One Voice Newsletter - Winter 2009
Welcome to our Winter newsletter— and seasonal greetings to you all.
In this the last newsletter of 2009 and of “the noughties”, we bring you some news and views and seasonal disability related information and articles.
Good news for people worried about our funding—One Voice is NOT one of the organisations that Cabinet agreed to cut the funding to from March 2010.
The views in this newsletter are those of the article writers, they are not always what One Voice thinks.
One Voice sends greetings to our Chair—Ian Joyce who is now at home recovering from surgery on his lungs.
In Memorium
This has been a very sad 12 months for One Voice, as we have had to say goodbye to 3 founder members who died this year:Mary Oaten
Alison Johnston
Richard Hubbard
Each of them played a big part in setting up One Voice.
Mary and Alison were volunteers and One Voice management Group members for many years, and Alison Chaired and guided One Voice during a period that really helped us to grow and establish ourselves.
All 3 will be missed as great advocates for disabled people’s rights in Wolverhampton.
And we will miss them as our friends.
Cassandra’s Column
Well, what a decade! What a year!Both major political parties have made strong statements about how they are going to get all those disabled people off benefits and into work - although each of them seems much stronger on the idea of kicking disabled people off benefits, than they are on how exactly they are going to overturn years of prejudice and discrimination and get employers to actually employ us.
But Politicians seem to think that a rallying call to get disabled people off benefits will go down better with the electorate than a promise to cut their expenses claims by half. – and they say they are not out of touch!
The Government had its Great Care Debate, and many disabled people taking part couldn’t understand why they ruled out an increase in National Insurance to pay for our citizens’ care needs – Here’s some stats for you:
It costs £42,000 a year to keep someone in prison – we all pay for that, no one consulted us.
It costs £1 billion a year to continue the –probably illegal – war in Iraq (and that’s not counting the cost in lives and disabling injuries) – everyone paid for that, no one consulted us.
It cost average of £112,000 per MP last year because of expense claims – all taxpayers paid, no one consulted us.
According to the Government the average cost per person per year for care is £3,000 – the Government has ruled out everyone paying for this before they consulted us.
And we found out during the mini-budget why – an NI increase was already
earmarked to pay for the Banks bailout.
It has also been a year where attacks on and bullying of disabled people have increased, but also a year where it has come to the public’s attention more, because of the tragic deaths of the Pilkingtons, the mother and daughter who couldn’t take the harassment any more, and took their lives instead.
But even given all of this, it could be worse if we lived somewhere else:
In Ealing and Kilmarnock, some disabled tenants having their homes “improved “ have been left without heat for 2-3 weeks.
In Angola land allocated to disabled peasants has been left fallow because there is no money to plant on it, so they have no money to live.
So my conclusion this year hasn’t been that great for us, but in this decade there have been some changes – we see more disabled people around the city centre, buildings and services are gradually starting to improve access, there are more disabled youngsters in mainstream schools.
We don’t yet know what the long term effect will be on our society because of the damage done to our economy by the Banks, but we can only hope that any price that must be paid is paid in an fair way, so that we all have a reasonable standard of life, and that we get rid of the 2 extremes – poverty and excessive bonuses and wages, so that we can all feel like we are citizens of the same country.
The views in this piece are Cassandra’s they are not necessarily what One Voice thinks.
News Shorts
RBS Case—appeal hearing gives same verdict.Readers will remember the case of the disabled Sheffield student who too RBS to Court because he couldn't get into the main branch. The Bank argued that he could access 3 other branches in the area, and that it would be unreasonable for them to make counter facilities accessible, because they would lose the use of an interview room. The Court disagreed and instructed RBS to pay £6,500 in damages and install a platform lift, but RBS appealed the decision.
This is a step forward in case law, as the bank argued that he could use internet banking, or use other branches (DDA provisions on providing a service in an alternative way to obviate a barrier), but the Law Lords agreed that the case was about the fact that the student wanted to have banking facilities as close as possible, like anyone else .
EHRC Launch inquiry into disability harassment
The Equality and Human Rights Commission chose International Day of Disabled People to launch an inquiry on disability harassment.
In the wake of the death of the Pilkingtons - a mother who took her daughters and her own life because they could no longer cope with the disability harassment they received at the hands of local youths, the EHRC has begun an inquiry to look at the steps taken by public bodies to eliminate disability harassment.
Public bodies like the police, local councils and the health authority have had a public duty to eliminate disability harassment and present positive images of disabled people since December 2006.
The EHRC says that local authorities could face legal action to make them carry out these duties.
