DRM - Disability Review Magazine - Winter 2021/22

DRM DISABILIT Y REVIEW MAGA ZINE

W I N T E R - 2 0 2 1/2 2

DISABILITY NEWSBEAT ROSIE JONES and her Mission Accessible

AMO RAJU:

Walking the Walk and Talking the Talk

BUSINESS DISABILITY FORUM Addressing the Carers Crisis FIGHTING FOR OUR RIGHTS: The Disability Union

MAKING FASHION UNHIDDEN: Meet Victoria Jenkins REAL STORIES: The mental health benefits of gaming lABLEd Podcast taking on the world CONSIDER DIVERSITYTHIS! AND The UK’s only INCLUSION blind IN THEprofessional WORKPLACE woodworker

INDEPENDENT LIVING MONEY SAVING TIPS Reside and Progress & DISCOUNTS FOR Housing Improving DISABLED PEOPLE Living Options

FITNESS ADVICE NEW BOOK REVIEW FOR WHEELCHAIR “MI9: The Beginning” byUSERS Adam Rood

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Get your quote today: call FREE on 0800 316 8275 quoting HM59 or visit RSA online at: rsahomeinsurance.motability.org.uk *An average of £34 will go to Motability Enterprises Limited. Based on RSA data from March 2020 – April 2021 These funds are used by Motability to help disabled people with their personal mobility. Motability Enterprises Limited (Registered No. 1786053 England and Wales) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Motability (a Registered Charity in England and Wales No. 299745 and in Scotland No. SC050642), both of which have their registered office at Warwick House, Stadium Way, Roydon Road, Harlow, Essex CM19 5PX. Motability Enterprises Limited is an Introducer Appointed Representative of Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Ltd. Motability Home Insurance is administered and underwritten by Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Ltd (No. 93792) registered in England and Wales at St. Mark’s Court, Chart Way, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 1XL. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Calls may be recorded and monitored. Please note there can always be a risk in sending personal information via email.

E D I TO R ’ S L E T T E R D R M

Editor’s Letter This issue is really all about being our authentic selves.

Hello again,

How are we all holding up? What an eighteen months it has been for us all. Many of us will have been vaccinated against Covid-19; some of us are not vaccinated because of our chronic illness and other conditions. Many of us are still having to shield, especially as we head into winter, and I hope that this issue of DRM can be a point of interest, diversion and entertainment for you as the days start to get shorter and darker.

Whatever your situation in this pandemic, the team of DRM wish you well and good health.

The pandemic has been scary, and yet, at the same time, it has ushered in changes that are actually beneficial for disabled people, such as flexible working options, such as working from home, hybrid working, etc. Disabled people are being given a chance to shine in their work because of these work culture shifts and it is exciting to think of the possibilities that this may bring.

In this issue, Evenbreak explores why disabled people make the best candidates for employers.

Disabled people develop so many skills around problem solving, teamwork, creativity and flexibility, that employers really miss a trick by not employing us.

My own work as a speaker and consultant in disability awareness and inclusion and diversity has been varied and exciting the past few months.

As a disabled person who loves gaming, I was delighted to give a talk about disability and climate change to global gaming company EA

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Games. Gaming is becoming more accessible each year, and the impact on disabled peoples mental health and social wellbeing is so important.

Martine, aka Hubert Hazza tells us his gaming story and how gaming has given him a sense of control over his own destiny.

Speaking of destiny, there are so many disabled people out there that have a fascinating, empowering and moving story to tell about their lived experience. Certainly, when I think of my own life, born limb different, Paralympics, artist, speaker, to magazine editor, I couldn’t have asked for more diverse and exciting experiences. In this issue we have a massive interview with our cover star, Amo Raju. Amo is a disabled man who has worked most of his life to challenge stereotypes, question social structures, and educate about disability. He fights for equality of disabled people, especially intersectional disabled people, and his new book, Walk Like a Man, will help him further his battle for inclusion across all sectors of society.

This is a huge issue with a lot of important insights into the different experiences of disabled people. Whether it is Amo’s new book, LimbBo Foundation’s support of limb different children, or Victoria Jenkin’s passion for inclusive fashion design, there is an opportunity here for us all to learn together, about disability, about each other.

We are all our authentic selves, no matter our impairments or conditions, and I hope this issue gives you the confidence to express yourself in the best way possible.

Liz El i za b et h Wr i g ht Tw i t te r - @ es i ou l I n s ta g ra m - @ e l i z a b et h lwr i g h t

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D R M CONTENTS

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42

32 Employment & Education: 14 Disabled Candidates are Premium Candidates

Our Cover Star...

Amo Raju is the CEO of Disability Direct, an entrepreneur, speaker

Creative problem solving, flexibility and adaptability.

16 Why We Need a Disability Union Creating community helps us all fight for our rights.

21 Supporting Unpaid Carers

Business Disability Forum addresses the issues of unpaid carer leave.

and consultant. Amo

Independent Living:

has also released his

24 Walking the Walk and Talking the Talk

book Walk Like A Man, an inspiring story of overcoming the odds.

Meet Amo Raju, storyteller, CEO and change maker.

28 Creating Unhidden Fashion

Find out why Victoria Jenkins is creating her own fashion brand.

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CONTENTS D R M

28 COVER CREDITS: Model: AMO RAJU W.W. Winters Ltd

Executive Editor: Lee Gatland

Art Director: Richard Hejsak

31 Supported living options to improve

Managing Editor:

Reside working together with Progress Housing.

Elizabeth Wright liz@sevenstarmedia.co.uk

32 Consider This!

Chris Fisher, the UK’s only blind professional woodturner.

35 Giving Disabled People a Voice The podcast that gives a platform to all experiences.

Sales Team:

63

40 Collaboration for Eye Care

58 The Power of Accessible Gaming

42 Limb Difference with a Smile

Disability Sport:

SeeAbility and NHS England are joining forces for more access in schools.

The LimbBo Foundation building community for families globally.

46 DRM Carers Corner with Dan White Where is the support for vulnerable children?

Motoring and Motability: 49 Electric Vehicles: do you have range anxiety?

Finding wellbeing and support in the gaming community.

60 Tackling inequalities with Get Yourself Active grant

Disability Rights UK taking on the challenge to get more disabled people active.

63 The Hardest Decision Leads to Golfing Excellence

Mike Brown talks about his amputation and golf journey.

Motability take the fear out of electric vehicle options.

Healthy Eating:

Travel and Leisure:

Nothing is as easy to throw together on a cold winters night than minestrone.

54 Looking for Some Travel Inspiration

65 Delicious Dinner Made Easy

01959 543 650 sales@sevenstarmedia.co.uk

Published by SEVEN STAR MEDIA LTD 184 Main Road, Biggin Hill, Westerham, Kent Tel: 01959 543659 disabilityreviewmagazine.co.uk Disclaimer: Disability Review Magazine (DRM) is published bi-annually (twice per annum) by Seven Star Media Ltd. No part of DRM may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted to any form without permission. Views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of Seven Star Media Ltd, and are included to provide advice only. No content is a substitute for professional medical advice. During printing, images may be subject to a 15% variation. © Copyright of content belongs to individual contributors with the magazine copyright belonging to Seven Star Media. All rights reserved. Please either keep this magazine for future reference, pass it on for somebody else to read, or recycle it.

Rosie Jones shares her mission accessible.

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Like more?

Get more.

With the fully loaded, family-sized MG HS • • •

Satellite navigation 10.1" colour touchscreen Rear parking camera

• • •

Apple CarPlay™ / Android Auto™ LED daytime running lights MG Pilot Driver Assistance System

Nil

Advance Payment^

Fuel economy and CO2 results for the MG HS. MPG (l/100km) (combined): 36.6 (7.7) to 37.9 (7.4). CO2 emissions: 168–174 g/km.

TEST 2019

mg.co.uk

Figures shown are for comparability purposes; only compare fuel consumption and CO2 figures with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. These figures may not reflect real life driving results, which will depend upon a number of factors including the accessories fitted (post-registration), variations in weather, driving styles and vehicle load. Model shown: MG HS Excite with Dynamic Red Paint £22,190 on the road. ^Available on MG HS Excite manual models only. Motability Scheme vehicles are leased to customers by Motability Operations Limited (Registered Company No 1373876). To qualify you must be in receipt of the Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA), the Enhanced Rate Mobility Component of Personal Independent Payment (PIP), the War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement (WPMS) or the Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP) and applications must be made with participating dealers between 01.10.21 until 31.12.21. Prices are correct at time of print, are subject to availability and may change.

DRM

NEWS D R M

DISABILITY NEWSBEAT

Changing Rooms Ambasssador celebrates NDA win At this years National Diversity Awards, held in September, Zack Kerr took out the Positive Role Model for Disability Award. Zack won the award because of his tireless campaigning for larger and more accessible toilets across the UK. As an ambassador for the Changing Places Campaign, Zack has secured millions of pounds for the building of Changing Places restrooms across service stations in England. In our last issue we raised awareness about the Changing Places Campaign, a campaign aiming to get as many large, accessible toilets in public spaces and places as possible. You can find out more about the Changing Places Campaign here - changing-places.org

Winter Wonderwheels warmer This winter you can take part in Winter Wonderwheels powered by Marvel, part of the Superhero Series by Paralympian Sophie Warner.

This festive extravaganza is just the challenge we need to keep us motivated through winter. You can cycle, walk, run, wheel, push, or move yourself in any way around Dorney’s spectacular lake in Buckinghamshire. You can choose your challenge length as well, either 1 km, 5km, or 10km. If you can’t be there in person, you can also register to do the Winter Wonderwheels at home over two weeks, again, in whichever way feels best for you. To find out more about the challenge check out the Superhero Series website here superheroseries.co.uk/upcoming-events-2021

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Animal rescue farm accessible holidays BSafe Sanctuary is a property in the South of France that, more many years, has actively worked as an animal rescue service giving farm animals a caring and safe place to live.

The owners, Vincent and Sarah, use the connection between animals and people, to forward veganism as a more sustainable way to live. More recently, they have embarked on a project to open up their property for disabled people and their families and carers, to visit and connect with animals and nature alike. BSafe has four cottages and a guest house that are adapted with accessibility in mind, this includes ramps, medical beds, lifts and hoists. If you would like to know more about BSafe and enquire about booking a trip, please contact Vincent and Sarah via their Facebook page here - facebook.com/bsafenoww

The WeThe15 Campaign This year’s Paralympics also saw the launch of the #WeThe15 campaign.

Considered to be the biggest ever human rights movement to end discrimination against disabled people, the aim is to transform the lives of 1.2 billion disabled people worldwide. Launched at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, WeThe15 plans to create positive social change for disabled people by bringing together the biggest coalition of international organisations from the sport, human rights, policy, communications, business, arts and entertainment sectors. You can find out more here - wethe15.org

Want to dough a secret?!

Great British Bake Off are looking for home bakers to compete in the 2022 Tent and they want you. Are you handy with a whisk? Do you know your shortcrust from your filo pastry?

With an aim to represent diverse people, Bake Off wants to encourage more disabled bakers to apply, so if you think you have what it takes to bake it in the tent, head on over to apply, you have until the 5th December, 2021 - gbbo.take-part.co.uk

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JEEP COMPASS

JEEP RENEGADE

AVAILABLE ON THE MOTABILITY SCHEME*

Visit jeep.co.uk/motability to see the latest offers

Fuel economy and CO2 results for the Jeep® range mpg (l/100km) combined: 25.7 (11.0) - 48.7 (5.8). CO2 emissions: 259 - 148 g/km. Figures shown are for comparability purposes; only compare fuel consumption and CO2 figures with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. These figures may not reflect real life driving results, which will depend upon a number of factors including the accessories fitted (post-registration), variations in weather, driving styles and vehicle load *Jeep Compass and Renegade available on the Motability scheme. Advance payment costs will vary depending on model/version. Models shown: Jeep Compass, available on the Motability Scheme from £1,945 advanced payment. Jeep Renegade, available on the Motability Scheme from £1,245 advance payment. Vehicles are only available through Motability-accredited participating Jeep Retailers and are not available in conjunction with any other offer. Advance Payments are correct at time of publishing and are subject to orders being placed between 1st October and 31st December 2021. Advanced payments after this date are subject to change, more information can be found at https://www.jeep.co.uk/motability. Terms & Conditions apply. Offer may be varied and withdrawn at any time

NEWS D R M

D R M DISABILITYNEWSBEAT DM Orthotics supporting five British boccia players

Boccia (pronounced ‘Bot-cha) is a Paralympic sport designed specifically for athletes with impairments and conditions that affect their locomotor function. Similar to bowls, boccia is played indoors on a court like the size of a badminton court.

THE aim of the game is to get closer to the jack than your opponent. DM Orthotics is proud to announce that they are supporting five British boccia competitors to reach their full potential in the sport.

“WITHIN A FEW MONTHS I WAS STRONGER, MORE FLEXIBLE AND MORE RESPONSIVE TO SOFT TISSUE TREATMENT.” David Smith MBE, the most successful British boccia BC1 player of all time and currently world number 1, has been using a DMO® Custom Suit to help his performance since 2014. He has Cerebral Palsy Spastic Quadriplegia which means his whole body is affected and his muscles are

disabili t yreviewmagazine.co.uk

often stiff and tight, reducing his range of movement and making smooth, controlled movements a challenge. He also has severe Scoliosis, curvature of the spine. Before coming to DM Orthotics for a clinical assessment, David wore a spinal brace.

After receiving new neuro physio training, David’s physiotherapist suggested a suit as they felt it would increase his sports performance, stability, and stamina, as well as reduce his risk of injury.

The DM Orthotics clinical team helped support his transition from using a brace to a soft fabric orthosis. He no longer uses a brace as the suit helps him in all areas of his life. “Within a few months I was stronger, more flexible and more responsive to soft tissue treatment,” David said.

“I was able to start dominating my sport and updating my throwing technique easily.”

European Silver Medallist in 2019, Claire Taggart started playing boccia six years ago and wears a DMO® Custom Glove and Vest. “My condition, Dystonia, causes painful contractures and the resistance provided within my left forearm glove enables me to grip better and to stabilise myself for my throw,” she said. “Using Dynamic Movement Orthoses® allows me to be active and competitive within my sport - I would not be the boccia athlete I am today without them.” And Evie Edwards, who won a silver medal in the BC4 pairs at the 2017 European Championships, stated, “My DMO® leggings help with giving me stability to my legs and hips,” she said. “They’ve helped prevent patella dislocations and I’m nearly completely off pain medication because of them.”

Jamie McCowan, currently ranked 5th in the world in the BC3 classification, has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and wears a DMO® Vest. Jamie said, “the vest provides me with postural support which reduces fatigue and helps me maintain a high level of performance in training and competitions.”

And Patrick Wilson - World Silver Medallist in 2014 – has been wearing a custom-made Scoliosis suit for many years. “My DMO® Suit gives me stability and the propensity to strengthen my core that otherwise would not have been possible for me,” he said. “It’s allowed me to be more consistent and push the boundaries of what I am able to do.”

DM Orthotics is a world-leader in the design and manufacture of its patented Dynamic Movement Orthoses® (DMO®). Since 2005 the company has worked to help adults and children with the single aim of improving function and encouraging independence for the patient.

