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Getting around obstacles
Know your rights
In an ideal world, we would all be treated equally and fairly. We all have the right to the support we need and to be included. But sometimes it’s not like that. Most of us, at some stage, will face discrimination of some kind – at school, college, university, work or in everyday life.
There are many places you can go for more information on your rights.
The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) protects you from being treated unfairly at school and work, when you buy or rent a home and in your access to facilities and services.
Details of the DDA and what action you can take if you feel you are being discriminated against can be found on the Equalities Commission
Go to Directgov for more information about your rights
Financial Support
Having money makes being independent a lot easier. So it helps to know where to go for financial support if you need it.
There are many Government allowances that can help you do the things you want to do.
Disability Living Allowance
People who need help getting around or looking after themselves may qualify for a Disability Living Allowance (DLA). Parents or carers can claim it if the person is under 16. You can get a claim form from:
- The Benefit Enquiry Line - a confidential telephone service for disabled people. Telephone 0800 88 22 00 or text phone 0800 24 33 55 Lines are open 8.30am - 6pm, Monday to Friday and 9am – 1pm Saturday
- Your local Benefits Office (your local Jobcentre Plus, Social Security Office or Disability Benefits Centre) who will send you a claim pack.
Otherwise, you can log on to or download the following:
Jobcentre Plus Office and find your nearest office
Disability Living Allowance form
Direct Payments
If would like to arrange and pay for your own help, your local council can make direct payments to you. This gives you more choice and control over your support.
Talk to your local council to have your social services help replaced by direct payments or, if you don’t receive social services, to arrange an assessment. You can do this yourself if you’re over 16. If you aren’t, ask your parent(s) or carer to contact the council for you. For more information:
Directgov - provides a list of local councils
Department of Health: a guide to receiving direct payments from your local council (PDF document)
Department of Health - a guide to receiving direct payments, giving you the choice and control (PDF document).
Disabled Students’ Allowances
Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs) are paid on top of existing standard student support. They help students whose studies cost more because of a disability. An individual’s needs are looked at in order to identify the extra costs.
DSAs don’t depend on family income, don’t have to be repaid and don’t affect any other benefits.
You’ll find information on DSAs in the following guide from the Department for Education and Skills, which can be downloaded with an application form:
'Bridging the Gap' guide to Disabled Students' Allowances (DSA) in higher education
Disabled Students' Allowances application form DSA1
Disabled Students' Allowances application guidance DSA2 [PDF document].
Incapacity Benefit
People who can't work because of illness or disability may be able to get Incapacity Benefit (IB), if they are not receiving statutory sick pay.
To find out if you’re eligible to claim IB, contact your local Jobcentre Plus. Find your local Jobcentre Plus Office
Disabled Facilities Grant
A Disabled Facilities Grant is a grant from the local council to help pay the cost of adapting disabled people’s homes to their needs. The council must agree that the changes (e.g. widening doors and putting in ramps, adapting heating or lighting controls to make them easier to use) are necessary, reasonable and practical.
To arrange an assessment by an occupational therapist, contact your local council. Find your local council.
Your local council can give you all the information you need and there are also some good websites. The Department for Work and Pensions provides more about benefits and services and Directgov also has information on benefits and services.
Breaking down barriers
All of us have to deal with the challenges that life throws at us. How can you make sure that they don’t catch you out?
Start by believing in yourself and others will believe in you too. In the words of Rachel Hurst of Disabled People’s International: “Social change initially comes from us, from disabled people. It has to.”
Opening minds – opening doors
You may ask why it’s down to you to make the effort to change other people’s attitudes. Shouldn’t they be making the effort themselves? Of course they should, and the law helps make sure that they do. But the law can only affect behaviour, not attitudes. The attitudes that come from prejudice can be hard to shift. You can respond to it with your openness, and by opening the minds of others to a different way of thinking and acting.
Mishandling or misunderstanding?
Sometimes, people are unsure about how to relate to disabled people. They don’t want to say or do the wrong thing or offend you. So you must be comfortable with yourself and show you can take control of the situation. Send a signal to others that they can be comfortable too.
You may also find that people want to help you do things in order to protect you. So it’s up to you to make sure they see what you are capable of. Be open and vocal about your feelings and how you would like to be treated. This way, people can begin to understand where support ends and over-protectiveness begins, for you.
Look at what you bring to society and take every opportunity to promote it. Be positive, flexible, adaptable, creative and patient – your attitude will open many doors. Above all, don’t allow others to discourage you. Follow your dreams and don’t be too proud to ask for help when you need it.
Problem-solving techniques
There are many ways of solving problems in everyday life. Here are some ways to help you to take control.
- Talk to people you trust and whose opinion you respect. They might be able to advise you. And even if they can’t, talking about it will help you
- Break the problem down into manageable parts and you may find it easier to deal with
- Look at the problem from another perspective – particularly from the person you think is causing it
- Look through the problem - visualising the outcome you want may help you find a solution
- Sleep on it - problems can look very different in the morning
- Learn from others - very few problems are unique, and you may be able to use the experiences of others to find a solution.
There may be times when, whatever your own attitudes, those of others can affect you. This is where prejudice becomes discrimination. In these circumstances you may need to consult with organisations such as the Equalities Commission or take a look at know your rights
Being more assertive can help you to deal with difficult situations. For help with assertiveness go to the asserting yourself
Learning from others
In this story Matt talks about how he created a radio station - and how he got around all the obstacles he faced.
When I was at college I always wanted to set up a radio station. I was already an amateur DJ and I felt that the college would benefit from in-house entertainment. I talked to the Assistant Principal. She was so impressed with the idea that she offered to support me to turn my dream into a reality.
My first responsibility was to research the type of programmes which the students were interested in. Secondly, I needed to understand how radio stations work. My Assistant Principal sought advice from various technical support services, and after some consideration, we decided to go down the route of an on-line radio station with specialist equipment. The next problem was how to fund it and for this I did some fundraising myself such as selling raffle tickets and doing a band night.
I heard from one of my friends about this charity called Whizz-Kidz which was doing a one-off Millennium Awards programme, which helped young people to put their ideas into practice.
Getting active
Want to get out and have some fun? Can’t think what you want to do?
There are so many ways for you to turbo-charge your social life that we’d never be able to fit them all on this website. But here are a few suggestions to get you started. If you want to meet new people and have more fun you can:
- Join clubs
- Go to events
- Visit the cinema
- Go to the theatre
- Participate in sport
- Join a gym
- Go out with your school mates/work colleagues
- Go on holidays
- Correspond with a pen pal
- Be a Whizz-Kidz’ Ambassador.
To help you decide what you want to do, and who you want to meet, think about what you want to get out of your social life. Are you just hoping to get out more, to meet new people, maybe find a romantic relationship or just share an interest or hobby with others?
This section of the website is packed with links that will help you look at your options. The best thing is to try as many things as you can. The more sociable you are, the more confident you’ll get about meeting new people - and you’ll have all the more to talk to them about!
Remember, you’ve got a lot to offer. Why not make the move now and share it with others?
Enjoy a better social life
- Be yourself - that way you’ll find the kind of friends who like you as you are
- Take it easy to start with - don’t over-commit yourself
- Don’t expect too much of yourself or others - give yourself time to build up your confidence
- Keep an open mind and accept invitations
- If you are too tired, give yourself a break - but don’t give up easily
- It may help to keep a diary as a record of just how much you’ve achieved
- Remember it’s about enjoying yourself and having fun!
I would like to make a regular donation!
I like being an ambassador because I can help Whizz-Kidz to help children get the kit they need to be independent and to get around to do things for themselves and be happy