This recent piece from my colleague Mary O'Hara is horribly relevant today, given the latest from the UK govt on 'levelling up' - and Sunak's jet flights.

'Framing this calamity as a cost-of-living crisis suggests an evenly distributed, unavoidable experience. As with austerity, this is a fallacy.'

#austerity #costofliving #levellingup #ukpolitics #disability #learningdisability #intellectualdisability #unpaidcarer #care #support #socialcare

https://www.cl-initiatives.co.uk/cuts-are-a-choice-not-a-necessity/

Today's UK census data gives us even more evidence about the scale of the unmet support need among unpaid carers and/or people who have a disability and families...and the govt will treat (overlook) just the same way as it has treated all the existing evidence.

Also, I'm no statistician, but comparing data from the last census (2011) needs care, given the explanations about question wording and Covid.

#census #disability #unpaidcarer #covid

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandwellbeing/methodologies/healthdisabilityandunpaidcarequalityinformationforcensus2021

Looking forward to seeing my sister Raana over Christmas. But while festivities can be fun, they can also be complex. Holidays are tricky for many people, families and carers, even before adding Covid or the cost of living crisis into the mix.

This from the charity Sibs is vital (full disclosure: I'm a trustee and chair the charity):

#siblings #autism #disability #carer #unpaidcarer

https://www.sibs.org.uk/support-for-adult-siblings/coping-with-festivities/

Just because I love this smiley photo of Elliott and it doesn't display on the link in my last toot, here's a screen grab from the Tortoise website.

#autistic #nonverbal #complexneeds #epilepsy #carer #unpaidcarer #pmld #journalism #podcast #reporter #editor

Still getting to grips with all this so I don't think the image showed in my previous post - but it's a beautiful one of Elliott so here it is again.

Here's the link again too: https://www.tortoisemedia.com/file/a-place-for-elliott/

#autism #learingdisability #podcast #pmld #unpaidcarer #send #special needs

This is a year old today - I'm sharing because how often do you see or hear from non-verbal people with complex or profound disabilities, or their families?

It's a story on how hard it is for some people to get Covid vaccinations, but it's also about one family's determination and joy.

A podcast with Elliott Goldsworthy and his family, for Tortoise Media, with ed David Taylor and producer Gemma Newby.

https://www.tortoisemedia.com/audio/a-place-for-elliott/

#autism #Disability #learningdisability #unpaidcarer #epilepsy

@FionaFisher #unpaidcarer #parentcarer #CarersRightsDay [every day] #disability #disabilityrights

It's UK #CarersRightsDay

Here's something I did recently for @BylineTimes and @Hardeep_Matharu

It's a shameful fact that the health and care system fails disabled people – but what's under-reported are the gaps in support for family members.

Carers' needs are unmet, their role overlooked, these issues should be part of the national conversation about the future of our health and care system

#unpaidcarer #sibling #disability #healthcare #socialcare

https://bylinetimes.com/2022/10/12/who-will-care-for-the-carers-left-without-government-support/

Sorry for the hashtag list... sharing to show what I'm interested in so like-minded people can find me here - and I can find them!

#learningdisability #humanrights #disabilityrights #autism #specialneeds #inclusion #neurodiversity #equality #healthinequality #socialcare #siblings #inclusivearts #inclusivedance #complexneeds #pmld #unpaidcarer #fragilex #intersectional

I'm a #freelance #journalist #author #editor and sibling to the v creative Raana (who you'll see in my cheery pinned pic).

A bit niche, but I'm looking for people in the #RettSyndrome #SETD5Syndrome #Autism #LearningDisability #Epilepsy community. Our daughter has all of the above. Would love to meet fellow #ParentCarer #UnpaidCarer folks

@jamiemchale just a wee thanks for thinking of people who for good reason can't meet up with others in person, due to Covid worries, disabilities, caring duties, distance, cost and so on. Wish more groups and orgs would consider doing the same. Ironically, #access for these groups was often better during the lockdown and restricted phases of Covid. #UnpaidCarer #Disabled #Participation

I have a meeting about my kid later so I’m in #AutisticWaitingMode.

Can’t concentrate on anything. Just waiting and endlessly scripting what I want to say.

And checking my email as they still haven’t sent the invites out (yes I did already email to check it’s still on…)

#Autism #UnpaidCarer

Tiny group of #UnpaidCarer mastodonians so far. I hope some more appear! #UnpaidCarers

Couldn't get to sleep due to worry/upset stomach, then ds got up three times thru the night & finally up at 7am. I feel rubbish & knackered & have a long drive today. This is the life of an unpaid carer. #UnpaidCarer

I saw that the wee film I made with Joff earlier this year for the Scottish Govt was being RT again on Tw*tter.
It's about the formation of the new National Care Service in Scotland.
I thought I'd put it here for new viewers, and who wouldn't like to see a braw laddie on a Wednesday?

#BoldJoff
#UnpaidCarer
#ThrivingNotSurviving

https://twitter.com/scotgov/status/1589679185676554240?t=9cPbjHY2-kkNofTJK1kkRg&s=19

Omg another early rise with ds. So knackered and so cold! #carerlife #UnpaidCarer

A few hashtags to highlight some of my interests and help people find me! #lgbt+ #unpaidcarer #Christian #Bible #spirituality #gardens #outdoors #climate #progressive #dogs

Hi, newbie from Twitter under same name. Good to see everyone. I'm an #unpaidcarer and #writer.

Now are those pebbles that make it less smooth and sometimes unpossible to be "just me" residue of #inzernalizedableism or of #sexualviolence or the experience of #classism as a longtime #unpaidcarer. Lots of trickling epiphanies on all fronts as I keep unmasking... I may differ from you in that my childhood experience was very sexist. So that layer may carry some extra weight for me.

RT @lensawag1@twitter.com

Sounds very much like an #unpaidcarer so I'm doubley stuffed 😢 https://twitter.com/ConsciousCrafty/status/1526095250288148480

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/lensawag1/status/1526118478842843136