Fo r mo re i nfo r ma t i o n a b o ut D M O ® p rod u ct s , v i s it: d mor t hot i cs .com a n d to kee p u p to d a te o n B occi a U K v i s it: bocci a.uk .com

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D R M NEWS

BOOK REVIEW - MI9: THE BEGINNING, BY ADAM ROOD LEADING British charity, Microtia UK, has debuted its children’s book, MI9: The Beginning,

by Adam Rood. MI9: The Beginning tells the story of five heroic children who save the day on a top secret mission and in doing so, surpass their own expectations of themselves and each other.

The story starts with Billy, a shy young boy who is rather scared and intimidated by the demon dinner lady. Billy takes a test, however, that changes his life forever. Without giving too much away, Billy discovers he has a superpower, which leads him on a journey to the Prime Minister’s office, to new friends who accept him for who he is, and the ability to hear people’s thoughts. All of his new friends discover they have special abilities too, including Poppy, who was born with a cleft lip, who now has the ability to speak multiple languages with ease, and Max, who was born without his right arm, who suddenly exhibits incredible strength in his left arm.

Billy, himself, was born with Microtia, meaning his ear is a different shape and he struggles to hear.

A beautifully presented book, with joyful, full-colour illustrations throughout, and large text making it perfect for primary school age, MI9: The Beginning aims to inspire all children. Positive representation is key, with each child exhibiting a uniqueness that is celebrated throughout the story. In a world where disability representation often tells us what is wrong or tragic about disability, what MI9: The Beginning does is flip the narrative.

Each child’s impairment or condition becomes a key part of their superpower. If they hadn’t been born with their conditions they wouldn’t be a part of this amazing

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adventure; which is a really important statement to make about how we view disability.

While navigating life at home, at school and with friends, each of the characters discover what makes them unique in the best possible way. This book can help us all to value and celebrate individuality in children through an epic superhero tale.

The book, which is the first in a series, is available on Amazon from £6.99.

Proceeds raised from book sales will go towards funding the project and supporting the continuation of services offered by the charity to families of children with Microtia.

A number of schools

across the UK will receive a free copy of the book, in a move to promote diversity and inclusion through storytelling in the classroom. Schools, teachers and children’s support organisations can request a free copy of the book by emailing info@microtiauk.org

What is Microtia?

Microtia is a rare condition affecting 1 in 6,000 babies in the UK. The condition is an underdevelopment of the ear(s).

It seems to affect more boys than girls and affects right ears more than left. Unilateral microtia (one ear) is more common, however approximately 1 in 10 children affected have bilateral microtia (both ears).

Who is Microtia UK?

Microtia UK was established as a charity in 2013 by three Mums to children born with microtia.

Liz Jones joined forces with Hana Thalova and Ali Daniels to create the first ever UK charity which offered support to those born by microtia. Since its inception the charity has gone on to produce a nationally recognised New Parents Guide, offered annual family information events in London, Scotland and Ireland and has been able to support medical and psychological research through the provision of grants.

disabilit yreviewmagazine.co.uk

A Scheme that puts you in the driving seat.

And even two others.

With insurance for up to three drivers included, you don’t need to drive to join the Motability Scheme with Lookers.

Talk to us about your everyday freedom

Visit: lookers.co.uk/motability Over 120 Dealerships throughout the UK and 22 Manufacturers represented we are sure to have the perfect solution for all your mobility needs.

We’ve got dedicated parking you can reserve for your visit. Just let us know and we’ll save you a space right outside.

The Motability Scheme is administered by Motability Operations Limited (Registered Company No. 1373876), City Gate House, 22 Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 9HB. The facilities offered are for the hire (bailment) of goods. You will not own the vehicle. Agreement subject to acceptance and age restrictions may apply. The agreement can be terminated early with the consent of Motability Operations Limited and administrative charges may be applicable. Mileage allowance of 20,000 miles per annum over three- or five-year terms. To qualify you must be in receipt of one of, the Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA), the Enhanced Rate of the Mobility Component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), the War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement (WPMS) or the Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP), which will be taken in lieu of the four weekly hire rental. Attendance Allowance is a nonqualifying allowance. Terms and conditions apply and are available on request. Lookers is a trading name of Lookers Motor Group Limited, 3 Etchells Road, West Timperley, Altrincham, WA14 5XS, registered in England & Wales Reg. No. 143470.

Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. We are a credit broker, not a lender and can introduce you to a number of lenders. Introducing you to a number of lenders means we receive a commission. Lenders pay commission at different rates either as a fixed fee or as a fixed percentage of the amount you borrow.

The commission that we receive does not affect the amount that you pay to the lender under the credit agreement.

D R M NEWS

Centre have been specially built using the National Accessible Scheme for Disabled Access as a guide, the accessible accommodation ranges from M1-M3 and the centre itself has a Changing Places toilet, a Parahoist (lifting a rider onto the saddle) and a specialised mounting block to enable carers to assist mounting.

“COMPETITION WINNERS EMMA AND HER DAUGHTER ADI, 11, ENJOYED AN ADVENTUROUS STAY.” It is a fantastic place to stay and ride, it gives families with accessibility needs the freedom to enjoy their holiday without having to worry about the associated logistical issues of non-accessible accommodation and activities.

ISLAND RIDING IS THE BALM WE ALL NEED Read how competition winners Emma and Adi Bara, enjoyed their time away at the Island Riding Centre on the Isle of Wight.

LAST year Island Riding Centre and DRM ran a fantastic giveaway competition to win a riding holiday on the Isle of Wight. This month, competition winners Emma and her daughter Adi, 11, enjoyed an adventurous stay exploring the Island and enjoying the riding centre’s horse riding activities.

Emma and Adi won the competition by sending in a photograph of Adi on a horse when she was three. Adi was receiving treatment for a brain tumour and was at a cancer retreat and had met horses for the first time. During her stay at Island Riding Centre she cantered for the first time “It was wonderful to see”, her mum, Emma Bara said.

“The tumour and it’s treatment left Adi deaf in both ears, blind in one eye and with depth

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perception and coordination issues, so to canter is quite a scary thing to do. It was a really emotional moment for her and I am so proud of what she’s achieved”. Adi also went on to jump for the first time. “I feel really happy and safe and calm when I am horse riding,” Adi said.

The benefits of working with, meeting and riding horses are vast – horses don’t judge you and they don’t treat you any differently whether you are disabled or non-disabled.

Working with horses gives a sense of freedom, autonomy and purpose. Adi loves riding horses, “It feels like it’s what I should be doing.”

The newly built equestrian centre and accommodation units at Island Riding

The Island Riding Centre is an equestrian complex and holiday accommodation rolled into one. With 5 start equestrian facilities and a welcoming team, your riding experience and holidays here are unforgettable.

The Isle of Wight has a strong tradition of horse riding with hundreds of miles of bridleways, glorious beaches and trails with spectacular views. Tapping in to the Island’s popularity as a tourist destination, owners Paul and Louise decided on an equestrian complex combined with self-catering holiday accommodation, which would cater for everyone.

Suitable for riders (and non-riders) both young and old, those with limited physical abilities, novice riders to experts we hope it will not only provide recreational fun, but also help development and – who knows – find the potential riding stars for the future!

Check out the Island Riding website here: i s l a n d r i d i n g.co m And for holiday queries please email : ho l i d a ys @ i s l a n d r i d i n g.co m

disabilit yreviewmagazine.co.uk

THE ALL-ELECTRIC FIAT

AVAILABLE ON THE MOTABILITY SCHEME * Spark something beautiful with the all-new all-electric Fiat 500. With a range of up to 199 miles^ which can be extended up to 285 miles* during an urban cycle when used purely for city driving.

Get ready to experience a whole new way of driving, the new 500 offers a “Sherpa Mode,” which intuitively saves energy where necessary to get you to your destination without hiccups. And if the battery runs low, you can always fast charge it with several at home and out-of-home charging solutions.

The new Fiat 500 is available with Passive Entry and a Wearable Key, Attention Assist, Lane control, Traffic Sign Recognition, Autonomous Emergency Braking and Connected services.

^These figures were obtained after the battery had been fully charged. The New Fiat 500 is a battery electric vehicle requiring mains electricity for charging. There is a new test for fuel consumption, CO2 and electric range figures. The electric range shown was achieved using the new test procedure. Figures shown are for comparability purposes. Only compare electric range figures with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. These figures may not reflect real life driving results, which will depend upon a number of factors including the starting charge of the battery, accessories fitted (post-registration), variations in weather, driving styles and vehicle load. *Fiat 500e available on the Motability scheme. Advance payment costs will vary depending on model/version. 500e Action Electric 24kw 93hp (auto) available on the Motability scheme from Nil advance payment. Model shown: 500e La Prima Electric 42kw 118hp available on the Motability scheme from £1,295 Advance Payment.

Vehicles are only available through Motability-accredited participating Fiat Retailers and are not available in conjunction with any other offer. Advance Payments are correct at time of publishing and are subject to orders being placed between 1st October and 31st December 2021. Advanced payments after this date are subject to change, more information can be found at https://www.fiat.co.uk/motability. Terms & Conditions apply. Offer may be varied and withdrawn at any time.

D R M E M P LOYM E N T A N D E D U C AT I O N

Disabled Candidates are Premium Candidates The skills you develop as a disabled person are skills most employers are looking for.

I have long believed that most disabled people make premium candidates. As people, we of course have the same diverse range of skills, qualities and talents as everyone else. And in addition to those, we will have developed other skills through living in a society not designed for us.

One of these skills is that, for most of us, things other people might take for granted require a bit more thought and planning. For example, a trip to meet someone in town might need to be planned like a military exercise, whereas most people just hop onto a bus or into a car and go. As a disabled person, we might have to consider the journey. If we drive, what’s the quickest route? Will there be accessible parking bays? If so, how far are these from the venue we are meeting at? Will the route between the car park and venue be accessible, whether flat for wheelchair use, or a few steps for people with energy issues? Or, if using public transport, will the bus, train or tube be accessible? What about the stations or stops at either end? Do I need to contact someone beforehand to ensure a ramp will be available?

Having planned the journey, there may be other considerations. How accessible is the venue? Are there accessible toilets?

Will the menu have the foods I need? Will it be too busy, loud or confusing? Will the person I’m meeting understand why I might need or want different things, or

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should I discuss it with them beforehand?

This is everyday life for many disabled people, and it means we develop all sorts of skills, such as project management, research, anticipation, organisation, planning ahead. Skills which are useful in most roles with most employers.

Another skill we often develop is creative problem-solving. Living in a largely inaccessible world means we can’t always do things the same way as others.

“ALL OF THESE SKILLS MEAN THAT WE TEND TO BE MORE FLEXIBLE, AGILE AND ADAPTABLE THAN MOST NONDISABLED PEOPLE.” Maybe we use assistive technology to help us. I find it difficult to sit for long periods of time, so I’ve found creative ways to use a computer lying down, or sitting awkwardly on a settee. Some of us work from home, rather than in an office.

People who struggle with short term memory write, type or record lots of lists, to ensure nothing gets forgotten.

All of these skills mean that we tend to be more flexible, agile and adaptable than most non-disabled people. These have always been important skills in the

workplace, and never more so than right now.

The world of work is undoubtedly evolving and changing as a result of the pandemic. How it will change is still uncertain, but one thing we can be sure of is that flexibility, creativity and finding different ways of doing things will become increasingly important.

As disabled people, we have been doing this forever – we are masters in the art of finding new, different and effective ways of achieving results. When people were telling us that most work couldn’t possibly be done from home, we were already doing it. When we were being told that there is only one way of completing a particular task, we had already found a number of different ways of approaching it successfully.

So, when disabled people are looking for work in the new post-Covid world, don’t forget that, even more than before, we are premium candidates with much of value to offer.

Author: Jane Hatton, Director of Evenbreak Website: evenbreak.co.uk/en Twitter: twitter.com/evenbreak Facebook: facebook.com/Evenbreak/

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D R M E M P LOYM E N T A N D E D U C AT I O N

WHY WE NEED A DISABILITY UNION With more and more conditions put around funding and support for disabled people, Dan White explains why we need a union to help us fight for our rights…

IN 2016, new conditions were put into place for charities. Grants from central Government departments came with a hefty price. The price being that those charities were not able to use said grants for “activity intended to influence - or attempt to influence - Parliament, Government or political parties” This amounted to a virtual gagging clause for charities who applied, who were desperate for funds to survive and to carry on assisting people.

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Recipient organisations were now basically, blackmailed into appeasement. It appeared the administration was telling the charity sector that criticism was something they were not prepared to tolerate.

I am fiercely political in my work. As a parent with a hidden disability, caring for a 14-year-old child with a physical disability, I fail to see how anyone in a similar situation cannot be politically driven.

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I see both sides of the spectrum as a carer and a disabled person. To see charities locked into this impasse of frustrated silence infuriates me and no doubt the hard-working and caring people within them. Having a political voice is imperative to me. Working deep within the disabled and care community I witness the desperation of so many families. I often turn disabled people and carers to the charity sector, but the charity will is now blunted and so help is not as effective as it should be.

I’m not angry at them, I’m angry for them. As Covid bites down especially hard on both of us, carers and disabled individuals alike, the ability to show outrage has been limited to whatever safe criticism the charity is allowed to show.

“WORKING DEEP WITHIN THE DISABLED AND CARE COMMUNITY I WITNESS THE DESPERATION OF SO MANY FAMILIES.” Charity is now in a bind. What was now needed was to have something fighting back at the equipment manufacturers’ horrendous prices and the legislators of grossly unfair laws, something that would fight for what is right for both groups collectively, carers and disabled people. There needed to be somewhere specific that would not be prevented from tugging on the coattails of the power makers, in other words, a union.

Union means “the action of joining together or the fact of being joined together, especially in a political context” and this is exactly what I discovered in the Disability Union. Formed last year by activist and wheelchair user George Baker, this union simply wants to change the status quo through words, positive and peaceful activistm. This fresh and unique collection of disabled people and carers is not afraid to say to the state “This is wrong, this stops, now.”

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Its focus is on people and issues that the charities can’t afford to step into for fear of funding withdrawal, with many supporting services available for its members. The entire union is run by and for disabled people and carers.

“THIS UNION SIMPLY WANTS TO CHANGE THE STATUS QUO THROUGH WORDS, POSITIVE AND PEACEFUL ACTIVISTM.” This is not just an advert for George and his dream of mass unity, this is about people finding that much needed outlet for the pain and frustration that they have held in their hearts and minds as the system continues to shout them down. For me, I have found a home that challenges political decision-making and supports people with the voice of lived experience. The UK’s 17 million disabled people and its 1 million plus carers are encouraged, with the union’s support, to kick back unimpeded, and to amplify through a collective voice the simmering frustrations that affect them on a daily basis. This is not playing charity off against union, both are obviously needed, but only one can be unafraid to ask and demand.

All I am trying to say is please support your charity, they are needed, staffed by passionate and probably equally frustrated people. However, don’t think they can rattle the locks of Government and demand the changes that are needed, that’s where a unity of people comes in. Unions can be the channels of your frustrations where you can meet like-minded people and talk to the teams about issues outside of white goods and wheelchair spares.

In an ideal world, we would not need charity, but capitalism decrees that we must. There has to be a pecking order of equality apparently, with us unfairly at the bottom. So until equality is an established precedent, unions must always be there, being the counterpoint, the angry sibling of the charity. We all

need help but we also have the right to demand the right to have support. We all must and need to work together, carers and disabled people, it just makes progressive sense.

So if you are left with anything from this piece, I hope it’s a desire to seek out a union like the Disability Union, so that your burning frustration finds kinship and release. I’ve joined and the word is spreading, people are wanting to be heard, not just given hyperbole. How do I know this to be true? I asked George.

