Despite scientific concerns, the UK is hellbent on lifting its not-very-well-applied-in-the-first-place Covid lockdown. Even in the face of its all too obvious horrors, the Covid pandemic presented the world with an opportunity to reset itself economically, environmentally and culturally. The enforced normality-pause gave us all some time to think and a chance to change. The opportunity to make good what we instinctively know to be bad. But if the murder-burger queues and seaside frivolities are anything to go by, we're perfectly okay with blowing that chance and doing as we've always done. New normal is just a faux-conscientious term for the same crap, only now we're stood further apart and wearing Vogue-approved designer masks.
There's a lot to be said about how we move on and the challenges that will continue to arise in a post-pandemic world, but for this blog I want to home in on a local issue which is an effective illustration of a much bigger picture.
The local councils in my home county of Norfolk have unveiled a raft of proposals including road closures, path widening schemes, the introduction of pavement seating and parking restrictions aimed at providing a post-lockdown economic boost for local retail. The measures, they hope, will coax people back into shopping areas and back into spending. These measures - currently deemed to be temporary - were put out to a public consultation that opened on 17th June 2020 and closed on 23rd June. That's a total of five working days to read, digest and respond to the proposals. Or, to put it another way, barely time for a letter to be written, sent, collected, delivered and read. Those without internet access were effectively excluded from the consultation. That might seem like nit-picking - after all, everyone wants some normality back in the world and the loss of a few parking spaces is a small price to pay, right? - but in some parts of Norfolk the over-65s make up almost 40% of the population. Of course, the older population isn't totally starved of internet access, but they are less likely to use it in comparison to younger people. That's a lot of people without access to the grand reopening. That's a lot of people without a voice.
But it's worse than that. This isn't just about Norfolk's large and increasing elderly population not being considered. You don't have to be old to experience poor health or disability. While the councils involved in drawing up these plans have committed to not closing designated disabled parking provision, other parking will be closed. In an area such as St Benedict's Street in Norwich, that means potential parking spaces will be reduced from around twenty, to just two. According to Norwich City Council's 2017 Equality Information Report, Norwich has a population of around 28,000 disabled people. Hopefully, they don't all want to go to St Benedict's Street on the same afternoon, because essentially, they're not allowed. It's a ban dressed up as business improvement. It's an effective curtailment of equal rights in the name of profit. Think of that as you stroll from shop to shop in the new normal.
The disabled person doesn't have the option of simply choosing a different car part a bit further away.
The disabled person doesn't have the option of cycling or walking.
The disabled person doesn't have the option of using public transport.
As usual, the disabled person is the last one to be considered in planning: the disabled person is the apologetic add-on; the political gesture at the end of the process; the wheelchair warrior of the paralympics who proves you can do anything if you just try a bit harder; the truly inspiring men and women who satisfy our virtue-signalling proclamations of inclusivity. They've got their own sports now. They don't need a parking space too.
In recent years, activists from the environmental, LGBTQ+ and BAME movements have been inspirational in taking their causes to the streets. Because of their brave actions, it's simply no longer acceptable to exclude their voices from public discourse. I stand with them, and ask that they stand with us. It isn't easy for any group to organise a mass mobilisation or street movement, but for disabled people it's almost impossible - certainly without support from the able-bodied world.
For as long as one voice is marginalised, we're all marginalised. Is anybody listening?