PGP / SPD My story:

Disabilities Are Not Swearwords. There is something deeply unsettling about watching adults weaponise medical conditions as insults. Recently, in a local Darlington group, children’s behaviour was criticised by throwing around real diagnoses — including Foetal Alcohol Syndrome — as if they were punchlines. As if they were shorthand for “bad”, “feral”, “wrong”. Let me say this plainly: Using conditions like Foetal Alcohol Syndrome as an insult is not commentary. It is dehumanising . It reinforces stigma that real children live with every single day. And when adults model that behaviour publicly, it normalises cruelty . Disabilities are NOT swearwords. Diagnoses are NOT insults. If children behave harmfully, address the behaviour. Call out racism. Call out aggression. Call out misconduct. But do not drag disabled children into it as collateral damage. Because when someone says, “What in the foetal alcohol syndrome…” as shorthand for bad behaviour, what they are really communicating is ...

The biggest issue for chronic pain warriors is not 'addiction' it's suicide #suicideawareness Credit: KawaiiDollDecora.UK Sarah Wingfield  Independent Disability Advocate    #disabilityinclusion #strongertogether #disability #disabilityawareness #disabilitysupport #disabilityrights Alt text: Pastel kawaii-style illustration showing a sad-looking young woman with long pink hair and glasses, hugging a plush bunny for comfort. She is surrounded by soft clouds, hearts, sparkles, and a rainbow arching across the top. Cute but somber details include small skull characters, a crying cloud holding a noose-shaped rope, and a tipped-over pill bottle with tablets spilling out, symbolising the seriousness of chronic pain and mental health struggles. Text on the image reads: “The biggest issue for chronic pain warriors is not ‘addiction’ it’s suicide” with the hashtag #suicideawareness. The artwork is signed and credited “KawaiiDollDecora.UK” in a pastel, dreamy background.

A New Step in My Advocacy Journey: Suicide Awareness Training I’m proud to share that I’ve recently completed my Suicide Awareness Training with the Zero Suicide Alliance (ZSA). This certification means a lot to me — not just as another achievement, but as a personal commitment to understanding, compassion, and prevention. As someone who has struggled with mental health challenges, I know how heavy the world can feel at times. There have been moments when I felt completely unseen — and that’s why I believe so deeply that suicide is preventable. Not through empty words or quick fixes, but through connection, awareness, and empathy. The ZSA training offered practical tools to help recognise the signs when someone may be struggling, how to approach that conversation safely, and how to guide them toward the right support. It reinforced something I’ve always believed: we don’t need to be professionals to make a difference — we just need to show up with care and listen without judgement. I t...