A: Hello, and good day to you. Welcome — Andy here, and Talking Really, and today's story. You can agree with it or not; it's entirely up to you. I've seen it over the last few years, and I'm 64. It's got worse in the last 10, 20 years or so.
A: The idea now could be perception. It could be the fact that we're hearing more about it on the news, and they're pushing a narrative. But clearly there is something going on, and Britain is becoming a very hostile place — a very toxic place — for disabled people. Not only will we have problems of "nobody cares" — and I say that generally, because there are people who do care — but Britain is a hostile place for disabled and chronically ill people.
A: I posted a video about this yesterday, and if you don't believe me, I'd like you to go and read the comments on that video, which range from the disturbing to the truly heartbreaking. A couple of things have stood out for me from those comments. First is the intersectional nature of a lot of the discrimination that disabled people face. But also, discrimination is endemic and rife, and almost casual in this country. It appears in disabled people's personal lives, in public spaces, and in employment.
B: It's worth noting that if this discrimination were faced by any other group in British society, it wouldn't be long before politicians were all puffed up in Parliament about it. There would be angry leader columns appearing in the newspapers, and these stories would regularly lead on BBC Breakfast or Channel 4 News.
B: I never expected to be diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2023, just after my 50th birthday, but it's a reminder that disability and chronic illness can happen to any person at any age and at any time, and in a lot of different ways. For me, the experience has been transformative. If and when it does happen to you, you will soon find that Britain is a dark and scary wilderness for disabled people.
B: It's difficult to access disability benefits, and you have to fight very hard for your basic rights. In a country like Britain in 2026, that simply isn't good enough. So the next time you're tempted to criticise disabled people or disability benefits, it's worth remembering — to paraphrase the National Lottery — it might be you in it, you know, for your health and your welfare.
A: But generally, the DWP doesn't give a shit about you. The government doesn't give a shit about you. They want to take all your money away. They want you to — they're putting surveillance on you. We've got Motability, where they're tracking you and basically surveying you. They don't want you going anywhere, but they want you to go to work. They want you to earn money for them, pay taxes — a lot of people already do that — but the minority of people that can't work, they're feeling very, very bad about that because obviously they wish they could in one way.
A: It's that personal persecution aspect of it. Now, I have noticed this a lot, and we don't get it much on my videos because I'm very much, you know, moderate, and I moderate my channels, so they are very rare, and you certainly won't see them if they are left. But there are people out there who are vicious idiots; they like to go around trolling, they like to leave comments, their prejudiced ways, their ableist comments.
A: Now there's a big furore going on, so let me just show you this first video, and we'll see, and then we'll come back. So yes — toxic video, yes — a toxic, sick country that's getting worse, and I could prove that by this comment. I don't know who she is, but she needs to get off TikTok. Personally, I would recommend that she scrolls on: if she sees something she doesn't like, scroll on.
C: We haven't covered Luna Tuna, I don't think. To be honest, the reason why is I've seen a few clips of her and there is absolutely no chance I could watch her for long at all. The way she drags out each sentence — like it lasts 20 years — the amount of time she says "um" during a sentence... I know, I just...
A: I can't, because leaving comments and making videos like this just proves that you're an ableist idiot. And just for your information, there are laws against what you're saying.
A: Now, you might be wondering—she said that, and you might be thinking, it can't be that bad, surely. Here is actually the video, and I'm just going to play a little bit of it. Actually, it's not put on, Alana—trust me, this is not put on. Those are people who know that I regularly lose my voice. No, this is not put on.
A: So that was the original creator, and yes, you could argue that if that was me, I would probably scroll on. I certainly would not leave a comment or make another video about it, even though I'm making this one. The point is I'm making it to prove a point.
C: Um, the way she drags out each sentence—like it lasts 20 years. The amount of time she says "um" during a sentence... no, I just can't. However, there is a video circulating today, and I'm going to give my opinion on it.
C: So, Luna Tuna's in a wheelchair. Again, no idea why; don't know anything about her medical situation. I've got absolutely no idea why she's in that chair. So she's waiting at a bus stop to get on the bus. The bus pulls up. There are two pushchairs in the priority seating. One is a double buggy with two toddlers in it. Another one has a newborn baby in.
C: The entitlement comes straight over Luna Tuna. "Wheelchairs have priority. They should be folding their pushchairs down so I can get on." Sorry—how does she know that those two toddlers sitting in that double pushchair haven't got special needs or a medical reason they are in that pushchair? And the newborn baby—are you seriously expecting a mother to get a newborn baby out of the pram, fold the pram, hold the baby and then get up, unfold the pram, put the baby in and leave the bus? Don't be so ridiculous.
