Contrast the way in which Council officers deal with racism and with disability. In 2021, officers spent £12,000 on consulting on and changing the name of Cecil Rhodes House, a block of 1940s-era art deco council flats behind St Pancras. True, Rhodes was a particularly nasty colonialist in southern Africa and is part of our shameful imperialist history, but contrast the local authority’s willingness to shell out on rebranding that block with its refusal to implement small, low-cost changes to aid disabled people’s day-to-day living.
For example, the council seems unwilling to spend money on equipping staff with speech-to-text apps for their phones. The apps could be used, especially by staff at receptions, to communicate with hearing impaired people. Also, the more sophisticated apps can translate. I use mine with a Ukrainian speaker.
I have repeatedly advocated for officers to use these apps, most recently on CDA’s visit to the Town Hall. As my wife is severely hearing impaired, I also recommended that the Disability Oversight Panel use the apps but they haven’t done so.
Turning to people with visual impairments now, I would say they have also not been well served by the council. I have low vision myself and I struggle with kerbs, especially when getting off buses. Yet my pleas to councillors to have bus stop kerbs painted to distinguish them from the road have been ignored. I offered to arrange for a local youth group to do the painting – but still no heed was paid.
Mobility issues have inspired no great change of heart either. My repeated requests for dropped kerbs to be installed, especially when repairs are being done to footpaths, are disregarded. My wife and a friend sustained serious injuries requiring hospital treatment after tripping on cracks in the pavement.
It seems to me that changing the name of a block of flats because of the actions of an individual who has been dead for well over a hundred years is more important to officers and councillors than the current health of disabled people in Camden.
I am trying to organise a walkabout in Gospel Oak and Haverstock with the council’s head of planning, and with councillors, to identify improvements needed in the area for disabled people.
I hope that Camden Disability Action will agree to take part. More protests and publicity are needed to highlight the needs and mistreatment of disabled people.
The Ham and High and Camden New Journal have run stories recently on the protest about the attempt to turf out a web of community health and social care services from Peckwater annex of the Caversham Surgery.
Unfortunately, the Camden Disability Action was not present and a vital photo opportunity was lost.
