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Popular topic: Learning
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Disabled young people encouraged to volunteer for London 2012
August 29th, 2010
Posted by Charlie Powell-Bret
Disabled people in Liverpool have been offered the chance to take part in the London 2012 Olympics.
It is hoped 40 deaf and disabled young people will volunteer to get involved in DaDaFest International 2010, which is closely linked with the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad and is being operated by DaDa Disability and mygames.
Click Liverpool reports that the four-year programme hopes to get disabled people more involved with the organisation and implementation of the Olympics and its associated events.
Mygames is a collaboration between 20 charities and V Inspired.
Alison Jones, youth volunteer project manager at DaDaFest International 2010, told the publication: “The volunteers will be involved in a range of roles including researchers, advocates, decision makers, leaders, flash mob participants, festival promoters, ambassadors, exhibition invigilators, information assistants, tour guides and technicians.”
She added that it could help young people make “a meaningful difference to their community”.
Applications for the volunteering positions can be made via the V Inspired website.
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Park scheme boosts confidence of disabled people
August 24th, 2010
Posted by James Lahey
A programme that provides training for people with learning disabilities has won an award for an urban park.
Thyme Out, funded in part by the Big Lottery Fund and Bromley council, has given horticultural training and qualification opportunities to 40 disabled people in the area, Horiculture Week reports.
Two groups were given lessons on work skills, numeracy and literacy, while they learned how to interact with the general public through open days and tours at Bromley Palace Park over an 18-month period.
The scheme has won the park its first Green Flag award, the national standard for parks and green spaces in the UK.
Julian Benington, Bromley council executive councillor for renewal and recreation, told the website: “This Green Flag award is a reflection of the excellent work undertaken by the Thyme Out team, council staff and the local community on a daily basis to maintain and improve our borough.”
Thyme Out aims to boost the independence and confidence of people with learning disabilities and is managed by the Bromley Field Studies Centre.
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Samaritans invites disabled volunteers in Devon
August 16th, 2010
Posted by Charlie Powell-Brett
A UK charity is calling for disabled people to apply for volunteering positions following the revamping of its headquarters.
The South Devon Samaritans base in Torquay recently underwent a refurbishment costing around £50,000 and is now able to cater for visitors with disabilities.
A new lift has been installed to support volunteers in wheelchairs, allowing them to access the 150-year old Warren Road facility for the first time.
Some £10,000 of the project funding was provided by the Big Lottery Fund, while the remainder was generated through fundraising events, This is South Devon reports.
Branch director Carol Crawshaw told the news source: “I am delighted that we are now in a position to welcome applications from potential volunteers who are physically disabled and of course disabled people who need emotional support.”
The new facility was unveiled by Torbay MP Adrian Sanders on Friday (August 13th).
Samaritans offers round the clock support for people experiencing distress, despair and emotional problems.
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Doncaster man to launch nightclub event for disabled people
August 11th, 2010
Posted by James Lahey
A new nightclub event for people with learning disabilities is set to begin next month after securing support from local authorities.
Under the Stars will be launched in Doncaster on September 2nd after local Afson Viez Afarani sought financial backing for the venture from the borough council and the Learning Disability Partnership Board, the Diss Express reports.
The 24-year-old joined up with the charity of the same name with a view to creating an environment in which people with learning disability can relax and feel safe.
The first event will take place at Westways nightclub on Wood Street between 19:30 and 23:00 GMT.
Patricia Schofield, deputy mayor for Doncaster and cabinet member for adult services, told the newspaper: “This is a tremendous opportunity for Doncaster to show how the needs of people with a learning disability can be met in a different and exciting way and demonstrates a positive example of changes happening here.”
She went on to praise Mr Afarani for having the initiative to set up the event.
Tickets are priced at £5.
Under the Stars was originally founded in Sheffield in 2007.
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Learning disability social enterprise hosts festival tent
August 4th, 2010
Posted by James Lahey
A group of people with learning disabilities have created a film of a London community event as part of a social enterprise project.
Club Soda, made up of 14 disabled people, aims to combat isolation through community participation and operated its own tent at Croydon Summer Festival on Saturday (July 31st), Community Newswire reports.
Footage of the Pop Tent, which was managed by members of the organisation, will be used to create a promotional film that outlines Club Soda’s aims with a view to getting more people involved.
All of the members have part-time jobs or are unemployed.
Oliver Tipper, Club Soda organiser, said the project’s aim is “producing groundbreaking arts and media work that engages the widest range of people possible while having the interests of people with learning disabilities at its heart”.
Members received six weeks of training in the run up to the festival courtesy of the Media Trust’s Community Voices project.
Club Soda is also associated with the Big White Light Theatre, a group of non-trained actors, some of whom have learning disabilities.
