respite Care life harvester for lunch edition Featuring a Rocky horror ice cream sundae in the enormous size that I love in
some of my favourite Respite Care life memories of 2026 so far as a person now employees PAs and knows that freedom is possible
Technology can sometimes feel distant and complicated. But in Plymouth, two brothers are showing how a relatively simple technology can make a very personal difference.
Engineers Josh and Max Dixon have turned their hobby of 3D printing into a volunteer project that provides free mobility aids to children with disabilities.
The brothers make Toddler Mobility Trainers (TMTs) — lightweight mobility devices that resemble small wheelchairs — and provide them to families who may otherwise struggle to access equipment that helps their children move around more independently.
From weekend hobby to meaningful project
For Josh and Max, 3D printing started as a hobby. But after discovering the Toddler Mobility Trainer project, they realised their skills could be used for something much more meaningful.
They joined a wider network of volunteer makers, who are connected with families through the TMT project. The volunteers manufacture the devices and provide them to children at no cost.
For the brothers, the opportunity to combine engineering with volunteering has been particularly rewarding.
Their work demonstrates an important idea: technology doesn’t always have to mean cutting-edge laboratories or expensive equipment. Sometimes, it is about people using the skills and tools they already have to solve a problem in their community.
A new sense of freedom for Charlie
One of the children to benefit is four-year-old Charlie, who lives in Plymouth with his mother, Rachel.
Charlie has Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy. His condition means he experiences frequent seizures and has significant mobility and communication difficulties.
Rachel said that when she first discovered she could apply for a free mobility aid, it seemed almost unbelievable.
But once Charlie received his TMT, she saw a significant difference.
The lightweight trainer made it easier for the family to take Charlie to different places. It also allowed him to participate more visibly in everyday experiences and attracted positive attention from other children.
For Rachel, that change in how people responded to Charlie was particularly meaningful.
Instead of people simply feeling sorry for him because he was unable to get around in his previous wheelchair, she could see other children reacting with curiosity and enthusiasm to his bright mobility trainer.
Why accessibility matters
For many families raising children with disabilities, mobility isn’t simply about getting from one place to another.
Being able to move around can mean visiting a park, exploring somewhere new, joining other children at play or simply having greater independence during everyday family activities.
Equipment designed specifically for young children can therefore have an impact that goes well beyond its practical function.
It can create opportunities for children to engage with their surroundings — and for parents and carers to experience activities that might otherwise be difficult.
The bigger potential of 3D printing
The story of the Dixon brothers also highlights one of the most exciting aspects of 3D printing: its ability to turn digital designs into useful, physical objects relatively quickly and affordably.
That opens up possibilities for personalised solutions, particularly where conventional equipment may be expensive, difficult to obtain or unsuitable for an individual child’s needs.
Of course, mobility equipment still needs to be designed, produced and used responsibly. But volunteer projects such as this show how community-based manufacturing can complement existing approaches to accessibility.
Small technology, big impact
Josh and Max say they would like to make more mobility aids for families.
Their experience with Charlie illustrates why that ambition matters.
A 3D printer may look like a machine that simply produces plastic parts. In the right hands, however, those parts can become something much more important: a way for a child to explore, participate and experience more of the world around them.
The most powerful part of this story isn’t necessarily the technology itself. It’s what happens when technical skills, volunteering and a family’s needs come together.
For Charlie and his family, a homemade mobility trainer has helped open the door to more experiences — proving that sometimes, meaningful innovation starts with a hobby and a willingness to help.
Opening Up The Outdoors: How All-Terrain Mobility Scooters Are Changing Access To Nature
For many people, a walk through a forest, across open countryside or around a historic garden is a simple pleasure. But for wheelchair users and people with mobility difficulties, uneven paths, steep terrain and steps can turn an enjoyable day outdoors into something that feels impossible.
A growing scheme across the UK is helping to change that.
All-terrain mobility scooters, commonly known as trampers, are giving people with limited mobility the opportunity to explore places that may previously have been inaccessible to them. From Dartmoor’s forests and moorland to gardens and other visitor attractions, these specially designed scooters are opening up new possibilities for outdoor adventures.
A different kind of freedom
Unlike conventional wheelchairs or mobility scooters, trampers are designed to cope with rougher surfaces. Their robust construction allows users to travel along designated countryside routes that might otherwise be difficult or impossible to navigate.
For users, however, the significance goes far beyond the technology itself.
