what I did in the staff holiday two years ago today for Jade to see what I do this Easter holiday in one years time is where is updates or night so I go on throughout this year including the first one that I am doing on Easter Monday with a friend that I went to school with
happy birthday, who is the just giving link for those that might want to donate still going
just giving you guys my want review for respite and my qualification for my dear baby 💖miss you
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call Mike Driver, thank you, my
hap🥰py Friday with a cute dog and roses
link to just giving smiling face with heart 💕🤣
A blind man will be paid £3,000 after he alleged a health trust failed to accommodate his needs when he tried to apply for a promotion.
Stephen Campbell took a disability discrimination case against two organisations, including his employer the Western Health Trust.
He claimed the job application process did not meet his needs as a blind man.
The Western Health Trust and the HSC Business Services Organisation (BSO) did not accept liability.
A spokesperson for the Western Trust said the organisation was committed to ensuring everyone has “equality of access” to its services.
Mr Campbell, who worked in the trust’s ICT department, uses a screen reader to interact with laptops.
When an opportunity for promotion arose within the trust, Mr Campbell wanted to apply.
However, he found that the online process, on the Health and Social Care Northern Ireland (HSCNI) website, could not be activated by his screen reader.
He also could not find any information on where reasonable adjustments could be made so he could apply.
‘Frankly embarrassing’
As part of the settlement terms, both organisations confirmed their commitment to ensuring they comply with their obligations under relevant equality laws.
The BSO also said it would keep the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) updated on development of the HSCNI website.
Mr Campbell said: “For two job applications, the Western Trust did accommodate me by stalling the recruitment exercise and reasonable adjustments were made to facilitate me.”
He said he brought the case “to raise awareness of the issue and hopefully remove this barrier to accessing employment for disabled people in the health service here”.
Mr Campbell further told BBC News NI that it was “frankly embarrassing” he had to take the case.
“In this day and age, in public bodies and in the private sector, we shouldn’t have to encounter these issues. We should be able to apply for posts like our sighted counterparts,” he said.
The Western Trust said it would work with the Equality Commission on policies around the recruitment process for blind people.
The spokesperson added: “The trust’s HR department will always strive to support individuals who need assistance through a recruitment process, as we did on a number of occasions for Mr Campbell.”
Eoin O’Neill, director of legal services at the Equality Commission, said the employment rate for disabled people in Northern Ireland at 36%, is the lowest in the UK.
He said Mr Campbell’s case will benefit other disabled people in reminding organisations to ensure they are as accessible to disabled people as possible.
A press release:
Sensory rooms at Edgbaston Stadium are helping make cricket accessible to families with neurodiverse children who might otherwise feel uncomfortable attending matches.
Two new sensory spaces – in the South and RES Wyatt stands – were opened ahead of last season as part of Warwickshire’s Edgbaston for Everyone inclusivity pledge.
Both rooms are fitted out with colourful fibre optics, bubble tubes, rotating images, games and soft furnishings to provide a calming environment for families and children that need to get away from the hustle and bustle of a match day or event.
Edgbaston was the first cricket ground in the country to introduce sensory rooms.
Danny Briggs’ young son Stan is one of the children who’ve enjoyed spending time in the sensory rooms.
The eight-year-old is diagnosed autistic with a PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) profile. It means he struggles with routine and everyday expectations that other children and families take for granted.
Without the sensory rooms Stan would struggle to watch his daddy play for the Bears.
“If it wasn’t for the sensory rooms we probably wouldn’t bring Stan to matches,” said Bears spinner Briggs. “He might be able to spend an hour, at most, in the stands before needing time and space to calm down and regulate.
“As parents of an autistic child we’re always conscious that if Stan becomes restless in the stands then his behaviour could impact on other spectators.
“The sensory rooms provide comfort that, should we need to, there is a relaxing space nearby for him to explore and happily play away. And the big glass-fronted space means my partner Linsey and other family members can continue watching the cricket.”
Mum Linsey is also neurodivergent and knows first-hand how environments and ‘sensory breaks’ are the difference between coping or not when you have a highly sensitive brain.
She said the soundproofing of the sensory rooms also helps Stan regulate and take a break from the match-day atmosphere.
“The atmosphere is what makes Edgbaston such a great venue for players and fans,” added Linsey. “Stan wears his ear defenders but it can still be a little overwhelming which is why having the rooms soundproofed really helps.”
Edgbaston Operations Director Claire Daniel said she’s delighted families of neurodiverse children are enjoying the rooms.
