Charities aren't always so charitable if you're disabled I see...

Recently, I tried to access a food parcel, it had taken me 2 months almost, they don't offer a delivery service and I was shocked at the incident that occurred on their premises. 

Why does disability always put this bizarre target on your back. *Sigh*

Anyways I filed this complaint:

"Formal complaint re registered charity Junction 7 1185423.

To whom it may concern,

I as a disability impaired individual with a complex dynamic disability, have tried to seek help from this charity for two months via e-mail and have had great difficulty.

My issue originally occured with accessibility to the food parcels, which is something mobility impaired people have to endure and deal with and can make life more difficult and stressful and exhausting.

When I spoke up about my difficulties, Junction 7 never stated anything other than I failed to attend my appointment, which is true because I notified them that I was mobility impaired and needed someone to collect the food parcel and I was only given 4 hours to sort it and I could not.

They were helpful at this time by referring me to st Clare's however due to my disability I was unable to go.

I merely explained that I'd struggled to gain access to a food parcel for two months which is the facts but this seemed to irk the staff at junction 7 and they seemed to assume I was somehow bad-mouthing the charity which lead to an onslaught of hate online towards me.

I accept misunderstandings happen and I clarified my issue is with accessibility.

I have kept screenshots, videos and all correspondence for possible court purposes.

I have regrettably been placed in a position where I am now having to file a complaint about a charity that appears to help a lot of people on my town.

However that cannot be any reason for malpractice or misconduct to any person and bad behaviour cannot be excused solely because they support other people.

My complaint is as follows:

I spoke to someone directly and publicly and told them I'd be sending someone for the collection of the food parcel today at 11am.

They had informed me they'd be open today at 11am.

Despite the hate and misunderstandings I still needed help and I'm pleased I raised awareness of a huge issue regarding access to help and support. Inaccessibility is a huge barracade for the mobility impaired when I comes to accessing help.

I would not have been able to carry it anyway as I use a walking stick and have a dislocated pelvis and Ehlers Danlos Hypermobility Syndrome, on top of the dismennoreah I am experiencing today.

The two gentlemen that were collecting on my behalf were turned away by a disgruntled worker who told them they'd given my food parcel away and how they weren't happy with my posts on Facebook.

I then received an email, to which they stated publicly afterwards that they chose to send *after* turning the gentlemen away. This seemed unprofessional and confusing.

I was upset, but I chose to handle this with kindness and went back to junction 7 premises at the [address removed], with my friends 

I did aim to find out face to face why they did that and why they said what they said to my friends and why they would not help me with food, however my main goal was retrieving the help without further problems and going to my oral surgery appointment.

I was hoping to have a respectful discussion so I could highlight that my issues weren't with junction 7 but the access to food parcels for mobility impaired individuals and see if they could perhaps work with a support group I attend, all disabilities matter, to create solutions for those unable to access the food parcels. Perhaps a delivery service and this was also suggested online too.

I turned up at approximately 12:15pm and I kindly stated that we'd come back for the food parcel per email, and that my friends had been turned away.

Whilst patiently waiting for the lady to assist another lady saw me and stormed in and acted very hostile and angry and started shouting at me accusing me of "slagging off their charity online" and that "she won't be giving me the parcel til she has words with me".

She closed the door behind her barricading me in and I refused to tolerate that abusive behaviour and put my hands up and said "no" and one of my friends had to open the door for me to be able to leave to which I was shaken up as I was already in pain.

They both screamed things at me from the hallway and locked me out without access to food.

I had to shout for help to my father who was outside, as I was being started on and I could not cope with it and the friends had been kicked out too.

I filmed at this point and despite being upset I stated what had happened and how I'd now been refused food, shouted at and locked outside and I was trying really hard not to have an emotional break down.

She made personal remarks about my mobility and that "I'd seemed fine at Ayclive", to what point she was trying to make I don't know, but it comes accross as if it's a claim I'm faking my disability, to justify her being aggressive and verbally abusive to me.

I have been struggling for two months, and I definitely don't need to be penalised or shouted at because they chose to turn my friends and lied to them about the food parcel then chose to give me the appointment afterwards.

It's not in my control how other people choose to see things, nor is it in my control the assumptions they make, however using personal attitudes about others against struggling disabled individuals seeking help, to justify abusive language and behaviour is not something any charity employee or trustee should do.

If she had concerns she could have dealt with it like a professional charity representative and it could have all been cleared up and she would have realised she was wrong and that me talking about my personal struggles online was not badmouthing her charity nor was it anything to do with her. I don't need consent to blog about the difficulties disabled people face and I blog to raise awareness as awareness is still needed.

As her actions proved today.

I do not condone such behaviour and I felt threatened and in danger which was unecessary and I removed myself from the premises and away from the aggressor.

I don't appreciate being put in a position where I have to endure being shouted at and scolded by a complete stranger just to access food. She used the food as an excuse to keep me there as she refused to give it to me because she wanted to scold me.

