Time to celebrate

Disability Pride Month is an international initiative that celebrates the disability community and highlights their creativity, resilience, and achievements. It is a chance to celebrate the diversity in the disability community and to reject stigma and discrimination.

In Luton, The Disability Network are naming this month as 'Disability Celebration Month' and are planning a number of events and activities which will take place throughout July. There will be four awareness raising events, covering the different types of disabilities, and residents and organisations will have the opportunity to hold a stall in St George's Square to:

• share their lived experiences

• promote the support and services available

• educate the wider community

The network are also producing an accessibility events guide to help Luton events be more accessible and inclusive, and will be producing some information and awareness videos to educate the wider community on the realities of those with additional needs in our town.

The Disability Network is made up of residents, parent/carers, and representatives from community organisations who work together to address the experiences of those with disabilities and additional needs in Luton. For more details contact Lauren.Cox@luton.gov.uk

Silly Idle

Idling vehicles are a waste of fuel, money and are harmful to our health.

An anti-idling campaign is aiming to raise awareness of the impact of poor air quality on peoples’ lives, and remind you that your money is going up in smoke while the engine runs when your vehicle is stationary.

Minimising this helps to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, which are linked to climate change. Another unwanted by-product is nitrogen dioxide, which is linked to respiratory conditions such as asthma and lung cancer.

The council’s Neighbourhood Enforcement Team and parking enforcement officers have been talking to drivers who are running their engines while stationary in the town, and particularly around schools, to encourage them to switch off. Over 600 idling drivers have done so when approached – avoiding a fine and doing their bit for the environment!

Watch the short video on the council’s Youtube channel by searching: ‘Engines off while you wait.’

Show you care and park elsewhere

Life can be busy and with a lot of people being tight for time, ‘I will only be two minutes’ is the thought entering some heads when parking up and dropping a child off at school.

Yet roads outside schools can get severely congested.

Parking on painted yellow lines, zig zags, the pavement or blocking drives, is so dangerous for children. But, surprisingly, it happens.

So try parking a five minute walk away from the school gates. Make it somewhere safe, sensible and considerate. Or better still, walk or cycle.