JustBeingCP

I have been thinking a lot recently about why people don’t get down to my level when they are trying to engage in conversation with me.

These thoughts got me thinking about the time that I first met Mark Gough from ITV News Central when I was a student at Hereward College in Coventry.

Mark came to film with some of the students, including myself about a new wheelchair that was designed to grow with the person using it.

We told Mark off whilst he was filming with us because the way he was filming came across as quite intimidating.

The disabled community on the whole prefer that people having conversations with us do so at our eye level.

This was something that Mark wasn’t doing so we as a group decided to pull him up on it and he then apologised to us for his mistake.

When I get the opportunity to work with any journalist I always ask them to interview me at my eye level because it makes me feel less intimidated.

I would like to take this opportunity to urge all members of our society to have conversations with the disabled community at a level comfortable for them as this will ensure we don’t feel intimidated.

I absolutely hate it when people are having conversations with me whilst they are towering above me because I feel very uncomfortable.

It only takes 30 seconds for you to get down to my level when you are speaking to me, so please do.

The next time that you are having a conversation with me and don’t get down to my level I will politely remind you to do so.

I know those who will be reading this will be wondering why I chose today to write and release a blog on this topic.

My answer to those questions is a simple one and as follows, I’m fed up of thinking that people could fall on me when we are deep in conversation because they are standing over me.

I want to make it clear that I’m not having a go at those who are reading this, I am just trying to offer some friendly words of advice.

I hope that the advice in this blog will help you to interact with the disabled community in a more positive way going forward.

I know that this both a short blog and the 3rd one that I have released this week but I have been thinking about how this topic makes me feel for a number of weeks now.

I would like to end in my normal way by taking the opportunity to thank my readers and followers for taking the time out of your busy schedules to continually read my blogs, it doesn’t go unnoticed.

Cam