Also I don’t trust the complaint process to be accessible, even down to my assistive tech accessing the website or are there large print paper forms?
It will also require administrative & emotional labour I don’t know that I have the resilience or capacity for. /12
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At the beginning of the appointment she also tried to make my partner take my guide dog with him. Again I calmly said no, she needed to stay with me.
Of course, as she’s a trained assistance dog
@GuideDogAva
lay at my feet & remained motionless during the whole procedure. 2/
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I also had to drink a medicated drink for the test.
I was struggling to get the last drops & the nurse gestured at me with a vague instruction “up”.
I didn’t understand as I couldn’t see the gestures so she grabbed the packet & shoved it in my mouth tipping in the liquid 3/
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The nurse gave me further information on the next steps of the test. I nodded, said “yes” & “I understand”.
As I exited the room & Other Half came forwards, the nurse repeated all the instructions to OH. Loudly telling him how to look after “his wife”.
We’re not married 4/
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What was so frustrating about the experience was that by making Other Half leave the nurse created access barriers.
He could have read for me & supported me with the drink.
OH is even down as my carer on the maternity forms 5/
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The sad thing is in all my maternity care so far this is the first time I’ve encouraged ableism.
The midwives are great, my blindness doesn’t phase them at all & we’re planning how to meet my sensory & access needs in labour.
Nurses clearly need disability awareness training 6/
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What I want non disabled people to understand is how utterly normal this experience felt.
As a blind person I’m usually manhandled, patronised & denied access support by medical professionals.
I probably will complain but honestly I expect the same experience next time. 7/
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So if you’re a healthcare professional reflect on your awareness around blindness & visual impairment.
If you lack knowledge or confidence to provide care & support then educate yourself.
There are so many excellent resources provided by organisations like
@RNIB
&
@guidedogs
8/
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And if you don’t have the time to follow blind advocates, watch a video or read a blog.
Just reflect on how it might feel to have a medicated drink shoved into your mouth. Or to be talked to like a child.
I’m blind & I am still a person. Treat me with dignity, care & respect 9/
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I want people to understand why “make a complaint” isn’t necessarily an accessible, safe or easy experience for a disabled person.
First, it won’t be anonymous, how many blind pregnant people with guide dogs in their third trimester are interacting with the department? 10/
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So healthcare staff will know that I have complained. The same staff who in 12 weeks will get decisions over my care & support in labour.
And no it’s not an unrealistic leap from forcefully shoving a drink in someone’s mouth to denying them pain relief. 11/
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Also as anyone who has interacted with the NHS recently regarding pregnancy care knows… this might not be the biggest battle.
What do I put my energy towards? What if this complaint process takes my time away from asserting my access needs in my birth plan? 13/
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So unless you’re prepared to support me, fill out inaccessible paperwork, come to meetings, gather the evidence to assert my rights, do the labour of educating healthcare professionals & protect me from further abuse or discrimination, don’t tell me “you should complain”. /14
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Also telling a disabled person who has experienced discrimination & traumatic assault that it’s their job to educate the person who victimised them is horrific.
You’ve read this thread, step up & do some educating about disability in your workplaces, families & communities. /15
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Thank you for all the kind replies 🥰
Normally I share my details as a disability advocate but I’ll be stopping work soon for Baby!
If anyone can send some support to me as a soon to be disabled parent I would be incredibly grateful. Thank you /16
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Alternatively you can donate to
@guidedogs
who have provided me with so much support including my beautiful Guide Dog Ava.
Ava has given me the independence & confidence to become a parent.
Sponsor a guide dog puppy here! 🦮⬇️
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If you want to learn how to assist a blind or visually impaired person then I highly recommend
@guidedogs
sighted guiding training course.
It’s free, online & open to anyone who wants to learn how to confidently & respectfully offer support.
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@BlondeHistorian
Hi I’m so sorry that you have had this experience, I’m so sad that this isn’t unusual for you, like
@katewaugh
and
@amd4_ann
I work with healthcare students and will make sure your story and the lessons in it are heard but would you consider coming in to speak to them yourself?
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@BlondeHistorian
Speaking as a public governor of an acute trust I strongly recommend that you make a complaint. I understand this wont be easy for you, but this is serious and they will listen to you. They need to understand to make change. They should provide help to assist with that too.
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@BlondeHistorian
When I advocated for someone who had received poor instructions, info, and care - I emailed the top hospital executives about what was happening (they were telling her she was fine and were going to discharge her - she was blind, disabled & cognitively impaired). It fixed things.
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@BlondeHistorian
That sounds like a horrible experience. At a time when you want to nurture and be nurtured. Recently I was asked to read lots of small print medical documents quickly- I am dyslexic - I couldn’t do it. The nurse started speaking in a raised voice at me, clearly frustrated.
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@BlondeHistorian
You just Tweeted a dozen Tweets and links...more than I've done in a thread...you can absolutely "fill out paperwork" to complain to the office manager (you just call them) and you can request you never see this woman again. You can do these things.
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@BlondeHistorian
You have to complain otherwise they will continue with this treatment with yourself and others and think it's fine.
🤞 For the future.
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@BlondeHistorian
A lot of healthcare organizations have a customer service telephone option to discuss with a representative. This really needs to be reported so that *education* can occur in that department, if not system-wide, to prevent it from happening again. 1/
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@BlondeHistorian
Complain after delivery. I have scoliosis and have dealt with a small amount of this...
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@BlondeHistorian
If you complain to the doctor that definitely gets a horrible nurse fired. I’ve worked in hospitals and if they think they might lose a patient because of a worker they can make every one tow the line. Put out feelers with the doc. You’d get royal treatment.
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@BlondeHistorian
@DJDiG
So often in this country ppl w/ disabilities have to work twice or 3x as hard to get the consideration they should have had at the beginning.
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@BlondeHistorian
So sad to read this thread. I have registered on the Guide Dogs Training course. Doesn't help you much but it's a small way to try and get it right. Good luck
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