“UNTIL EQUALITY IS AN ESTABLISHED PRECEDENT, UNIONS MUST ALWAYS BE THERE.” “There are lots of people who speak for us, but no real living community of us and by us. That’s what The Disability Union is for. We’re here for the disability community and their carers.

Together we will be much harder to ignore. By working together we will win the rights, support, and inclusion we deserve. We’d be honoured if you’d join us. We’ll support you every step of the way.”

Do you see? We are more than just charity cases.

Author: Dan White, The Disability Union Marketing Officer Website: disabilityunion.co.uk Twitter: @DUnionUK Facebook: @DisabilityUnion

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SOCIAL PRESCRIBING: HELPING STROKE SURVIVORS TO FLOURISH BEING discharged from hospital following a life-changing event such as a stroke or brain injury is a huge victory for many, but feeling mentally well enough to embark on the next stage of rehabilitation is fundamental to further recovery.

Stroke survivor Kate Allatt knows this only too well. Determined to find ways to help herself flourish post-stroke; Kate set out on a personal journey to take back control of her life through wellbeing-focused interventions.

Now ambassador for GripAble, the smart mobile assessment and training platform, Kate explains the concept of social prescribing and why it is an important part of the stroke and brain injury recovery process.

What is social prescribing?

Social prescribing is a means of enabling allied health professionals to provide non-medical interventions and refer patients to a range of community services to support their health and wellbeing. The concept seeks to address people’s needs in a holistic way, and aims to support individuals to take greater control of their own health.

The ‘five ways to wellbeing,’ researched and developed by the New Economics Foundation are the foundation of the social prescribing approach, comprising of connection, being active, taking notice (or being mindful), learning, and giving.

Social prescribing and recovery

There are many factors that influence whether stroke survivors can progress from simply surviving to thriving upon returning home. But first feeling emotionally and mentally well – or at least, better – is key.

Improved mental health helps people to build confidence, self-esteem, and resilience, which will in turn assist with the motivation, adherence, and engagement they need to help them reach their rehab goals.

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“FOLLOWING MY OWN RETURN FROM HOSPITAL, I IDENTIFIED A NEED FOR CONNECTION WITH PEERS WHO WOULD TRULY UNDERSTAND ME AND THE CHALLENGES I WAS FACING.” But specialist mental health support isn’t necessarily easily accessible for all, and even more so in the wake of COVID-19, which has put already overstretched mental health services under huge strain. This is where social prescribing comes in. By focusing on what matters most to people, whether this be forming social connections, taking part in a purposeful activity or learning how to take better care of themselves, the concept offers greater sustainability and accessibility, and takes pressure off the healthcare system.

Following my own return from hospital, I identified a need for connection with peers who would truly understand me and the challenges I was facing. The connections I made with stroke survivors that were ‘like me’ were crucial to my recovery journey and by sharing our achievements with each other, however small they seemed, we encouraged each other to become the best versions of ourselves. Exercise also played a key role in my recovery journey, and with the help of a personal trainer, I managed to run just one year after my stroke, after being told I’d never be able to walk, talk or use my arms again.

Though I didn’t know it at the time, by surrounding myself with better social support and getting active again, I had discovered some of the core principles of social prescribing and the five ways to wellbeing.

Peer support for stroke survivors

Here at GripAble, we understand that, if you’re a stroke or brain injury survivor, or live with conditions such as MS and Cerebral Palsy, it can be difficult to stay motivated to do your daily rehab exercises, as well as factor in maintaining relationships and protecting your mental health. This is why we believe holistic support is essential, and are facilitating peer mentoring sessions to help existing and new users of GripAble to flourish.

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E M P LOYM E N T A N D E D U C AT I O N D R M

HOW ARE WE SUPPORTING THOSE WHO CARE? AN OVERVIEW OF HOW THE GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO SUPPORT UNPAID CARERS IN WORK With the amount of carers increasing, most recently due to the pandemic, Business Disability Forum addresses the issues behind the Government’s proposal for unpaid carers leave.

FIGURES from a few years ago suggest that unpaid carers contribute around £132 billion per year to UK economy by supporting someone close to them – a partner, family member, friend, or neighbour. We have, however, experienced the outbreak of Covid since this figure was calculated and it is therefore likely to be greater now. As a result of the pandemic, disabled people have had their treatment, therapies, and surgeries cancelled or postponed. This has, in many cases, increased the severity of their condition at the same time as respite and day care centres closed their doors to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. It has been a ‘perfect

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storm’ for increasing the demands on some 13 million people who provide unpaid care in the UK today.

Carers rights under the Equality Act 2010 remain limited. There was, however, some hope on the horizon when the Government released a consultation last year which aimed to provide more support for unpaid carers in work. However, what the consultation offered was, in one carer’s words, “a slap in the face”. The Government proposed that employers must offer five days unpaid leave per year which should be planned in advance.

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I spoke to several working carers networks and their employers to get their thoughts on the proposals. Even their employers were “shocked” and “taken aback” by the “low value” return these proposals were offering for working carers. Unpaid? Planned in advance? It caused everyone I spoke to during our research for the consultation to wonder how far the Government truly understood – or sought to find out – the reality of unpaid working carers lives.

“If you want us to plan our leave in advance, fix the health and social care system”, one carer said. This individual said they frequently get calls from the NHS while they are at work asking them to bring their mother to a hospital appointment the following morning. Recalling one occasion, they told me, “I was told that if I declined the appointment, my mother would go to the bottom of the waiting list. I’m not going to decline that appointment, am I? So, I need to say yes”. Another carer said they sometimes got to work only to receive a call from the person they support to say that their social care funded carer had not arrived, and they therefore had not been able to wash, dress, or have anything to eat.

“I took the call as I arrived at work, and I had to turn around and go home again”, they said. Given these two examples alone, we cannot accept that a leave allowance designed to make carer’s working lives easier must be planned in advance.

Then there’s the five days. During our research, carers regularly reported that between five days a year were taken up with “admin” related to NHS healthcare and benefits alone.

Employers I spoke to were also confused by this very modest offer, particularly as the Government’s consultation document suggested that two days per year “is often enough”. Many employers I spoke to said working carers often need “way more” time off than five days year.

Some employers said their time off policies already allowed five days paid (not unpaid, as the Government is proposing) leave per year for caring and were therefore currently looking to extend their time off policies to allow working carers to take between ten and fifteen days per year. Employers unanimously agreed carers often need flexibility in their job and would need

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the Government’s proposals to drop the requirement for leave to be planned in advance wherever this could be accommodated.

Perhaps the most concerning part of the ‘support’ that the Government has proposed was that the leave days are unpaid. Carers who are already unpaid for the support they provide, have been statistically hard hit by the pandemic, and who have often had to reduce their working hours to increase the amount of time they spend caring are still not seeing any financial relief. The carers we spoke to all agreed that these proposals would push them further into taking annual leave or sick leave to fulfil their caring responsibilities. Both annual leave and sick leave generally offered a greater number of days employees can take off per year. In addition, sick leave is not planned in advance and, importantly, both types of leave in the organisations of the carers we spoke to are paid. Again, the employers we spoke to backed carers up on this: “We already see carers using annual leave and sick leave to care for someone, and these proposals only encourage them to keep doing that. It doesn’t help us when we are trying to get carers to use the support we provide more”.

The consultation closed in August last year, so where are we with all of this now? I was disappointed to see that the above proposal of providing five days planned unpaid leave per year was carried forward into the National Disability Strategy, which was published in July this year, even before the Government had analysed or fed back on the findings from the consultation.

Business Disability Forum is continuing to work with other organisations to suggest and consider the practicalities of amending the Equality Act 2010 to include a duty for employers to make reasonable adjustments for unpaid carers employed in their organisation, a duty that currently only exists to remove work-related barriers for disabled people. The duty to make reasonable adjustments is balanced between the needs of an employee and the needs of an employer, and it also demands a case-by-case approach to providing support that is tailored to the individual’s own circumstances and the job that they are employed to do. We tested this suggestion with both carers and employers. Everyone we asked in our research, even employers, said they

would support this amendment to the Equality Act 2010.

In reality though, amending the Equality Act is, some may say, unlikely in the foreseeable future.

We are therefore continuing to collect stories and work with organisations to understand where we can influence change to increase support for unpaid working carers. To share your story, or to request a copy of the research we submitted to the Government, please contact Angela Matthews, Head of Policy and Research at policy@ businessdisabilityforum.org.uk

The Business Disability Forum is a not for profit organisation which aims to transform the life chances of disabled people, working with businesses to create a disabilitysmart world. They do this by bringing together business leaders, disabled people, and Government to understand what needs to be changes to improve the life opportunity and experiences of disabled people in employment, economic growth and society.

Their 400 Members and Partners represent a huge cross sector of UK and global business, employing an estimated 20% of the UK workforce and 8 million people worldwide. They provide their members and partners with a wealth of practical advice and support, thought leadership and networking opportunities so that they can share what works and what doesn’t.

To become a member of Business Disability Forum visit their membership page on their website or call the team on 020-7089-2411.

Author: Angela Matthews, Head of Policy and Research, Business Disability Forum Web s ite: businessdisabilityforum.org.uk Twit ter: @ Di sabili t y S mar t I n sta g ra m: @di sabili t ys mar t Facebook: @ Di sabili t y S mar t

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Life changing careers

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D R M INDEPENDENT LIVING

WALKING THE WALK AND TALKING THE TALK: MEET STORYTELLER AND CHANGE MAKER, AMO RAJU With a new book coming out, we had to get the latest from the CEO of Disability Direct, Amo Raju.

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AMO Raju is a disabled person who has not only overcome challenges in life, but has also become a leader in his own right. Creating a roadmap for peers and tomorrow’s leaders, Amo is a champion of disability rights and through his work as a speaker and CEO of Disability Direct, is making change like no-one else.

We spoke to Amo about his life and achievements, and also asked him about the launch of his upcoming book, Walk Like a Man.

service or product and I tend to switch off. No offence, but if I want your service, I’ll contact you.

You have been described as ‘forthright, fearless and outspoken’ by The BBC Politics Show, what makes you so and how has this helped you in your career in the disability charity sector?

I wasn’t necessarily born with those characteristics. I think, if I’m honest, they are approaches which slowly arose from my frustration with how society views disabled people. In my younger days, I was naïve enough to believe decision-makers and those generally in power when they spoke about their commitments to equality. Now, I simply can’t resist but state openly that I’ve heard it all before and that it’s time for a little less conversation and more action please. Some of it is also down to being a grumpy old git too.

“IT’S TIME FOR A LITTLE LESS CONVERSATION AND MORE ACTION PLEASE.” Has it helped me in my career in the disability sector? I don’t know. If anything, it’s probably helped filter out any potential time-wasters who would previously line up to see what I could do for them, rather than what they could do for the cause. For example, I receive countless requests to connect on social media and I, more than often, oblige as I’m genuinely interested to follow the journey of people in all industries, Yet, often within a few minutes they’re trying to sell me a disabili t yreviewmagazine.co.uk

“THE STORY OF DISABILITY DIRECT AND AMO RAJU TENDS TO BE INCREDIBLY INTERTWINED.” As an intersectional entrepreneur, you work across a variety of areas, including motivational speaking and workshops addressing race, culture and faith through to disability equality, why is it so important that these areas are addressed in SME’s and start-up companies, specifically in the social and health care?

I think now more than ever, employers and employees of the ‘new world’ need motivating and there is no better way to inspire than by examples of how challenges are there to make us greater, as individuals and teams.

Most employees will be working at this very minute for SME’s or start-up businesses. They usually embody the

front face, culture and performance of the company. However, SME’s have also traditionally struggled to invest in their staff, particularly in all types of Equality training. Apart from the moral or ethical case for such awareness within a company, there is a clear business case. Customers are now more conscious about such issues and increasingly likely to shop where the image or culture mirrors their own. In terms of health & social care, it’s a service that most of the population will need at some stage. It therefore goes without saying that it’s in our own interests to ensure anyone looking after us actually understands our backgrounds.

You are also CEO of Disability Direct, a disability charity that supports disabled people in Derby and is one of the biggest Userled organisations in the East Midlands, why did you take on this role and how have you helped the organisations grow?

The story of Disability Direct and Amo Raju tends to be incredibly intertwined and, without giving too much away about my book, the role of CEO kind of landed in my lap through circumstances at that time. Along with a baptism of fire followed by sheer grit, the job description changed beyond recognition which gave me options to make the charity, as you say, the biggest in the East, if not entire Midlands.

The organization is user-led indeed. However, those ‘users’ are progressive and have given me the opportunity to try whatever bright idea is bouncing around inside my head. Don’t get me wrong, they have the power to reign me in if needed, although this hasn’t really happened in 27 years.

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ignorance and expectations.

The more people come forward from all walks of life to declare their own personal battles with mental health, the less it will be an issue. If it encourages people to reach out for support, I will have achieved my goal.

The success of every organization stems from the staff. In the case of Disability Direct, I surround myself with a set of managers who are, as a matter of fact, better than me in their areas of expertise. Too often, CEO’s recruit managers who are confined to limiting job descriptions which ultimately restricts the potential for growth. I see the role of a CEO as that of a sounding board for the true talent which exists within the wider staff base.

What advice could you give to other disabled people who may be keen to write their life story or a story based on their life?

You have a book coming out soon, Walk Like A Man, which is based on events from your life, what inspired you to write this book?

Those closest to me have continually stated that I seemed to have lived some sort of extraordinary life.

The truth is, as a disabled person myself, I’ve been so busy living it I didn’t really reflect on the issues I faced. Now they have been put into text, I suppose they could appear fascinating to others.

As I entered my fifties, I began to talk a little about a subject which even those within my inner circle knew nothing about – my lifelong relationship with depression. The more I spoke about it, the more I realized how much of a taboo topic it still is in today’s society. I thought maybe there is a story there which will inspire the next generation of disabled people and hopefully encourage those affected by mental health to keep talking.

Walk Like A Man is coauthored with ghost writer Mani Hayre, what made you decide to work with a ghost writer and what was the process like?

I’m the first to admit that I have an ego the size of England and therefore writing about myself wasn’t going to be a problem. However, I actually wanted someone totally independent, someone who had never met me or even heard of me to oversee the project to give an objective opinion about each of the many sub-stories. I had actually written the first three or four chapters and when the country went into lockdown in March 2020, my ability to write seemed to follow suit. I remember browsing through LinkedIn and came across a post by Mani who had, in so many words,

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offered to take on a writing project for potential clients. I did a very brief background check and noted she, herself, had experience in depression and mental health. Without any hesitation I reached out and I know it may sound corny, but we gelled straight away and the rest is history.

The process was great, yet strangely spooky. ‘Walk Like A Man’ is based on the relationship between the protagonist, a character called ‘AJ’, and his counselling or therapy sessions over a number of years with ‘Dr Khan’. Mani’s weekly zoom meetings were also based on me divulging episodes throughout my life which psychologically affected me.

Whilst each session was emotionally quite taxing, I also found it cathartic. Talking really does help.

What are your dreams for the book?

The events in the book are based on my real life experiences and whilst there are many, readers will definitely resonate with at least one of them. Those experiences caused me to bottle my emotions to protect the feelings of those around me, but at cost to my own mental well-being. I hope once people read my story, they may find hope in how I dealt with and still deal with societal

Every person has a story, a journey to where they are now, physically and mentally. Everyone also will have, at some stage, felt so alone, isolated and helpless. I would encourage them to open up the laptop or start jotting some notes on paper and possibly start from where I did and I can assure you, you will surprise yourself in the revelation of how unique you truly are.

