Granny stoppers
A granny stoppers is a device used on a public path that is intended to discourage “grannies” or the less physically able to progress with a route. It is widely used in the UK as a means of excluding people from what other people have deemed “unsuitable paths for them”.
They can be narrow stiles, which do not let wheelchair users ascend a path, or steps, or anything that makes this as awkward as possible. And they have been widely used over the past 50 years on our footpaths and national parks.
Thing is, it’s not just grannies who get discouraged – it’s people nearly in wheelchairs or prosthetics, people with pushchairs… Get outside is often cited as a brilliant means to lift your spirit, allow you to escape the everyday grind of living with a disability. Then such routes are built on purpose to be inaccessible.
There are campaigners doing their bit to change this – it is not about putting in concrete paving, but just removing the purpose built barriers – let people decide what is accessible to them.
Sounds good, I think. So what?
Well, all of life needs to be that. Having had antibiotics a few weeks ago, I finally decided I wasn’t kicking out a small bit of thrush it encouraged to grow and on my way to getting my insulin, asked for a treatment combo I know will kick it into touch.
The pharmacist refused to sell it to me – you need a referral to the doctor, it’s the law.
No, it’s not. You have made a decision that because I’m on insulin, I cannot possibly be controlling my diabetes and need permission from a pressed GP service – and possibly you think my GP is going to tell me what to do with my insulin doses.
Angry does not cover how humilitating this experience was for me. On one hand, my endocrinologist is telling me I’m not diabetic and a pharmacist is telling me I cannot have medication that a non-diabtic could by in similar circumstances.
Thing is, I know my value to that pharmacy – I can buy the canestern somewhere else. If I get such treatment again, my contribution to the profit line of that pharmacy will go with me.
Posted: February 1st, 2025 under 42, Diabetes.