The Government has launched a 10 year plan for mental health
They say the focus needs to change from better treatment to better prevention, and a role must be played in this by teachers, employers, and GPs, So that people with mental health difficulties have early help, and support from employers to return to work.
The Government plans to have mental health co-ordinators in local job centres, and help lines for employers
The plan also looks at more help on housing issues for people with mental health problems.
Work and Pensions Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "The vast majority of people with mental health conditions work, but for some people it can be very hard to stay in a job. If people fall out of work and onto benefits it is even harder for them to get back into work as it can be a real knock to their confidence. We know that work is good for people and that's why we want to give everyone the support they need to stay in a job, or get back to work."
Mental illness costs the UK economy £100bn a year, and one in four adults experience a mental health problem each year.
Changes will include trial funding for workers who may need to take leave of absence because of episodic illness; flexible support so that it can be tailored to a person's needs; and notice of what support they can expect in advance so job applicants and employers know where they stand.
Career prospects
The Cabinet Office is now recruiting for the 2010 Summer Placement Scheme, up to 9-week paid work placements running across June and August 2010.
It is open to disabled undergraduates and graduates who have a recognised impairment under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 2005
Applications close on 4 January 2010
http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/jobs/entry/diversity/
Drunk in charge of scooter
A disabled man has been banned from the roads after he was detained for drink-driving on his mobility scooter.
Neil McGarley, was given a 12-month ban and £100 fine from Sunderland magistrates for riding his scooter to the supermarket while over the limit.
It makes you wonder whether police are now randomly breathalysing scooter drivers, or if there is way to assess erratic driving on a scooter whose top speed is 6 miles an hour!
Not very EasyJet
A rugby player who is a wheelchair uer was forced to leave a plane because he couldn’t walk to the toilet.
The pilot felt he was a health and safety risk because he could not walk to the toilet and therefore, in the pilots view, would have difficulties in an emergency evacuation. This shows a huge lack of understanding by the Pilot who was the chief decision-maker in this incident.
Easyjet apologised and refunded the ticket money when a national newspaper got involved.
Easyjet pointed out in their defence that regulations stated that disabled passengers must travel accompanied.—Actually the regulations state that an airline may insist on a disabled passenger travelling accompanied in order to meet safety requirements or if the doors are too narrow to make embarkation impossible—clearly the doors weren't too narrow. The regulations also say that if a company is insisting a disabled person be accompanied they need to investigate that there is a justified grounds for refusal on health and safety grounds before accepting reservations(Regulation (EC) No 1107/2006
For more information on your rights when flying, the Department for Transport have produced a code of practice which you can get here>>>>
Respect Agenda
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has reinstated New Labour's so-called "respect agenda" saying that, “all benefit cheats will lose access to benefits for a month, and also find themselves subject to lie detector tests.”To encourage more work focus for those disabled people within the incapacity benefit system, support will be put in place to help those people in need of education and training, as well as medical help for people with mental health problems.
Gordon Brown has stated that millions of people were being left on the scrapheap unless a concerted effort is made to get the out-of-work into training and give skills to those who do not possess them
Mr Hain promised a skills screening test to identify problems with numeracy, literacy and language, which could prevent the unemployed person getting a job. After six months on benefit, a skills “health check” would become mandatory to identify any areas which could be improved by positive support. This would be implemented through the new adult advancement service, which would refer individuals for further training.
All through this information, much of the focus is on the practical skill for the employee without considering that it may be the employer with the issue. Many employers are struggling with reduced funds within their companies and are still lacking in education about employing a disabled person.
There are millions of unemployed citizens with a range of skills but without the opportunity to work as employers are:
unwilling to take on people with qualifications but a lack of experience.
Unwilling to take on people with experience but a lack of qualifications.
Disabled unemployed people are individually a beneficial product to an employer but as with any shopping, employers want value for their money. Britain needs understanding, emotional and financial support its citizens to become employable.
Michelle Ward
NHS say – know your number!
The NHS number is a 10 digit number, like the one below. It is not the same as people’s National Insurance number.
Everyone registered with the NHS in England and Wales has their own unique NHS number. It is printed on the medical card sent out to patients when they register with a GP and also shown on letters sent to patients by their GP or hospital. In addition, every baby born in England and Wales since 2002 has been given an NHS number at birth.
The NHS want all patients to be identified by their NHS numbers by December 2010, they say that using the NHS number will help provide a safer service for patients especially if they need to use different healthcare services, so make sure you know your NHS number – Ask your GP next time you visit her/his surgery.
Local Events
Get out your dancing shoes
If you are passionate about dance or interested in encouraging more people to take up dancing so it becomes part of their lives and helps them to feel fit and well in both mind and body and having fun, then let us know if you can attend a workshop aimed at: Finding out if voluntary and community groups are interested in dance
Gathering lots of ideas about how we can bring people and dance together
Discovering how we can work together.