She added: “It’s lovely to see young fans coming to games safe in the knowledge they can take time to chill out in the sensory rooms.
“We’ve had some great feedback and other cricket grounds have been in touch looking to replicate the spaces at their own venues.”
Spectators wishing to access a sensory room can speak to a stadium steward on the day or contact the Club in advance by emailing customerservices@edgbaston.com
Grandma’s King Charles Spaniel Charlie when he was a baby, now he’s a toddler and a very energetic one at that!
souvenir, I got from my volunteering when I went to that big event at my old school, what are useful
Why Are People So Worried About The Abolition Of The WCA?
With many thanks to Benefits And Work.
When the government announced earlier this month that the work capability assessment was to be abolished, it might have expected there to be general rejoicing that a hated assessment system was coming to an end. Instead, the news has provoked widespread dismay. So what is it people are so concerned about?
What is replacing the WCA?
In essence, instead of an assessment that decides if you have limited capability for work or work-related activity, the DWP will only look at whether you have an award of any element of PIP. If you do, you will get an additional health element paid in your UC.
However, even if you get the health element, that will not make any difference to whether you have to carry out mandatory work-related activities. Instead, that decision will be made by a work coach. They will create a package of activities based on what they think you are capable of doing, some of which may be compulsory and some of which may be voluntary.
No-one automatically incapable of work
So, one of the biggest concerns is that no-one will be automatically protected from having to do work-related activities, including people who were previously in the support group of ESA or the UC LCWRA group and who are transferred onto UC.
So, the whole idea of some claimants being automatically protected from work-related activities will be swept way.
Decisions about capability made by non-medically qualifies staff
Decisions about what work-related activities you can do and whether they will be voluntary or mandatory will be made by medically unqualified work coaches who may be under pressure to meet targets for job starts and sanctions.
Private sector assessors may be bad, but at least they have some medical training. Work coaches will only have the training the DWP give them.
No appeal against work coach decisions
Many more people will run the risk of being sanctioned under the UC health element proposals, because they may be subject to mandatory work-related activities. At present, you can appeal if a WCA decision is that you are capable of work-related activities. Under the new system that decision will be made by a medically unqualified work coach and you will not have the same appeal rights.
No substantial risk rule
Many people currently get UC LCWRA because it is decided that there would be a substantial risk if they were found to be able to do work-related activities. Under the new system this exemption doesn’t appear to exist, meaning that people currently protected by this rule will potentially be subject to a more severe sanctions regime.
Shorter-term conditions not covered
The qualifying conditions for PIP mean that you need to have had your difficulties with everyday activities or mobility for three months and they must be expected to last at least another nine months. This means that people with short-term but extremely severe illnesses will not be eligible for the UC health element. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies up to 1 million people who have short-term or fluctuating conditions could lose £350 a month as result of abolishing the WCA.
Trying work may seem even more risky
The white paper says that one of the main reasons for making this change is that people will no longer have to worry that if they attempt work they will lose their UC.
But, in reality, people also worry that if they attempt work they may lose their PIP.
Claimants know that that huge assumptions are made about their abilities on the flimsiest of evidence. Being able to drive a car, use public transport, keep appointments, talk to people and so on can all be used by assessors as evidence that you can carry out many PIP daily living and mobility activities.
So, by linking your PIP award to the new health element of UC, the DWP may actually make it less likely that claimants with health conditions will be willing to try working.
This is partly because a connection will have been made between your PIP award and an element of your UC award – lose PIP and you also lose your health element. But also because losing the health element will leave you open to the harshest level of sanctions under the proposed new regime.
It’s quite possible then, that the new system will have the opposite effect to the one intended. The fear that trying work may lead to the loss of your PIP, the loss of your UC health element and then a sanction on top may be a very powerful disincentive to taking even the smallest of risks.
stay tuned for tomorrow where you will see some of the season is the tiger 58 from my old school at the event titled wanted at yesterday. I will put these up tomorrow when Molly arrives to help me. Take photos of them. #Volunteering #WeCanMakeAContribution #CerebralPalsy #HappyTuesday.IReallyEnjoySeeingSomeOfTheOldStaffThatUsedToHelpTakeCareOfMeIncludingMySpecialistProgramsThisIsThatIHadFrom11Till 18YearsOld,SheStillWorkingAttheSchoolandItWouldBeNicefor her to see me now as a 23-year-old woman who succeeds and gets on with her life because they were part of my own. I hope they gave me contributed to the person I am today. You would’ve seen a picture of me all dressed up for my volunteer job yesterday this morning. Hope you all enjoy your day if you can please donate to me I just giving page of fundraising is still continuing. #CerebralPalsy #Purpose #Oldschool #OhProfessionalsThatUsedToHelpYou #Meaningful just to see how many people that were made by my life for that’s really amazing everybody and read awareness in the future generation of students Theresa school that is what I will do😁🥰🥰🥰
Ed Jackson And His Team To Cross Vatnajokull Glacier
A former rugby player who suffered severe spinal injuries is to cross the largest ice cap in western Europe.