I understand she was unhappy but she was mistaken about me and entirely in the wrong.

The blogging and honesty I post online only raised awareness to the needs that mobility impaired disabled and elderly have in regards to being unable to access food parcels.

I've had abusive comments online from people who claim to know her, defending this behaviour and that I should accept the abuse basically cause I still got my food and that if I post honestly about it I'm badmouting them and therefore their hostility is justified. It's not justified.

No I never got the food parcel, nor did my friends.

She refused ME.

She actually only allowed my father the food parcel and he was the one that gave it to me when home.

This was only done after she'd made personal remarks about my mobility impairment as I seemed 'fine' at Ayclive.

I don't know these women and I have posted a lot of positive things about junction 7 and engaged in a positive way on their online account.

Speaking honestly about the struggles of being disabled was never in any way, shape or form, being negative about said charity. It's reality.

It has taken two months.

We were turned away and re-invited and I did post that as a result I was going there to beg them in person but would not be unkind.

I wish they had chosen to treat me with compassion and open mindedness as I was willing to, for them.

I'm not interested in hate, abuse, negativity or problems.

I'm interested in tackling the obstacles disabled people face on the daily and I'm interested in thoughtful communication and solutions.

There's a way to speak to people and acting like you want to physically hurt them because you mistook their intentions online is not a good way to run or handle a charity.

I am a blogger amongst other things and have not at any time stated anything other than the facts of what I've been going through trying to get a good parcel from junction 7.

Today I had to be calmed down at am oral surgery appointment as I was a crying mess from the waiting room to the treatment room, from the traumatic ordeal I had to endure this morning.

Shouting at weak people who are suffering with dismennoreah and disabilities, who still came with kindness and compassion to collect food and seek out solutions is not something that should ever be tolerated even if they help many people.

It doesn't excuse the behaviour today and I don't deserve the onslaught from people they have helped. They were NOT there and not the ones struggling or being shouted at.

Of course I don't want to complain, like any rational Newtonian, I'm proud of this town and what it offers and less services would hit the most vulnerable harder than they're already being hit, that being said, this behaviour can't be ignored and tolerated and the issues regarding inaccessibility still need to be discussed to try and implement a more accessible way for those most vulnerable and mobility impaired to be able to receive their food parcels.

I am giving junction 7 a chance to respond to this complaint and address the unnecessary way I was treated today and perhaps maybe further discuss the possibility of resolutions to the problems accessing food parcels.

I would appreciate an apology for the behaviour because it was definitely not justified.

Thank you for your time.

Kind Regards,

S"

They responded:

"Hi S

Thank you for your email.

Junction 7 don't take these accusations lightly. There will be a full investigation into you accusations and will investigate your complaint via email and social media.  

Training for [C] will be investigated 

 ARK and surrounding areas have full CCTV including the inside of the ARK with recorded voice. 

We will speak to [L] about your housing arrangements after receiving your referral form. We will also check with various other services regarding yourselve employment status and what you post on Facebook regarding certain pictures you present to the public.

After a full investigation we we repond via our solicitors. 

Many thanks

Chair Junction 7"

I then responded:

"Great!

Thank you so much. 

I also have a video I recorded when I was locked outside and I am not affiliated with [C]. He is a friend so threatening to investigate his course has nothing to do with this complaint nor does it have anything to do with the behaviour of your staff but if you wish to do that then so be it. 

All I keep seeing is pettiness from you and your charity and I will take this further if I feel you're acting maliciously or unnecessarily.

I will always speak up on behalf of disabilities and disabled people and the difficulties we face and I made an actual choice not to report the behaviour of this individual to the police nor did I choose to call the police.

I did not want this conflict but people need to be held accountable for their actions.

I request a copy of the CCTV as per allowed as I'm featured in it and if you have voice recordings you will be able to hear everything and how she shouted at me which I'm happy about because no individual deserves to be spoken to like that.

Kind Regards

S"

Unfortunately it was not yet over 😥

They had a member of their volunteers post this on our towns page:

It left me no choice but to be forced to address it and share the evidence. Being disabled is already hard enough without others making things worse.

I don't know why people choose to make our lives more difficult but I updated everyone:

"As a blogger and a disabled advocate amongst other things I just want to update everyone on my progress with Junction 7 aka the ARK.

I'm still looking into remedying the difficulties mobility impaired (townsfolk) have accessing food parcels and I will hopefully be working with the police and junction 7 to ensure the ordeal I endured there, remains an isolated incident.

For those who don't know much about my disability or disability advocate work (because as an altruist I just do it and don't seek validation for doing it) many are unaware of the following:

I first got interested in being a voice for the disabled because a very wonderful close relative of mine had down syndrome and although she was different, she was amazing and kind and I have amazing memories of helping her to write in a diary with my grandad.

I still have my great auntie M's diary with her attempts and I can't part with it because it's dear to my heart. She was also a (townsfolk) and my grandfather and I were very close being his first grandchild and he worked at C's.