Being able to travel alongside friends and family, enjoy fresh air and experience the landscape independently can restore a sense of freedom that is easily lost when mobility becomes restricted.
One user described the tramper as effectively being her “legs”, capturing how transformative access to suitable equipment can be.
The experience is not simply about reaching a destination. It is about being able to participate.
Bringing families back together
One of the most powerful aspects of the scheme is the way it can change family experiences.
People with mobility difficulties can sometimes find themselves waiting behind while relatives continue along a walking route. Over time, this can mean missing out on shared memories, family outings and spontaneous adventures.
The story of Yvonne Pope illustrates this particularly well. After finding that her wheelchair prevented her from accompanying her family on countryside walks, she became involved in efforts to make more locations accessible to trampers.
Today, she helps assess potential sites and considers what changes may be needed to make them suitable.
That approach highlights an important principle: accessibility does not necessarily mean transforming every landscape. Instead, relatively straightforward improvements and appropriate equipment can allow more people to experience existing environments.
Dartmoor becomes more accessible
Dartmoor provides a particularly striking example.
The national park is known for its rugged landscape, forests, tors and open moorland. Its natural character is part of its appeal, but that same terrain can create significant barriers for people using standard wheelchairs.
At Postbridge Visitor Centre, visitors can hire trampers to explore designated routes.
For someone who has spent years unable to venture into this kind of landscape, the experience can be profound. Being able to travel through woodland, listen to birds and enjoy the scenery alongside a partner or friend can turn what once seemed out of reach into an ordinary day out.
And that is perhaps the real measure of successful accessibility: not making someone feel as though they are receiving a special experience, but allowing them to participate in the same experience as everyone else.
Accessibility benefits everyone
It is tempting to think of accessibility as an issue affecting only wheelchair users. In reality, making outdoor spaces easier to navigate can benefit a much wider group of people.
Someone recovering from an injury may temporarily struggle with walking. Older visitors may find uneven ground challenging. Someone with a short-term medical condition may want to enjoy the countryside without being able to manage a conventional walking route.
Trampers can therefore provide an option for people whose mobility limitations may be permanent, temporary or simply unpredictable.
The scheme reportedly recorded almost 12,000 hires nationally in the previous year, demonstrating the demand for accessible ways of enjoying the outdoors.
Preserving nature while improving access
There is also an important balance to strike.
Making the countryside accessible does not mean removing every natural obstacle or turning wild landscapes into urban-style paths. In many cases, the solution can involve keeping designated routes intact while providing suitable vehicles that can handle the terrain.
This allows visitors to experience natural environments without fundamentally changing their character.
Historic gardens present a similar challenge. Terraces, steps and uneven surfaces can make complete accessibility difficult, yet large portions of some sites may still be accessible with the right combination of power, equipment and route planning.
The lesson is that accessibility does not always require perfection. Sometimes, it requires finding practical ways around existing barriers.
A small change with a big impact
The cost of hiring a tramper can also make the experience relatively accessible. The Countryside Mobility scheme offers different membership and hire options, while users receive induction training before setting off and are required to remain on designated routes.
For users, the impact can be much greater than the relatively simple intervention involved.
A suitable vehicle can mean joining a family walk instead of waiting in the car. It can mean visiting a national park for the first time in years. It can mean enjoying birdsong, fresh air and open landscapes independently.
These may sound like small things, but for someone who has lost the ability to walk freely, they can represent an enormous change in everyday life.
Making the countryside a place for everyone
The wider message behind the tramper scheme is straightforward: access to nature should not be determined solely by mobility.
There will always be landscapes that present genuine physical challenges, and not every route can be made suitable for every visitor. But technology, thoughtful planning and relatively modest accessibility measures can remove barriers that might otherwise keep people away entirely.
The success of all-terrain mobility scooters demonstrates what can happen when accessibility is treated not as an afterthought, but as part of how outdoor spaces are designed and managed.
For many users, the result is more than a convenient way to get around.
It is independence.
It is participation.
And, perhaps most importantly, it is the simple freedom to go outside and enjoy the countryside.
Callum Smith: No Arms, No Limits
For most people, learning to drive is a milestone. For Callum Smith, it was the beginning of something much bigger.
Born without arms, the 23-year-old from Nuneaton has learned to navigate the world using his feet. Now, just two years after learning to drive, he is preparing to take on a very different challenge: competitive motorsport.
