1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144 
HGV driver Lucy Radley explains why being given dignity in the workplace is so important to her.
Page 9
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
I've come up against a fair bit of sexism over the years, and, to be honest, I don't find it that big a deal. But attitudes towards disability are a whole different ball game, since they are largely assumptions made through ignorance.
Don't get me wrong, there are a good many people out there who treat us with dignity. And that's what this is about: giving people dignity in the face of the humiliation that inevitably comes when proud workers are forced to ask for help.
The most common problem is people thinking you're on to a good thing. I mean, wouldn't everyone like to have preferential parking facilities? To not do the most physical aspects of the job? Extra time off at night to sleep and take medication? We're quite happy to be in abject pain the vast majority of the time; for everything to take twice as much energy; to have to ensure every single action you undertake has been planned and executed in the most efficient manner so there's enough of you left to simply be able to live through each day. And in case you're wondering exactly what my disability is, it's multiple sclerosis.., lucky me, eh?
Which leads on to "maybe you shouldn't be at work at all, then". Off you toddle, you are officially written off at the age of 32 and should be a burden on the taxpayer for the rest of your life, chucking any trace of self respect out of the window as you go. Never mind that all the medical help you get is aimed at letting you lead as normal a life as possible and that you can still perform the vast majority of the job perfectly well.
In order to continue turning up to work and doing the best I can every week, I give 120%. It may not be quite as good as a half-hearted, able-bodied driver's 80%, but it's still 120%.
Take the time to give us dignity to continue our fight against our own bodies, and you can be certain we'll be the most dedicated staff you'll ever employ. That has to be worth something, right?