You may not decide to release a book, but if nothing else, you have a script which you can refer to when the going gets tough.

I’ll finish by giving you one of my mantras – ‘Don’t talk about it…Do it!’

“THOSE CLOSEST TO ME HAVE CONTINUALLY STATED THAT I SEEMED TO HAVE LIVED SOME SORT OF EXTRAORDINARY LIFE.” Where can people purchase the book and further support the work that you do?

The book is initially available online through Amazon. However, it will most likely be available on the high street soon after.

If people wa nt to know more about Amo a nd where to connect, check out the following webs ites a m o r aju.co m d i s a b i l i t yd i r ect.co m LinkedIn: Amo Singh Raju

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If you have been thinking about adoption, get in touch. Adopting a child is a transformative and exciting experience, and we will be by your side every step of the way. www.adoptioncounts.org.uk

D R M INDEPENDENT LIVING

CREATING UNHIDDEN FASHION With seemingly insurmountable issues around accessibility in the fashion industry, Victoria Jenkins is creating her own brand, Unhidden, to lead the way in inclusive design.

With fourteen years experience in the industry, what are the biggest issues the fashion industry has around access, representation and inclusion?

There are a number of problems, firstly, they don’t teach you inclusive design in fashion design courses, which is something I think really needs to change. There are people that are trying to persuade change, for example, London College of Fashion are starting to do it, it’s not part of their fully formed courses, but it’s an additional course. It secondly has to come down to allowing disabled people to be able to study design as well.

Hi Victoria, can you tell us about yourself, in your own words?

In 2003 I moved to London to study fashion. Initially my main role ended up being fashion cutting, but then I slowly fell into being a garment technologist, which is about the construction of clothes and how they fit, and making sure that the production is correct and up to spec. I then worked for suppliers and high street brands with my last permanent role being at Victoria Beckham, which I quit in 2017, so that I could focus on Unhidden.

Alongside all this, in my early twenties, I had a lot of stomach conditions. I kept going to doctors, but there wasn’t anything that they could really see that was wrong. There were a lot of assumptions that I was ‘young and healthy,’ until an undiagnosed ulcer burst in my stomach in 2012. It was a brush with death, but I made it through, and then it was a slow descent into lots of other surgeries and other things being found. It has been a conflict of my health and my career; it has been the toughest thing to manage, because the fashion industry, famously, isn’t very kind, the hours are quite punishing.

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“THEY JUST DON’T HIRE DISABLED PEOPLE AND THE BUILDINGS ARE OFTEN INACCESSIBLE.” disabilit yreviewmagazine.co.uk

INDEPENDENT LIVING

And when it comes to the companies themselves, they just don’t hire disabled people and the buildings are often inaccessible.

And thirdly, the mindset of the fashion industry is that you ‘work hard all of the time’ and there are no days off; it is glamourised burnout basically. And that is obviously quite difficult to manage if you are running low on energy due to your disability. The main issue is really how disability is still perceived in the industry. Some of the bigger players know they aren’t hiring inclusively; they really have to change their company structure before they can start doing inclusive design.

You have started your own adaptive fashion brand for disabled people, Unhidden, can you tell us more about the brand and why you started it?

I met a patient who highlighted the difficulties she had with her condition and the clothes she was wearing. She sparked the idea and I started looking and found very little in terms of inclusive design. It’s not just that people can’t shop and wear nice things, it is also the longer term impact, for example, how can you go for a job interview or work in an office if you can’t dress for it. disabili t yreviewmagazine.co.uk

“THE WHOLE ‘ONE SIZE FITS ALL’ DOESN’T REALLY WORK FOR ANYONE, LET ALONE DISABLED PEOPLE.”

There are five mens pieces and five women’s pieces in the collection and the seated trousers are very specific for wheelchair users, but the rest of it, anyone can wear them. You don’t have to be disabled to wear them. They just have some adapted features, for example, there are shirts where you can access your arm if you are going for chemo or a picc line, without having to take your shirt off, or the trousers have a bit of elasticity in the fabric itself and also an elasticated waistband with an

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adjustable front, so that there are many ways of getting into them. The brand is also customisable; if you want to order a shirt we will make the necessary changes to fit your needs. For example, if you need a sleeve shortened because of limb difference or amputation, we will do this before we send you the shirt.

The whole ‘one size fits all’ doesn’t really work for anyone, let alone disabled people. It just comes from a point of wanting to give some style back to the disability community and for the disability community to feel included. To give a bit of dignity back.

What are your dreams for the future of Unhidden?

Where would you like to see it go?

I have a number of dreams, including a network of disabled and chronically ill people who know how to sew, so that people can approach them to adapt their clothing. They would manage their own hours and be able to say no if they have to, but in the end everybody benefits because disabled people could shop wherever they liked, knowing they can have their clothes adapted.

Ultimately though, the long term goal is to have a proper ‘brick and mortar’ shop, where all the staff are medically trained, it’s super lux and accessible and not this clunky medicalised, sterile looking environment. I would want more than just Unhidden in there as a brand, for it to be more like a department store that is all really inclusive.

Website: unhiddenclothing.com and victoriaann.online Twitter: @UnhiddenFashion and @ToriaUnhidden Instagram: @unhidden_clothing

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INDEPENDENT LIVING D R M

SUPPORTED LIVING OPTIONS TO IMPROVE UNDER NEW HOUSING PARTNERSHIP

The supported living sector has received a welcome boost with the announcement that Reside Housing Association has joined forces with Progress Housing Group.

THE new partnership is excellent news for people with complex support needs who require high-quality housing and service. As two specialist housing providers with over 45 years of combined expertise in the field, the new organisation, Reside with Progress, will become the UK’s leading provider of supported living accommodation for people with support needs such as learning disabilities and autism.

“Reside’s purpose for nearly 20 years has been to respond to the often bespoke needs of people who require support,” says Diane French, Chief Executive Officer at Reside.

“By working with Progress Housing Group, a values-led provider like ourselves, we will be able to house more people and enhance our specialist offer, enabling people to live their best lives, promoting independence and supporting social care commissioning.”

There has been a great deal of work around governance to enable a smooth transition for the two organisations. The respective Boards carried out a robust due diligence process and approval.

Both organisations are highly rated by the Regulator of Social Housing. “We believe that this partnership will be a significant and welcome development for the sector,” says Diane French.

Progress Housing Group is responsible for more than 3,000 supported living tenancies, whilst Reside owns or manages almost 1,500. The number of people with support needs who will benefit from the two organisations

disabili t yreviewmagazine.co.uk

working together is significant. Reside with Progress has a key role to play in meeting the huge need for high-quality supported living accommodation. It will deliver more new homes and invest in even better services for its tenants.

Currently, Progress Housing Group and Reside offer a variety of supported living housing options for people with support needs such as learning disabilities and autism. Some tenancies feature a ‘shared living’ arrangement for example, where people rent a room in their home and share communal areas with other tenants. There are also specialist adapted housing options for tenants with highly complex needs who require 24-hour support, with a sleep-in room for support workers, too.

“THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITH SUPPORT NEEDS WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THE TWO ORGANISATIONS WORKING TOGETHER IS SIGNIFICANT.”

they receive. They also manage the housing benefit application process, liaising with care providers and local authorities.

“I am delighted that our two organisations have joined and that, as one organisation, we will play a major part in meeting the huge need for high-quality supported living accommodation. Our partnership will enable us to deliver more new homes and to deliver even better services for our customers,” says Jacqui De-Rose, Group Chief Executive at Progress Housing Group.

To f i n d o u t m o re a b o u t t h e wo r k we d o w i t h te n a nt s a n d rea d t h e i r s to r i e s , v i s i t: r es i d e hou s i n g .com a n d p r og r es s g r ou p.o r g.u k o r fo l l ow u s o n Tw i t te r a n d L i n ke d I n.

Support teams at both organisations ensure that tenants have the right support package in place and will guide people through their rights and responsibilities, reporting repairs and sharing feedback about the service

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CONSIDER THIS

THE BLIND WOODTURNER The UK’s only completely blind professional woodturner, Chris Fisher, tells us about his journey, from vampire stake to appearing on the BBC. I’M Chris Fisher RPT and I’m known as the Blind Woodturner. I live in the Derbyshire countryside with my wife, Nicola, and my Guide Dog, Bamber.

I became blind very quickly at the end of 2008 when I was 39. The condition was diagnosed as Toxoplasmosis. A year later, I started suffering with debilitating and crippling anxiety, hallucinations, insomnia, and muscle spasms. I felt very ill and eventually sought bereavement counselling from the RNIB. It took a while to come to terms with my sight loss but I finally realised that there was still a life out there for me, and going blind wasn’t the end, it was just the beginning of a new journey.

I got started in woodturning because I wanted a vampire stake as a Hallowe’en prop! I’m a huge horror film fan. But I

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didn’t just want to whittle a stick so I set about learning how to turn one. I listened to around 600 hours of YouTube tutorials until I had pictures in my head of the tools and techniques involved. Then I went out and bought a lathe and all the materials I needed, and turned my vampire stake.

Shortly afterwards I began documenting my journey on YouTube in the hope that I might inspire and motivate both disabled and able-bodied people, and to share the message that, whatever life throws at you, there’s always a way forward and to never give up. We know a lot of people who have pushed themselves after seeing me at work - ‘you’ve got a blind guy here doing what he can do, then I have no excuse’.

Fast forward 7 years and I now give public woodturning demonstrations across the country, am sponsored and supported by a number of companies, share my story at events, have appeared on the BBC several times, been filmed for other documentaries, featured in magazines, and in 2018 I passed the accreditation to become a Registered Professional Turner (RPT). I am the first, and at the moment the only completely blind turner on the Register. I think

it’s hugely important for people with disabilities to remain as independent as they can. You lose so much when you go blind. I was a student pilot just about to fly solo when I lost my sight. I was a keen motorcyclist. I loved to read.

When you’re blind you’re very reliant on other people for so many things.

That’s why I have evolved to become a woodturning artist. I create sensory and tactile pieces of art as that’s more interesting for me, and also shows what can be achieved, despite a disability.

I’m the Patron for UK Men’s Sheds Association and they demonstrate how making and creating can be therapeutic for everyone and hugely beneficial to good mental health. They provide opportunities for people to try new skills including woodturning and are a great place to go to get started and make friends.

For me, being a woodturner is a cathartic experience. I love it! I can be just in the moment and at one with my art form. Ironically, if I hadn’t lost my sight I would probably never have taken up woodturning. What has happened over the last few years has exceeded my expectations. My work is now on display and for sale in a local art gallery. As well as being the best therapy, woodturning has given me an income, happiness, and many new friends. It has changed my life!

Au t h o r: C h r i s Fi s h e r We b s i te: t h e b l i n dwood t u r n e r.co.u k Tw i t te r: @ b l i n dwood t u r n e r I n s ta g ra m: @ b l i n dwood t u r n e r Fa ce b oo k: @ b l i n dwood t u r n e r

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INDEPENDENT LIVING D R M

GIVING DISABLED PEOPLE A VOICE The lABLEd podcast is giving a platform for all experiences of disability, here we found out more from the podcast founders, Alice Evans and Lucy Woods.

Who are Alice and Lucy and what is the IABLEd Podcast?

We are two disabled thirty-somethings who stumbled across each other on the internet and discovered we had a very similar approach to life and outlook on disability. Combining this with our shared abilities to talk the hind leg off a donkey, we thought this would be the perfect foundation for a podcast. Drawing on our own lived experiences of disability we created the lABLEd Podcast which puts the focus back on the individuals and the voices and stories of disabled people, rather than societal expectations.

What inspired you to start the podcast?

We wanted to see narratives about disability

disabili t yreviewmagazine.co.uk

told by disabled people, we were tired of seeing medicalised and inspirational stories or disabled people used as tokens to represent an entire, and very diverse, community. We wanted to promote a different kind of disability advocacy, and create a platform where disabled people could tell their own stories and we could explore the vast scope of the disabled experience. A lot of people are unaware of the incredible contributions made by disabled people in the past and with our shared love of history we couldn’t help but shoehorn this into the show somehow. From this, our History Lesson episodes, with our resident disability historian Daisy Holder, were born.

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want to be labelled; whether you embrace medical terminology, reclaim a previously offensive eponym, or shake off the shackles of labelling altogether; no one else should make that decision for you.

Finally, what is your future vision for IABLEd and how can DRM readers support you on your journey?

“THE RULE FOR ANYONE WHO COMES ON LABLED IS THAT YOU DECIDE HOW YOU WANT TO BE LABELLED.” Now we have somebody who knows what they’re talking about around to correct us when we’re wrong!

How important is it that disabled voices are heard?

Giving voice to disabled people is the cornerstone of what we do at the lABLEd podcast – otherwise it’s just two hours of us chatting nonsense, and nobody wants to hear that! We’ve found that giving a platform to disabled voices has also helped us become better advocates for other disabled people; we’ve learned so much in the last year and gained insights into lives and experiences that we would never have otherwise dreamed of.

You started the podcast to really challenge the labels that are out there around disability, what are your thoughts about these labels and how does your podcast 36

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Our ultimate goal is to become Queens of (both the disabled and non-disabled) world, and you can support our regime by contributing to our crowd funder! If you can’t donate, don’t worry we know money can’t buy you happiness, but rating, reviewing, and subscribing to the podcast might! We have big plans for future episodes (mostly about things that allow us to indulge in what we find most interesting), including more deep dives into disability history and the big topics of current conversation!

And we’re still really interested in the representation of disability across all different mediums, so listen out for our two cents on that!

We want the show to appeal to members of both the disabled and nondisabled community and are always open to hearing from our listeners; so if you have any suggestions or there’s something you really want to hear, you can join our Facebook group and follow us on all the usual social media places!

challenge the status quo?

One of the things that drew us together was our mutual background in media studies; we had both seen the way that the media represents disabled people and the powerful impact these representations have on the social expectations and prejudices about disability. We want to put the power of identification back in the hands of the people who live those represented lives. The rule for anyone who comes on lABLEd is that you decide how you

Find out more at labledpodcast.co.uk disabilit yreviewmagazine.co.uk

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“A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE UNAWARE OF THE INCREDIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS MADE

BY DISABLED PEOPLE IN THE PAST.”

lABLEd Podcast Review: Too often, the stories told about disability are stereotypical, rooted in a pity or tragedy narrative, with no input or influence from disabled people themselves. Which is extremely problematic as it impacts negatively the day-to-day lived experience of disabled people. What is heartening is the amount of platforms emerging that are giving voice to the true story of disability and lABLEd podcast is one such platform.

A much needed podcast, created by disabled people for disabled people, what Alice Evans and Lucy Woods (and Daisy Holder, their disability history specialist) is creating with lABLEd is groundbreaking. With their wide variety of guests, and permission giving for their guests to label themselves (or not), each episode is filled with laughter, tears, and a growing understanding of the reality of disability.

Not shying away from difficult topics or themes, such as mental health, ‘inspiration porn’, and representation, guests have included influencer Jennie Berry, aka Wheelie Good Life, Dr Paul Darke, a British academic and disability rights activist, and Gemma Stevenson, wheelchair tennis athlete and broadcaster.

You can find the podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and on Stitcher.

disabili t yreviewmagazine.co.uk

“A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE UNAWARE OF THE INCREDIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY DISABLED PEOPLE IN THE PAST.”

