LONDON BRIDGE'S

[bulekingfisher]

Hello Sunny Cloud's


I was visualissing a cafe in a railway station so the entrance was on same level as the platform + the door was wide enough for a wide wheelchair + the loud speaker did not interupt the convasation on tacte's for the 6 W's + there was plenty of communtions all over the country so all nation wide group's of disabled people were informed to each other

[Sunny Clouds]

I don't object to that.  I was just thinking that sometimes there are messages you can get across obliquely.

Would it be worth some offhand comment by a character as to how it makes a change to find a place they can all get in?  Or even a firm statement that that café is accessible, so why aren't so many places?

How serious do you want the play? 

[bulekingfisher]

Hello Sunny Cloud's


I am thinking a stage play might be too diffeclt to complete logistal so I was thinking a radio show would be a good first step leading to a T.V drama + I would welcome critasim there may be some help that OUCH used to be a BBC programe + may be SunShine Meadows  could put me in touch with the BBC drama group

[bulekingfisher]

Hello SUNNY cLOUD'S


As it would be impossible for most disabled people to get to London + barracade bridge's so as there is a BBC studio in most city's so we could do a virtual blockade of every bridge in London + prevent all import + export's to show the govt how serious we are to become more intergrated in to the scoiety we were born in to we are not outcast's (we do not have to go around ringing a bell 9 shouting unclean)

[Sunny Clouds]

I think the idea has lots of potential, but I'm having trouble imagining how you're going to portray blocking the bridges. 

Are you picturing it as having a storyline with some sort of 'closure' at the end, whether surprise or not, or are you picturing it more like a revue with short sketches?

I've never tried to write drama so don't know where to begin, but I'm keen to chip in what I can if I've an idea what's wanted.

[bulekingfisher]

Hello Sunny Clouds


If this is a radio drama then we do not have to phyiscal block any bridge it will be in every one's imagantion (some thing like H.G Wells story War of the World's)


 SO I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR VIEW'S/OPINEAN'S FROM ALL OUCH READER'S

[Sunny Clouds]

I understand that if it's a radio drama, it's in people's imaginations.

But personally, I still don't understand whether you've got any storyline or want suggestions.  I don't understand whether it's a single plot/storyline drama or more like a revue/sketches/vignettes.  I still don't understand how serious or lighthearted you want it.  I still don't understand how far you want to get disability issues across as blunt statements to the audience, or subtly, or through humour or asides.

Perhaps others will understand rather better than me what's wanted.  Let's see what others say.

[bulekingfisher]

Hello Sunny Cloud's


YES I would like surgestions to help polish my idea's I just put a rough idea forward I have tried to start this idea by saying a conversation between a few impaired friends in a coffee shop in a railway station which is on the same level as the platform (easy access there  is a public transport system to get to the station the coffee + cake prices are reasonable. The access to the 2 disabilty accessable toilets is clear + they are cleaned on a daily bacis. We could also start discussing getting teams of voluntary wheelchair pushers to fulfill intergration in to main stream society

[bulekingfisher]

Hello Ouch Reader's


As I live in York I could meet other disabled people in the local railway statin to begain how we might

[bulekingfisher]

Hello OUCH READER'S


Sorry about my mistake. But  it might be an idea for all disabled people in a city/town to go in to the local BBC studio + a big problem would be a group of the public would activly pick us up b+ move  us so the traffic could flow over the brudge's so the police would have to remain in uniform (not plain clouth's the T.V camra's would have to focus on face's. British Rail would be streched gettung wheel's on the under-ground will be a nightmare because (mealy mouthed platidude's) would show London transport for what it is (head's will roll ++ the whole of scoiety will be exposed it might not be the industral revolution but it will turn scoiety up-side down + inside out

[bulekingfisher]

Hello Sunny Clouds


I was thinking of a story line with a beginning + a surprise finnish  it could start with the removable of big residental homes to be replaced with small surport home's with 6 to 10 resudents + they are all conected to each with only resideents allowwed to control then so no hacking by controlling over zealou's  parent's// news paper reporter's/ warden's/managers/police/ petty offical's

[Sunny Clouds]

So like a story that shows a storyline of a well-planned successful demo that changes things?  So shows disabled people as positive, determined activists, and also prompts people to think things like "Why should they need to campaign to achieve this? They should get it anyway."

Personally, whilst I think the right to campaign is essential for democracy, campaigns achieve their aims in different ways.  As I see it, campaigns that are about seriously annoying people don't achieve very much unless they're the sort of annoying campaigns that trigger a revolution or potential revolution, which may be needed politically sometimes; but there are also campaigns that are meant to be just annoying enough to capture people's attention so they listen, and to generate support for a cause and embarass those in power into doing something.

So it seems to me that your idea for a radio show could be like one of those campaigns - draws people's attention so they support the cause.

So I now see why you want the opening scene to seem well-organised.  It's "This is what it's like if disabled people have what they should like ramps and accessible toilets, and see how they're organised, and collectively strong." 

There's something I'd like, though, but you don't have to agree with me.  I saw something beautiful in a news item about a big political demonstration in Hong Kong.  The road was full of demonstrators then an ambulance came with its sirens, and they let it past, then closed the road again with the mass of bodies.

Could there be something in the demonstration where they discuss how to block the bridge or something but how to make sure they don't block emergency or essential crossings?  Or maybe have a scene where they're demonstrating but they pause to help someone.  It doesn't matter who or how.  Strong demonstrators but not nasty.

Over to you.

[bulekingfisher]

Hello Sunny Clouds


I agree with letting emergance verchicals through + I

[bulekingfisher]

Gello Sunny Cloud's


Sorry for the interuption I've just been mopping my bedroom floor + bathroom on daily basic's we will let emurgance vechiel's through we have to think protester's on crutch's or people with sight problem's ect been knocked over in the crush (excitment)  as well as fighting for intergration we need fair play writting in to LAW so our achivements are not lost over future genaration's

[Sunny Clouds]

Whilst I agree that we need fair play written into law, personally I don't think we'll get more than token gestures from the Tories, and Starmer's Labour seems to be like Blair's Labour, in that you get some bits of fair play written into law but people don't realise what isn't.

So I think that the most important thing is getting public support, not just in an attempt to change the law, but more importantly where the politicians let us down, in an attempt to change everyday attitudes.

I reached the conclusion that personally I'm not a good example of what a disabled person can be because I gave up on so much, then I found my outlets which are demos (which is why your play interests me - it could prompt other disabled people and what, in many areas of campaigning for equality, are called 'allies', to demonstrate) and in explaining things online, and being open and honest with people where I live, including children, about how the system is counter-productive.

My favourite form of 'demonstration' actually maps onto an everyday similarity with what you say about taking care that people on crutches etc. don't get knocked over on a demo - I love to lead a 'rearrangement' of people on a bus.  Someone gets on and needs a priority seat.  People look round - some care, some don't.  I assess how to move people round so everyone's still got a suitable seat, so no one loses by moving.  My favourite is to offer to sit on the bottom of the stairs.

If the play shows people thinking how to keep fellow protesters and people nearby safe with simple adjustments, it could send a powerful message - 'adjustments' don't have to be a pain in the neck.

Have you any ideas yet about how  many people might be on the demo and how they'd be contacted/rallied?  Disability websites & clubs?  Community groups?  Round here we also put signs on lampposts for demos. 

I wish I was briefer and skilled at this sort of thing.  I'm hoping other Ouchers will join in.  How would you feel if I asked other disabled people I know if they might be interested in contributing?  I won't give them the details of this messageboard unless you're ok with it.

Sorry that was so long.