Smith has joined Team BRIT, a racing team made up of disabled drivers, as a rookie. His ambition is clear — he wants to compete at the highest levels of motorsport and, ultimately, help make history.
Turning adaptation into an advantage
Smith’s approach to life is summed up by his personal motto: “improvise, adapt and overcome.”
Growing up, he learned to use his feet to carry out everyday tasks that most people would perform with their hands. That experience of adapting has now translated into the world of racing.
His BMW 1 Series has been specially modified so that he can control the car entirely with his feet. A steering mechanism has been positioned in the footwell, allowing Smith to steer with his left foot, while his right foot operates the accelerator and brake.
The technology may be unusual, but the objective is exactly the same as it is for any racing driver: control the car, find the limit and go faster.
From Silverstone to the starting line
Smith’s opportunity with Team BRIT followed a successful test day at Silverstone, where the team saw his potential.
His next major milestone comes at Donington Park, where he is due to test the specially adapted race car for the first time.
But getting onto the track is only one part of the challenge.
Before he can obtain the necessary racing licence, Smith must demonstrate that he can escape from the vehicle without assistance within 10 seconds. It is a demanding requirement, but he sees it as another problem to solve rather than a reason to stop.
For Smith, obstacles are challenges — not conclusions.
Racing beyond disability classifications
Team BRIT was established in 2015 and has grown from its original focus on providing karting opportunities for disabled armed forces personnel.
Today, the team has multiple cars and drivers, competing against both disabled and non-disabled competitors.
That is important because the team’s philosophy isn’t simply about creating a separate sporting environment for disabled athletes. It is about giving drivers the opportunity to compete on the same circuits and under the same competitive pressures as everyone else.
The team’s ultimate ambition is even greater: becoming the first all-disabled team to compete in the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans.
That would represent a remarkable achievement not only for Team BRIT, but for disability representation in motorsport.
The road ahead comes with a price
Talent and determination alone aren’t enough to build a racing career.
Smith faces a financial challenge, too. The conversion of his race car, equipment and tuition are expected to cost around £50,000, meaning sponsorship will be crucial to his progress.
This is a familiar hurdle for aspiring racing drivers. Motorsport is an expensive sport, and finding the funding needed to move from one level to the next can be just as difficult as performing on the track.
Smith is therefore looking for sponsors who are willing to invest not just in a driver, but in a story that could inspire a much wider audience.
More than a racing story
What makes Callum Smith’s journey so compelling isn’t simply that he is racing without arms.
It is the mindset behind it.
He has spent his entire life finding different ways to do things. Now he is applying that same philosophy to a sport where fractions of a second can separate success from failure.
His journey also challenges assumptions about what a disabled athlete can achieve. Motorsport, perhaps more than many sports, is ultimately about the relationship between driver, machine and determination. Adaptations can change how a driver controls a car, but they don’t remove the need for courage, concentration, skill and competitive instinct.
Smith’s first test at Donington Park will be another step rather than the final destination.
And if his determination is anything to go by, he intends to keep pushing forward.
The racing world may soon discover that sometimes the most important thing a driver brings to the track isn’t their hands.
It’s the determination to keep moving.
Why Pablo: Next Level Could Change The Way Children See Autism At School
Starting school can be a huge moment in any child’s life. There are new classrooms, unfamiliar routines, new friendships and plenty of rules to learn. For autistic children, however, those changes can sometimes bring additional challenges that other children may not immediately understand.
A new animated series from Northern Ireland is hoping to change that.
Pablo: Next Level, a spin-off from the pre-school series Pablo, follows eight-year-old Pablo as he makes the move into primary school. Rather than simply telling children about autism, the series aims to let audiences experience school through an autistic child’s eyes.
Seeing school from Pablo’s perspective
Produced by Belfast-based Paper Owl Films and Crayola Studios, the 40-episode series explores the everyday experiences of an autistic child navigating mainstream education.
Pablo uses his sketch pad and his imaginary book-animal friends to make sense of situations that can sometimes feel confusing or overwhelming. Everyday experiences — from changing rules and busy corridors to friendships and sensory difficulties — become opportunities to explore how differently people can experience the same world.
That perspective is at the heart of the show.
Pablo is voiced by 11-year-old Alexander Myles from Ballycastle, County Antrim, who is autistic himself. His involvement gives the character an especially personal dimension.
Alexander has spoken about some of the difficulties represented in the series, including sensitivity to textures, difficulty when routines or rules unexpectedly change, and the challenges of making and maintaining friendships.