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Many in UK ‘do not understand learning disabilities’
July 28th, 2010
Posted by Frances Sullivan
People in the UK do not properly understand the symptoms or consequences of having a learning disability, new research indicates.
According to survey figures published by Turning Point, almost a quarter (23 per cent) of respondents said disabled people lived in care homes, while one in three thought they could not live independent lives or have jobs.
On top of this, many grouped mental illness and dementia with learning disability.
Rosa Monckton, whose daughter has Down’s syndrome, observed that many respondents failed to recognise the positive qualities of people with learning disabilities, choosing to focus instead on negative characteristics such as poor social skills and slurred speech.
Adam Penwarden, director of learning disability services at Turning Point, commented: “People often think individuals with a learning disability are ‘different’ and discriminate against them because of this.
“In fact, they can make a great contribution to society when given the right support.”
Turning Point provides specialist and integrated social care services across England and Wales.
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Capability Scotland to investigate festival accessibility
July 11th, 2010
Posted by Charlie Powell-Brett
Capability Scotland has launched a new research project to find out how easy it is for disabled people to access outdoor music festivals.
The disability organisation will visit a number of festivals across the country, including T in the Park in Perth and Kinross, Wickerman in Dumfries and Galloway and the Edinburgh Mela.
Its rapid response report will aim to investigate how far festival organisers are going to support disabled people attending outdoor events.
Organisers have an obligation to make reasonable adjustments for visitors with disabilities under the Disability Discrimination Act.
Elspeth Molony, Capability training and consultancy manager, said it can be “challenging” to cater for disabled people at large festivals due to their temporary location.
“However, actively involving disabled people in considering what reasonable adjustments could be made is good practice and a great way to identify solutions to potential barriers,” she added.
The charity will publish the results of its research next month.
Capability has previously published rapid response reports on taxi access, car seats for disabled children and party politics.
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Govt green paper to focus on disabled children
July 10th, 2010
Posted by Ben Jones
Disabled children will be a significant policy priority for the coalition government, it has been confirmed.
Speaking at the launch of a new campaign briefing from Every Disabled Child Matters (EDCM), Minister of State for Children and Families Sarah Teather MP said that disabled children are “at the heart” of the new government and will be a focus of new policies.
The Liberal Democrat MP told campaigners that the care system must be more “family friendly” and that disabled young people must be treated the same as their peers.
Ms Teather also announced the launch of a green paper in the coming months that will address key issues affecting children with disabilities and special educational needs, such as transition services.
“We want to make sure that the most vulnerable children get the best quality of support and care,” the MP said.
“We need to give parents more choice and involve them in the decision-making process,” she added.
The announcement was made at the launch of EDCM’s Disabled Children: An Agenda for the New Government briefing, which highlights the need for disabled children to live ordinary lives.
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New dictaphone aimed at blind and dyslexic users
July 4th, 2010
Posted by Charlie Powell-Brett
A new dictaphone aimed at visually impaired and dyslexic users is set to go on sale soon.
Developed by Olympus in conjunction with the RNIB and the British Dyslexia Association (BDA), the DM5 can store over 2,000 hours of audio recording and also doubles up as a personal music player, BBC News reports.
The device features voice-activated commands and can also read text files aloud for the benefit of blind users.
On top of this, the DM5 supports the Digital Accessible Information System format, which is used by the RNIB to encode audiobooks and is also popular among dyslexic users.
Olympus product specialist Georgina Knight told the news source: “It’s intuitively designed so all of the buttons are very tactile and should be very straightforward.
“You scroll down to the different options and you have voice guidance telling you what area of the device you’re in.”
The DM5 also includes Olympus’ Sonority audio editing software for both Mac and PC computers.
In related news, the RNIB is set to launch a new online shop next month, giving blind and visually impaired users access to support products and reading material.
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Hospitals ‘must do more for patients with learning disabilities’
June 13th, 2010
Posted by James Lahey
More must be done to support patients with learning disabilities in the UK, it has been stated.
According to Mencap, health trusts and professionals must focus on ensuring disabled patients are adequately supported in order to avoid incidences of neglect.
The charity was responding to the case of Kyle Flack, whose death at Basildon University Hospital in 2006 was found to have been contributed to by neglect this week.
The hospital was fined £50,000 for the death of the 20-year-old, who had cerebral palsy and a learning disability, while Basildon & Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was forced to pay £40,000 in court costs.
Mencap chief executive Mark Goldring stated that the death was “entirely avoidable” and urged healthcare professionals to focus on providing quality care in hospitals.
“We will continue to campaign until people with a learning disability are given the same healthcare as everyone else and their needs are taken seriously,” Mr Goldring added.
In related news, June 21st to 27th is Learning Disability Week, Mencap’s national awareness week, which this year is campaigning to improve the NHS.
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