Tanni’s View

THERE IS NO one that can dispute that this has been an odd year, but last week I realised something that I didn’t think would happen, and that is my passport has run out. I am privileged in so many ways and that I still travel a reasonable amount for work, but to have not taken my passport out of the drawer since March is a bit strange. I hadn’t even thought about it until I decided to do some tidying up and remembered that I was meant to do something about it.

Of course, I don’t have any photos that I can send or any that seem to be appropriate to scan and although I am not shielding, I have just got used to not going out. I went out in September to work in London and haven’t really been out since then. I haven’t been to

Baroness Grey-Thompson DBE writes for Ability Needs

the supermarket (husband has been doing the shopping) and have had one trip to the hospital to drop off some clothes for a family member who had to have a short stay and that is it.

Like many people our Christmas plans have changed, so instead of visiting friends we are now at home. So our family trip out for this month was to the supermarket to buy food for Christmas lunch, and what was once something that I took for granted actually felt like a big trip out. It was weird to be around so many people. I can’t even remember the last time I drove my car. Where previously I would never have thought about what time I was going to the supermarket, we tried to go at time when there were going to be less people around. There is a combination of not

wanting to be around people, and not used to being around people. The thought of weaving my way amongst lots of people, which I would have previously thought nothing about, now is something I don’t want to do unless I have to.

The break is something that an awful lot of people have been looking forward to for a long time and it has almost been used as a marker to get to because of the awful pandemic. For months I have been hearing people say that ‘we have to get to Christmas”. Trying to think what is the next thing that we look forward to, that can help keep us going, and sadly there is nothing that really springs to mind. Next Christmas is a long way off and other moments in time are not quite the same. The vaccine, which I will have as soon as I can, doesn’t have the same ‘appeal’ in that it is a moment in time. The staging of it being administered will mean that people are going to be able to go out at all different points in time.

Working from home/living at work has been hard. Spending more time with people than we are used to doing has been hard and lovely. I know from a personal perspective it has been amazing to spend so much time with my daughter (when I am normally away 3 - 4 nights a week) but not going out has resulted in me almost forgetting what a normal working week is.

Much of my work in the last few months has been about thinking differently, how disabled people may work in this new environment, because I think that the work environment will potentially be different for far longer than any vaccination programme. Disabled people have struggled in so many ways in the job market due to more reasons than I could list here, but there is an opportunity for employers to think more clearly and creatively about how to improve the generally low figures. We have known for a long time that most reasonable adjustments generally cost very little so we have to look beyond their excuses for not doing more. If it was easy it would have been fixed a long time ago, but the issue is that in twenty years time I don’t want to be fighting for the things that I was fighting for twenty years ago. This is perhaps the time when we can get people to think differently.

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‘Systematic lack of inclusion’: Mencap calls for urgent government action to tackle healthcare inequalities faced by people with a learning disability during COVID

Even before COVID-19, people with a learning disability experienced shockingly high levels of health inequality – they were more likely to die avoidably and die younger.

Despite this - and evidence early on that people with a learning disability are disproportionately affected by COVID19 - Mencap’s report published today documents the stream of failures to protect one of the most marginalized patient populations in the country. And with news this week that not all people with a learning disability will be prioritised for the COVID-19 vaccine - despite people with a learning disability having died at over 6 times the rate of the general population –the report’s findings are more pertinent than ever.

Mainly detailing the situation in England, the report includes results from a survey of learning disability nurses conducted at the height of the pandemic. It highlights the significant obstacles people have faced to accessing healthcare. Some people were told they would be denied lifesaving treatment, and others had vital support removed, while some were discharged too early from hospital.

In some instances, people with a learning disability were told that they may not receive

life-saving treatment: The National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) quickly changed original guidance in March this year which conflated support needs with frailty, resulting in Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation orders (DNACPRs) being placed on some disabled people’s records. However Mencap says that damage had already been done. Some GPs are reported to have told patients with a learning disability that they were unlikely to be offered ventilation and encouraged them to consent to DNACPRs. Even now, Mencap is still receiving reports that DNACPRs are being placed on people’s records without their consent.

Some hospitals failed to provide adequate care while government guidance on visiting

resulted in the removal of critical support: Reasonable adjustments – like more time during a medical appointment or being permitted to wait in a quiet area - are vital for people with a disability. Making reasonable adjustments is a requirement of the Equality Act 2010, a law that remained in place throughout the pandemic, but despite this many people have found themselves unsupported with adjustments being limited during the COVID crisis.

For someone with a learning disability who may face difficulties communicating, having the right person there to provide support is crucial. Yet the original official guidance was interpreted in different ways - even within the same hospital setting – often leaving people with a learning disability without vital support and at risk of worse health outcomes. In one case support was denied even when travelling to hospital in an ambulance.

Reduction in access to learning disability nurses: Some acute learning disability nurses were redeployed to other units. Learning disability nurses are crucial in ensuring people get the vital healthcare support they need, as well as providing support to other healthcare professionals. 11% of acute learning disability nurses surveyed by Mencap said they or a team member had been redeployed; for community based learning disability nurses it was 34%.

