Being disabled in Britain isn’t just about dealing with your condition. It’s about dealing with a system and a society that seem determined to grind you down at every opportunity. The truth is, we’re forced to fight battles that shouldn’t even exist in the first place.
Here are ten everyday struggles disabled people face — and why I’m sick of pretending they’re “just part of life.”
1. Pavements That Might As Well Be Assault Courses
Try pushing a wheelchair down a cracked pavement with missing slabs, tree roots tearing through concrete, and no dropped kerbs in sight. Every trip to the shop feels like a military operation. If you fall or get stuck, good luck — the council will take six months to “review the complaint.”
2. Public Transport Designed to Keep Us at Home
Buses with ramps that don’t work. Train stations without lifts. Taxi drivers who roll their eyes or refuse to stop when they see a chair. For many of us, transport isn’t freedom — it’s humiliation, wrapped in red tape.
3. Endless Medical Gatekeeping
Doctors who assume we’re exaggerating. Specialists who don’t read our notes. Assessors who think they know our bodies better than we do. And when they dismiss you, it’s not just insulting — it can be dangerous.
4. The “Justify Your Existence” Welfare System
Every assessment feels like standing trial for the crime of being ill. We’re forced to prove our suffering, again and again, to strangers who are incentivised to disbelieve us. And when benefits are cut, people die. It’s that simple.
5. The Price of Independence
Mobility aids aren’t luxuries. They’re lifelines. But try telling that to the companies who charge the price of a car for a powered wheelchair. Even basic items like walking sticks, cushions, or bathroom rails are inflated beyond belief.
This is where I’ve found alternatives like [Mobility-Aids.com](INSERT AFFILIATE LINK) and [Vive Health](https://s2.affiliatly.com/affiliate.panel) — suppliers who actually stock the gear we need, without hiding it behind “special orders” or months-long delays. If the state won’t fund our independence, at least these options exist.
6. Stigma from Strangers
From being called “lazy” for using a Blue Badge to being accused of “faking it” because we don’t look the part — the abuse is constant. And the worst part? Society shrugs it off as if we should just be grateful anyone lets us exist in public at all.
7. Isolation by Design
Every inaccessible building, every broken lift, every unaffordable taxi is another brick in the wall keeping us inside. Disability isn’t what isolates us — society does.
8. The Punishing Cost of Energy
Need to run medical equipment 24/7? Need the heating on because your condition flares in the cold? Congratulations, you’re punished with higher bills for simply staying alive.
9. Employment That Doesn’t Want Us
Employers talk about “diversity” while quietly binning CVs that show gaps for illness. Those of us who do work are forced to hide symptoms or risk being replaced. Flexibility exists — but only for the healthy.
10. The Constant Fight to Be Heard
Every petition, every protest, every blog post like this — it’s us screaming into a void, hoping someone will notice. We shouldn’t have to keep proving our worth. Yet here we are.
What Needs to Change
We don’t need more pity. We don’t need another inspirational poster about “overcoming adversity.” We need pavements fixed, benefits secured, medical professionals who listen, and equipment that doesn’t cost a fortune.
Until that happens, disabled people will keep dying unnecessarily, and the government will keep pretending it’s a tragic accident instead of policy.
One Small Step
I can’t fix the system overnight. But I can point people toward resources that make survival a little easier. If you need equipment, mobility support, or daily living tools, check out:
- [Mobility-Aids.com](INSERT AFFILIATE LINK) – wheelchairs, ramps, cushions, everyday aids.
- [Vive Health](https://s2.affiliatly.com/affiliate.panel) – affordable mobility and wellness gear, with decent delivery times.
These links are affiliate/referral links. That means if you buy through them, you won’t pay extra — but a percentage goes back into keeping Forgotten Rights alive. It’s a small act of rebellion: getting what you need while helping fund the fight.
Final Word
The everyday struggles I’ve listed aren’t inevitable. They’re the result of neglect, underfunding, and systemic cruelty. Disabled people deserve dignity, not endless battles.
Until that changes, I’ll keep writing, shouting, and refusing to shut up. And if this post has hit you in the gut, share it. Because the louder we are, the harder it becomes for them to ignore us.