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ADVERTORIAL

ASSISTIVE LISTENING HAS COME A LONG WAY “Please speak clearly. Slow down, I can’t understand you.”

“I can’t hear the TV while you are talking!”

“How can I hear you if you all talk at once?”

“Don’t shout at me! Just speak slowly and more clearly!

It’s not that I can’t hear anything, but I can’t hear the conversation above the unwanted noises. With two good ears, our amazing brains can hear several things at once and make sense of a quiet conversation in a noisy environment. With only one good ear, there’s much less information to work on, so following a conversation among the noise is much more difficult.

Why not go to a busy noisy place and stick your finger in one ear! You might be surprised how much harder is it to have a quiet conversation. (You might also get some funny looks!).

With one or both ears impaired, we need help to follow a conversation.

In the 1980’s hearing aid technology developed rapidly with the introduction of programmable hearing aids. In the 90’s Digital signal processors started to reduce noise.

Hearing aids were being programmed with an audiogram “prescription” to compensate for individual hearing loss. However, speech was still elusive amongst the unwanted noises, so you still had to move nearer to the person you were listening to…. Or use a remote microphone!

Today’s inexpensive Assistive Listening solutions often provide a wired or wireless remote microphone that can be placed close to the person who is talking or teaching. A radio link conveys the sound directly into the prescription hearing aid, providing the clearest possible sound from the person speaking. Some remote microphones or “Streamers” feed the sound into the hearing aids via its “loop” or “T” receiver. These work with all “loop” equipped hearing aids

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so you don’t need to purchase a new one whenever you change hearing aid. With these systems, many people may listen to the sound from a single microphone. This is particularly useful in schools.

By the turn of the century hearing aid manufacturers became confident that the rapid evolution of digital signal processing chips would make remote microphones obsolete. In fact nearly all the hearing aid manufacturers eventually introduced their own unique remote microphones.

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ote microphone

“TODAY’S INEXPENSIVE ASSISTIVE LISTENING SOLUTIONS OFTEN PROVIDE A WIRED OR WIRELESS REMOTE MICROPHONE THAT CAN BE PLACED CLOSE TO THE PERSON WHO IS TALKING OR TEACHING.” Many hearing aids now include Bluetooth which works great if you can pair it with your mobile phone. You can take calls and

hear them better than ever before, because the sound is sent as data directly to your prescription aids without having to go through a speaker and microphone. You can sometimes get a mobile app for making adjustments to the aids, without having to visit the Audiologist. Bluetooth is however a short-range technology, so isn’t so much use in a classroom or church for a remote microphone, and still these accessories tend to be expensive and to work exclusively with their own brand of hearing aids.

Conversor uses FM technology, which has longer range and a more reliable connection than Bluetooth. One Conversor microphone can “broadcast” to numerous listeners, and numerous wall mounted “sound field” speakers, at the same time. Receivers, worn as a pendant by each listener, can be heard on the “T” mode of any hearing aid.

Soundfield speakers mimic the teachers voice, at the same volume, providing a quiet, clear sound throughout any size of room, overcoming some problems with poor room acoustics.

Today there are a variety of mobile apps which can recognize sounds and inform you if the kettle is boiling, or the doorbell or fire alarm is ringing.

But possibly the biggest breakthrough in mobile assistive listening came via Google in early 2019. Google partnered with Gallaudet University, a premier school for deaf and hard of hearing students and developed a remarkable speech recognition engine, then bundled it as an Android app. “Live Transcribe” delivers real-time text from the microphone on any Android device that’s on the Internet. Free. Conversor sell an inexpensive Android tablet suitably configured.

So now, from a portable microphone we have a sound field in the classroom, so the teacher doesn’t have to shout. Everyone can hear clearly throughout the room, and numerous individual receivers for hearing impaired students can get teacher’s voice right into their prescription aids.

From the same microphone we have a live text display (without a subscription!) for individuals or connected to a projector for the whole class to see.

Assistive listening has come quite a long way in the last 50 years. conversorproducts.com

disabilit yreviewmagazine.co.uk

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CONVERSOR RECEIVER + Clear voice from the presenter’s microphone direct into the listeners ears + Discreet compact wireless device + Rechargeable battery lasts up to 8 hours + High power Loop output compatible with most hearing aids + Earphone jack for those without a hearing aid + USB charger or Multi-charger case available for receivers and microphone

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SEEABILITY AND NHS ENGLAND JOINING TOGETHER FOR EYE CARE After nearly a decade of supporting disabled children in special schools getting the eye care they need, SeeAbility are now working with NHS England to access even more Special Schools across the UK. SeeAbility began its Children in Focus programme in 2013. The question we were trying to answer was how could we transform children’s lives by bringing early and accessible eye care and glasses to their school?

Our research shows that thousands of children with disabilities across the country

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are missing out on the eye care they need.

Over 4 in 10 pupils had no history of sight tests or eye care, and yet half of the children we’ve seen have a problem with their eyes or vision, and at least a third need glasses.

Only 1 in 10 have a history of going to a community optician, and the remainder of children are attending busy hospital outpatient clinics for often routine eye care.

Since 2013 SeeAbility have provided over 4,000 eye care appointments and over 2,000 pairs of glasses to children in special schools. Our model of sight testing is recommended by eye care professional bodies, as it is less stressful for children with learning disabilities and autism, reduces the time they miss from school and incorporates glasses dispensing as well as repairs and support with adapting to glasses wear.

We’re delighted that as a result of this work, and the tremendous support we’ve had, NHS England are now rolling out a Special Schools Eye Care Service in special schools in the North West and North East and are looking to make it countrywide in the next few years. The programme

will address a whole host of unmet needs and will reach over 120,000 children, with SeeAbility remaining closely involved, as we deliver the training of Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians for the programme.

Lisa Donaldson, SeeAbility Clinical Lead Optometrist explains “An eye care team working as part of the multi-disciplinary team in special schools can ensure that the visual abilities, needs and limitations of every child are understood by everyone involved in their education, health and care, empowering them to reach their full potential.”

Richard Everitt Senior Programme Lead: Optical Services Commissioning NHS England and NHS Improvement adds, “SeeAbility have been the driving force behind the special school eye care programme and an influential partner to NHS England and NHS Improvement in the development of this new service from the very outset. We’re now in the process of launching this national service in early adopter special schools and SeeAbility continue to support this work by helping to train new providers, the majority of whom will have little experience of working with children with learning disabilities and/or autism.”

Earlier this year SeeAbility won the Overall Award for Excellence at the 2021 Charity Awards, the longest-running and most prestigious awards scheme in the charity sector, as well as the top prize in the Healthcare category, for the Special School Eye Care Service and their work with NHS England.

Matt Broom Strategic Lead for Eye Health and Vision at SeeAbility says, “We were so pleased to win both awards. What they celebrate is the work of the team across many years to address the obvious eye health needs of children with learning disabilities and autism. We look forward to the full roll out across the country.”

If you’d like further information about SeeAbility’s eye care work and resources, check out seeability.org/ eye - care or contact the Eye Care and Vision team on eyecare@seeability.org Au t h o r: S e eA b i l i t y We b s i te: s e e a b i l i t y.o r g Tw i t te r: @ S e eA b i l i t y I n s ta g ra m: @ S e eA b i l i t y Fa ce b o o k: @ R S B . S e eA b i l i t y

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LIMBBO FOUNDATION LIMB DIFFERENCE WITH A SMILE Jane Hewitt tells us more about how LimbBo Foundation started and how it is building the self esteem of limb different children globally.

THE LimbBo foundation was set up to support limb different children and their families. We are a small, but growing, organization based in Barnsley.

We work hard to raise awareness as well as designing and 3D printing prosthetic adaptations such as bike attachments. We now send these adaptations worldwide.

Tommy D is the inspiration behind LimbBo. Tommy is my grandson, his father, Adam is my son.

During early pregnancy Adam and his wife were given the devastating news that a complication had occurred and their baby was going to born missing a limb. Adam remembers the lovely chatty nurse pausing and going quiet, “she looked concerned. She told us she had to go get a colleague. My heart sank and I tried to reassure my panicking wife that everything was ok….I knew it wasn’t.

Another more senior looking nurse came in, she looked concerned, they talked quietly and then she left. The nurse turned to us and nervously told us that something was wrong with our baby.”

In that moment Adam had never felt pain quite like it. They explained that the baby Adam and his wife had tried for so long to have was going to be born disabled and missing a limb and could have potentially more problems.

Crying and shaken, Adam and his wife were ushered into a cramped little room, walking past the waiting room full of expectant parents who didn’t know where to look. They were given a basic black and white generic pamphlet about limb difference, which didn’t help one bit as it was dry and clinical. They were also given the option of abortion.

They left feeling numb and confused. As a family we

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were feeling worried, isolated and however lovely the nurses were, they couldn’t give us the reassurance that we needed.

4 months later, baby Thomas arrived. Adam describes the moment, “as I held him for the first time all of my worries disappeared, yes this little boy was missing an arm but he was beautiful. Initially, it was difficult to see him try to pick things up and not be able to, what hit me deep down was that things like this were going to be a day to day occurrence, but I was prepared for this. What I wasn’t prepared for was how he adapted everything to make things work. He began to use his feet, pinned things down and carried things with his ‘little arm’,

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nothing could get in the way of him achieving anything.”

Fast forward a couple of years and we could see that many of our fears were unfounded and born out of lack of knowledge. Yes, having a limb difference causes challenges, but our children will throw themselves into anything! Archery, Jiu Jitsu, gymnastics, swimming, lego … ‘I can do it’ an oft repeated phrase. They can do most things just in their own way.

Realising that we were in a privileged position, we were having a conversation one evening about how ‘someone’ should help families who felt like we did and were feeling isolated. Why shouldn’t that ‘someone’ be us?

We started with 4 trustees from a garage in Royston (well actually we started in a bedroom, but very quickly had to move to the garage, 3D printers are very noisy!).

Our latest campaign is to get brightly coloured posters of limb different children, all just being themselves, into maternity units and hospitals throughout the UK. Parents told us that this is what would have helped them most.

“THESE CHILDREN HAD ‘FOUND THEIR TRIBE’ AND IT SHOWED IN THE BEAMS ON THEIR FACES.” disabili t yreviewmagazine.co.uk

“AS A FAMILY WE WERE FEELING WORRIED, ISOLATED AND HOWEVER LOVELY THE NURSES WERE, THEY COULDN’T GIVE US THE REASSURANCE THAT WE NEEDED.” Having put out an appeal on our parents’ Facebook page for photographs we thought we’d be able to create a poster. We actually have 8 posters at the minute – showing children on a zip wire, baking, riding bikes, playing rugby – in other words just being kids.

A large part of our work is creating and shipping the bike adaptation that Adam designed. It’s a very simple concept, but means that a limb different child’s posture can be corrected when riding their bike and have more control over balance and steering. These have been delivered worldwide to places such as Turkey, Istanbul, the USA, Jakarta, Cape Town … we are stunned at how far information about our charity has spread.

We registered as a charity in 2018 and had our first meet up with 8 children and their families. We wrote a blog post after that day saying “my eyes won’t stop dripping” which was a favourite phrase of Tommy’s at the time.

It ended with, “We were loud, proud and not easy to miss.”

These children had ‘found their tribe’ and it showed in the beams on their faces.

We honestly feel that showing our children they aren’t on their own is the most important thing we can do for their self-esteem.

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Our latest meet up was in August this year – 50 limb different children, their siblings, families and volunteers. Not forgetting prosthetic design communities Koalaa and Open Bionics, researchers from Durham and Oxford University – LimbBo is like a huge, fast growing family. The children could relax and be themselves. They walked around linking little arms; leaving prosthetic legs around the field if they felt like it.

We work alongside schools, doing visits and assemblies, as well as Zoom sessions with school science groups interested in 3D printing or Bionic arms. If we can educate children maybe we can eliminate the stares, the unkind words.

We have a closed group for parents, supporters and families on Facebook. It is closed to create a safe place to chat, get support and ask questions. Nothing is trivial – if it’s worrying you then ask and share. Questions from “what is the best sippy cup?” to “my son has just had his foot amputated but wants to play in the mud – how do I keep him clean?”

Our charity doesn’t charge, not to join, not for adaptations, not for adventure days. We are in the position of having amazing supporters including many of our parents.

After our latest meetup one of our children, Max, set up his own fundraiser. Max said “everyone that knows me knows that I’ve been a one legged boy for about a year and a half now, but up until last week I had never met or seen another child like me, I thought I was the only one!! Thanks to LimbBo charity, last week I met 49 children with limb differences. No one looked at me funny or wondered why I had a prosthetic leg, I was normal. The day was made possible by other people making charitable donations from fundraising. I really want to be able to go to a meet up every year and for that to be possible I must do my bit by raising what I can.”

Tell me your eyes aren’t dripping now, and tell me why I’ve written this article when Max is much more eloquent than I am!

If you want to join us, follow our progres s, volunteer, our website is limbbofoundation.co.uk where you will find more information about our work, our stor y, our social media accounts. Get in touch you and you will be as sured of a big Yorkshire welcome!

Author: Jane Hewitt, Trustee of LimbBo Foundation Twit ter: @LBofoundation Instagram: @limbbofoundation Facebook: @limbbofoundation

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DRM

INDEPENDENT LIVING

CARERS COLUMN WITH DAN WHITE In this issue’s Carers Column, Dan White discusses the lack of support when it comes to vulnerable children.

IN a time of a pandemic, where the “vulnerable” of all ages are still at high risk of a virus, communities should be able to rely on their elected representatives for support and guidance.

Those deemed responsible for the lives of said communities should be vocal and visual, especially when the country is at war with an invisible enemy that is especially targeting and decimating that representative’s charges. However since the covid strain arrived, the disabled communities’ sole representative has not been seen. Justin Tomlinson has been missing, failing in his responsibilities to lead and inform us all, disabled adults, children, and parents like me and you.

I just would like our representative to step up, appear and exchange words of support, guidance, and information to not only the 14 million strong disabled community, but to the anxious parents of the countries 750,000 disabled children like myself. It is now late 2021, the country is effectively open, vaccines abound, but still, the silence is deafening from Westminster. As long as the horror stories of infection continue we are left crawling around the internet for answers, do we vaccinate our children? Yes? No? Are schools safe? We are trying to make sense of the mixed media messages, when all we want is clarity from the man whose job it is to represent us all.

All parents are worried about their

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children, it’s an evolutionary trait, but when your child has complex needs and is first told through a government letter that they are vulnerable, then they are not, then they are, and finally are not, you see the confusion and fear build in all of us. We had that stream of letters through our door, as did many of the parents we know and it is now we would expect to look to a person in the heart of the system that has all the SAGE information at hand to halt the confusion.

“I WOULD JUST LIKE OUR REPRESENTATIVE TO STEP UP, APPEAR AND EXCHANGE WORDS OF SUPPORT.” This is not the first time I have called for Justin Tomlinson to show himself.

In fact, I have cried myself hoarse on this subject throughout all the media airtime I have worked since the first time Covid-19 raced across the land. We were first told children were not vulnerable, they were carriers if anything, little transmitters. Then the stories of children with and without disabilities silently came in, children who were seriously ill in hospital. I called for him to show solidarity and to just give us the facts

from a disability community perspective, to do his job in the disability public eye.

What is the reality, the truth of childhood infection? A series of conflicting letters and tabloid prevarication was the only information available, albeit emotionally unhelpful and contradictory.

