I remember shortly before the general election talking with a colleague about what different outcomes might bring about for us people with Tourette’s syndrome. Although worried about the prospect of living under a Tory government we felt that Cameron telling us, the voting public that disability benefits would not be affected. Looking back on the scene I feel a bit stupid, things have turned out much different, amongst disability groups there is genuine fear about what the future brings for people with disabilities and their families, from the creation of more Academies, the replacement of DLA, that many of us rely on with the new more stringent Personal Independence Payment, the fall out from the Work Capability Assessment and the loss of essential ESA payments for many people who are unable to work who will then have to be financially supported by their partner (time limitation on ESA) the list goes on, these changes affect our working life, (again DLA and Access to Work) housing, (caps on Housing and Council Tax Benefit) and if we’re unable to work, how this is assessed and how we are supported back into the workplace.
The issue that has arisen over the weekend is our PM’s casual use of the word “Tourette’s” it seems to me that in recent times Tourette’s has acquired a new meaning, as well as being the name of a complex neurological condition it has become a word to describe the general bad language. In its new meaning “Tourette’s” as been banded around the media by celebrity and journalist alike and now David Cameron has joined their ranks. During his Prime Minister’s Question Time he described Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls’ constant barrage as “like having someone with Tourette’s sitting opposite you”. It now seems to me that the highest realms of society, those that are running our country are casually banding our condition around as a light-hearted humorous insult. For us it isn’t, some may think that I’m taking this a bit personally but if this is the attitude that our PM shows towards a disability, yes Tourette’s syndrome is definitely a disability, what does that say about his general attitude towards his voting public, yes, us people with Tourette’s syndrome can vote also. My point is that the lines become blurred, the real meaning of Tourette’s syndrome, the diagnostic criteria, how it affects every aspect of our lives merges into this new meaning. These new definitions affect how others that we meet treat us, the way children with TS are educated, the outcomes of our job applications, the benefits that we need to apply for in order to live, the healthcare we receive and how we are treated by people whilst going about our daily business. I take my hat off and admire greatly those of us with TS that have put them selves out into the public forum, John Davidson and my good friend Ruth Ojadi for being involved with making insightful, moving documentaries that clearly illustrate what life with TS is like. Each time a fantastic documentary featuring such notable individuals with TS or newspaper article outlining the achievements of a person with TS, that for us is a step forward in acceptance and understanding, all it takes is a flippant “off the cuff” comment like the PM made to set us back.
Language can do so much damage, there is a saying “sticks and stones may break your bones but words may never hurt you” in this day and age that is no longer true, by using anti-disability language you are indeed affecting how people with disabilities are viewed, when I was younger there were many anti-disability words banded around the playground as insults, I hope that soon that using “Tourette’s” as an insult will become just as taboo. Until that day Britain will be somewhat an unfair place for us to live.
