Disabled anglers

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Kevan Farmer

Guest
I've just read the snippet about the AT disabled angler gaff. I tried to access the press site to do with the article but it is strangely unavailable.
I personally know one of the England disabled squad members. Terry Moseley - who is also one of the founder members of The British Disabled Anglers Association - is one of the hardest working people I have ever known. Despite being confined to a wheelchair Terry works endlessly for disabled anglers up and down the country. I had the pleasure of helping out at a diabled children's day a couple of years ago. The amount of effort put into these events is unbelievable. To make any sort of derogatory comment about Terry or the other members of England team is, in my book, unforgivable. It may have been a slip of the tongue but that slip shows that the attitude of this young reporter is way out of line. I can only imagine he or she - sorry I don't know the gender of the person involved perhaps Graham could enlighten us - thought they were working for something like Viz comic.

You can guess from this that I'm very angry. I'm more so because at the moment Terry, who has MS by the way, is totally exhausted after just coming back from the World Championships.

Sorry for the rant, I just hope you understand why.
 
GrahamM

GrahamM

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The links in the articles are not working correctly due to technical reasons, but try it from here:

<a href=http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/News.View.aspx?ContentID=571>Press Gazette</A>
 
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Dave O'L

Guest
Search press gazette then click news & @ 10 stories down. Won't say what was said though. Chances are that the reporter probably said something that stemed from ignorance rather than maliciousness. Doesn't make it right, the sad thing is he probably didn't know he was doing anything wrong.
I work in mental health & constantly see headlines that call people suffering from schizophrenia, 'schizophrenic' or 'psychopaths' etc. Of course there are a whole list of terms that are used quite freely by people about others suffering from mental health problems. Funny that when 1 in 4 of us will suffer from some form of mental health problem in our lives?
Sorry I'll get off my soapbox.
 
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Steve Burke

Guest
I can identify with the exhaustion of MS, having a similar but not identical condition myself. The severity of the symptoms can vary a lot from day to day and most people see only the physical disability.

However, in every other way we're exactly the same as anyone else. What most of us don't want is any special treatment, just easy access to waters. Indeed for many years I denied I even had a disability, partly for this reason.

Hopefully this incident will now quickly blow over and be forgotten about.
 
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Kevan Farmer

Guest
Dave o'l. I'm one of those 1 in 4. I had a nervous breakdown nearly 10 years ago after a nasty car crash. My whole family - wife and 3 kids - were in the car at the time. I shall never, ever forget the awful screaming of my children. It's a miracle that I can actually sit here an type this in. The amount of pills I took a few weeks later - I blamed myself for the accident even though a lorry hit me head on and he was on the wrong side of the road - would have emptied a pharmacy.

The good news is that Terry has received and accepted an apology for the incident from the editor of the Angling Times. That is how to rise above such things.

Kevan
 
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Ray Bewick

Guest
Kevan - I think Terry in particular came out of this exchange with an enhanced reputation unlike the hack.

David - I'm employed in the NHS but in a different field, so many times I have sat and thought "there but for the grace of"
 
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Dave Johnson

Guest
my understanding was that the 'reporter' a young lad used a childish 'playground' term within the report in reference to disabled people.
It is not acceptable, and this lad probably feels pretty bad now, I hope, about this.
The AT do a lot for all of the charities, and also pulled as soon as they were aware, its just a shame when this happens.
It also makes you wonder why some people are so intent on bringing things like this to the forefront of news when it is clearly being dealt with by the organisation responsible for it.

I suppose the 'other' weekly' will be on this unfortunate bandwaggon later this week.
 
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Dave O'L

Guest
Kevan, you've got my respect, I hope things have worked out for you. I don't think anyone can understand unless they've been there. It's now recognised that reactions, such as you had, to a terrible trauma are not unusual. Hopefully the need for psychological support is identified earlier & help is more accessable.

Ray exactly what I have thought in each area I have worked in, generic psychiatry, chemical dependancy etc.
I'm a nurse specialising in CBT of psychotic symptoms & working with family/carers of people suffering from serious mental illness. Now I've got young children of my own you can't help but think..........!

Just to say if there is anyone out there who has a mental health question/issue & they could do with a bit of support or need pointing in the right direction please feel free to post me a mail. I'm not an expert on everything but could maybe get you started, ie who you should contact, where you can get information from?
Of course this will be treated in the strictest confidence.
 
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Andrew Miller

Guest
Even major newspaper put in degrogory term withourt realising how hurtful it is. As a deaf person myself, it infuriated me when a deaf person is referred to as "deaf and dumb". I can talk fairly well and i would say 90 per cent of deaf people can talk to a certain extent,I do realised of course we are often difficult to understand but no way should anyone called us dumb! But i also have to realised that most people used that term without realising how hurtful it is. It can be difficult if you have no experience of this .
Windy
 
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Dave Johnson

Guest
good point Windy.....you just get that hemp boiled up for next weekend........
and gear up with 10lb line as a minimum mate......
 
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Kevan Farmer

Guest
Dave O'l. Thanks for the concern. Yes, I'm fine now and do feel stronger for being there and clawing my way out of the 'dark pit'. I've actually been able to help others begin their journey out of severe depression simply because I understood what was going on before they did.
I also tend to live every day as full as I can now.
Kevan
 
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Wendy Perry

Guest
Kevan : Well done for coming out of that my heart goes out to you :eek:)
 
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Del Jarman

Guest
What realy gets "up my nose" is the people who talk about the disabled as if they were not there. My old mum ended up blind and due to the big C in a wheel chair. The amount of "idiots" who used to say things like how is she today? as if she could not speak for herself made my blood boil. Sorry for the rant but I still get angry whenever I think about it, and it's 9years since I lost her.
 
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Steve Burke

Guest
I'd echo that, Del. Not only that but you often appear to be invisible in a wheelchair. I think it's because you're not at eye level.

On the other hand, what's even worse is getting special treatment when you are noticed. I'm not often in a wheelchair except at exhibitions. However, sometimes people have spoken extra loudly or slowly to me - just because I'm chairbound doesn't mean I can't hear or understand!
 
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Andrew Miller

Guest
I never really regarded my deafness as a disability.Indeed i regard able bodied people as my disability as they are a bit clueless on how to cope with it. I alway remember how shocked a person was when he commented how lucky I was not to hear the pratice fire alarm going off on a regular basic and I said to him to realised how lucky he was to be able to hear it!
Windy
 
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Del Jarman

Guest
Steve, your spot on as usual (well nearly always):..o.
I smashed my legs up quite badly three years ago and was in a wheelchair for a while and I got the same treatment from people even tho' it obvious the problem was with my legs.

Del.

No I didn't need to take more water with it.
 
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Kevan Farmer

Guest
Professor Steven Hawking is in a wheelchair. I wonder if people talk 'around' him or raise their voices and speeeeaaaakkkk verrrryyy slowwwwwwlyyyy?

Kevan
 
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