On her way from St Albans to Nottingham, Shona Cobb nearly found herself stuck on a train on three separate occasions. Cobb had booked wheelchair ramp assistance for each required change – but not one staff member turned up to help her. Instead, at one stop, she had to rely on a friendly couple to help her; at another, the only way to prevent the train door closing with her still on board was to stick her foot in it.
Pete Langman, 50, writes about the difficulties that come with negotiating the world when you have early onset Parkinson’s, which causes hand tremors and mobility problems – from bouncers at clubs asking if he’s drunk, to odd responses when internet dating. In a conversation with one potential date, who commented on the brevity of his texts, Langman explained: “I have Parkinson’s so phone texting is tough.” “U r joking right?” came the reply.
I meet with Cobb, Grant, Langman and Gilding at Nottingham Trent University to talk about their experiences of keeping the diaries. There are regular flashes of humour (while discussing the shocked stares of strangers who don’t expect wheelchair users ever to stand, Cobb and Grant exclaim sarcastically: “It’s a miracle!”) and shared frustrations: from similar battles with the social security system to discovering each had encountered prospective employers who, upon seeing their disability, turned them down for a job.