One Voice - for disabled people
Welcome to our Summer newsletter—if you are reading this somewhere warm, you can’ be in Wolverhampton! And if you are elsewhere and using your disability bus pass, you might be interested to read Cassandra's Column on page 2.
Also, the Disability Benefits system is due for another big shakeup—find out what’s planned and how you can have your say on page 3.
Come and join us on our walk in the park—find out more on page 8
We have some other news and information shorts, some feedback on an access meeting on page 4 from a new contributor, and an article from West Midlands Trailblazers on page 6
The views in this newsletter are those of the article writers, they are not always what One Voice thinks.
At our well attended and successful AGM, One Voice elected the Management Group for the following year, including a nice mix of new and senior members, they are:
Ian Joyce—Chair
Ann Matthews—Vice-Chair
Paul Davis—secretary
Huw Griffiths
Shan Alcock
Sue Fermoyle
The following people have also been co-opted to the management group:
Barbara Benton
Harj Chahal
Mauvoreen Braithwaite
Well it looks like all news continues to be bad news for disabled people.
It looks like disabled people will be paying for the bailout of banks with their financial independence and self-determination if the Government gets its way over the future of care.
HM Government want Attendance Allowance, and probably DLA to be paid to Social Services instead of to us Disabled People.
How does this fit in with their big 20 year plan “Life Chances for Disabled People” and it’s independent living agenda, and isn’t it moving in the opposite direction to Direct Payments, which is supposed to encourage us to have control and management of our own budgets?
So far this year, we’ve had incapacity benefit ended in favour of ESA —which puts disabled people into poverty, since employers don't want to employ us even if we are able to work; now they are aiming to take our right to choose what we spend our DLA or Attendance Allowance on, and give it to Social Services so they don’t have to increase the grant to local Councils for care. Also our free bus passes are now under attack—it is claimed the Government has underfunded the Concessionary travel scheme for older people and disabled people (what we call the free bus pass) and some councils are demanding more money—since the chances of that are zero, no doubt they will try to take the bus pass away from some of us. We might win this one though, because pensioners get the bus pass too, and since they are vocal, good at demonstrating, and about the only people left who still vote in elections, we might be able to hang onto their coattails and keep the bus pass.
But wait, the Government is planning to let us have one new right—that’s the right to kill ourselves—no doubt that would reduce a lot of their costs.
And while all these attacks are going on, Equality and Human Rights Commissioners are dropping like flies—about 7 commissioners have resigned because they feel they aren’t being listened to and they don’t like the way the EHRC (Equality and Human Rights Commission) is being run by Trevor Philips—that includes Bert Massie, the former chair of the Disability Rights Commission that was swallowed up by the EHRC—so now disabled people have no say on the body that is supposed to protect and further our rights—same old, same old...
Lately it seems that this column is just too easy to write as a rant about the erosion of our rights. I know that things are getting worse for everyone because of the recession, but we started so far behind anyway, that it feels like a bad time to be a disabled person.
The Government has published a green paper on the future of Care and wants it to be the foundation of “the big care debate”.—for many disabled people, it may feel like the big Scare debate, since it will affect many people’s financial independence.
This really is a debate disabled people should be involved in, if they want to keep control of their benefits.
The green paper has at it’s centre the proposal to “stop paying ‘disability benefits, for example, attendance allowance’’ to disabled people and pay the money direct to social services instead.
The Government paper is vague about what disability benefits they are talking about, which means it can apply to all of them if it becomes law —including DLA, which is a benefit many of our readers and listeners are entitled to.
Under the plan, people who currently receive disability benefits would have their the money converted to a ‘personal budget’ administered by Councils and used to pay for services provided by Social Services— not to spend the money as disabled benefit claimants see fit.
This will make disabled people less independent and with less control over their lives.
The consultation period runs from now until 13th November.
Organisations like Age Concern and RNIB have already spoken out against these plans, and more disabled people and their organisations need to let the Government know what they think of these plans if they want to influence the decisions made.
You can do this by joining a One Voice group to go through the green paper together and give your opinions to be included in our response.
One Voice also wants to run a workshop on this but the consultation period began 3 weeks ago, and the government have not yet produced the Stakeholder Event materials they want groups to use. We will let you know via our website and mail about any consultation events being run in Wolverhampton.
The Government also plans to put postcards in doctor surgeries with 3 questions on they for you to answer—we have not see these yet.
You can download a copy of the consultation document here:
http://careandsupport.direct.gov.uk/greenpaper/the-green-paper-and-supporting-documents/
If you want to have a say and need help, let us know.
If you are interested in joining a group to look at the documents, let us know.
If you are planning to write to your MP and need help with the letter, let us know.
editor
The Government website dedicated to this is:
http://careandsupport.direct.gov.uk/
.. Another one, you may be thinking.
However I would like to share with you my experience of this very new project, which was set up by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign to act independently in giving a platform to young campaigners.
Launched in July of 08, Trailblazers began with the very distinct principle – it would be young disabled people themselves who would be leading this campaign for equal access and opportunities.
This approach appealed to me instantly, as it put me, and others like me, in control. We would have a powerful platform from which to make our opinions heard, our voices count when it comes to the provision of disability services.
And why is this important?