Ed Jackson, who was BBC’s West’s Unsung Hero in 2021, will join two others to become the first fully disabled team to traverse Iceland’s Vatnajokull Glacier.
They hope to raise £155,000 – £1,000 for every kilometre of their journey.
The former Bath and England player said: “Normally I would say I’m just excited. But actually for this one I think I am a little bit nervous.”
After an accident in 2017, Mr Jackson, who lives near Bath, was told by doctors he might never walk again.
But he defied his doctors’ predictions by taking on multiple challenges including reaching the top of Snowdon the year after his accident, and climbing the equivalent of Mount Everest by going up and down his parents’ staircase during the pandemic.
And in 2021, he climbed 12 of the UK’s highest peaks in six days.
“It’s been a massive part of my own recovery to find that sense of purpose again and to challenge myself,” said Mr Jackson.
For his next challenge, Mr Jackson, 34, is joined by former-mountaineer and army reservist Darren Edwards, 32 and biologist Dr Niall McCann, 41, who each had an accident which resulted in a spinal cord injury and various disabilities.
“There’s no roadmap to follow for people with disabilities.
“Everyone’s disability is different, and spinal cord injuries affect people in different ways, so we have to work out how best to progress and the only way to do that sometimes is to go and do it,” added the former rugby player.
Mr Jackson and Mr McCann, who have walking difficulties and sensation loss in their lower limbs, will travel across the glacier by ski, while Mr Edwards will use sit ski, propelling himself along using poles.
The group will travel without guidance or support and will be linked together by a single rope.
“This is a completely new challenge for me,” explained Mr Jackson, who had never even used skis until their training.
He added: “Between us we’ve kind of got one working body. But then we’ve also got one body that doesn’t work at all.
“So (getting) across the ice caps is going to have to be very much a collaborative effort.”
The team are raising funds for Millimetres 2 Mountains, a charity creating positive change for people facing mental health challenges after encountering adversity in their lives.
Mr Jackson said adventure challenges were “more often than not, about the psychological side”.
“Things are a lot more difficult, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t have a go and find a way round it, or over it, or through it,” he said.
“Some of the things that I’ve done in the last few years, it proves to myself that a lot of it is willpower, and strength of mind rather than the physical ability.”
The group start their challenge on 14 April.
yeah after we came back from appreciate it when night as a I was about 1617
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TV presenter Sophie Morgan was left “in a rage” at the “injustice” of her Blue Badge being stolen from her car.
The Loose Women star, who uses a wheelchair, said she would have to wait weeks for her car to be fixed and a replacement Blue Badge issued.
“I literally can’t describe how disabling this is,” she said, adding the inconvenience was “beyond measure”.
Blue Badges are issued by your local council and are displayed on the car’s dashboard.
They are proof you are disabled and enable you to get free or longer term parking as well as entitling you to use disabled parking bays which tend to be closer to destinations.
Sophie was away working in America when her car back in London was broken into, earlier this month. The perpetrators “smashed the window on the passenger side,” she told the BBC’s disability podcast, Access All.
“I had this rage in me at the injustice, all the frustration, the inconvenience, all of those feelings,” she said.
The only item taken was her Blue Badge, but the loss of it hugely impacts her life.
“I can’t drive my car without my badge as I can’t get in or out [of the vehicle] without space to get my wheelchair beside my car,” she said.
“And without the guarantee of a disabled space, it’s not worth the risk.”
The incident was reported to her local council but now Sophie must wait for a replacement to be issued.
According to the Department for Transport, in the year ending March 2022, 1,497 badges were reported as stolen across the UK.
They can be vulnerable to opportunists with some suggestion they can be re-sold for hundreds or even thousands of pounds.
Some people even buy lockable Blue Badge holders which are attached to the vehicle’s steering wheel to protect them.
It is why some London councils have started moving towards “Companion Passes” which work alongside Blue Badges, but are digital and negate the threat of theft.
Haringey Council, in north London, launched its Companion Pass in August 2021 to enable people to park in locations across the borough.
