cosmolinguist | These cartoonish things do still happen (Reply)

just in time for #DisabilityPrideMonth, a candidate for today's election has been accused by his Tory opponents of faking his blindness, so that he could take a guide dog out to campaign and get voters to like him because of the dog.

To the point where the local society for visually impaired people has had to put out a whole statement about how this guy is actually blind, disclosing some of his medical history and details of how long he's been registered blind and involved with the local society, how many years it took him to get his guide dog. With the guy's consent, which is important, but ugh. It feels like Obama having to show his birth certificate, y'know? No one should have to do this.

His wife is also blind, and apparently she has been particularly hurt by these comments. I'm not surprised: if this happened to me I'd roll my eyes and shitpost about it (while also making official complaints/going to the media/etc!) but if I had a partner accused of faking a disability I'd be livid, especially if it's one I also have.

As Steve Darling rightly says, “it seems to pose the question, ‘How can he possibly be registered blind and be capable of doing something like this?’”

Anyway, his party has a good chance of taking the seat back from the Tories today, and I hope if he does he employs a load of blind people!