But the message isn’t simply about difficulties.
The series also aims to highlight autistic strengths, experiences and joys, while encouraging children to understand that everyone sees the world in their own way.
Inclusion starts with understanding
One of the most powerful ideas behind Pablo: Next Level is that inclusion isn’t necessarily about making enormous changes.
Sometimes, small adjustments can make a significant difference.
A classroom that feels perfectly ordinary to one child can be noisy, confusing or overwhelming to another. A rule that seems obvious to one pupil might not make sense to someone else. Even something as simple as food touching on a plate can be a source of genuine distress for some autistic children.
Understanding these differences can help teachers, parents and classmates respond with empathy rather than frustration.
That matters because autistic children can face higher levels of exclusion and bullying than their peers. Giving young children an opportunity to encounter different perspectives early in life could therefore be an important part of building more accepting classrooms.
Representation that feels authentic
Another notable aspect of the series is its commitment to authentic representation.
The episodes draw on real experiences and involve young autistic talent in both writing and acting. Alexander’s own participation is particularly significant because autistic children watching the programme can see someone like themselves represented on screen.
And autism isn’t presented as the only form of difference.
Characters in the series include children with other experiences and disabilities, including wheelchair user Mylo and Eoin, who has dyslexia. That broader approach reinforces an important lesson: classrooms aren’t made up of identical minds and abilities.
They are communities of individuals.
Why children’s television can make a difference
Television cannot solve every problem faced by autistic children. But stories can influence how children understand people who are different from themselves.
A young viewer may never have thought about why a classmate finds noise difficult. They may not understand why someone becomes upset when plans suddenly change. A character like Pablo can provide a simple starting point for those conversations.
Importantly, Pablo: Next Level is designed to do this through comedy and adventure rather than through a traditional educational lecture.
That may be one of its greatest strengths.
Children are more likely to engage with a story when they’re having fun. If they laugh with Pablo, follow his adventures and begin to understand his perspective along the way, the lessons about empathy and inclusion can become part of the experience rather than something being imposed on them.
A timely message as children return to school
The timing of the series is particularly appropriate.
As children across the UK and Ireland prepare to return to school, many will be excited about seeing friends and beginning a new year. Others may be anxious about unfamiliar surroundings, new teachers, changing routines or the expectations of a new classroom.
For autistic children and their families, those concerns can be particularly significant.
Pablo: Next Level offers a reminder that inclusion isn’t just about providing support when difficulties arise. It’s also about creating environments where different ways of thinking are understood and valued from the beginning.
The series’ creators hope that seeing school through Pablo’s eyes will encourage children to become more curious about one another — and more willing to accept that there isn’t just one “right” way to experience the world.
The bigger lesson
Perhaps the most important message behind Pablo: Next Level is a simple one: difference doesn’t have to divide us.
When children learn that their classmates may experience sound, food, friendships, rules or change differently, they have an opportunity to become more understanding.
And that understanding can benefit everyone.
A more inclusive classroom isn’t only better for autistic children. It can encourage patience, creativity, communication and empathy across the entire school community.
As Pablo takes his next step into school, his adventures could therefore offer young viewers something more valuable than entertainment. They could provide a different way of looking at the people around them.
And sometimes, seeing the world through somebody else’s eyes is the first step towards making that world a little easier for everyone.
Pablo: Next Level is due to launch on 7 September 2026 on CBBC, BBC iPlayer and RTÉ Kids.
Professor Dumbledore‘s Office at Hogwarts, which ifs witches and wizard’s boarding school.
Here i am next to the characters from Harry Potter: Hermione, Harry Potter and Dumbledore.
close-up of the robotic spider that was in the mystical enchanted forest at Harry Potter world
The Boy Who Couldn’t Smile
When Jack Marshall was growing up, some professionals had already decided what his future would look like.
Born with Moebius Syndrome, a rare neurological condition affecting the nerves that control facial movement, Jack cannot smile or blink. He also lives with challenges affecting his balance, coordination, sight and hearing.
But the predictions made about his future could not have been further from reality.
Now 28, Jack has published his first book, The Boy Who Can’t Smile, a memoir reflecting on his childhood, disability, family and the obstacles he has overcome.
Refusing to be written off
Jack says that, as a child, doctors told him he might never walk or talk. He remembers feeling that professionals had judged him by his disability rather than seeing his potential.
