| Description | An interview with David JONES, a single man with no children, who is a Disability volunteer, born in Birmingham and now living in Birmingham. David JONES’s father was a Unknown, born in Unknown and his mother a Carer born in England. In the interview, he talks about …
'JONES, David MS2255/2/044 Logged by Lorraine Blakemore
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Born at Dudley Road Hospital on 7/6/1974. Attended Victoria Special School in Northfield from the age of 5. Left school at 19 to go to college. Relaxed atmosphere at school.
2.13 Attended other schools in the area to examine how they taught special needs. Wheelers Lane School had integrated sessions. The school had to figure out how to put the facilities in the building….
3.38 I didn't think it would work in the beginning because the teachers in a mainstream school would have been different…after going for 2 years, once a week…attitudes were beginning to change, not necessarily with the teachers….but with the actual pupils….It was an idea of how they would be approachable to a disabled person, to communicate with a disabled person. Someone who is not used to dealing with a person in a wheelchair….
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Describes school trips and how the days were structured.
1.19 Names several special schools in the South Birmingham area.
2.02 Preferred the integrated lessons. Didn’t like Religious Education. It was interesting to know what was around, but I said to the teachers, ”Why are you filling up my head with all of this rubbish ?” Lots of fellow students of mixed religions.
4.24 Went to college in 1992 at the age of 19.
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Didn’t sit exams, so no formal qualifications.
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Discusses his disability. Born with Cerebral Palsy. Spent a lot of his early life in hospital. Acted as a volunteer in hospital to keep other patients occupied.
2.02 Endured many operations which were traumatic.
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Claims surgeon nearly operated on the wrong foot. Discusses how an operation was cancelled.
3.10 Bullied at school, causing injury, which led to further operations.
4.27 School didn’t address the bullying, so forced to deal with it himself. You may think a special school doesn’t have bullies but they all do….I just dealt with it myself…
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There was one other occasion…I was bullied by another pupil who actually, he’s left school now and recently, over the last year or so, he tried to push me against some metal railings in Cartland Road, and he had an electric wheelchair…
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Discusses family.
1.55 Moving house and the complications involved in adapting a home for a wheelchair- bound person.
4.25 Contrasts facilities for disabled people overseas and in the UK.
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Holiday in Ibiza.
2.21 Birmingham and access for wheelchairs in the 70s. Well basically, all you ever found was steps and more steps, aimed at people doing everything outside. Or not going out really, because unless I had a carer, there was not much point in me going out because unless I was pushed…In the Bull Ring, there was a ‘Lift for Invalids’. You would go in this tin can up and down….I’ve kicked up such a fuss about lack of access that I’ve had free meals, etc….
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You felt crushed going round the city centre because everything was really small and narrow, and crowds of people were walking all over you and you need a lot more space than was originally intended and I got complaints from the public, “You’ve crushed my foot!”….The environment for a person that’s standing up is completely different…
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Discusses how the city centre is experiencing a building boom. I don’t think I’ll actually touch the city centre until it’s done.
1.17 Even though the Sealife Centre has been built, that’s not accessible and that was in 1995, just in time for the Disabilities Discrimination Act enforcement. I couldn’t even get to see half of the exhibits…the ramp was too steep and narrow….
3.08 Recounts the principles of the Discrimination Act.
4.27 Problem of the new Wolverhampton to Snow Hill Metro where at least 2 stops are inaccessible for wheelchair users.
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Felt that there were no employment opportunities for disabled people when he was a child. The problems didn’t exist in people’s minds until the government tackled the problem with the legislation….I said I’d like to work with disabled consultants and people…..my teacher trainee said it was not possible at the moment…
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Discusses relationships.
56” I do still attend a youth club full of able-bodied people and no wheelchairs. This was at St. Francis Youth Centre in Bournville….they didn’t really like me there, but I stuck it out.. and I’m still there.
2.42 Doesn’t feel safe going out at night. Not much access in pubs.
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Account about being a victim of a reckless driver.
3 25 West Midlands Police provided counselling and advice after the accident.
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Doctors had a limited view of how David would progress.
2.50 Now involved with Local Government to improve awareness.
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Feels that Birmingham needs to improve. Often behind with many things. The older generation thinking about the past too much….
2.41 Thinks a lot needs to be done to help young people with problems like drugs, etc.
4.04 I am quite concerned, I’m not saying they are bad people, but I think with all the people that are coming over from other countries and the government say they haven’t got any money to spend on our country….Also I think that people that need to ask for help don’t get it that well….I feel quite strongly about people having things straight away….
ENDS |