Between January and June 2021, 528 incidents relating to Blue Badges had been reported. A year later, after the scheme had been introduced, that dropped to 185 for the same time period, a reduction of 65%.
Hackney Council installed a similar scheme four years ago.
As well as working in resident parking zones, it also enables holders to travel through low traffic neighbourhoods (LTN). Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras are able to pick-up and verify the vehicles.
“It’s been really transformational,” Councillor Mete Coban says, the cabinet member for energy, waste and transport, who has offered to speak with other councils to get the scheme up and running.
But he acknowledges it’s not a complete solution.
“It has to be the vehicle registered to your home address. So that’s one of the limitations,” he said, acknowledging they can only be linked to one vehicle, unlike the physical Blue Badge which can be used by the holder in any vehicle they are traveling in
These Companion Passes also only work within the borough they are issued.
Sophie’s own council, Southwark, does operate a Companion Pass which enables holders to park in any disabled bay, Pay-by-Phone bay and exempts them from “Streetspace measures” – Southwark’s version of LTNs.
For Sophie, who wasn’t aware of the scheme, it’s a positive move towards reducing the anxiety around Blue Badge thefts and waiting for replacements.
“It saves people work. It saves people the hassle. It’s just a no-brainer.”
my certificate that I was Eve three years ago for taking part in the rumble award which is award for people with learning disability. I enjoy taking part in this and I even got a voucher call Maya but I was proud of this and it’s a lovely memory, something like that, even in lockdown . 🤓🤓
call Beth group, call Jade like her and then we were judged or no participation and willingness to participate, participate everybody’s abilities and whatever level we were working out we just had to participation, there was lots of other services that took part in the daylight was one of them and Paula spoke to Lesley, and also Grandad and Richaris taller sometimes when I am not studying as a porter and student answering lots of volunteering, but I was involved in this project and I think it service user was represented in a positive way, because it shows the community of property are able, but we have value and we can contribute effectively and meaningfully to all society in the community around. Also with RumbledAwards #PictureOfMeWhenIWonItWithMyCertificateAndMyVoucher #CommunityParticipationHasTaxiStartedLearningDisability #MobilityIssues I enjoy this because it work during the end of lockdown as we would be award ceremony over the room, so I still present at the event, but just to the right of the modern way. Thanks donate to my darling. If you appreciate this post to show your appreciation for me if you can link down below to my crowdfunding, thank you telephone and Mr Pritchard to facilitate it from the Rams in the ward and does that mean it’s a greathttps://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/maya-richards?utm_term=ZAdaZq764 click on the link to donate my respite care and the UV support. Thank you? To make sure that we could all participate and appreciate the
so excited for tomorrow sitting watching helicopter ER of April going to bed #MyOldSchool #MemoriesHypocriteDownMemoryLane #PassingOnMyKnowledgeOfBeingAnAdultWithCerebralPalsyAndAssociatedDisabilitiesAndNeurologicalDisordersSuchAsFunctionalNeurologicalDisorder,SoExcitedTobe able to help the next generation of students that will be graduating very soon some of them in the next two years, some of them in the next few months stay tuned for a day visiting my new school. Talk tomorrow night thank you
Ryan, why respite is Sally important to me and my family Visa or just a few photos of me when I enjoy the time in 🥸
happy Sunday for all my friends are you with and forever I’m really excited to open tomorrow. I am returning to my old school to talk about Reidi E3 euro and what school and what is this right now to the present day happy Sunday everybody from Maya
donate💜♥️♥️ for using the link on this page via this post to my just giving food to always thank you to everybody who manages to do so
yes, given to help with my respite and the UV support. Thanks Meyer to everybody that use my content and with
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right, and you’re pronouncing Janine’s name, freedom inclusion participation, with other people, my age, qualification, and mainstream opportunities
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show me my favourite photos from this month for you
did you picture of my dog today when I arrive home scroll down to see the picture below
Summer bingo for plants with passport pleasure last August, which is a youth group, Ottridge man 🌺🌛🌸
A man with cerebral palsy is taking on the John O’Groats to Land’s End challenge in what is believed to be the first Formula 1 modified wheelchair.
Adam Wharmby, 38, from Gloucestershire, has completed wheelchair marathons before to help raise awareness of the difficulties disabled people face.
When a Mercedes Formula 1 team heard about his next mission their engineers upgraded his wheelchair.
“With power under and behind you, anything is possible,” Mr Wharmby said.
Since 2017, Mr Wharmby has been raising money for a number of charities by completing a series of wheelchair marathons.