His education presented another major challenge. After a primary school headteacher reportedly suggested that he attend only part-time because he was considered unacademic, Jack’s mother made a decisive choice: she moved him to another school.
The change proved significant.
With the right environment and support, Jack continued his education, eventually attending college and university and earning a master’s degree in criminology and criminal justice.
His story is a powerful reminder that assumptions about disability can become barriers in themselves. Sometimes, the difference between being held back and being able to flourish is simply having someone willing to believe in you.
The importance of family
Jack credits his mother and sister with playing a crucial role in his journey.
He describes them as his strongest supporters and advocates, helping him navigate situations in which others struggled to see beyond his disability.
That support has remained an important part of his life. Jack regularly visits his sister in Stoke-on-Trent for respite breaks, while continuing to build an independent life in Lincolnshire.
His experience demonstrates how important family advocacy can be for disabled people, particularly during childhood and education.
From overcoming obstacles to breaking boundaries
Jack’s achievements extend far beyond the classroom.
He has completed the National Three Peaks Challenge, undertaken a skydive and become an active campaigner for disability rights. In 2019, his fundraising work was recognised with a British Empire Medal.
He has also found opportunities to pursue his passion for sport.
Through support from Caudwell Children, Jack received a Strike Force Football Powerchair. The equipment enabled him to play competitively, meet new people and travel to different parts of the country.
For Jack, accessible opportunities have not simply provided activities to enjoy. They have opened doors to friendship, independence and experiences that might otherwise have been out of reach.
Giving back
Jack’s relationship with Caudwell Children has come full circle.
The organisation supported him when he was younger, and he now volunteers with its Kids’ Activities Club at Keele University in Staffordshire.
Rather than simply receiving support, Jack has become someone who provides encouragement to others.
That transition—from child needing support to adult helping others—is perhaps one of the most meaningful aspects of his story.
A memoir with a bigger message
The Boy Who Can’t Smile is more than the story of one man’s medical condition.
At its heart, it is about identity, resilience and the dangers of allowing other people’s expectations to define somebody’s future.
Jack’s experiences also highlight something that is often overlooked in conversations about disability: the importance of opportunity.
The right school. Supportive family members. Accessible sport. People prepared to listen. Opportunities to contribute.
None of these things remove disability, but they can dramatically change what a person is able to achieve.
Jack was once told he might never walk or talk. Today, he is a university graduate, campaigner, fundraiser, athlete, volunteer and published author.
His story offers a simple but powerful lesson: never confuse someone’s limitations with the limits of their potential.
which I got to see when visiting Harry Potter world I suggest, if you haven’t been there you visit there definitely
A Family’s Fight For A Special School Place
For many families, starting school is a milestone filled with excitement, nerves and anticipation. But for Natalie, the prospect of her four-year-old son Freddie beginning school has become a source of deep fear.
Freddie is autistic, non-verbal and has pica, a condition that means he eats objects that are not food. He has little awareness of danger, can climb, run away if an adult is not watching him closely, and may bang his head when distressed.
Despite these complex needs, there is currently no place for him at a special school. As a result, he is due to begin mainstream education in September.
For his mother, the situation is terrifying.
“Not knowing what the school day holds for him, it’s just really frightening,” she told the BBC.
A child who needs constant supervision
Freddie’s needs mean that ordinary daily activities can carry serious risks.
Natalie says he will eat stones and other non-food objects, climb potentially dangerous structures and attempt to escape through open doors. When upset, he may bang his head against walls or the floor.
Because Freddie is non-verbal, communicating what he needs can also be extremely difficult. He often communicates with adults by taking them by the hand and leading them towards what he wants.
The family is working on alternative forms of communication, including using tablets, but Natalie believes Freddie needs a level of specialist support that a mainstream classroom may struggle to provide.
She has already had to change her own career because of the level of care her son requires.
An EHCP that took twice as long as it should
Freddie has an Education, Health and Care Plan, commonly known as an EHCP. These plans are legally binding documents designed to set out the support a child with special educational needs and disabilities should receive.
But Freddie’s EHCP took 40 weeks to complete, despite such plans usually being completed within 20 weeks.
The plan did not explicitly state that Freddie required a special-school placement. However, Natalie says the council subsequently confirmed by email that a special school would be the best environment for him.
That has left the family in an extraordinarily difficult position: a placement is considered more suitable, but there is no place available.
The appeal could take years
Perhaps the most troubling part of Freddie’s situation is the timescale.