Well, who could know better what the issues are, and what possible solutions could work when it comes to disabled services, than disabled people themselves. However it has often been the case that disabled people have not had the opportunity to say what they want and need when services are being planned. That is why I joined, because I feel that not only is there a need for improvements in services and accessibility, but also a significant shift in the perception of disability in society as a whole.
Our very first campaign involved over 100 Trailblazers throughout the UK taking part in a ‘mystery commuter’ style survey of the public transport system for 3 months. Along with other information this data was used to combine a report of the issues faced. This campaign received extensive media coverage with members, including myself, taking part in radio, newspaper and TV interviews on both a local and national level. The final report, called ‘End of the Line’ was launched at Parliament, and has led to both MPs and Transport companies to take our opinions into consideration. In the wake of the report, Dave Anderson MP, who is chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on MD, secured an Adjournment Debate in Parliament on Tuesday 2nd June with Paul Clark, a Minister for Transport.
Dealing with the media, giving interviews, conducting an investigation, writing press releases, researching and uploading news and blog content to the website, are just some of the skills I have gained. All of which have given me valuable work experience, especially as I am interested in working in media. This, and the fact that I have made many new friends who have all experienced similar issues as me, makes the Trailblazers network all the more important to me. Being able to easily discuss things without having to explain yourself, and just knowing that the other person understands you, is a real support. I have gained a valuable network that I can turn to for information, and a new, fresh viewpoint on how to tackle and deal with issues that affect me.
I am looking forward to taking part in all future tasks/campaigns, and doing my bit to reach the Trailblazers vision:
‘A world where having muscle disease or a related condition is not a barrier to someone accessing mainstream opportunities, facilities and services.’
For more information about Trailblazers, please visit us
By Jagdeep Kaur Sehmbi
West Midlands Trailblazers Ambassador
Roboclothes—Japanese technology companies seem determined to make fiction from sci-fi programmes like Battlestar Galactica(BSG) real—first the robot with human facial features and expressions, now a set of cyber “leggings” that look a bit like the cylons of BSG, but are designed to help people with mobility impairments to move around more easily.
Referencing another sci-fi film, the device is called HAL (hybrid assistive limb) has sensors that read brain signals telling the limb to move, and then directing that movement via the HAL, which is belted to the waist, thigh and knees.
It remains to be seen whether this is of real assistance or just a 21st century version of the calliper..
Disabled man's dangerous weapon—Many of us heard or saw the case in the news of an American black professor, who was arrested on his own doorstep , because police didn’t believe he lived at the house even when he had proof. You may not have heard of a disabled man in Plymouth also subject to being surrounded by police on his doorstep in another case that demonstrated police lack of sensitivity and equality principles. The man was surrounded by taser wielding police and told to put down his dangerous weapon. The “weapon” in question was a spatula that he has had to use to open his mail, since a crash gave him difficulties using his hands. When the police had their error pointed out, the police chose not to apologize, and instead confiscated the man’s letter-opening spatula!
Aiming too low?- In 2007 the Government launched “Aiming High for Disabled Children” aimed at providing short breaks, palliative care, community equipment, wheelchair etc for children. They gave £340 million to Primary Care Trusts and the same to Local Authorities to pay for this. But the PCT did not ring fence (keep separate from their entire budget) the money, and it is claimed, this makes it difficult for Council child services to work with them to help disabled children, it also makes it impossible to tell what EXTRA services are being provided to disabled children from this extra £340 million.
Mentally ill people failed by CPS:- Access to the law is not equal when it comes to mentally ill people - this seems to be the conclusion drawn in recent reports that while a person with a mental health condition is 20% more likely to be the victim of crime, the Crown Prosecution Service is much less likely to take the case to Court if the victim has or has had mental health problems.
In one case, highlighted by Radio4’s Today Programme, the CPS dropped the case of someone who had last had mental health issues 20 years ago.
One Voice attended a meeting with architects and managers of the proposed new Bilston Leisure centre.
Items raised included more disabled parking bays and putting some of the bays with the hashed areas together to enable people with side ramps to use the facilities.
This also went on to include extending the hashed area at the back of some of the bays to enable people with back ramps to use the facilities without the risk of being hit by cars, as can be the case if a back ramped vehicle has to go into a space head first to be able to use the back ramp.
Bollard styles and colours were discussed and the need for dropped kerbs.
Other points raised included the style of bin to be used, an area for guide dogs, wheelchair storage, handles on walls and doors and raised numbers on lockers. We were told that the lockers would be colour blocked to enable easier recognition for visually impaired patrons.
We discussed the problems at Bentley Bridge leisure centre in depth as we were all anxious to avoid the mistakes that have occurred there. We asked for two unisex disabled shower/changing rooms and for Radar keys to be used on these to stop able bodied people using them. The original plans called for one unisex disabled changing room and one family changing room in both the ladies and gents changing rooms, when asked we were told that these were for use by the Muslim community, this is why we asked for another unisex changing room to try and stop queues forming and the fact that many disabled people have a carer of the opposite sex.
We also discussed the length from the parking bays to reception and alternative solutions as to not be 100% reliant on manual hoists.
The temperature of the studio pool was also discussed as it was agreed that warmer water helps people move around easier.
It was a successful meeting and we are now awaiting a further meeting to discuss the plans once the changes have been made.
Ann Matthews, Vice-chair
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[Cassandra is an anonomous One Voice columnist who likes to stir things up - this is the second 'Cassandra' in One Voice's history]