He was born with cerebral palsy and cannot walk or use his left arm.
“When I am in my wheelchair, I can accomplish anything, I forget I am disabled and can be a normal human being,” he said.
“It is brilliant to have power behind you and under you, it is like being a child again.”
For his next challenge, he is travelling nearly 1,000 miles (1,609km) from John O’Groats to Land’s End to raise money for the charity Whizz-Kidz that seeks to transform the lives of young wheelchair users.
“I want to push the envelope on accessibility. We are in 2023, we should have better wheelchairs,” Mr Wharmby added.
“I want more car manufacturers to get involved in the wheelchair business, which would help to drive the cost down for users.
“After all, life is all about getting out there and doing stuff.”
He is getting under way and aims for the total trip to be completed in 22 days, breaking the current world record.
💚😼🥰 Liverpool ragdoll cat help you
Family Gym Inspired By Their Boy With Down’s Syndrome
The family of a boy with Down’s syndrome say he was the driving force behind launching a community gym that was accessible to all.
The LS Gymnastics Crewe Academy, run by the family, trains competitive athletes as well as members with physical or learning disabilities.
Set up four years ago, the not-for-profit facility has 900 members, including 10-year-old Hugo.
His mum Candy said Hugo had been the club’s inspiration.
Hugo’s sister, and gymnastics coach, Ellie said opening the facility had been a “huge achievement for us all”.
“Having a space for Hugo, it just makes me quite emotional really, in the sense that he’s so happy here.
“Having Hugo has just spurred us on to make sure that he had… somewhere where he can work with us forever.”
A sensory space had been created at the gym for Hugo and others to use, “filled with all the things that make him happy,” she explained.
“It doesn’t just aid the sensory kids, all of our children come in here.”
Her mum added: “[Having Hugo] was the best thing that ever happened to me.
“It really does put life in perspective – I realised with Hugo that every day you could smile.”
Lawrence Caygill from Down Syndrome Cheshire said there were many barriers for people to access sports facilities.
“Sometimes we need to work with current providers to slightly change the way the delivery might happen,” he said.
using Peggy for Easter two years🤣😇😇💚 ago, when I celebrated it with Learning for leisure
Eric art
‘Brewkery’ Social Enterprise Plans To Expand
A social enterprise that supports people with learning disabilities by teaching them baking and brewing beer is planning to expand.
Equal Brewkery in Norwich has just been given an old caravan which they hope to renovate and take to local fairs and markets.
Since it started in 2017, it has supported more than 100 vulnerable adults and is run by volunteers.
Founder Bill Russell said: “It’s working well at the moment but we survive on the goodness of people.”
The enterprise, on Ipswich Road, is a combination of microbrewery and bakery and it teaches people with learning disabilities how to produce beer and bread with the aim that they go on to get a job or live more independent lives.
All profits from the sales of the goods go back into the organisation and the Co-op has started stocking one of the beers in eight of its local shops.
Mr Russell, a former head teacher, had the idea after suffering a stroke in 2015.
“I was in a hospital and I thought about what happens to people when they’ve had injuries and the like and I thought I can brew and I can teach so I can give something back,” he said.
The 71-year-old said it has been a success but he wanted to expand.
“We don’t have enough spaces for the people who want to come,” he said.
Fairless Masterman, one of the volunteers who works and Equal Brewkery, said it was “unlike anything I’ve done before”.
The 69-year-old retiree, who has been there for four years, said he worked with adults with a range of disabilities and the classes “build up their understanding” of the baking and brewing processes.
“It’s very rewarding; it’s never unenjoyable,” he said.
my hobby when it comes to work in Paula before, and now sunshine art from approximately two years ago yesterday 🥰😘🙃
“Sunshine art years ago, making things worse my favourite hobby about three years ago now my hobby is to do scrapbook and be creative with creating meaningful scrapbooks for myself of my friends, family and experiences that I have enjoyed participating in including tickets from shows that I have been to as one of my home fees now is to go and see live music as well as that I am a dedicated student to planned to further, how education with a level two in the
York Blue Badge Parking Ban Protest At Lib Dem Conference
Campaigners opposing a ban on disabled parking in York have protested outside the national Liberal Democrats spring conference in the city.
The permanent ban in pedestrianised areas of the city centre was introduced in November 2021.
About 80 disabled people and their supporters gathered for the event outside the Barbican Centre on Saturday
Afterwards demonstrators said delegates from different parts of the country had made “supportive comments” to them.
York disability activist Flick Williams, who last month received an out of court settlement from City of York Council over access issues, said campaigners held the demonstration to “assert their disability rights”.
