Davejf27/status/356501180093964289 Including this just for the sheer hilarity value, apparently calling people slurs is "reasonable".

This?

This is why you're not trusted UKIP:

1. Because the response of your members to "UKIP has a problem with bigotry against minorities" is not "Well how can we improve?" and actual listening, instead it's "shut up". Instead it's treating us like children, like we can't have a valid opinion, like we're second class citizens. Instead it's calling us "bitch", "crazy", "loon", "stupid", "deluded", "idiot" and other slurs that dehumanise us.

2. Because your policies "for" disabled people are shallow as hell and only designed to go against what the mainstream parties do with no regard for deeper issues.

3. Because your membership operates with an implicit assumption that they're not responsible for attitudes in your party that make reason 1 a reality.

4. Because your membership is largely privileged bigots who you seem to feel no need to reign in when they attack minorities.

5. Because even your disabled spokeswoman is more privileged than anything being white, cis, straight and well off, to the point where she cannot relate to most disabled people and doesn't bother to listen to them.

 6. Because we know your disabled spokeswoman is nothing more than a bandaid on the bigotry in your ranks. If she knew what she was doing and tried to tackle it, she'd be given the bums rush out of the door.

This is why you're not trusted, because you've done fuck all to earn that trust and plenty to show you are not worth trusting with this country any more than the tories or anyone else is.