We have seemingly heard from everyone else, from Helen Whatley to the minister for culture, Oliver Dowden, but not the man responsible for a community desperately looking for answers and help in a crisis. The PM has, to his credit, promised a new dawn for disabled people in his ‘leveling up’ plan, but he is not our ‘apparent’ spokesperson.

Parents would like to believe that we are being led and fed with knowledge and support that will enable us to make the best decisions for our children, to either continue to shield or not. This is not happening. The whole community has been left in the dark. We need Mr. Tomlinson and his department to show some strength and visibility. Justin, we cannot emotionally afford 2022 to be a minority excluding repeat performance, our children are our lives.

Au t h o r: Da n Wh i te We b s i te: danwhite-1972.webnode.com Tw i t te r: @ Da nwh i te1972

disabilit yreviewmagazine.co.uk

Give the this Christmas

“When my grandparents died I had nobody.

Now Mencap gives me a reason to get up in the morning.

My Christmas wish would be for more people like me to get help and stop feeling lonely.”

- Darren

Text HOPE5 to 70020

to donate £5 this Christmas You will be charged £5, plus your standard network rate. 100% of your donation will go to Mencap. By texting, you are agreeing for Mencap to phone or text you to tell you about our work and how you can help.

If you wish to donate and not hear from us again, text HOPE5 NO to 70020. For more information call 0207 696 6007. Mencap is a registered charity 222377 (England and Wales); SC041079 (Scotland). 2021.065_2

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: DO YOU HAVE RANGE ANXIETY? Is worrying about running out of charge causing you to put the brakes on getting an electric vehicle? Worry not – we’ve put together this guide to ease you out of your range anxiety.

One of the more persistent untruths about electric cars is that you’ll have an anxiety-filled journey waiting to suddenly run out of charge, with no way to recharge to get back home. The reality is very different. Today’s full battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are so capable that running out of energy is now no more likely than running out of diesel or petrol in a ‘traditional’ car.

Charging options

One of the benefits of the Motability Scheme is you’ll be offered the option of a home charge point installation at no extra cost. If you don’t have off-street parking, or you’re not able to have a home charge point installed, you will be able to access a network of public charging points for easy on-street charging. There are also an increasing number of charge points popping up, for example in supermarket car parks and motorway service stations.

it. Also, if you download the ZapMap app, you can locate publicly available electric vehicle charging points across Britain.

How can I find an electric car on the Motability Scheme?

There are a number of makes and models available to lease on the Motability Scheme, from small city cars to family hatchbacks and larger SUVs. To see what’s currently available, use the car search tool at motability.co.uk and select ‘Electric’ in the ‘Fuel Type’ option.

About the Motability Scheme Motability Scheme enables you to exchange all or part of your mobility allowance to lease a car, Wheelchair Accessible

Range alerts

Full battery electric vehicles never run out of charge without warning. They repeatedly remind you of the outstanding range.

They are equipped with economy modes for low battery to help get you to a safe place.

Early electric cars did have low ranges which were limiting for many people, but a lot has developed over the last decade.

The “Range Anxiety” label should now be consigned to history.

Batteries are now a lot bigger in electric vehicles, like the Hyundai Kona Electric, capable of 259 miles, the Nissan Leaf e+ which can do as much as 217 miles on a full charge.

Vehicle, mobility scooter or powered wheelchair. Find out more about the qualifying

If you’re charging on the go it will take a bit more time and planning than a petrol or diesel car. Instead of taking two minutes to fill up at the pumps, it can take around half an hour with a rapid charger to top up your electric car. And if you’re charging from empty on average, it takes just under eight hours to charge to the brim, but it all depends on the speed of the charging point and the size of your car’s battery.The latest battery electric vehicles, with their navigation systems, will find the nearest charging station if you need

mobility allowances at

motability.co.uk/allowances Every lease is all inclusive, so insurance for up to 3 named drivers (this doesn’t have to be you), servicing, maintenance and breakdown cover is included. All you need to do is add fuel and go.

If you think the Scheme could be right for you, and you’d like to find out more, you can visit the website motability.co.uk or call one of their friendly advisors on 0800 093 1000.

Author: Motability | motability.co.uk | @MotabilityOps

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ADVERTORIAL

STOP UNWANTED REQUESTS FOR CHARITY DONATIONS Subodh Patel is the Manager of the Fundraising Preference Service, a free service which is operated by the Fundraising Regulator IF you or someone you care for is feeling overwhelmed by unwanted asks for donations from charities this winter, there is a free service that can help you put a stop to this – the Fundraising Preference Service.

UK official service is free and easy to use

The Fundraising Preference Service (FPS) is the UK’s only service that allows you to manage the contact you receive from all registered charities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

You can access the FPS online or by phone and it is completely free to use. It is run safely and securely by the Fundraising Regulator, the independent regulator of charitable fundraising.

End contact from multiple charities at the same time

You could get in touch with each charity you receive contact from individually to ask them to stop sending you fundraising communications, but using the FPS means you don’t need to.

You can use the service to end contact with more than one charity at a time – all you need to know is the charity name or registered charity number.

Use the service on behalf of someone else

Over 13,000 people have used FPS to stop unwanted charity marketing and around 1 in 3 people use it on behalf of someone else.

You can even use the service even if you, or someone you care for, have previously given consent to the charity to stay in touch.

The FPS helpline is open Monday to Friday between 9:00am and 4:30pm (closed weekends and public holidays). Calls to 03 numbers cost no more than calls to local or national rate numbers (01 or 02) and should be included in inclusive minutes in the same way.

How to use the FPS By using the FPS, you can manage your communications from charities in just three easy steps: 1. Search for a charity name or registered charity number 2. Select the channels of communication you wish to stop - you can choose addressed letters, emails, text messages or telephone calls 3. Enter your contact details and we’ll take care of the rest

If it sounds like the FPS will be of help to you or a friend or family member, visit the website for more information about how the service works.

For more information

Visit fundraisingpreference.org.uk or call 0300 3033 517.

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Receiving unwanted requests for charity donations this festive season?

Use the FPS to stop contact from charities for you or someone you know.

D R M T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E

ROSIE JONES AND HER MISSION ACCESSIBLE

Need some travel inspiration for the new year?

Rosie Jones’ new show, Mission: Accessible has everything you are looking for, and more.

THIS autumn, comedian Rosie Jones embarked on another Mission: Accessible with comedy pals in tow, helping disabled people plan accessible and exciting trips across Britain and this time putting England’s cities to the test. The first episode of the social series on Channel 4’s YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and All 4 channels launched on 25th August, with Cambridge and Manchester episodes released on 3rd and 9th September respectively.

Visit England interviewed Rosie about her experience doing Mission: Accessible series 2. We heard all about the antics and

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activities that Rosie and her pals got up to, from punting in Cambridge to relaxing in ancient baths in London, and even letting it all out in a Rage room in Manchester.

Rosie, can you tell us how it feels to be back for Mission: Accessible series 2?

I am so excited to be going around the country again and organising holidays for people with accessibility needs. In series one, we set up holidays for four disabled people and it turns out, would you believe, there are more than four disabled people in the country!

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T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E D R M

So, when we found that out, we thought “let’s do more”. Let’s sort out more holidays for disabled people!

It’s so important to me as a disabled person. I feel like when I’m going on holiday, if you take into consideration disability, your holiday feels quite limited. I just wanted to show that a disability does not limit you. You can still have a rip-roaring fun holiday if you’re disabled. What we did in series 2 was we focussed on cities in England.

I feel like cities can be inaccessible, busy and cobbly. We just wanted to put English cities to the test to check whether they were suitable for a range of accessible needs, which I’m pleased to confirm they do!

“I FEEL LIKE WE SUMMED UP HOW BRILLIANT AND HOW ACCESSIBLE ENGLAND REALLY IS.” Where did you go and what did you get up to?

Firstly, we went to London and that was with comedian Big Zuu. We tried to unpack London and really seek out the finer sides of the city. I’ve lived in London for ten years and I’ve realised that, when you live somewhere, you never really see it as a tourist. The things we did were amazing. We went to the Science Museum, Kensington Palace Gardens and went on a gastro bus tour where we ate so much good food whilst touring around the city. We also went down the Thames on a speedboat! We really saw London as a tourist – it was incredible.

We then went to Manchester with Mike Wozniak, one of my favourite comedians. I loved it there so much because my mum and dad are from Manchester. Although I was born in Yorkshire, I’ve always had an affinity with Manchester. We are organising a holiday for a prospective Paralympian, so we really wanted to do something sporty and exhilarating. We went to an indoor ski centre, which was so great. It messed with my brain as we were filming on one

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of the hottest days of the year, but two minutes later we were inside in huge coats, freezing ourselves. I have never been skiing before because I just didn’t think that would be an option for me. But what I did is I went on a sit ski. It was an amazing way of adapting the sport to make it accessible.

Finally, we went to Cambridge with Ashley Storrie. She has autism.

She was the perfect partner for me because we were organising a holiday for a person with autism.

Going to Cambridge was incredible.

I’ve never been there before, and it was so rich and full of brilliant people. We learnt about Alan Turing, who was probably one of the greatest Britons ever to live. We had such fun punting on the river, going to the Botanic Gardens and really enjoying the quiet and all the open space.

A lot of people with autism don’t like enclosed spaces or noisy areas, so in Cambridge we really sought out the space and the quiet and it was such a perfect time to enjoy the beauty of it all. One of my favourite parts was myself and Ashley being presented with a tandem bike. I looked at the tandem and thought ‘there is absolutely no way I can do that’…and I did it! It felt like a real achievement!

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Every single episode was amazing to film and full of fun. I feel like we summed up how brilliant and how accessible England really is.

What was your favourite location and what was your favourite experience during filming?

Oooo! I must say Cambridge was my favourite location because that was the one that I thought I want to come back to with my friends or on my own. It is so full of history and brilliant people.

Skiing was my favourite experience. It was certainly something I didn’t think I could do, but turns out I CAN!

Was there much mischief to be had can you tell us the funniest moments from filming?

Oh yes, lots of mischief! My favourite thing was, at the Science Museum, myself and Big Zuu found a slide.

I, hand on heart, think that at any age, if you see a slide, you’ll want to go down it. The producers were trying to carry on with filming the rest of the day but we were wanting to have another go on the slide because it is so much fun!

“BRITAIN IS AMAZING – BECAUSE IT IS FULL OF ALL THESE INCREDIBLY DIVERSE VOICES, FACES AND PEOPLE.” If there was ever to be a series 3, where next would you like to explore in England & what would you like to try out?

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More than England, I would love to explore more of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. I would love to go to the islands that surround the UK, but there is also so much more of England to explore! I would love to get back out there. In terms of activities, I just want an adrenaline-filled time.

You are someone who has worked closely with Channel 4 over the past few years, and featured in two of your own series.

Why do you think it is important that C4 develops shows such as Mission: Accessible?

It’s incredibly important. When you think about it 22% of the UK have a disability.

That therefore isn’t only a small margin of people. By doing shows featuring accessibility, we are showing that one fifth of the population are here, they are valid and they are worth talking about. Away from disability, I really feel like Channel 4 are great at this – you really need to champion all kinds of minorities. The reason for this is that Britain is amazing – because it is full of all these incredibly diverse voices, faces and people. In order to make a rich television schedule, we need to represent all different parts of our country.

And finally, do you think Britain has accessible tourism, and what do you think are the best bits?

Yes! In series one as well, we were really surprised at the amount of activities you can do. Often, the activities aren’t advertised or explicitly say they are disability friendly, so that is why we are doing this show – to show off how fabulous Britain is in terms of accessibility in holidays.

“YOU CAN STILL HAVE A RIP-ROARING FUN HOLIDAY IF YOU’RE DISABLED.”

Mission: Accessible has been produced by Rockerdale Studios in partnership with Visit Britain.

Mission: Accessible series 2 is available to watch now across Channel 4’s social channels as well as on All 4.

Who is Visit Britain and Visit England?

Visit Britain/Visit England is the national tourism agency, a nondepartmental public body funded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. They support England’s tourism industry, driving inbound visitor spend and providing expert advice to both industry and government.

This year’s goal for Visit Britain/Visit England is to ensure that England tourism businesses and destinations are ready to welcome back visitors. They work with businesses and destinations to help them grow towards a more sustainable and resilient future.

Yo u ca n f i n d o u t m o re i nfo r m a t i o n h e re: visitengland.com

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Losing a limb is traumatic But Blesma believes there is life after limb loss

Blesma is the leading charity for limbless veterans We help all serving and ex-Service men and women who have lost limbs, the use of limbs or their sight, to rebuild their lives by providing emotional, financial and practical support. For life.

To find out more call 020 8548 7089 or visit

www.blesma.org Registered Charity Numbers 1084189, Scotland SC010315

D R M T R AV EL & L EI S U R E

THE POWER OF ACCESSIBLE GAMING Globally, gaming is huge. And for disabled gamers it can be a chance to be a part of a supportive and inclusive community. DRM spoke to Martin, a carer and disabled gamer who has found great wellbeing and support in the gaming community…

MY self image is of being a carer rather than being disabled as my experience has generally been through other people. I have chronic, progressive, lung fibrosis and am towards the tail end of treatment for cancer. I carry an unexpressed gene related to lupus which increases susceptibility to inflammatory complaints. For the last decade, I have been carer for three people: Raz, my mother, and my brother. In the last year my mother and brother have both died.

I continue to care for Raz, whose fairly complex needs include a mobility limiting spinal injury and deafness.

The popular image of carers is being low paid with the reality of being unpaid.

Much of caring, for me, has revolved around the logistics of four peoples’ lives, coordinating with various professional organisations and simultaneously running a small business. An education in Biology, then Software Engineering and then Philosophy tends to make me seek out pedantic facts and figures and to want to understand things within science as a framework. My part time work given that caring is a full time job in itself – is subsidised caring. Runescape fits into that as a kind of clock with culture.

Having programmed computers since I was a teenager, it seemed natural to play connected, online, fun, social games.

Professionally, I write boring accounting programmes which lacks extremes of fun.

I have played games from early MultiUser Dungeons, like Lambda-MOO to Minecraft. Online games move beyond

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passive entertainment and becomes an experience that is much more than getting a high score, such as in games like Runescape.

The range of daily, weekly, seasonal and structured events give a sense of connection to a coherent and changing world. It is an isolation reducing rhythm. Being someone else for a few hours can even be a powerful respite.

Runescape does something fundamentally right: actively cultivating community.

Jagex supports mental health and disability charities, acknowledging good health grows within communities. Runefest brings players and developers together, annually, for

“BEING SOMEONE ELSE FOR A FEW HOURS CAN EVEN BE A POWERFUL RESPITE.”

announcements, to celebrate Runescape and the Community. Developers get to meet and mix with the people who play their games.

There is ‘community’ beyond the escapism of playing. Which is a positive support for well-being.

Runescape has had two decades of development, growth and change; influencing, quite literally, millions of people.

Being influential means characters like Grandma Potterington’s wheelchair using presence - which hints at a rich backstory introduces people to disability and visible diversity. Which is something I have always believed to be important in games, online and offline: play drives cultural change.

All online games offer a relatively level playing field to access other people. This emergent feature can benefit carer and disabled players in powerful ways. With millions of users, failures amplify rapidly, making mistakes vivid. Not only apparently minor things like subtitles, colour schemes for colour blindness, and how keyboards and controllers work but also about representation.

