I am starting to agree with those who, before now, I have derided as paranoid and reactionary. If one needed proof that disabledism exists, one need only look at the bus system. I was in Crewe today, because I was pissed off at having no lightwriter and needed some retail therapy. Its amazing how buying something girly can cheer me up. I decided to go back to Crewe campus and take the intersite after visiting Trish as Alan had suggested asking her about my thesis. When I decided to head for home, the intersite was an inaccessible double-decker. Obviously, I’d have to take the twenty. One came without stopping; another came, stopped but refused to let me on. I mean, given it is no longer acceptable to make black people sit at the back of the bus, why are we disabled people only allowed on some busses, and then only when the driver’s not being a dick? I can think of no physical reason why all busses can’t be accessible, apart from cost. If double-deckers take more people, just put more busses on. This is not fair. Sorry mahatma, but this is pure discrimination – no more ‘trying to understand’ or ‘turning the other cheek’.

Then when I went back inside to ask people for help, I had to use a fucking letter chart. Degrading, drawn out, embarrassing. I felt like I was five. And I couldn’t make anyone understand.