Tanni’s View

THE IMPACT OF COVID on the population will be discussed for many years to come. I remember at some point in March last year thinking that it was going to be about a year. But I have no idea why I thought that at the time.

Whether there is a full investigation or not and what it will ever be able to find is a debate for another time. I always say that in the work that I do you have to learn from everything that you do to be better next time. But in my case, it is a speech in a debate which might last an afternoon, or a piece of legislation that might be a few weeks. It is much easier to go through all the notes and the speeches and see what could have happened differently. I am really interested in what the learning is for how disabled people have been treated and

Baroness Grey-Thompson DBE writes for Ability Needs

whether it has changed the view of disabled people by wider society.

There is no doubt that the impact on disabled people has been pretty severe. Not just with the ‘do not resuscitate’ orders that were placed on a number of disabled people, but the ongoing low level impact on daily life. The figures that came out last year about the number of disabled people (60%) who died from Covid only really got media traction this year. There is a lot of intersectionality in that data, but has what we have been through in the last year made life better or worse for disabled people?

Working on the coronavirus legislation feels like so much more than a year ago. Care Act easements were some of the big parts that I worked on but there were many other parts in

there that would have an impact on disabled people. It seemed like such small things at the time, but I remember trying to raise issue of access with the pavement culture. Don’t get me wrong, sitting outside having a coffee seems like a marvellous idea right now, but how that impacts on people moving around could have just a very low level negative effect. What is it about some of this that disabled people are not even thought about? Am I getting too pernickety? Or is this the outcome of lockdown where I am just getting tired of fighting for low level inclusion.

One of the things that I received a lot of emails about was the impact of blue badge spaces being cordoned off to provide socially distanced queuing. Many emails I received said that no other provision was put in place and one person told me they received verbal abuse for parking across two spaces so that they could get their wheelchair out of their car.

I have had a number of people tell me that as a disabled person they have been told that they shouldn’t be out. Is this because society cares about them and their safety, or because they are seen as an inconvenience? I wish that I could answer some of these questions but sadly I think that it is more the latter than the first. Whereas a year ago I might have been trying to think of ways to deal with this, and I would have put it down to ignorance or many other things, now I spend more time thinking about what the wider impact is, because this is not a one off. This is happening to lots of people. It always has happened, but is it worse now than it was before? I certainly don’t think that the world has moved on in terms of rights.

I was really pleasantly surprised last week when I found out that a disabled person who sat on an advisory group was being paid. How bad is it that I was excited that a disabled person was being paid for working? It came on the back of a conversation I was having about how often disabled people are sitting in quite important positions around the table but not being paid. What is it about the voice and experience of disabled people that is not being listened to? Changing big bits of legislation is one way to do it, but there needs to be more than this, so that we are no longer surprised when we hear about a disabled person being paid for their work. This should just be a given.

Crelling Harnesses Ltd.

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Crelling Harnesses manufacture a full range of special needs harnesses suitable for use on all kinds of equipment including wheelchairs, buggies, scooters, shower chairs, bathing equipment, stair lifts and seats in cars, buses and aircraft etc. The vehicle harnesses are designed to be worn in conjunction with the existing safety belts to provide additional postural support and/or to offer a certain degree of restraint when used for those passengers with behavioural problems or learning difficulties.

We make simple belts and full supportive harnesses for all kinds of special needs, including challenging behaviour

WHEELPOWER, the national charity for wheelchair sport has been providing opportunities for disabled people to play sport and lead healthy active lives for over 70 years from their home, Stoke Mandeville Stadium in Buckinghamshire, England.

Through the hosting of annual events such as the Inter Spinal Unit Games, the National Junior Games, and with a wider programme supporting children and newly paralysed men and women, WheelPower supports thousands of disabled people every year throughout the UK.

With the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020 the charity sector, disability sports and disabled people were facing a growing number of challenges, and this was also the case for WheelPower. The facilities at Stoke Mandeville Stadium had to close, key fundraising events were cancelled and the disabled people we support were now shielding and isolated within their own homes.

Within days of the first lockdown WheelPower began to set in motion plans to create new and exciting digital content that would enable disabled people to stay active in their homes during these uncertain times. On 25th March WheelPower released their very first Exercise at Home video which introduced disabled people to Adaptive Yoga. The three online Yoga classes were delivered by Nina Boswell-Brown from Sitting Fit Yoga and have been a huge success with the disabled community. To date they have been watched over 22,000 times on YouTube and continue to reach far and wide, spreading a positive message and showcasing the importance of exercise to our mental and physical wellbeing. During the early stages of lockdown Sport England launched the campaign ‘Stay in Workout’ that encouraged everyone to remain active during these difficult times and WheelPower were now playing a key role in providing new resources and creating greater opportunity for disabled people to ‘Exercise at Home’. These first videos paved the way for many more WheelPower Workouts to be created and released fortnightly over the past year. Delivered by fellow wheelchair users Ben Clark and Ella Beaumont, over 38 fitness videos have now been produced by the charity, with the full series including cardio, circuits, and resistance bands training, alongside the original adaptive yoga content. “Our data has shown us that thousands of disabled people have benefited from the Exercise at Home videos, not only in the United Kingdom but around the world! The feedback has been very positive and we are delighted with the service we have provided to maintain and improve the physical and mental wellbeing of disabled people during these unprecedented times.” comments Emily Weller, Head of Sport and Physical Activity, WheelPower.

