Without family
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF BLIND LADY DEEMED ‘FIT FOR WORK’
washing, makes me cups of tea.”
Hazel also has epilepsy, Type 2 diabetes and osteoarthritis, which requires medication.
“I have quite a lot of medication to take, so Jo organises it all for me,” she said. “I wouldn’t be able to take it without him.”
After she’s up and ready, Hazel enjoys reading her braille books.
“I get books from the braille library, so before I go out I like to sit and read them,” she said.
Hazel never leaves the house by herself, she is always with Jo or with her son Stephen Brown, because she is afraid of falling.
She said: “If I used a white stick I would not have the confidence to go out of the house by myself.
“Every day I go down to my sister-in-law’s house. She lives just a couple of streets near me. We go down for a few hours everyday – she is really good with me.”
Getting out of the house for Hazel is important as it gives her the chance to talk to other people.
She said: “I go to the shops with Jo and once a week Stephen takes me into town. We go for something to eat and it is something I really look forward to.
“Stephen isn’t here every day but he phones every day to make sure I’m OK.
“He’ll take me to any doctor appointments I have as well.”
It was Stephen who went with Hazel to Gosforth when she had to undergo a back-to-work capability assessment at Arden House as part of her Employment Allowance Support.
After undergoing the assessment the DWP said she was ‘fit for work.’
It was the second time she’d been told she was fit for work – despite her disabilities.
Facing a lengthy appeals process again, she came to the Chronicle for help. After sharing her story, hundreds of people commented and showed their support for her.
Now, the DWP has reversed its decision, saying new evidence had been presented by her doctor during the appeal process.
She said: “I am so grateful for everyone’s support.” The Chronicle’s front pages reporting Hazel’s plight