Natalie has been told that the earliest date for a tribunal reviewing the decision is January 2028.
By then, Freddie could be six years old.
For a parent already worried that an unsuitable educational environment could cause her son’s difficulties to worsen, waiting years for a formal review is understandably distressing.
Natalie fears that if Freddie’s needs are not properly met, new behaviours could emerge or existing difficulties could become more severe.
Her concerns are not simply about academic progress. They are about safety, communication, emotional wellbeing and whether Freddie will be able to participate in school at all.
The wider SEND problem
Freddie’s story is also part of a much larger debate surrounding special educational needs and disabilities provision in England.
Families across the country have raised concerns about shortages of specialist places, delays in assessments and disputes over the support children require.
The pressure on the system can leave parents feeling trapped between what their child needs and what is actually available.
Essex County Council said it could not comment on individual cases but acknowledged that pressure on the SEND system is a national challenge.
The council said it remains committed to working with schools and families to secure suitable placements and is seeking to create additional opportunities while maintaining quality.
Mainstream education can work — but support matters
It is important not to frame mainstream education as inherently unsuitable for autistic children. Many autistic pupils thrive in mainstream schools, particularly when their individual needs are understood and appropriate support is in place.
The issue raised by Freddie’s case is different: what happens when a child’s needs require a level of supervision and specialist intervention that a mainstream setting may not be equipped to provide?
For Natalie, the answer cannot simply be to place her son in a classroom and hope that the necessary support can be found afterwards.
She believes Freddie needs a higher ratio of adults to children, specialist communication support and therapies such as speech and language therapy and occupational therapy.
The question is whether the system can provide those things before a child reaches crisis point, rather than after.
A family’s hope for a safe start
Behind the legal paperwork, assessments and placement decisions is a mother who wants something remarkably simple: for her son to be safe, understood and given the opportunity to learn.
Freddie is more than the challenges described in his EHCP. He is a four-year-old who plays with toys, has a sister and is beginning an important new chapter in his life.
His family wants that chapter to begin in an environment where his needs are recognised rather than treated as an obstacle.
The story raises a difficult question for the education system: if professionals and parents recognise that a child needs specialist support, how long should that child and family have to wait before receiving it?
For Freddie’s family, September is approaching quickly.
For them, the uncertainty is already keeping them awake at night.
Source: Based on reporting by BBC News, published 26 August 2026. This article is a rewritten commentary based on the supplied BBC report and is not affiliated with or published by the BBC.
A Playground That Finally Lets Every Child Join In
For 10-year-old Millie, a trip to the local playground used to mean watching her friends have fun from the sidelines.
Now, that has changed.
After a campaign led by Millie and her mother, Sophie, Drayton Park in Portsmouth has undergone a £180,000 transformation to make the space far more accessible for children with disabilities.
Millie uses a motorised wheelchair, and the old woodchip surface made much of the playground impossible for her to reach. While her friends could run freely from one area to another, Millie often couldn’t follow.
Two years ago, the family had to travel around 20 minutes to Whiteley, near Fareham, to find inclusive play equipment.
“We just wanted Millie to be able to play with her friends,” Sophie’s campaign effectively argued — and persistence eventually turned that request into a major local improvement.
Designed with inclusion in mind
The redesigned playground includes a raised inclusive playframe, a ground-level roundabout that wheelchair users can access, swings, climbing equipment and sensory and interactive features.
There are also new seating and picnic areas, including accessible options.
Perhaps most importantly for Millie, much of the playground now has a surface suitable for wheels.
That simple change makes a huge difference. Instead of being restricted to the edges of the park, she can move around much more freely and join her friends.
A mother’s persistence pays off
Sophie was closely involved in the redesign process, attending meetings and speaking to councillors about her daughter’s experience.
The project received £20,000 directly from Portsmouth City Council, with the remaining funding coming from the Community Infrastructure Levy — money contributed by property developers towards local infrastructure.
Sophie says she is particularly pleased that the improvements could benefit families beyond her own.
Millie will eventually grow out of the playground, but the changes will remain for future generations of children.
A small change with a big impact
Not every wish could be included. Councillor Simon Bosher said inclusive play equipment can be expensive, meaning a wheelchair-specific swing was not possible within the available budget.
But the project demonstrates that accessibility isn’t always about one specialist piece of equipment.
Sometimes, it is about making sure the whole environment allows people to participate.
For Millie, the difference was summed up perfectly when the renovated playground officially opened.
