speech impairment
classed as disabled.
should
be
Now, don’t get me wrong – I’m not
underestimating how hard the lives
of people with debilitating disabilities
really are compared with mine. I’ve not
got it so bad. But I do think that neck
breathers would be able to do so much
more to spread the word about our
‘condition’ if we were classed as being
disabled.
Suppose we were classed as disabled?
Imagine it – suddenly the general public
would get a much greater understanding
of our condition and the sort of
problems we face. Wouldn’t it be
great if, instead of having to explain
to people over and over again why
we have a stoma and why we might
sound a bit funny, they already knew?
Greater public awareness would bring all
sorts of benefits. Public services would be
more geared up to supporting anyone
with a speech impairment. Charitable
fundraising for lary and trachi
groups would suddenly get a lot
easier. In short, it would give us all
a much bigger voice.
What about the money?
I might be angry, but I’m not greedy! And for me
at least, this isn’t about the money. But that’s not
to say that some larys shouldn’t be entitled to
disability living allowance. Some may very well
need much greater assistance (particularly in the
early days following their surgery) in performing
some routine tasks. I’ve certainly struggled with
some of my fiddly new stoma cleaning activities.
At the end of the day, I’ll ‘fess up – yes, I’m a bit
angry, I seethe and mutter and grumble a bit. But
I’m not bitter. I just think we deserve a little bit
more attention, and a little bit more consideration.
Maybe being classified as disabled would give us
that. What do you think? ?
Countrywide NEWS
Saeed is our newest
recruit, and is another
great addition to the
team. Working as a
Warehouse Operative,
Saeed is at the sharp
end – helping get all
those orders picked
and packed.
Saeed used to work as a glass cutter – it’s what
he trained for after he left school in Iran – and,
as he says, it’s the job he “fell in love with.”
With all his skills and passion, it’s no surprise
that when he came to the UK, he quickly got a
job with a double glazing manufacturer. But it
wasn’t a great working environment, and having
to work huge 12 hour shifts was far from ideal.
It certainly didn’t leave much room for a social
life! But fortunately, Saeed still managed to
meet a certain special someone (our very own
Anna from Customer Services) in a Spanish
bar in Edinburgh. Now, the two are happily
married, living in Nottingham and both coming
to work at Countrywide! In fact, Anna spotted
the warehouse opportunity and urged Saeed to
apply. We’re glad she did.
Saeed doesn’t hesitate when asked what he
finds so rewarding about his role here. “More
than anything else, it’s the people I work with”
he says. It’s a busy role and a demanding one,
but at least there aren’t any more twelve hour
shifts! That means Saeed can still find time to
devote to his life with Anna, and to his role as
player-manager for his 5-a-side Powerleague
football team. Managing it very successfully too
– Saeed’s team recently won the league title!
As he says, “Everything is going very well at the
moment.” Saeed is happy with his life, his work
and his friends. And we’re very happy to have
him here at Countrywide.
Summer 2 010 | THE VOICE
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