Blogging Against Disablism Day
on May 01 in General by DanAround seven years ago before I started my nurse training I used to work with a guy with learning difficulties, lets call him Harry. Every now and again I’d take Harry out for a night on the town, sometimes in Leeds, sometimes in Huddersfield. Harry didn’t look normal. He wasn’t outlandishly bizarre looking or anything, but it was pretty evident that he had learning difficulties. Half of the reason for this was his walk, which I now know was something we call “The Chlorpromazine Shuffle†in the trade (basically a permanent side effect of long term anti-psychotic use, less common now with the more modern medications). Now I’m not going to get started on the use of anti-psychotics on people with learning difficulties or I’ll be typing all night. Lets just say I’ve yet to meet a person with learning difficulties that isn’t on a bucket of psychiatric medication despite the fact that they are not actually mentally ill.
Anyhow. I was in Leeds on one of my periodic nights on the town with Harry and he said he wanted to go into “The Square on the Laneâ€, a city centre pub in the Yates mould. We were about to enter and the bouncers turned us away, stating we were wearing jeans and they had a dress code. This struck me as a little odd as it was a Monday and around 6:30pm, not exactly a time when pubs can afford to be too choosy. Then two guys passed us wearing jeans and were let straight in. I was absolutely livid and seriously considered turning round and starting up an impromptu picket line but decided that it would cause too much embarrassment to Harry, who hadn’t really noticed anything.
Seven years later it still makes my blood boil, and I have never been in the Square on the Lane since. In fact there have been a number of occasions where I’ve steered large groups of revellers away from their door, so I guess it’s there loss.
Blogging Against Disablism Day
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Oooh, anti-psychotic druge use……I too could go on all night (I worked some years at a psychiatric inpatient facility and it still bothers me what we call “care”.)
Just wanted to say I enjoyed your story and to have a happy Blogging Against Disablism Day :)
I don’t object to anti-psychotics for people who are actually psychotic. It’s their use as a tool to sedate people and make care assistant’s lives easier that I object to, particularly in people with learning difficulties who aren’t actually ill.
I have never tried to get into any place that has bouncers: the fear of being turned away? Much too great. Kudos, though, on sticking with your boycott.
Didn’t you know? A disabled person’s money doesn’t hold the same VALUE as the rest of us.