Inappropriate discharge from hospital: Discharge guidance has meant that in many cases

leaving hospital has happened too quickly with people returning home sooner than they would under normal circumstances, and sometimes with emergency readmissions following soon afterwards. Over half (57%) of the learning disability nurses surveyed by Mencap agreed that healthcare professionals have not always had enough time to ensure the right support is in place for patients with a learning disability upon discharge.

The impact of remote consultations: The widespread shift to remote GP and other medical consultations means that GPs can sometimes miss when a person with a learning disability is very unwell, either due to communication issues or because they attribute the person’s symptoms to their learning disability. This can cause delays in accessing healthcare and in some cases may have contributed to serious illness, and may be part of the reason that some people died.

Long before COVID-19, Mencap’s Treat me well campaign – which launched in February 2018 - has aimed to transform how the NHS treats people with a learning disability. Today’s report shows that the COVID pandemic has made this even more critical.

Mencap is calling for:

• The government to prioritise vaccination for all people with a learning disability, as people with a learning disability have died from COVID at up to 6 times the rate of the general population • Clearer healthcare guidance that specifically addresses the needs of people with a learning disability • Reasonable adjustments to be made where possible - these can be a matter of life and death • DNACPRs to be reviewed and removed from the records of patients who did not give informed consent, or where proper decision making did not take place • An urgent review to take place into the impact of remote consultations on people with a learning disability • The forthcoming inquiry into the handling of the pandemic to look closely at why so many people with a learning disability lost their lives • Prioritising training to ensure that all healthcare workers are confident in providing flexible, personalised care for people with a learning disability within their area of specialty.

Edel Harris, Chief Executive of the learning disability charity Mencap, said: “With widespread inequality as a backdrop, when the healthcare sector was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic it resulted in a range of new and worsened problems for people with a learning disability. NHS staff have been working incredibly hard and doing everything possible to keep people safe but this is against a backdrop of inadequate and confusing guidance that has ultimately failed to protect people with a learning disability.

“Despite knowing the healthcare inequalities that people with a learning disability already face – and knowing early on that people with a learning disability were being disproportionately affected by the crisis – the UK Government has failed to produce guidance that adequately considers their needs. Because of this, there has been a failure to tackle the existing systematic lack of inclusion.

“Health inequalities can no longer be ignored. The current crisis is a wake-up call that must result in urgent system change to address the shocking levels of premature death and health inequalities that people with a learning disability continue to face. And this change must start with prioritising people with a learning disability for the COVID vaccine.”

To find out more about Mencap’s ‘My Health, My Life’ report, visit: mencap.org.uk/myhealthmylife. Visit: www.mencap.org.uk.

For advice and information about learning disability and Mencap services in your area, contact Mencap’s Learning Disability Helpline on 0808 808 1111 (10am-3pm, Monday-Friday) or email helpline@mencap.org.uk

THE STEREOTYPICAL look of a model which dominates the runway is not what Models Direct look for when we add new models to our modelling hub. We celebrate everyone, offering the same opportunities to all those who apply to our agency regardless of age, gender, size, style and special abilities. Our modelling agency welcomes diversity and inclusivity, so we are always on the lookout for models of diversity and models with disabilities. Diverse modelling is essential, and we have tapped into this modelling category as we want to represent the population fairly.

We want our modelling talent to make waves, not ripples, and inspire others to come forward and apply to our modelling agency. Check out models such as Gianna Schiavone, Elesha Turner, Shaholly Ayers, Nina Marker and Rafi Solaiman. They have all stamped their names in the industry and have not shied away from promoting their look.

Our models best bits

If you are looking for inspiration, our current models at Models Direct are bursting with diversity. So, we thought it would be a great idea to compile our pages and best bits to help give you more of an insight into what life is like as a model with disabilities. Let us get cosy and begin!

Our Models Direct team is very results-focused. We work hard for each other and enjoy the benefits of being in a positive environment. We have got a plethora of modelling industry knowledge (30 years in fact) giving our diverse models the confidence to work with our leading clientele.

Model Frances went behind the wheel for Motability and RAC’s online campaign promoting their vehicles with particular adaptations for people with disabilities. Her indepth feedback was truly awesome and she had an enjoyable time!

As a wheelchair user, our model, Alex, had an assignment with Heathrow Airport and left a positive message about his experience. He mentioned that he too hoped to promote diversity and inclusion within the industry.

Moving on, our male model, Gary, was selected to star in the latest online commercial for Kwik Fit Motability. Gary was the perfect pick to work with such a wellknown client alongside a professional film crew to create their mobility campaign. His feedback is priceless.

Next up, Clare, our bubbly female model, had been successfully selected to feature in the latest online campaign for Hive –the UK’s leading smart home providers. Her mustread review is something to smile about.

Our model, Nicki, also did a shoot for Invacare and the final image looks gorgeous – simplistic and moving. Nicki, a wheelchair user, was confident, ready for a challenge and looking to promote diversity and inclusion more within the modelling industry – and she achieved this!

Finally, Darin, who was always full of positive energy and confidence was spectacular and did really well on his Invacare assignment, which took him to Valencia in Spain.

If you are thinking about applying as a model, all you have to do is fill out our online application form at www.modelsdirect.com along with a couple of images and we will take it from there.

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