C: Fair enough, if there is a child in a pushchair that is able, unassisted, to get himself or herself out of a buggy and sit safely next to the mother so the pushchair can be folded, okay. If the child doesn't have additional needs or a medical reason for them to be in that pushchair, then fine. But Luna would not have known. Yes, because she is sitting in a wheelchair does not mean that a child in a pushchair does not have a disability. She didn't even think to think about that. All she gave a shit about was her priority—her getting on that bus.
A: So that's a couple of minutes of a video that she's gone on about this woman. Basically, she shouldn't mind her own business. She's very ableist, and I would argue that she's very much breaking the law for hate speech. Talking about somebody—how they speak—can be considered that. But the lady who highlighted the bus video had some very good words to say.
D: So, guys, I'm sitting and waiting for the X2 bus that is right here. There are two pushchairs on the bus, and the bus driver is not letting me on. So yes, there are two pushchairs on the bus. I'm not showing the pushchair people; I am deliberately making sure I don't. And the bus driver I am going to show because he's just been rude to me and told me he's not going to let me on the bus. I can see there's plenty of space for pushchairs to be folded down, but he's refusing to do it.
E: Interesting discussion here. I don't know the original creator, but it's obvious from the page that the people who've uploaded it somehow think she's being unreasonable. The comments are a mixture of a complete and utter shitshow, with people arguing furiously about whether or not a wheelchair has precedence over a pram.
E: Now, first thing—yes, it does. That's in the Disabilities Act. There is a space there that has priority for a wheelchair. I will also say that if you are exercising your legal rights, it's often a good idea not to be a complete arsehole about it. I don't know the creator of the situation, but she does have priority legally. She has priority over that.
E: Now, further than that, I don't know if those strollers could be folded down or whatever. Lots of people—"Oh my God, it's a newborn"—she didn't say anything about that, not that I spotted. If it's really inconvenient to the people on the bus, and it is not inconvenient for her, then it is probably, you know, the decent thing to say: "Look, I do have a right to those spaces. I need you to understand that. As it happens, I understand you're having a difficult time, and I can wait—there'll be another bus in five minutes."
E: Around here, the buses don't come that often. They come every half hour, and sometimes it's once an hour. So if you had, say, an appointment and you were in a wheelchair, and you'd gone to the bus in good time expecting to get on a bus to go to your appointment, and the bus driver refused to comply with the law, and then you were late, you'd be a bit cross—people fought long and hard for those rights.
E: I mean, it's an interesting discussion, but it is really quite shocking how many people aren't aware of the law. Now, you can argue that some people do not help themselves and go about it the wrong way. Personally, I have never had a problem; I'm always polite, and if there is a problem, then I would discuss it calmly. I wouldn't start slagging somebody off or threatening them, or all that sort of business that she did in the original video.
E: But she does have a point. The point is that there are laws out there, and it can be quite frustrating that people are ignorant about them. I would say she could probably have done it a different way, dealt with it a different way. Yeah, okay, it's very annoying and very frustrating that people treat you like that, but that is a fact of life—this is happening.
A: This is a narrative being pushed by everybody, by the government, in the way they're doing it: to make able-bodied people treat disabled people like that. But it's always been there. There's always been this sort of attitude towards disability; it's always been there. Sometimes it's very annoying and very frustrating.
A: Certainly, in my life, I've had a few occasions, one of which I can tell you about. I got a new job. I had been employed by somebody who recruited me; nothing was said in the interview, they just asked me about my experience, my job, whether I could do it, and I was quite happy to accept the job.
A: On my first day, we were in the office, everybody together—new recruits—and the big boss was there. He called me into the office, sat me down and said, "Look, I appreciate that you've got a disability, but I don't think you could do your job. We've got big, heavy monitors, computer things and equipment you've got to be able to carry around." I said, "But why are you telling me that? I've been doing this job for ten years, and you're suddenly, after employing me, saying I can't do my job?"
A: It went all the way that I had to go to the DP to get a doctor's note to prove that I had this condition, and they had to make allowances. This was obviously a long time ago—way before the Disability Act 2010, back in the '90s—so things were different then. Even then, it was quite bad, but that was my first and only experience of a workplace where my disability could have cost me my job.
A: I worked there for five years, and during those five years, we were subcontracted to various companies. In that time, I had quite a few commendations and recommendations. In fact, customers we worked for requested me because they knew I did a good job. So, in all, if he had known originally—when I first got the job—and then had dismissed me, they would have lost a valuable employee.
A: Anyway, so back to this toxic thing. Let me know what you think, because it is very much—have you noticed this attitude? Is it getting worse, or is it just me? Am I imagining the issue?
A: And certainly the woman who made the original video on the bus probably needs to look at how she's talked to people. Legally, she's quite right, but it's how you say things. I learned that a long time ago.
A: Anyway, let me know what you think, and I'll see you very soon for another video. Bye for now.
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