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Me an Autistic, Disabled Person

Aspergers_Aspie

Well-Known Member
Thursday evening, the ceiling in my shower room collapsed, now the ceiling and shower are going to have to be repaired. Two council representatives came to my flat today, and I allowed them to inspect and photograph my shower room, they didn't inspect the shower itself. They were asking me about the neighbour above, the extractor fan and how I have been washing. No-one told me they would ask me questions! I then asked them to leave due to the stress and anxiousness from my autism condition, me a disabled, autistic person has to tolerate this, lucky I wasn't in the shower when it happened!! Maybe about 7 or 8 years ago there was water pouring into the light fitting inside the shower room!! Where I stay as long as I can wash, I wash everyday and as long as I can, I do my laundry as required. Instead of me having to put up with all of this the council should inspect the neighbour at fault and not me!?
 
You are totally justified in being flustered by this visit and inquiry. However, the inspectors are just trying to figure out how to take care of the matter, so reflect on that if you can.

You might be a person who could benefit by handing various officials a card saying that you are autistic, and changes, conversational demands, and (various sensory issues) are hard for you. Have the card say whatever you like, and just hand it to them when they arrive. Or if you are out and about, and run into a stressful situation, you could hand it to an official.
 
When I said I wasn't told the council would ask questions, I am sure the staff at the aspie drop-in centre would have told me if the thought had occurred.
 
You didn’t have to tolerate the inspection, you just wouldn’t have got the leak fixed and the damage repaired had you not gone through with it. You surly didn’t expect the inspection to have taken place in silence did you?

The inspectors had to establish if the leak had been fixed first and if it wasn’t fixed from underneath, ie your bathroom, it would have had to have been fixed from above by lifting the floorboards first which would have meant a plumber peering directly down into your bathroom as you have no ceiling!

They would also need to establish if the water had got into your wiring through the light fitting , extraction fan and your shower if it’s electric. This is a case of your health and safety as you might have got a blast before it tripped! How are they supposed to find any of this out if you don’t tell them, you live there?

They asked how you were washing because had you not had access to washing facilities they would have been forced to escalate and prioritise your repair as an emergency. The neighbour may also have to pay for all the repairs to your property too through their insurance if they are private.

Instead of me having to put up with all of this the council should inspect the neighbour at fault and not me!?

I’m sure they will visit the the people above but if they don’t visit you to assess the damage how on earth are they supposed to repair it for you!

They will have to measure and order materials as well as arrange a plumber, plasterer, electrician, decorator and possibly a floor layer to put your bathroom right again for you, for free.

I understand that you find all this stressful, inconvenient, and causes anxiety but that’s not the Council’s fault. They don’t read minds so perhaps in future you could arrange someone to be there, or someone to speak on your behalf perhaps, or you could let them know prior to the visit of your difficulties. I’m sure had you informed them they would have gone out of their way to accommodate your difficulties, they weren’t trying to deliberately upset you just establish how to make your bathroom safe and useable for you.
 
Y'know, as I read the OP I was feeling exactly like him, and I most certainly would have reacted much like he did, but everything you say makes sense... I sure wish I had someone on hand with your logic when I'm losing it haha. Thanks for posting.
 
I would also have been anxious if I did not expect questions and/or understand the purpose of the questions and/or how to answer the questions.
 
You're very lucky to have help maintaining the place you call home. Your interaction with the inspectors was uncomfortable, but necessary. :)
 
Until the shower, (its hanging off the bracket and the inspectors didn't inspect that only the ceiling) the ceiling and they tell my support worker/me that the source of the problem has been resolved as it could potentially happen again if not and I could be in it next time, (and 2011/2012 approx, the water went into the light fitting) get fixed I am not in the right frame of mind for doing anything! Another support worker said he would either phone yesterday or today. (They said there might be a problem with the radiator, they think it may be leaking, I told the support worker it's not as it isn't but I was too stressed to tell the inspectors!)
 
Until the shower, (its hanging off the bracket and the inspectors didn't inspect that only the ceiling) the ceiling and they tell my support worker/me that the source of the problem has been resolved as it could potentially happen again if not and I could be in it next time, (and 2011/2012 approx, the water went into the light fitting) get fixed I am not in the right frame of mind for doing anything! Another support worker said he would either phone yesterday or today. (They said there might be a problem with the radiator, they think it may be leaking, I told the support worker it's not as it isn't but I was too stressed to tell the inspectors!)

This sounds an awful situation for you but it’s good you have access to support workers who can assist. I’m sure you realise that it’s pointless to fix your ceiling etc until the leak is repaired first, as potentially the same could happen again, maybe even with you in the shower! Nobody wants that, so the first step is to source and repair the cause of the leak.

They probably weren’t interested in the shower as they know it’s an easy fix. If they cannot repair it they will just replace it no big deal.

When they said there might be a problem with the radiator I’m guessing they mean the one above your bathroom not yours, they might suspect that is the source of the leak.

Now that they are aware of your difficulties they will probably just need you to open the door to let workers in at arranged times, not much more than that.
 
After New Year, I'm going to try and find out if there's a department overseeing NHS dentists to ask why my dentist didn't use the bond which worked for 6 months and would have continued to work if I hadn't chewed my nails. And why the Council didn't have cctv in the street where the car knocked me off the bicycle which caused the injuries to my chin that required stitching and the damage to my teeth.
I'm only go to the dentist with a support worker as I'm too stressed upset and anxious not to.
 

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