Features trivial to one player are a barrier to play for others and that can detract from gameplay – Developers are not always keen to address that failure because they put so much effort into that feature. Jagex does make accessible effective efforts: not unique, but rare.

Computers can create an environment where the exact features of personal identity are obscured. Done well that facilitates wellbeing and even personal achievements for Players. Giving a sense of personal control over visibility. Games like Runescape do this in a way that will never suit every person.

Online games stop being about escapism and become a means of personal enrichment.

Author: Martin aka Hubert Hazza Website: runescape.com/splash Twitter: @RuneScape Instagram: @runescape

Image is a screenshot of Runescape gameplay.

disabilit yreviewmagazine.co.uk

Genuine Radar NKS Key Get priority access to accessible public toilets If you have a health condition or disability, finding an accessible toilet that’s clean, tidy and available for you to use can be a challenge. And they’re often kept locked.

The Radar key gives you access to over 9,000 locked disabled public toilets around the UK. Disability Rights UK manages the Radar NKS Scheme and relies on key sales to maintain it.

Don’t risk buying a cheap copy that may not work.

All keys manufactured and guaranteed by the makers of the Radar locks themselves.

Genuine Radar Key £5.00 including P&P Available from: • disabilityrightsuk.org/shop • Alternatively call 020 3687 0790 • You can also send a cheque in the post for £5.00 made out to ‘Disability Rights UK’.

Disability Rights UK, Plexal, 14 East Bay Lane, Here East, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London E20 3BS

D R M SPORT

TACKLING INEQUALITIES WITH

GET YOURSELF ACTIVE GRANT Disabled people are more likely to be physically inactive, and Disability Rights UK are taking on the challenge to change the statistics.

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fund was set up to make sure that those who already struggle to access sport and physical activity don’t further lose out as the pandemic shut down organisations across the country.

Healthy results

So far (between August 2020 and March 2021) the GYA team has been able to award a total of 36 grants to Disabled People’s User Led Organisations (DPULOs). These exciting projects have directly and indirectly supported almost 2000 people through fitness, yoga, dance and performance-based activities, sport, peer mentoring and buddying support.

From setting up online classes and sessions to planning covid-safe returns to in-person activity, the funding has been crucial in keeping the work of our amazing DPULOs going.

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IN 2020, at the height of the pandemic, Get Yourself Active (GYA), a programme run by Disability Rights UK was selected by Sport England as a Tackling Inequalities Fund (TIF) delivery partner. This fund was set up to provide a lifeline to those organisations that had been adversely impacted by the pandemic. This is especially timely as, according to Sport England’s research, Disabled people are twice as likely to be physically inactive (41%) than those without a disability (20%).

With activities and organisations grinding to a halt as a result of coronavirus restrictions, Sport England set out to make sure that Disabled people would not lose the opportunities to participate in sport and physical activity in ways that work for them. The Tackling Inequalities

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new audiences, but it was important for online activity sessions to still take into account Disabled people’s needs and the barriers they face.

Co-production methods allowed us to understand the limits and challenges of the digital medium, empowering our communities to feedback what has and hasn’t worked for them to therefore understand how and where best to deploy digital delivery solutions. As we go forward, the lessons learned during this stage will prove invaluable in designing projects that work for everyone involved.

A bright future of sport and physical activity

Just this month the organisation Traverse evaluated the TIF programme that the fantastic GYA had been running to date and shared an interim impact report. This made clear the wide range of benefits that taking part in sport and physical activity has had on our community of Disabled people. Those that took part in TIF funded projects reported a wide range of mental wellbeing benefits for participants, such as reduced isolation, and improved confidence and mood.

Projects also reported improvements in participants’ physical wellbeing, for example, strength and mobility fitness, which is, of course, great news. Crucially the grants also helped organisations create new cross-sector partnerships between Disabled people and physical activity organisations, which supported Disabled people to become or stay active.

A clear focus on coproduction

Another highlight of the TIF funding has been the prioritisation of coproduction methods within the organisations we have supported.

Focusing on those activities which are co-produced meant that Get Yourself Active could ensure that activities were needs-led, engaging and inclusive.

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“DISABLED PEOPLE ARE TWICE AS LIKELY TO BE PHYSICALLY INACTIVE (41%) THAN THOSE WITHOUT A DISABILITY (20%)” use the services and facilities that have been created through inclusive design.

Co-production is central to bringing this about, where everybody works together on an equal basis to create a service or come to a decision that works for them all.

At its centre, there is an organisational shift in power dynamics that creates a more equal relationship between the people who use services and those who provide them. We are proud to see the success of the TIF funded programmes that have co-production at their heart.

Of course, it was more difficult to co-produce during the pandemic due to social, environmental, and technical challenges but that didn’t mean it wasn’t as important or rewarding for those involved.

Focusing on this has also produced several key learnings for both GYA and the organisations we support that we can take forward into future projects.

Throughout this stage of the TIF project, digital delivery mechanisms, such as Zoom, Teams and other digital platforms, opened physical activity to

Looking back on the past year it is clear that TIF has provided vital breathing space for the DPULOs we have worked with. While there are many sustainable elements within the projects, most require further funding to sustain or embed their activities and this will become our next focus.

As we move forward into the next phase of TIF we can see clear opportunities to explore physical activity types in more depth, capture lessons learned about digital co-production, and provide partners with more strategic support around partnership building and sustainability planning.

We are very so excited to continue this amazing and important work. Stayed tuned!

The GYA team is still accepting applications for The Tackling Inequalities Fund and is particularly keen to hear from Disabled People’s User Led Organisations supporting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities. So, if you are interested in applying, please let us know at tacklinginequalities@ disabilityrightsuk.org Au t h o r: D i s a b i l i t y R i g h t s UK We b s i te: d i s a b i l i t y r i g h t s u k .o r g Tw i t te r: @ D i s R i g h t s UK Fa ce b oo k: @ d i s a b i l i t y r i g h t s u k

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FF inding a family for Tyler inding a family for Tyler

North West agency Adoption Now is seeking a family for lovely little boy

F inding a family for Tyler

North West agency Adoption Now is seeking a family for lovely little boy North West agency Adoption Now is seeking a family for lovely little boy

A safe home with a family that loves you for who you are is something most people take for granted, but A home with athat family that they’re loves you for who you forsafe some children is what looking for and are isAsomething most people take granted, safe home with a family loves you for who but you unfortunately it can take somethat time tofor find. for some children thatmost is what they’re for and are is something people take looking for granted, but some thatsome is what they’re lookingchildren for and unfortunately itchildren can years take tooffind.

Tyler, for who is three old, istime one these unfortunately it can take some time to find. who is in need of a loving, nurturing and supportive Tyler, who three yearshim old,and is one of for these familyTyler, whois can himchildren as he who isadopt three years old, iscare one of these children who is in need of a loving, nurturing and supportive growswho andislearns, however that may be. in need of a loving, nurturing and supportive familyfamily who who can can adopt him and care for him as he adopt him and care for him as he growsgrows and learns, however thatthat may be.

Tyler loves being creative, doing lots of and learns, however may be.drawing and painting especially using his favourite Etch-a-sketch, Tyler loves being creative, doing lots ofofdrawing and loves being creative, doing lots drawing and whichTyler he takes everywhere with him.

Tyler really loves painting especially using his favourite Etch-a-sketch, painting especially using his favourite Etch-a-sketch, a good bop to his favourite music and nursery rhymes, he takes everywhere with him.

Tylerreally reallyloves loves which he takes everywhere with him.

Tyler he’s awhich good little mover; even when playing chasing bop tofavourite his favourite music and nurseryrhymes, rhymes, a gooda good bop to his music and nursery games, which really make him belly laugh. he’s a good little mover; even when playing chasing he’s a good little mover; even when playing chasing games, which really make him belly laugh. games, which really him belly laugh.

Like most boys his make age Tyler enjoys spending time outdoors his his littleagebike, things and Like riding most boys Tylerclimbing enjoys spending time Like most his age Tyler enjoys spending time playing on boys the riding swings the park; but he also enjoys outdoors hisat little bike, climbing things and outdoors riding his little bike, climbing things and playing the swings at thewith park;soft but blankets he also enjoys chilling out, on tickling his face and playing on the swings at the park; but he also enjoys chilling out, tickling his face with soft blankets having snuggles with the people closest to him. and having with face the people to him. and chilling out, snuggles tickling his with closest soft blankets havinghis snuggles with the people to him. blue With light-brown, wavy hairclosest and beautiful With his light-brown, wavy hair and beautiful blue eyes Tyler melts the hearts of of everybody he meets, eyes Tyler melts the hearts everybody he meets, With his light-brown, wavy hair and beautiful blue but despite this this like like most but despite mostchildren children with with some some eyes Tyler melts the hearts of everybody he meets, additional needs he has waited longer additional needs he has waited longerthan thanaverage average but despite this like most children with some to findtoafind family to adopt him.him. a family to adopt additional needs he has waited longer than average to findis aafamily to adopt him.

Tyler is a little boy has a difficultstart startin in life. life.

Tyler little boy whowho has hadhad a difficult is delayed in development, his development, withsome somesocial, social, He is He delayed in his with sensory and communication needs.

Tyler is a little boy who has had a difficult start in life. sensory and communication needs.

He is delayed in his development, with some social, Tyler’s has been needs. slow to develop which has sensory andspeech communication Tyler’scaused speech been at slow to His develop whichis has himhas frustration times. vocabulary now caused him frustration at times.

His vocabulary increasing slowly and he is making progressisinnow his Tyler’s speech hasand been slow to develop which has increasing slowly he is making progress in his general development, although he is still delayed in caused him frustration times. now general development, although he vocabulary is stillto delayed in most areas.

Tyler isat also veryHis sensitive touchisso he increasing slowly and he is making progress in his needs careful understanding and patience at bath most areas.

Tyler is also very sensitive to touch soand he general development, is still at delayed in ready times.although needsgetting careful understanding andhe patience bath and most areas.

Tyler is also very sensitive to touch so he getting ready times. has understanding recently been diagnosed as being long-and needsTyler careful and patience at bath sighted and will need to wear glasses although, at getting ready times.

Tyler has recently been diagnosed as being longsighted and will need to wear glasses although, at Tyler has recently been diagnosed as being longsighted and will need to wear glasses although, at

the moment he isn’t too keen on wearing them. His

the moment isn’t too on wearing them.but HisTyler gross motorheskills, likekeen walking, are good gross motor skills, like walking, are good but Tyler the moment he isn’t too keen on wearing them. can be particular about when he chooses to useHis can be particular about when he chooses to use gross these motor skills. skills, like walking, are good but Tyler these skills. can be particular about when he chooses to use

these skills.

Adoption Now Nowis ishappy happy a tailored Adoption to to offeroffer a tailored and and comprehensive package of support to help families comprehensive package of support to help families Adoption Now is happy to offer a tailored and providethe thecare care that Tyler need, provide that Tyler maymay need, from from comprehensive package of support to help families advocating behalf to specialist therapeutic advocatingononTyler’s Tyler’s behalf to specialist therapeutic provide the care that Tyler may need, from and disability support and much more.

So potential and disability support and much more. So potential adopters have thethe space in to their hearts but may advocating on Tyler’s behalf therapeutic adopterswho who have space inspecialist their hearts but may have some worries shouldn’t rule themselves out potential and disability support and much more.

So have some worries shouldn’t rule themselvesbut out but have a conversation social worker adopters who havewith theaspace in theirfirst. hearts but may have a conversation with a social worker first. have some worries shouldn’t rule themselves out but Those who know Tyler describe him warmly as an have conversation with aa sweet-nature, social worker first.

Thosea who know him warmly affectionate little boyTyler with describe that heas an affectionate little with boy awith that he would love to share familya ofsweet-nature, his own.

Those who know Tyler describe him warmly would love to share with a family of his own. as an affectionate little boy adopting with a sweet-nature, that he If you could consider Tyler or want to would love to share with adopting aa family of Tyler hisadditional own. talk more about adopting child with If you could consider or want to

needs, call 01204 096 or visit talk more about336 adopting a child with additional www.adoptionnow.org.uk for more information.

If you could consider adopting Tyler or want to

needs, call 01204 336 096 or visit talk more about adopting for a child additional www.adoptionnow.org.uk morewith information. needs, call 01204 336 096 or visit www.adoptionnow.org.uk for more information.

SPORT D R M

GOLF: EVERYTHING THAT I WAS MISSING When Mike Browne made the decision to amputated his leg, little did he know that that hard decision would lead him to golfing excellence.

TWENTY-TWO limb salvage operations.

Two years in an Ilazarov frame with 52 wires running through his leg. Daily one-millimetre adjustments to stretch his shinbone and former Royal Artillery Gunner Mike Browne calmly says, “In hindsight – luckily it didn’t work.”

Mike is quick to say that his injury was not actually a result of war, “All I did was break my leg.” Mike got a nasty infection, which consumed all the muscles around his knee and just seven days in May 2013 would prove to be pivotal in Mike’s life. “I sat down with my surgeon and said that I was having trouble living like I was. I basically made the decision there and then; it was an easy decision…right let’s get rid of it.

And then seven days later, my leg was amputated. I woke up, and that was the first time I had no pain. It was amazing.”

Mike describes two years of constant pain as a living hell, “I’d lost all of my social skills…I’d lost my job, in essence, I’d lost my life really, and so basically I sat down, and I just cried for no reason, for three days.”

Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom, and that is how Mike saw those dark days. “I thought I needed to get some help, and that’s where my journey began. The mental health team and I just worked through it. I did three or four sessions and started to get back on the road to recovery. I started seeing things in a different light, realising that things weren’t that bad. I was actually quite lucky to be where I was.”

One of the critical steps Mike had to take was to accept what had happened. disabili t yreviewmagazine.co.uk

“You have to stop feeling sorry for yourself… it’s a big hurdle to get over, and that’s when you can start to fully rehab. The support of family, friends, and colleagues is invaluable, I don’t think people realise how much you need them when you’re going through a hard time.”

Just as his new life began, he found golf, “Golf gave me everything that I was missing and gave me a new family, a purpose. It gave me all my social skills back. It gave me confidence, and it just saved my life really.” Mike found his new sport through the On Course Foundation. Mike recalls, “I hit one shot, and I can still remember it. It only went about 40 yards, but there’s a feeling, when you hit a golf ball. I was hooked in that very moment. I thought I could use this as rehab.”

“MIKE’S PROGRESS TO THE PROFESSIONAL GAME HAS BEEN METEORIC BY ANY STANDARD.”

Mike’s progress to the professional game has been meteoric by any standard.

Starting to play in July 2014 and turning professional in September 2016 is not normal, as often it takes years for a player to reach the standard necessary to play professionally. “I just want to be the best I can. If someone is better than me, then fair dues. When I got injured, it made me want it more because I wanted to prove to myself and to everyone else in the world, that no matter what happens to you, you can make something of it. A lot of people think their life is over when they get injured, but you know, I remember saying that…that life is over, but I’ve got a new one now, so let’s make the most of it.”

To hear and read Mike’s full story visit edgagolf.com, scroll to Profiles, and search Mike Browne.

Author: Tony Bennett Website: edgagolf.com | Twitter: @edgagolf Instagram: @edga_golf | Facebook: @EuropeanDisabledGolfAssociation

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Use code DRM20 - visit cbd-one.co.uk or scan the QR code

H E A LT H Y E AT I N G D R M

DELICIOUS DINNER MADE EASY Nothing is as easy to throw together, or as hearty on a cold winters evening, as a delicious Minestrone.

