Sophie Christiansen, who retired in 2024 as one of Britain’s most successful para-athletes and continues to work as a software developer at an investment bank, says: “I’m not a scrounger, I pay my taxes, I pay more into taxes than I get out.
“A lot of disabled people contribute to society, and I disagree with the government targeting disabled people, because what are they doing about us being discriminated against daily?”
The disability rights advocate, who was born with cerebral palsy, says the government’s plans intended to get people into work reflect a “complete misunderstanding of what disability benefits are for” and should instead introduce fines for companies violating the Equality Act.
“I don’t rely on benefits to get by, I rely on them for the added costs as a disabled person that the UK society doesn’t want to improve upon,” Christiansen says. “For example, to buy an electric wheelchair which was £2,000, to take taxis because I can’t use public transport, and for my housing situation.
“I can’t buy a house because stairs are dangerous for me, but bungalows are super expensive for what you get. Disability benefits and out of work benefits are totally different.
“They have to get rid of the barriers we face to get into work like inaccessible travel. I’ve been left on a train countless times getting into work. Ableism is so real within the government in totally misunderstanding what our troubles are.
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“When people watch the Paralympics, we’re lauded as these amazing human beings that win gold medals without really seeing what goes on behind the scenes.”
David Smith has won five medals across four Paralympic games, yet doesn’t believe this would have been the case had he been born 10 or 15 years later due to worsening social care and education.
He was born with cerebral palsy and attended Treloar School, a specialist education centre for young disabled people which he credits for setting up his future career and being able to live independently.
“Cutting benefits at the bottom end to create more room higher up the chain seems like putting a ladder on a house and taking off the bottom two rungs. I understand about making the ladder longer, but taking the bottom two rungs away doesn’t solve any of the major issues,” he says.
“Boccia’s struggling to bring in new players as people aren’t getting the social care they need to be active members of society. Education needs fixing because people with my disability are now not going to places like Treloar’s. Now I’d be going to a mainstream school.
“I probably wouldn’t know anything about boccia. I’d not be active, not knowing what my body can achieve. I probably wouldn’t have the right seating system because wheelchair services are wholly inadequate for the level of disabilities we’re now facing as a society. The expertise is not being trickled down from institutions like Treloar’s that are really good at dealing with complex needs.”
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Ben Pritchard may have been celebrated for taking home a gold medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, but was unable to use the city’s public transport or access many restaurants or hotels during his stay.
He became paralysed from the waist down after a cycling crash in September 2016 and, like Smith, is dedicated to raising awareness of disability inclusion and the need for a “long-lasting effect of the Paralympics”.
“My guttural reaction was feeling sad and almost ashamed to be in a country where the government wants to cut wealth from the most disadvantaged communities,” he says.
“Single mothers, people with disabilities, and people hard on their feet will be most affected. I know money doesn’t grow on trees, but we should be doing our utmost to look after these people rather than take away their extra support.
“People are saying by cutting benefits it will incentivise a return to work but as a disabled person who works outside of being a Paralympian, I still have extra costs because I am disabled. My wheelchair is custom made and costs £6,000. My cushion is £400 which I need because of skin issues. A box of catheters cost £90. I use five catheters a day and 30 are in a box. You can do the maths.
“My annual benefits go to saving for my next wheelchair, not to go on a holiday. It’s not a want. It’s a necessity. I use my wheelchair every single day. It’s how I live my life. This added, unknown or unseen cost of having a disability is what is getting forgotten.”
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