The solution is out there

I remember the day well. It was summer 2007 and I was just about to start a foundation degree in photography that september. It was the first day I felt both 'properly disabled' and liberated at the same time.

I had just had my assessment of need for my Disabled students allowance. It is the equivalent (but complete opposite) to the assessment you have when you first claim benefits. The purpose of the assessment is to discover what impairments and disabilities I had (in the social model sense), and how barriers can be reduced or removed to enable me to complete whichever course of higher education I was about to undertake.

Although the inital part of the process was medicalised, in that I needed to provide medical evidence of my impairment and how it disables me long term the resulting discussion had a completly different focus. Impairment and disability were discussed in the context of barrier removal. So there was no dismissal or denial of the existance of my impairment. It was real, acknowledged, openly discussed and accepted. This is what my impairment is, this is how it could affect me, and this is my reality. However, it wasn't left at that.

The next part of the assessment was how can my reality be improved, changed or adapted through the use of various different things to enable me to achieve my full potential within the course. It was this bit that was revolutionary to me. No longer was someone saying you have an impairment, that means you can't do it, they were telling me, yes I can do it. Yes I can go and study, and yes I can move on, despite the impairment and despite these many barriers. I was offered things that I had never thought would help, or would have even considered before. My perceptions were changed from claiming this because i was disabled and somehow in need to being entitled to the same opportunities as everyone else, and being an allowance of enablement.

The assessor wasn't an expert in my impairment, to be honest, not a lot of people are. But, what she was an expert in was the way in which impairments can have an impact on study and learning. She wasn't medically trained, and was based within a college rather than a hospital or other medical setting. It makes sense, surely, that I would need an educational assessment when I am going into education?

There is no comparison to the polar opposite experience that people have reported when having a work capability assessment as part of the new Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). From the start, impairment and the disabling affects are questioned, no action is taken to overcome any barriers in the form of a personal action plan. No direct support is offered or equipment provided to enable the person to return to work. The persons own goals and aspirations are not taken into consideration. The person conducting the interview is a medical doctor, often in a medical setting. They are not experts in work, they are experts in medicine.

Imagine, if we had a system like the Disabled students allowance system for claiming out of work sickness benefits? You sat down with a person who was an expert in the world of work and how it can be adapted to enable disabled people to participate. You were given your own personalised targets of how you could get into work, or some other form of meaningful activity (if you see what i mean). There would be an equipment allowance to enable you to have assistive technology and other things to enable you. You would be empowered, motivated and able to think about working again. All in the one interview. You would be shown how you could overcome those barriers, but not in a patronising, there not really there sort of tone, but a realistic barrier removal language.

The equipment allowance would be agreed alongside your own personalized weekly allowance, and how long you think you will need to be on the benefit for before having another review. Everything would be justified, reasoned out and your needs placed in the centre. Voluntary work, education and  employment would be given the same merit, and the transition onto a longer term allowance would be negotiated if a wage wasn't possible.

The solution is out there people, just look to the higher education system. I firmly believe that it is the answer to how ESA should work.