some thoughts on the LB report

Please look at this twitter profile if you don't know of the hashtag #justiceforLB . https://twitter.com/JusticeforLB

It was in the news (local bbc news) yesterday that LB's death was preventable. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-26334445 .
I haven't been able to stop thinking about this news since then. It has been going round and round in my head about so many different things related to this that I haven't made any comment and kept in the shadows. But then I think I have found what I want to say, and it was @bendygirls tweet this morning that reminded me and summed up what I wanted to say.

 <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Good to see media coverage starting <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23JusticeForLB&amp;src=hash">#JusticeForLB</a> but as ever, no-one with a learning disability has been asked to comment</p>&mdash; BendyGirl (@BendyGirl) <a href="https://twitter.com/BendyGirl/statuses/438612418944851969">February 26, 2014</a></blockquote>
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I have to be honest. I haven't read the report. I don't honestly think I could. I doubt many people with a label of learning difficulty/disability could either. It reminded me of the spartacus report, which for those who don't know was put into an easy read format by a charity. I think thats where I started reading it. I can't take in a lot of information, and certainly not a lot of technical speak. From what I have seen of the report on blogs it seems to be that the report into LB's death is far from user friendly.

I am not saying that it should be made into an easy read format (although the principal would be nice). I am commenting that there is a phrase resonating through bendygirls tweet and the report.

"nothing about us without us".

This phrase first started being used by the disability rights movement in the 1970s. Disabled people were fed up of their lives being dominated by the medical professionals and other organisations. It is an empowering statement, one that is still around today. Going back to the report "they" are discussing LB in an abstract sense. It is written by professionals for professionals. It is not written for the average person in the street to understand. Whilst I understand reports like this have a place I feel it is important to reclaim the humanity of LB after this report is published. He wasn't "a patient" or "a label" but a human being.

It frustrates me that reports exist that are inaccessible and unwieldy. I don't know what the answer is, but I know that if anyone is to actually learn anything and do anything about LB's death they need to include everyone affected in an equal and accessible way.

Going back to @bendygirls tweet, they wont ask anyone with a learning disability to comment because I doubt they could find anyone who would be able to read the report or have been allowed to participate on an equal level.

Edit and updated: YaY an easy read version.  http://peoplefirstengland.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/connor-sparrowhawk-report-easy-read.html?spref=tw

Also look here for other coverage on this:  http://mydaftlife.wordpress.com/the-report/