My name is Chris Cammiss and I have just read your paper.
I found it fascinating.
I'll declare my interest - I am a long-term wheelchair-user since contracting polio as a young child. I was a secondary school teacher for many years until taking early retirement several years ago since when (amongst other disability related work) I have lectured in Disability Awareness and Equality. I usually deliver courses to the staff of Housing Associations, Social Services, colleges and so on, but there has been significant involvement with Health Care. I have had a long-term connection with Manchester Royal Infirmary, was invited to talk to staff at Homerton Hospital in London and have trained the staffs of several medical practices.
I have always found it interesting how trained professionals with all good intentions, can come to such different decisions about how to speak and act around disabled people - how much they know about the Social and Medical models etc.
I found lots of points of similarity betwen your work with older people and mine with disabled people. Appropriate language and behaviour provide endless scope for discussion and misunderstanding!
If you have any plans for further work in this field, and you think I might be able to contribute then please get in touch.I have the full picture from childhood to (almost) retirement, being dealt with as a full-time wheelchair-user, through schooling, university, employment, marriage etc etc where I have needed healthcare involvement throughout. I also have many contacts with other disabled people with widely different needs.
Recognition
1 May 2015
Hello,
My name is Chris Cammiss and I have just read your paper.
I found it fascinating.
I'll declare my interest - I am a long-term wheelchair-user since contracting polio as a young child. I was a secondary school teacher for many years until taking early retirement several years ago since when (amongst other disability related work) I have lectured in Disability Awareness and Equality. I usually deliver courses to the staff of Housing Associations, Social Services, colleges and so on, but there has been significant involvement with Health Care. I have had a long-term connection with Manchester Royal Infirmary, was invited to talk to staff at Homerton Hospital in London and have trained the staffs of several medical practices.
I have always found it interesting how trained professionals with all good intentions, can come to such different decisions about how to speak and act around disabled people - how much they know about the Social and Medical models etc.
I found lots of points of similarity betwen your work with older people and mine with disabled people. Appropriate language and behaviour provide endless scope for discussion and misunderstanding!
If you have any plans for further work in this field, and you think I might be able to contribute then please get in touch.I have the full picture from childhood to (almost) retirement, being dealt with as a full-time wheelchair-user, through schooling, university, employment, marriage etc etc where I have needed healthcare involvement throughout. I also have many contacts with other disabled people with widely different needs.
Hope I can help.
Regards
Chris
Competing interests
None