Following the success of the workout videos WheelPower started to host Live Online Exercise Classes that brought together disabled people from across the United Kingdom. This free online class, hosted on Zoom, first took place in May 2020 as the three main instructors rotated between Yoga, Cardio and Circuits. These classes not only provided a new opportunity to take part in and enjoy fitness but they were also taking place in a friendly, inclusive and social space. Many friendships have been formed amongst the participants and as numbers continued to grow WheelPower extended the offer to our now three classes per week, which continues to this day.

“WheelPower’s Online Exercise Classes were launched in response to Covid-19 to engage with disabled people to take part in a cardio, strength workouts or even a relaxing yoga session. This is a very informal and friendly session that provides an opportunity to have the social connection and interaction with peers and friends. During the pandemic these connections have become so important and something many are missing due to isolation, shielding and social distancing.” Emily Weller, Head of Sport and Physical Activity, WheelPower.

ELLA ISa former GB U25 Wheelchair Basketball player who has been supporting disabled people to stay active through the creation of workout videos and the delivering of live online classes. Ella is one of the WheelPower Workout instructors and she has become famous for her use of everyday equipment, such as brooms and baked bean tins within her classes.

As Ella explains, “At the beginning of lockdown I was really missing the going to the gym and staying active. My mum and sister were taking part in online sessions with Joe Wickes and I used to look at them and wish there was something like that for disabled people. I did a quick search online, but couldn’t find much out there that was inspiring and motivating for me, so I decided to film and edit my own workout videos! During these workouts, I hope to make exercise fun and exciting, whilst simultaneously working on exercising our upper body muscles, helping to keep us fit and active." “When WheelPower contacted me I was really excited about the opportunity to work with them as it meant I could reach a whole new audience, and help transform people’s lives through sport! WheelPower have given me so many opportunities throughout my sporting career so it is so lovely to be able to give back to this amazing charity!”

Over the past year Ella has created a series of 10 circuits based workouts videos for WheelPower. She also continues to deliver a weekly class every Wednesday evening and recently produced a further 10 videos aimed specifically at primary and secondary aged children. Find out more by visiting www.wheelpower.org.uk/ella

WITH SPRING 2021now upon us and after a whole year of lockdowns and uncertainty we now look ahead positively to a return to play, a return to facilities and return to events as we know them. It has been an incredibly tough year for the charity sector financially but organisations like WheelPower have adapted to the challenges faced during the pandemic and continued to support thousands of disabled people improve their health and wellbeing.

Martin McElhatton OBE, Chief Executive of WheelPower comments “In response to Covid-19 WheelPower has focussed on supporting disabled people who have been isolated at home through our Exercise at Home programme. We produced new on-line resources including Yoga and fitness films and provided exercise equipment, advice and support. The weekly live classes have had a fantastic impact and we are so pleased to hear how much disabled people have benefited from regularly attending. It has been wonderful to see how the help we have provided has enabled disabled people to maintain their physical and mental health during the crisis and we thank everyone for supporting WheelPower during these times.”

Find out more about WheelPower:

www.wheelpower.org.uk

Social media:

WheelPower can be found on all channels so please do tag us into your posts using the following: @wheelchairsport (Facebook) @wheelpower (twitter) @wheelpower_official (Instagram)

Exercise at Home:

To find out more about the WheelPower Exercise at Home resources please visit:

www.wheelpower.org.uk/homeworkouts

Apply now for a FREE set of resistance bands from WheelPower

The regular use of resistance bands is a great way to build up your strength and improve fitness. During the pandemic WheelPower has gifted over 500 sets of bands to disabled people throughout the UK. More information about this programme can be found at

www.wheelpower.org.uk/fundingbands

Ability & Advice Event 11/06/21

After what has been an isolating year, let’s RISE together and get connected! Join us from the comfort of your own home for the virtual event of the year!

• FREE to attend • No restrictions • No access issues • No time constraints

Have your say at our National Disability Forum meeting, which will be hosted at our virtual event. Be involved in our interactive workshops. Broaden your range of skills and try something new from the comfort of home.

Keep up with the latest available technologies and equiptment in our virtual exhibition hall. Fully visualise and interact with products on each exhibitor’s digital stand. Speak in real-time to sales assistants through text, audio or video chat - even receive product demonstrations from within the space itself. An immersive shopping experience from the comfort of your own home!

Our dedicated networking space will allow you to connect with like-minded individuals and share your experiences. A valuable chance for us all to speak face to face and socialise after what has been an isolating time for so many of us.

Team RISE will be on hand during the event to offer full technical support and assist you in getting the most out of your day on our virtual platform.

A range of organisation and charities will be on-hand at our event to answer your questions, offer you free advice and provide information on available services.

A full schedule of free entertainment will take place until early evening on our theatre stage. Including conference talks, motivational speeches and comedy from relatable comedians with lived experiences.

Register now to secure your FREE place at RISE Virtual Ability & Advice - just scan the QR code! Or you can visit www.bit.ly/abilityadviceevent Join our advocacy and awareness group on Facebook Just search ‘RISE Together’ to join the community. Follow us on social media for the latest event announcements @rise4disability