Brain injury survivors face discrimination and prejudice in society, according to the results of a survey commissioned by Headway - the brain injury association.
The survey, thought to be the first of its kind to explore how people feel about their brain injuries, has revealed disturbing levels of isolation, discrimination and prejudice. But of even greater concern is the fact that this discrimination is coming in the form of not only social prejudice, but also a lack of requisite care and attention from health, social care and other statutory agencies.
According to the survey, released to mark the start of Action for Brain Injury Week 2008, which ran from 31 March to 6 April, 60% of respondents had experienced discrimination from at least one statutory service, such as health or social care, benefits or employment and more than two thirds of brain injury survivors believe they are discriminated against by society because of their injuries.
"The results of this survey are shocking," said Peter McCabe, Chief Executive of Headway - the brain injury association. "We are appalled that so many people with brain injuries are being mistreated by statutory agencies and facing prejudice by wider society.
"Three years ago, the government launched the National Service Framework for Long-term (Neurological) Conditions. This framework was designed to transform the way health and social care services support people living with long-term neurological conditions. The results of our survey clearly show that in three years, very little has been achieved and the NSF has to date been a failure.
"Brain injury can have devastating effects, which can often last a lifetime. It can affect every aspect of you: walking, thinking and feeling, and can mean losing the life you once led and the person you once were. People trying to deal with these life-changing conditions need our help and yet they face discrimination and prejudice in their everyday lives. We hear numerous stories of how our service users are often bullied, harassed and ridiculed for their disabilities, which is highly disturbing in a sophisticated society like ours."
The survey also revealed that almost half of all brain injury survivors in the UK find it difficult to tell people they have a brain injury due to the stigma surrounding it and the prejudice they may face, demonstrating the widespread nature of the discrimination.
"Headway calls on all providers of health and social care to use Action on Brain Injury Week to urgently review their services to make sure they are accessible to brain injury survivors. They must ensure all those providing public services understand that discriminating against brain injury survivors is unacceptable," said Peter.
Kirsty Offord, who is a service user at Headway Nottingham, regularly faces prejudice as a result of her brain injury. "My brain injury is largely invisible," she said. "Yet ten years on I still battle with daily life and I have to suffer abuse as a result.
"I've been verbally abused by a bus driver while trying to use my disabled pass as he thought I was a fraud, been humiliated by a library receptionist when I was struggling to fill out a form and my balance problems mean I am often refused access to pubs on the assumption I'm drunk.
"Knowing you can't do all the things you once could knocks your confidence enough, without being humiliated in public as well. I'm often treated like a second class citizen just because people are too quick to judge," she added.
Summary
Survey: 'Experiences of stigma and discrimination among individuals with brain injuries', Social Neuropsychology Research Group, University of Exeter
Sample size: 639
Overview of survey results:
- 68% of people with brain injuries feel they are discriminated against in society
- 60% have been discriminated against by one or more statutory service
- 17% have received no support at all from any social services team
- 64% are unemployed
- 78% have had relationships break down following brain injury
- 89% said their brain injury had changed their personality
- 48% find it hard to tell people about their brain injury
