Personal budgets case study
Anne is a disabled person, receiving direct payments from her personal budget. Anne has 6 personal assistants that she manages, weekly and a dog helper. She also volunteers and runs a business to help other disabled people. Due to the support she gives to other disabled people she travels a lot throughout the country via train and public transport.
Anne comments on the barriers of travelling around London by taxi and bus, she says that it surprised her how often taxis will drive off or not stop at all and how many say their ramps are not working so they cannot take her. She describes misguided cultural perceptions of disabled people and explains how she works to counter them. Anne believes things are beginning to change for the better for disabled people. Noting a historical lack of participation in services by disabled people, she describes how she led a group to gain control of spending on the services that they require. Anne is playing a key role in bringing about positive change in services for disabled people.
Before Anne received direct payments, the council managed her care. Carers would come at any time, she had no say on what time she would get up or got to sleep, she had no social life and services were not meeting her needs. She states that everyone assumes disabled people are asexual and when she had males spending the night her carers, provided by the council, could not cope with it. She felt treated as a second-class citizen.
For Anne things have turned out fine, however, what are the barriers faced by those vulnerable adults that do not have a voice or someone to advocate for their needs or wellbeing?