Durham county council and internalised ableism:
When You’re Disabled, You Feel… Worthless
Being disabled in this society often means being made to feel worthless. Useless. Like your existence is a burden. It’s not a feeling that appears out of nowhere — it’s internalised ableism, built from years of being treated as “less than.” You’re taught that your disability is a personal failure rather than a systemic issue.
I live with this every day. I have skills. I contribute constantly through unpaid advocacy and awareness work. But I still feel like a burden, because society doesn’t value that work unless it’s paid. And when you're disabled, finding paid work is made needlessly harder — not because we’re not capable, but because we’re judged differently.
I recently recorded a podcast with an employment support organisation, using my lived experience to help others. It was meaningful. But because they’re funded by Durham County Council, the episode was removed after a complaint — not about anything I said, but about how I manage my own disability.
That’s the reality for disabled advocates: speak up, and you become a target.
There was no discussion, no support, no transparency. I still haven’t received the social media policy they claimed I breached. I'm now pushing for official written responses, as their actions may have breached internal protocols and data protection law (GDPR). Their social media policies shouldn’t even reach me, as I’m not affiliated with Durham County Council in any way. Yet they’ve used this as an excuse to blacklist and silence me.
This isn’t just silencing one voice. It’s a warning shot to others: stay quiet, or you’ll be next.
It’s retraumatising. Dehumanising. And isolating. As an independent disability advocate, I don’t have an organisation shielding me — I am the platform. And yet, people in power still choose to erase us instead of hearing us.
But I will not be silenced.
Disabled voices matter — especially when they challenge, unsettle, or disrupt the norm.
Society needs to change. So do our councils and systems.
We must do better — together.
Sarah Wingfield
Independent Disability Advocate
The right support can open doors - but the wrong support silences and closes them for disabled people.
I should have had my voice shared but Durham County Council chose to silence mine.
Image description: black text on a white background reads: “It hasn't been easy. It's actually been really tough. But look at you, moving forward and still giving it your best. I'm so proud of you for how hard you're trying.”
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