Understanding the funding criteria from the funders
Identifying outcomes that dance can deliver
Tuesday 19th January 2010
Newhampton Arts Centre, Dunkley Street, Wolverhampton WV1 4AN
Holy Trinity Community Friendship Group
Holy Trinity Church Bushbury Road Wednesfield are setting up a new friendship for people of all abilities.
Meetings take place in the Church hall 11-1 on the first Monday of the month.
The group aims to:
Provide an opportunity for people to meet socially and make friends
Provide a range of activities to make the group an interesting and friendly place to come.
The first meeting was on Monday 5th October, 19 people attended and enjoyed chat, a quiz and refreshments.
Since then there has been a bring and buy sale, a Christmas card making session and some interesting chat.
If you are interested you can turn up to the next meeting.
We welcome your ideas and talents to help make the group a success!
For further details phone Steve on 739053 or John on 736303.
Stephen Hopley
Wolverhampton in Figures
The Wolverhampton Partnership publishes a statistical survey on Wolverhampton every year.; It contains information about health, employment, population etc for Wolverhampton.
You can download the newly published 2008 survey from their website here:
http://www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/council/statistics/window
Art Speaking - Jann Haworth
Wolverhampton Art Gallery, 16 Jan 10 1pm - 2pm
As part of Wolverhampton Art Gallery’s audio described season of talks, this event will explore Jann Haworth’s textile portrayal of female domesticity.
Jann Howarth is a pop artist and one of the designers of the cover of the Beatles Sargeant Pepper album.
Developed in partnership with the artist, this exhibition is the first UK solo show of Haworth’s work in a public gallery since 1972.
Free event, drop in—no need to book.
Great Composers with a disability
Its that time of year when we tend to listen to more music – especially Classical music, whether it is Christmas Carols, or Christmas Oratorios, but did you know how many of our favourite composers were disabled?Chopin had TB but still managed to produce some of the finest piano music ever composed.
Beethoven had lost his ability to hear higher register sounds (such as flute) by 1802 before he wrote the Eroica (3rd Symphony) and his other symphonies, and before he wrote his violin and triple concertos. By 1820, Beethoven was said to be completely deaf, after this he composed some of his greatest works, including the five string quartet, the Missa Solemnis (beautiful) and the 9th Symphony. The Czech composer Smetana had tinnitus – in fact the last movement of his String Quartet No 1 calls for the first violin to simulate the high-pitched "piercing, whistling sound" that rang in his ears!
Delius and Robert Schumann both had Syphilis. This made Bradford born Delius a wheelchair user with limited sight, who dictated his final delightful pastoral compositions including Songs of Farewell, Song of Summer, Fantastic Dance, and A late Lark.
Robert Schumann continued to compose impaired by mental health problems and little use of one of his hands. In fact most of his great piano music was created at this time of illness and impairment
A contemporary of Handel, who was just as famous in his time, is the little known Stanley.
Stanley was blinded at the age of two, but grew up to become a gifted organist and composer – largely of organ music and cantatas.
Handel would often visit the church where Stanley was organist just to hear him play. Chandos are now releasing some of the music composed by Stanley, so if you like organ music, or like baroque – try Stanley – I guarantee it’s worth a listen.
I cant decide what my favourite disabled-people-in-the-news stories are this year, but its a toss up between the Spanish jazz fan, and the Plymouth man, and both concern the police.
Both stories appeared on the one voice blog – one of my favourite parts of the “interweb”, but for people like my Mum, who don’t mess with the internet, let me tell you about them.
Story 1is about a Spanish man warned by his doctor that it was “psychologically inadvisable” for him to listen to contemporary music. The man went to a Spanish Jazz festival, where LA jazzman Larry Ochs was playing, including a lot of drumming. The disabled guy was ‘kind of blue’ and ‘all that jazz’ so he called the police, who arrived—armed—listened to the music for a while and agreed it was not jazz and he should get his money back.
Meanwhile, in England, we don't have Jazz police—we have cooking implement police—a disabled man in Plymouth 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. The police confiscated the man’s letter-opening spatula!
http://1voice.org.uk/blog/
A walk in the park
One Voice usually has a walk in West Park every Monday that it doesn’t rain, between 1.00 and 2.00.
Over the Xmas holiday period, we will be having our walk at 12.00 on the 30th December, and then every Monday as usual from 11th January.
If you want to come and join us, simply turn up at the Park Avenue Gate—by the 6 Blue Badge parking spots.
Come along for a bit of fresh air and exercise!