The council in York is controlled by a Lib Dem/Green coalition.
Ms Williams said: “If the Greens were having a conference, we’d be protesting outside their conference too!”
The protest was organised by campaign group Reverse the Ban.
A spokesperson for the group said protesters were joined at one point by Julie Adams Hatch, a disabled Liberal Democrat from Devon, who was attending the conference and told those assembled that she would raise the issue with the party internally.
York-born actor Dame Judi Dench recently called for an end to the ban on disabled parking in the city.
The Oscar-winning actor, 88, said York city centre was “a rare jewel that should be free for all to enjoy, including those with a disability and for whom accessible parking is essential”.
The ban came into force after the council installed anti-terror measures to prevent the risk of so-called hostile vehicle attacks.
Councillors previously said they had approved a series of mitigation measures, including dropped kerbs, the employment of an access officer and a feasibility study into an accessible shuttle service.
Wind finder. Alternatively, next time definitely like to take part in words from android phone. 🎉 yeah I am❤️ Who does it mean?😆
A mother is running the London Marathon to raise awareness of her son’s genetic condition.
James Gray, 25, has Angelman syndrome which the NHS describes as a genetic condition affecting the nervous system.
It causes severe physical and learning disabilities and his mother Janette Gray said James sometimes faced discrimination as a consequence of it.
She said she hoped to help address the negativity by raising greater awareness of the condition and fundraising.
“I know that he is valued as an individual, but I have had some very upsetting comments directed to me in the presence of my son,” she said.
Mrs Gray is running in the marathon to raise money for the charity Mencap.
She said: “I want to give back, I want Mencap to be there for other people.
“I have always been grateful for practical advice and support – this is what Mencap provide.”
James was diagnosed with Angelman syndrome at 18 months old.
“He appeared to be a happy, smiling baby at first.
“Then we had the slow realisation that something was not right.”
At the age of 25, James moved out into social care.
“Like most parents, you become aware you cannot do this forever,” Mrs Gray said.
“This is a step towards independence from us.”
She said she had some anxieties about his move but she also saw the opportunities it gave him.
“You always want to be there for them,” she said.
Mrs Gray said running in the marathon was her way of showing her son that she was still “there for him”.
So far, she has raised nearly 40% of her £2,500 fundraising target.
🥰 all. Enjoy your Saturday night and have some fun just like I did XX because this was the most fun show. I think I’ve ever been to and I would definitely recommend going to see live music if you like friends and things because the music really comes to when people playing on stage, and we get to listen to it with like sound of that handle #CerebralPalsy #EnjoyLiveMusic #Independence #EnjoyingANightOut
call photos from last night
😀😀🥹 where is the Team very special Heathrow spaniel today?
😄🥰🥰
😍
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a phone Grandad haven’t yet managed rising is still going on. Thanks for your difference community. I appreciate your ETA immensely
🥰💜🧑🏾🦼 pictures of the side from last night before mobile musician content from last night
Saturday night fun https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMY9kg8fY/ ❤️
Me at the bus stop waiting to go shopping before we go and concert the night away with a country dance music show at my local theatre
Christine McGuinness: Unmasking My Autism
In 2021, 33-year-old mother of three Christine McGuinness discovered that she was autistic, and suddenly, for the very first time, her whole life began to make sense. All the struggles she had faced growing up became clear, and Christine started to look at things from a new perspective and begin to make sense of who she really is.
There are thousands of women in the UK, just like Christine, who have been battling with undiagnosed autism for decades, and now Christine is looking for answers. Why did it take so long before she received a diagnosis? What impact has this had on her life? How many other women out there have been let down too? And what can be done to improve the lives of autistic women and girls?
Who is Roman bath emoji 🌅❤️♥️🥰
as hat in the museum and gallery visit there as it is really good, I would recommend it
Lightyear Foundation Physics Role Models
This is a guest post.
Did you have someone who you looked up to when you were young, who you considered a role model? Did their journey influence your career decisions? Now imagine that you have an idea of where you would like your life to take you, but you just don’t see anyone else like you taking that path.
A role model is usually someone who has broken down barriers to get where they are, no matter the perceived size or scale of their journey or achievements. Thinking specifically about role models in physics, they could be at any point in their career, from a first-year undergraduate student embarking on the beginning of their course to someone at the peak of their career. In order to identify someone as a role model, this also implies that they have a degree of visibility.
