Here at The British Polio Fellowship, one of our most important roles is focusing on challenging the perceptions and often misconceptions surrounding disability in everyday life. Many of our members live with many forms of disabilities as a result of the late effects of Polio and/or Post Polio Syndrome (PPS). It is one of our priorities therefore to ensure we fight for disability rights for all those affected by Polio and PPS across the UK to ensure that discrimination of any kind doesn’t occur.

Donald Trump’s apparent mocking of a disabled New York Times reporter during a recent campaign addresses highlights how disabled people are still stigmatised as we move into 2016. Trump was born in 1946 and his attitudes and opinions would appear to be still anchored in the dark ages.

With around 11.9 million disabled people living in the UK, disability is an area that needs support, funding and compassion. Seclusion and bullying is something that unfortunately disabled people still have to live with, and people like Mr Trump are actively winding back the clock in an extremely unhelpful and distasteful fashion.

Of the 120,000 people in the UK with PPS; those living with it can develop weakness, fatigue and pain. A general reduction can often be seen in stamina, combined with problems in breathing, an impaired ability to sleep, swallowing problems, and severe cold intolerance. Understanding, awareness and care are the ways forward to assist those living with such challenging medical conditions. Not mockery.

Ted Hill MBE

CEO, The British Polio Fellowship

The article of 22 December told us what we knew, that the bus firm is 100 per cent owned by the council, although to meet the law needs, it is run at "arms length".

Can we be told why the council spent £2 million buying the bus depot from themselves?

Who is now playing pass the parcel with taxpayers' money? Did you vote for them?

T Reynolds

Wheeler Avenue

Swindon

It is so thoughtful of Iain Duncan Smith to send a 'Christmas message' to the poorest families in our land. I do think Tories blame the poor for the banking collapse in 2008.

This year IDS advises the poor they can make up his cuts to their welfare benefit by working 200 extra hours. A drawback to this, Mr Smith, will their boss have the work for them to do? Or would the boss put someone else out of work and give them their work? A manoeuvre from the 1930s or even before.

Mr Osborne did say he wants a 'low welfare and high wage' economy; history records the UK tried this up to the Victorian times. But to his credit I believe IDS is trying hard to reinstate the Osborne policy!

What really astounds me is this comment comes from a person who I believe still lives rent-free in one of his father-in-laws mansions! Dickens didn't even think of this idea.

I think the next measure from IDS will be to implement Sir John Major dream of 'a return to Victorian Values'. Those currently out of work could build large local institutions where the private sector can provide the poor, old, or out of work people with work. For a bed and a bowl of gruel women can do all the laundry and sewing, while the men can break up old bricks or chop fire wood. I think a good word for these institution would be 'workhouses'! The ultimate solution of the 'old Etonian'!

A final quote from IDS himself, "Do not underestimate the determination of a quiet man"; I would add 'beware the stealth and cunning of the 'quiet man'.

A point to ponder, does IDS pay tax on his 'rent free' home? I wonder.

Mike Spry

Mayfield Close

Swindon