Disabled people - supposed to be grateful

'Rights not Charity', 'Piss on Pity'

 

 

About two weeks ago I rolled past the Catholic Church in Bray. There I was in my wheelchair and towering above me at the gates of - CHARITY - were two school kids aged approx. 13 or thereabouts. It was a school day but they were out in their uniforms standing quietly, not in your face, not 'aggressive' (like some charity collectors) with charity money boxes in their hands collecting for Enable Ireland. They looked rather shy and unsure what to do. Two little statues willing the coins into their boxes. Shoring each other up in a task they looked nervous about.

I've nothing against Enable Ireland, a charity that supports people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities. I hold no angst against the schoolgirls socialized early in 'Charity' for disabled people.

But I do abhor the rattling of charity boxes for disabled people. I abhor the whole Charity 'movement'.

To me 'Charity' holds stigma, no matter how nice a charity is you are left feeling that you really don't deserve State support, that you shouldn't really be as you are and Charities are going to, by the good of their little hearts and souls love you EVEN if you are a crip.

The whole Charity business - and it is a business now - sticks in my graw.

Collecting money for Charity depends on 'feeling sorry for' the poor crips. It teaches a certain mentality - persuasive manipulation, that 'doing good' for crips is so utterly saintly that you win awards for being the best fundraiser, the highest collector, the good charity worker. Sports stars engage in charity for extra kudos. Its good for their image. Politicians put their arms around disabled people for the Ah factor - the Vote. Isn't he/she so good for all their charity work.  Tell me this isn't humiliating?! tell me this doesn't 'other' you in so powerful a separate world exclusionary reality that nothing else does?

One charity even sells ANGELS to raise money. The Angel day. Who is the Angel - I ask - me or them? Its simply 'not normal' is it?

I abhor the early socialisation of school children that 'doing good' means rattling boxes for those poor crips born in Ireland. I abhor that these same children will grow up with no other reality other than crips can't do it for themselves!

They will grow up in a self-righteous belief that they have done something 'good' for crips that day. They collected money that the charities need because the state does not care for those born disabled. they will go home feeling good. Not ever having had a conversation with me.

They won't be politicised to understand my perspective. No-one will teach them about the humiliation of Charity. They won't know about 'rights'.  If you know about RIGHTS you or your school would be banging down the gates of Leinster house demanding the ratification of the UNCRPD.  Not rattling the charity boxes outside a catholic church.

I felt sad passing these girls. I wanted to ask them "What are you doing? and Why? But I knew they were children. Children with not the maturity to think through the annihilating truth that Charity is dis-empowering, humiliating and downright exclusion from society.

It only says one thing. We exist by the generosity of non-disabled humans around us. We shouldn't by rights be alive, and the State won't support you so you should be grateful for the two children winkling money out of begrudgers pockets!

At the end of the day, society would really be happy if we did not exist.

Why else did this government only give a 5euro rise in Disability benefit, when 20euro is said to be needed. Because, my friend, we are not PART of society. we are 'useless eaters' (Hitler's words) . Being in poverty, homeless, unemployed with little or no care services is OUR FAULT.

That's why only 5euro only - that's why two school children stood at those gates - doing good for the poor crips.

we don't 'belong'.