Many people have a role model that they follow for inspiration, particularly to find a direction for their careers. Unfortunately, when it comes to physics, a lot of young disabled people are discouraged from considering associated careers due to the lack of visible role models. Scientific institutions are often (and correctly) perceived as highly competitive in an environment that can seem unwelcoming and unaccommodating. This reputation contributes to the underrepresentation of disabled people within these disciplines.
One way of tackling this underrepresentation is to create opportunities for young people to envision themselves pursuing their interests in the subject. This is the motivation for the new Lightyear Foundation Physics Role Model program, highlighting disabled physicists in wide-ranging roles across the sector, with very different disabilities and experiences. The Lightyear Foundation is a charity breaking down barriers to disabled children taking part in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) We want to celebrate diversity within STEM to help inspire disabled children to realise their potential. The evidence is clear that young people are much more likely to pursue their education and careers in STEM if they can see someone they identify with, who has gone there first and inspires them.
The Lightyear Foundation Physics Role Model program, in partnership with Future First and the Planet Possibility Consortium, will profile the lives and careers of five disabled physicists, increasing their visibility so that they can be role models for the next generation. In these profiles, we will find out first-hand the inside scoop about working in physics, from their top tips for starting out on a physics career to their ambitions for the future.
On a personal note, I would like to explain how I think having more physics role models would have made a positive difference during my undergraduate and Ph.D. in physics. I have a physical disability, cerebral palsy, which means I have difficulty using a pen or laboratory equipment, and walking unaided. There were many times when I felt completely isolated in facing the challenges that I encountered in my studies, thinking that no one had come before me and I had to find all the answers for myself. To give an example, I had to find a way of performing laboratory work in exams without being able to operate any of the equipment myself but instead instructing an assistant. I had already been working like this during class, but my teachers and I understood that to prove to the exam board that the experiment was entirely my work there couldn’t be any actions that the assistant carried out automatically. In other words, my verbal instructions had to be incredibly detailed. A small complication with this is that I was having to describe things that I had never physically done with my own hands. To get around this, my assistant and I met outside school hours to practice how I was going to dictate my practical exam. I’m happy to say that all the after-school practice paid off with very good marks on that exam. Unfortunately, the situation was slightly different when it came to my chemistry practicals in that my teacher tried to argue that because I couldn’t physically handle test tubes, I should be awarded zero marks. As I did not know of anyone who had been in a similar situation I felt very alone when I was arguing with him that what he was doing was disability discrimination and would have prevented me from achieving the grades I required for university. Eventually, I managed to convince him that the examiners were testing to see if people understood what to do with the test tubes that they picked up, which I could demonstrate, and not that they had the manual dexterity to pick up a test tube themselves.
Situations like this add to the barriers disabled people already have in accessing education in science. However, if people can easily see people in science who have similar conditions to them, they can take inspiration from the solutions that they found were helpful. Consequently, the scale of the barriers that disabled people face in physics is reduced and access is increased.
If you’d like to be part of this project as a disabled physics role model, please contact me at claire@lightyearfoundation.org. Later this year, you can find all the interviews on our website and social channels, and on the Future First and Planet Possibility websites and social media.
After all, you can’t be what you can’t see!
Dr Claire Malone
Lightyear Foundation STEM Lead
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WCA To Be Abolished, Claimants To Be Sanctioned By Bots
With many thanks to Benefits And Work.
There are strong indications that the government is set to announce the abolition of the work capability assessment (WCA) and the introduction of automated sanctions for UC claimants.
Members have been contacting Benefits and Work over the weekend after seeing media reports that the work capability assessment (WCA) is to be abolished. The main source of the reports seems to be a briefing obtained by Torsten Bell of the Resolution Foundation thinktank.
According to the document:
“A Health and Disability White Paper will be published on the day of the budget outlining our plans to scrap the Work Capability Assessment. Under the current system disabled people need to have a health assessment and be found incapable of work to receive additional income support through the benefits system. Scrapping the Work Capability Assessment is the biggest reform to the welfare system in a decade, meaning that disabled people can try work without fear of losing their benefits, and reducing the number of assessments needed to qualify for health-related benefits.”
There will also be changes to the sanctions regime in universal credit (UC)
Changes to Universal Credit will include . . . Strengthening the application of the Universal Credit sanctions regime. This includes additional training for Jobcentre Work Coaches to ensure they are applying sanctions effectively, including for claimants who do not look for or take up employment, and automating administrative elements of the sanctions process, including sending automated messages to claimants who fail to meet their Work Coach and take active steps to move into work or increase their earnings.