This recipe is so simple and accessible for anyone and can be made in minutes.

QUICK AND SIMPLE MINESTRONE A healthy recipe that you can make to your own taste and needs, this Minestrone takes only 8 minutes to cook and serves 4 or more people.

INGREDIENTS: 1l of chicken or vegetable stock 400g tin of chopped tomatoes 100g of spaghetti or pasta of your choice 350g of frozen mixed veg

Serve with: green pesto to taste Grated or roughly chopped parmesan or vegetarian cheese to taste

disabili t yreviewmagazine.co.uk

METHOD:

1.

2.

Bring the stock to the boil with the tinned tomatoes.

Once boiling, add the spaghetti (or pasta of your choice) and cook for 6 minutes or until done.

3.

Just before the pasta is ready, add the frozen mixed vegetables and simmer for 2 minutes, or until everything is cooked.

Dish up: Serve the minestrone in bowls, drizzle with pesto, as much or as little as needed, and sprinkle with the cheese of your choice.

Also serve with: Can also be served with a side salad or some crusty garlic bread straight out of the oven.

Enjoy!

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ADVERTORIAL

SHOULD I PROTECT MY BLUE BADGE FROM THEFT? IT’S vile to think that someone would stoop so low as to steal a disabled person’s parking permit, but the reality is that Councils have limited resources and budget allocated for the enforcement of the Blue Badge Scheme. Misuse of Blue Badges is rife, and with many Councils not making any prosecutions to protect the integrity of the scheme, people are continuing to use them without authorisation.

Blue Badges are attractive due to their exemption from parking fees, congestion charges and the ability to use them to park closer to amenities in cities and town centres.

However, the misuse of Blue Badges by those not entitled, means the people who have been medically assessed as needing these rights are denied important independence.

This prolific misuse of Blue Badges without consequence has led to a surge of Blue Badge thefts across the country, as unscrupulous thieves steal Blue Badges to sell onwards for anywhere in the region of £200-£1000. Thieves use smash and grab techniques to steal the badges whilst in use - damaging vehicles, causing costly repairs and leaving the owner with stressful Police reporting and long waiting times for Blue Badge replacement.

Finally, there are devices on the market to secure your Blue Badge from theft. Most notably is the Blue Badge Protector which has been developed over 15 years. This handy device locks your Blue Badge in a metal and Perspex case and secures to your steering wheel.

It is approved by the Police, endorsed by Councils and is available to buy from Halfords online, or from stockists found on their website - bluebadgeprotector. co.uk. Prices from £24.95. As Christmas approaches, why not consider gifting a security device bundle to your loved ones for a little of what they like and a little of what they need?

As with any valuable commodity, if thieves really want your Blue Badge they will find a way, but the same is true of your house, your car or your bike, but you would still lock those up wouldn’t you? Blue Badge Protectors and lockable holders are an excellent visual deterrent to opportunistic, smash and grab thieves. In a row of parked cars displaying Blue Badges they are not going to target yours if it is displayed in a Blue Badge Protector.

Woefully, as long as parking charges and congestion charges remain so high and the Blue Badge Scheme isn’t effectively enforced, thefts of Blue Badges will also continue in shocking numbers. If you are concerned about the theft of your badge or that of a loved one, you need to take action to provide protection.

Au t h o r: C a r o l i n e Ove r to n, Operations Manager Website: Revitalise.co.uk

It’s clear that you need to protect your Blue Badge from theft so what can you do?

Never leave your Blue Badge in your car or on display when it is not in use. Given the value of your Blue Badge to thieves, leaving it sat out when not required is like leaving cash on your dash.

Fa ce b oo k: fa c e book .co m/ b l u e b a d g e p r otecto r I n s ta g ra m: i n s ta g r a m .co m/ b l u e b a d g e p r otecto r

Why not contact your local Blue Badge team to see whether you quality for a disabled parking bay outside your house as this often negates the requirement to display your Blue Badge overnight. A handy website where you can find up-to-date details for all Blue Badge teams across the country by local authority is parkingforbluebadges.com

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Secure your Blue Badge from theft and protect yourself from the stress, mess and expense of vehicle break-in.

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Blue Badge Protectors have been developed over 15 years to protect disabled drivers from the theft of their Blue Badges.

Blue Badges are stolen on demand in huge numbers but with our Blue Badge Protectors you can deter unscrupulous thieves.

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DRM

ADVERTORIAL

REVITALISE IS HERE TO HELP CARERS THERE were 9.1m family carers in the UK at the start of lockdown, and it is estimated that a further 4.5 million have taken on caring responsibilities since the COVID-19 pandemic. Many are solely responsible for the wellbeing of a loved one who may rely on them completely, sometimes 24/7, without any form of break.

National charity Revitalise provide accessible breaks for disabled people and their carers, a lifeline from the unrelenting pressures faced by carers.

During lockdown, Revitalise received calls from carers in desperate situations, some talking of self-harm, an inability to cope, and even suicide.

Diane has been caring for her son Wesley, 27, all of his life, after he was born with cerebral palsy and is a full-time wheelchair user. She said;

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“Wes needs someone to physically feed him, he can’t do that himself. There’s no switching off, at all. I’ve been doing this all Wes’ life. The only time we get a break is when Wes is away on respite.”

Another carer, Hilary, cares for her son, Shaun, who is brain damaged after an accident in Ibiza when he was 19. She said of her caring role: “For the last 15 years I’ve been caring for Shaun but I definitely wouldn’t call myself a carer, it’s just something I do as his mum. There’s no let up, no way forward, no support. I’m never, ever, going to give up on my son. Life is too short you know; you need to keep fighting.”

The nation’s carers perform such a vital role in keeping the country running, saving the NHS millions every year and going far beyond the call of duty to provide for some of the country’s most vulnerable people. We owe them a debt of gratitude.

Revitalise’s purpose-built holiday centres in Essex and Southport offer disabled people a fun and relaxing holiday experience with 24-hour expert care alongside activities, live evening entertainment and quality full-board hospitality.

Their breaks give carers the chance to hand over the caring role and switch off. They can choose to accompany their loved one to Revitalise or enjoy their own break elsewhere.

Either way, they can be safe in the knowledge that their loved one is in good hands.

For more information please visit revitalise.org.uk or contact their team by calling 0303 303 0145.

Au t h o r: Re b ecca You n g, D i r ecto r o f E x te r n a l Af fa i r s a t Revi ta l i s e

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Call: 0303 303 0145

Visit: revitalise.org.uk/early-bird

*Not to be combined with any other offer. Please contact our friendly booking advisors for full booking terms and conditions. ^Subject to eligibility. Registered charity number: 295072

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Classifieds

D R M CL ASSIFIEDS

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CL ASSIFIEDS D R M

At Royal Holloway, University of London, we are a close-knit community and proud of the egalitarian spirit of our founders, which we continue to foster today. We value diversity and promote equality of opportunity for students and colleagues, whether they work in academia or professional services. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, particularly people with disabilities, both students and staff. https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk

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Vose Farm Holiday Cottages

Vose Farm Holiday cottages, 7 Luxury cottages, sleeping from 2 to 6 persons.

3 purpose built disabled access cottages. All cottages have plenty of private parking outside cottage & their own private gardens.

Vose Farm Holiday Cottages. Tregony, Truro, Cornwall. TR2 5SH Contact Phil or April Tel: 01872 530520 Email: enquiries@vosefarmcottages.co.uk www.vosefarmcottages.co.uk 72

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ai163421808013_Disability Review Half Page Ad Nov21 final no bleeds pr.pdf 1 14/10/2021 14:28:43

C

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iCHAIR SKY Multifunctional, premium quality, stand-up powerchair with ingenious new design

Exclusive Distributor

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• Individual seat adjustment • Smart memory saving therapeutic movements & desired positions • Maximum turning flexibility in confined space (Mid Wheel Drive) • Sprung chassis prevents vibration • Direct transfer aid + more programmable options

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Find a Local Rehab Specialist!

Call 0800 252614 or email sales@electricmobility.co.uk

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D R M CL ASSIFIEDS

Accessible Film & Theatre For All From dementia friendly film screenings to relaxed and signed performances of our amazing pantomime, we have something for everyone at the Beck Theatre.

WC

TT

Fri 10 Dec - Sun 2 Jan 2022

Tue 29 Mar - Sat 2 Apr 2022

Tue 12 - Sat 16 April 2022

Mon 4 April 2022

We are committed to making our venue accesible to everyone. If you have any access requirements, please let us know when booking.

Wheelchair Accessible Complimentary Tickets For Essential Companions Induction Loop Selected Signed Performances Working Dogs Welcome Accessible Toilet Touch Tours

becktheatre.org.uk 0343 310 0044

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Dedicated to providing accessible holidays for families & groups with special needs or vulnerabiliies since 1985

www.lyneal-trust.org.uk

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* Skippered Day Hire Boats * * Weekly Hire Boats * * Cooages *

To advertise, please call 01959 543 650

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D R M CL ASSIFIEDS Birchcroft.qxp_Layout 1 04/03/2021 15:30 Page 1

Birchcroft Near Bournemouth, Dorset

Large accessible chalet bungalow nestles at the end of a winding lane, surrounded by rhododendron bushes in over an acre of private woodlands and gardens. Ideal place to relax with the whole family

Wet-room, en suite, large lounge and dining room with stunning countryside views - wheelchair, hospital bed, electric chair, toilet seat risers, folding walker, etc – all available free of charge. Sleeps up to 8 plus 2 babies. Visit England 4 Star with M2, H1, V1 rating.

Contact us via

www.birchcroft-hideaway.co.uk or email us at

holidayindorset@btinternet.com tel: 07889090773

Where will you go in 2022?

Supported holidays for adults with learning disabilities

Options Supported Holidays are a tour operator providing supported holidays for adults with learning disabilities. We run holidays throughout the year in the UK and worldwide.

Our holidays are run by experienced, DBS checked holiday supporters.

The holidays are for those who have a learning disability and require general supervision. Holiday makers with greater needs can be supported at an additional cost.

Your Holiday, Your Adventures, Your memories. book today!

Contact the office now for more information and to make a booking!

SCAN ME!

01285 740491 www.optionsholidays.co.uk office@optionsholidays.co.uk

Experience Audio Described, Captioned, Relaxed and Live Stream Performances.

Measure for Measure 19 November – 15 January 2022 Hamlet 21 January – 9 April 2022

The Merchant of Venice 18 February – 9 April 2022 The Fir Tree 20 – 30 December 2021

Join our free Access Scheme today to help us give you the best Globe experience.

RECRUITING NOW

Care and Support roles in Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. recruitment@hightownha.org.uk hightownha.org.uk/careers shakespearesglobe.com/access

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CL ASSIFIEDS D R M

re g e’ itin W ru c Re

Exploring new horizons?

Exploring new horizons?

• A fantastic induction • The highest standard of training • Great supportive team • Competitive pay • Wellbeing and work/life balance • Long service and excellence awards • Pension and Life Assurance • Rising annual leave

www.bas.ac.uk/jobs

ly p y Ap da to

careers.seeability.org Charity number 255913

For reading and spelling

The popular ‘Wordshark’ for reading and spelling is now well established as an online resource for schools and tutors.

Find your your job job opportunity opportunity of of aa lifetime lifetime at at Find

for Schools and Tutors

• Ages 5 to 16+ • Especially useful for SEND,

Appreciating You And valuing everyone’s differences

Brunel University London is located on the western edge of the capital set within a modern campus environment.

One of the University’s greatest strengths is the diversity of its culture, backgrounds, values and individual differences of people who live, work and study here.

The staff workforce drives and supports the invaluable teaching, research and enterprise activities and also contributes to the University’s exciting diverse community.

A wide range of employment opportunities are available at the University and we encourage you to visit our website to view our current vacancies.

We positively encourage applications from all sections of the community.

www.brunel.ac.uk/about/jobs/home

Catch-up, EAL and ideal for whole-school use

• Placement test and

automatic progression mode make life easier for busy teachers

Progress at school

Committed to equal opportunities and representing the diversity of the community we serve

• Choose to set work from

the 5 courses or add your own words!

• Full progress records kept

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for all work

Click here to find out more about Wordshark online

Progress at home

www.wordshark.co.uk

To advertise, please call 01959 543 650

Tel: 020 8748 5927 Email: online@wordshark.co.uk

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D R M CL ASSIFIEDS

Are you suffering following an accident?

Where will you go in 2022?

CRPS, Chronic Pain and Fibromyalgia can be life-changing. Which is why Brian Barr Solicitors work tirelessly to secure our clients the compensation they deserve.

Supported holidays for adults with learning disabilities Brian Barr Solicitors represented a former health care assistant and mother of five, who twisted her ankle when she tripped over an unmarked and unlit step and tragically ended up with a below-knee amputation. With an eventual diagnosis of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), she also suffered from fatigue and constipation and fibromyalgia, all of which resulted in a major depressive disorder.

Mid claim, a significant interim payment was obtained to allow for the purchase and renovation of a home suitable for her condition, followed by a final overall settlement of £4million which will assist allowing her to live the best possible Options life Supported Holidays are a tour operator providing alongside her condition. supported holidays for adults with learning disabilities. We

run holidays throughout the year in the UK and worldwide.

Brian Barr Solicitors helped to secure £4million in compensation for our client Our holidays are run by experienced, DBS checked holiday supporters.

The holidays are for those who have a learning disability and require general supervision. Holiday makers with greater needs can be supported at an additional cost.

Your Holiday, Your Adventures, Your memories. book today!

Specialist Fibromyalgia, CRPS, Chronic Pain & Critical Illness Lawyers To start your claim get in touch: call us on 0161 737 9248

Contact the office now for more information and to make a booking!

SCAN ME!

01285 740491

www.optionsholidays.co.uk office@optionsholidays.co.uk

Our vision is for everyone who lives with autism and/or intellectual disability to have the opportunity to grow, realise their individual potential by finding the right strategies to enjoy life.

A passionate service transparent in our work, reliable and responsive. We always put each individual at the centre of his or her support

You can access our services by: Making a self-referral

We empower every individual whom we work with to take an active role in their support and make their own decisions.

At Robin Specialist Autism Services we are: An Outreach Service specializing in supporting individuals with Autism and/or associated complex mental health conditions like Hoarding over the age of 18 years.

A management team that has over 8 years experience managing an autism accredited service and providing bespoke personcentred packages Proud of delivering personalized support centred around teaching strategies to manage anxiety and develop independent skills to improve quality of life and become more independent. We pair you with the right member of staff who will match your personality, and understand your specific needs and your interests

A referral from the GP, Social worker or another healthcare professional We offer our services in the London boroughs of Newham, Waltham Forest, Islington, Hackney, Redbridge and Tower Hamlets

Funding streams: You can pay for your care directly instead of receiving services directly from the Local Authority.

Your care can be paid for by the local authority (commissioned)

Contact us on for an informal chat on: Tel: 08000460552 | Email: info@robinautismservices.co.uk Further information can be found on our website:

robinautismservices.co.uk

76 - 80 B addow Road, Chelmsford, E ssex CM2 7PJ

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Standing with autistic children and young people We believe every autistic child and young person has the right to be themselves and realise their ambitions.

Understanding, flexibility, the right support at the right time. That’s all we ask.

Now is the time for change.

Now, is the time for ambition.

Find out more at:

ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk

Follow us ambitiousautism

ambitiousaboutautism

ambitiousaboutautism

Ambitious about Autism is a registered charity in England and Wales: 1063184 and a registered company: 03375255.