I tried being a learning disabled nurse cadet and was one of 9 out of 71 chosen, however I didn't like how staff were treating the disabled in front of me and me defending them had me written up for disciplinary under the guise "we have failed to teach you right" personally I don't and didn't understand it and I resigned as I was bullied for not allowing a boss to scream in the face of a lady with epilepsy in front of me. I didn't care about how she thought of me, I didn't want the woman having to deal with that and triggering an epileptic fit.

A lot of disabilities are invisible and without the proper education people that are in charge of services for the most vulnerable could potentially be putting people at risk if they're not trained to deal with such complex disabilities.

Being 18/19 years of age, and not part of a union I had no choice but to resign.

I spent six months working with Learning disabled children and six months at a learning disabled adult respite facility.

I have A levels in psychology and teaching assistance experience with able bodied and disabled children.

I completed the no secrets workbook and I was invited to implement some training on invisible illnesses for the local company (care company) before the ladies sold it on. I also have all other NHS training.

I started http://pgpandspd.blogspot.com when I became pregnant and 12 weeks in developed SPD and still have the dislocated pelvis to this day.

I have 

Ehlers Danlos Hypermobility Syndrome

Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction 

(gap is 10.9mm on x-ray of my symphysis pubis, I have been refused surgery.)

I am continuing to work towards staying out of my wheelchair and gaining independence.

When I became disabled during pregnancy:

I lost my photography business,

(M Photography UK in (town))

I lost my private rented home,

I lost my psychology degree I was working towards via open uni,

I lost my employment,

and I lost, most importantly, my mobility.

Wheelchairs are a struggle in themselves.

I have endured abuse and worse in hospitals and from people who are supposed to safeguard you and are in professional positions including social services, and I'm not interested in problems or hate or aggression, just solutions and safeguarding.

I was unfairly targeted when my son had cancer at age 2 (leukemia) and that's a personally tragic and traumatic time of my life to which I'm just thankful and grateful my son is in remission and is doing well now.

I started support pelvic dysfunction with the aims of making it a charity and I've been in newspapers raising awareness of disabilities and regarding my photography business. 

Support pelvic dysfunction did not find two additional trustees and therefore is still running, albeit as a support group on Facebook.

I am autistic / neurodivergent which makes things more difficult on top of some mental health problems I have and I see a great mental health team on the town, and I'm always working on accepting all the abuse I've endured and learning to live with it and prevent others from enduring the same things, and if I can't, then atleast they don't have to face them alone like I did.

For many years I was bedbound but I didn't forget about others, I took calls at all times from women with SPD who needed someone to vent to and I actively helped women with their referrals and suggestive advice on how to get diagnosed for underlying conditions.

I aim to keep women out of wheelchairs in regards to SPD.

I continue to be the voice for those who don't have one and I will always continue to blog to raise awareness of our struggles and to find resolutions to the problems.

Not being able to deliver is a huge issue, it's a message that if you can't collect they're happy for you to go without or starve. I hope to remedy this.

I am part of [disability support group name] and appreciate them and the support group: for anyone interested they meet at Cafe [*] on Tuesday mornings at 11am. They are an amazing team and do so much for those of us on the town that have to navigate life with complex disabilities.

This is a brief summary and I hope to continue to be able to give those who find it difficult to speak out, a voice like they deserve.

I also was a anti - bullying counsellor at school and was trained even then in confidentiality and when to get an adult. I did so well giving up all my breaks and lunches up that I was the only one invited from my school to help train others in setting up anti-bullying systems in other schools. Unfortunately my school did not allow it. I like to think my neurodivergent side is what drives me in regards to fairness, inclusion and my sense of justice.

I am currently working towards a criminology degree and I am also an author and an artist amongst other things. I am just trying to rebuild my life for the third time and I hope that I can inspire others with mental health issues and complex conditions or disabilities to accept they are EQUALLY as worthy of respect and love as anyone and everyone else.

Thank you for taking the time to read about me.

Kind Regards

S xoxo 

#junction7 #disabled #disabilityawareness #disability #alldisabilities #alldisabilitiesmatter #support #compassion #understanding #neverquit #neurodivergent #ptsd #ptsdawareness #ptsdrecovery #trauma #autism #nosecrets #nhs #nhsnurse #disabilityinclusion #DisabledAdvocate"

I had to notify the police and I'm awaiting news from either them or the charity itself.

Thank you for reading my blog and I hope it helps you speak out against ableism and disrespect too! 

I won't be sharing the video evidence on this blog due to names and addresses but I'm proud I got evidence because things like this has happened far too many times to me since I became disabled and they've always gotten away with it because they've lied saying I'm the one who was abusive and I am avoidant of conflict and want a peaceful life as my disability makes it difficult enough.

Keep your head held high and your chin up!

Their mistreatment of the disabled says everything about them and how you handle it says everything about you!

Lots of love and support!

S xoxo 🩷