Whilst abolishing the WCA may sound like good news, it does very much depend on what – if anything – is put in its place.
For example, if there is no longer a WCA then how will it be decided whether a claimant will be eligible for additional payments because they are unlikely ever to be able to work? Will this be somehow combined with PIP or will there simply be no additional payment for new claimants?
In addition, who will decide which claimants should be subject to sanctions if they don’t seek work, because they say their health conditions prevents them doing so?
The alleged changes to the sanctions regime are much less uncertain and clearly bad news. UC sanctions are already at record levels, so ‘strengthening’ them can only bring greater misery.
Ensuring work coaches are ‘applying sanctions effectively’ is also likely to be bad news for claimants. As the DWP have for years refused to publish the result of their own research into whether sanctions are effective in getting claimants back into work, it is not clear what ‘effectively’ can mean other than more harshly.
And the idea that sanctions notices are going to be sent out automatically by DWP software can only add to the nightmare that claimants trying to communicate with the DWP already experience
At the moment there is very little information available about these changes..
But there can be little doubt that change is coming. Back in January we reported on rumours that the WCA was to be scrapped.
And as far back as September 2021 we revealed that the DWP would be issuing new contracts under which assessments for both PIP and the WCA would be carried out by the same company in any given area.
At the time the reason for the change was not clear. But if the WCA is to be gradually phased out, and elements of it possibly combined with PIP, then it obviously doesn’t make sense to have a separate company doing WCAs.
We should stress that it is much too soon to start worrying about these changes.
We won’t have more details until Wednesday and it will probably take years for any changes to the WCA to be consulted on and passed into law.
In addition, it is likely that the changes will apply only to new claimants and not to existing ones.
But, whatever is happening, we’ll make sure you are kept fully informed.
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Baroness Masham, a Paralympian and the longest-serving female member of the House of Lords ever, has died aged 87.
Lady Masham won medals in swimming and table tennis at the 1960, 1964 and 1968 games and was created a life peer in 1970.
She spent much of her career campaigning for disability rights.
The Spinal Injuries Association, which she founded in 1974, said it was “devastated to have lost our greatest champion”.
She died peacefully in hospital in Northallerton, Yorkshire, on Sunday, it said.
Lady Masham, born Susan Sinclair, became a wheelchair user after suffering an injury to her spinal cord in a riding accident in 1958.
Two years later, she won a gold medal in the 25m breaststroke at the Paralympic games in Rome, and in 1964 won another in the women’s doubles table tennis in Tokyo.
She won a further six silver medals and two bronze across both sports in the three games at which she competed.
In 1976, she was the subject of an episode of This Is Your Life.
She sat as a crossbencher and spent a total of 53 years in the House of Lords, more than any other female peer in history.
She set up the Spinal Injuries Association to address a lack of specialist care or advice available to newly injured people and served as its president until her death.
The association described Lady Masham as “the reason we have been able to champion, fight, serve and support thousands of spinal cord injured people ever since”.
“Our condolences go to her family at this sad time,” it said.
Lady Masham also sat on a number of all party parliamentary groups (APPGs), including those on global tuberculosis, HIV and Aids, and malaria.
The APPG on global tuberculosis said she had been “one of parliament’s most vociferous champions for disability rights and has worked tirelessly to advocate on behalf of people around the world living with TB and HIV”.
“Baroness Masham’s remarkable life serves as a testament of her compassion and dedication. She will be greatly missed by all,” it said.
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Jersey Dad Welcomes More Consoles For Disabled Gamers
A father who has been making video game consoles more accessible for disabled children has welcomed gaming companies getting more involved in the process.
Rory Steel, from Jersey, made consoles for his children Corban, eight, and Ava, 12, who have spastic paraplegia affecting their motor controls skills.
He said big gaming firms were now making their own specialised consoles.
It follows the success of Mr Steel’s YouTube channel on which he shows how to make consoles.
Mr Steel, the head of Digital Jersey Academy, said he had spent the past three years “putting a lot of effort into these controllers”.
He said “the good news is… now the actual big companies have £30 accessible controllers”.
He added: “While it seems frustrating that I’ve wasted my time for three years, I really haven’t because I hope they were learning from that – seeing there’s a demand for disabled gaming.
“We have really seen a lot of the big names, PlayStation and XBox, put accessibility into their gaming.”
Mr Steel said he was “a big gamer” in his youth and he wanted his children to have the same fun that he had.
“Everyone loves to play their games,” he added.
“Everyone remembers the iconic game they had as a child and I just wanted them to have those same experiences.”
Same Difference 