Rather than cutting a traditional ribbon, she drove straight through it in her wheelchair — and into the playground to find her friends.
That moment says more about inclusive design than any set of statistics could.
A playground is supposed to be somewhere children can play together. Making sure every child can get onto the ground, reach the equipment and move around alongside their friends isn’t an extra luxury. It is what makes the playground truly shared.
And in Portsmouth, one family’s persistence has helped make that possible.
A campaigner has described performing a 1960s pop hit outside Downing Street, as part of efforts to get more attention on her issue, as “magical”.
Ashleigh Harley, 27, was joined by singer Brian Hyland, who recorded Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini in 1960, for the performance on Saturday, which she claimed attracted a crowd of hundreds.
The event was part of a campaign by Harley calling for better diagnosis and treatment for people with health conditions.
Harley has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which affects connective tissue like tendons and ligaments and causes her joints to dislocate.
Harley was diagnosed privately in 2020 after more than a decade of symptoms and exploring what she described as every available NHS option. She said she previously needed life support after becoming unable to eat, walk or speak.
The campaigner, from Luston, Herefordshire, released her own version of Hyland’s hit to raise money for her charity, Save Our Lives.
She had challenged Andy Burnham to a “rock battle”, but there was no sign of the prime minister at Saturday’s performance.
Instead, in true rock ‘n’ roll style, Harley was “descended on by the police”.
“They actually became very supportive,” she said, describing the gathering as a “magical day”.
“We had children with the illness there. Hundreds turned up. It was huge. Everyone was singing it in the street. We were all dancing together.”
Hyland, 82, said he had been keen to take part after he received an email from Harley and was struck by her experience of living for years without a diagnosis.
“I had never heard of that problem before, of people being misdiagnosed and languishing for sometimes years,” he said.
“I thought anything I could do to shorten that time of getting something and finding out what it is, I thought that would be a positive thing.”
Harley said her charity wanted to develop a diagnostic tool to help identify young people with complex conditions sooner.
“We’re going to do it all through music,” she added, with her single raising funds for the cause.
The Department of Health was approached for a response to Harley’s campaign.
For most people, climbing Britain’s highest mountains is a daunting challenge. For nine-year-old Albie-Junior Thomas, it was the latest chapter in a remarkable journey of determination, family support and adventure.
The youngster from Holywell, Flintshire, who had his left foot amputated as a toddler, has completed the Three Peaks Challenge in just 22 hours and 30 minutes, alongside his father, Daniel.
The challenge involves climbing Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) in Wales, Scafell Pike in England and Ben Nevis in Scotland, all within 24 hours. Albie-Junior completed the demanding feat after four months of preparation, although his record as the youngest amputee to achieve it has yet to be officially verified.
From a toddler’s operation to mountain summits
Albie-Junior was born without a fibula in his left leg and had his foot amputated when he was just 15 months old. Rather than allowing his disability to define what he could achieve, he and his family have embraced increasingly ambitious physical challenges.
At just four years old, he became the youngest amputee to climb Yr Wyddfa. He went on to climb Ben Nevis at five and Scafell Pike at six.
That impressive history eventually led father and son to ask a natural question: what could come next?
Their answer was the Three Peaks Challenge.
Daniel described his son as his “superhero”, praising his resilience, determination and mental strength throughout the demanding attempt.
Sandwiches, sweets and plenty of determination
Albie-Junior may have been taking on some of Britain’s toughest terrain, but his approach to keeping his energy levels up was refreshingly straightforward.
His climbing fuel included ham and cheese sandwiches, sour sweets and plenty of fluids.
When the going became difficult, he found another way to keep himself motivated: thinking about being back home with his family and the enjoyable things waiting for him after the challenge.
That combination of preparation, practical fuel and mental determination helped him keep moving through the demanding 22-and-a-half-hour effort.
More than just a mountain challenge
The challenge also had a purpose beyond setting a potential record. Albie-Junior and his father used the event to raise money for their local football club, Holywell Town FC.
So far, their fundraising has reached £3,085, adding a community dimension to an already extraordinary personal achievement.
For Albie-Junior, however, completing the Three Peaks Challenge appears to be less about proving what he cannot do and more about discovering what he can.
And Kilimanjaro is next
For many people, completing the Three Peaks Challenge would be the end of a very long adventure. For Albie-Junior, it is apparently just another milestone.
He and his father are already planning their next major challenge: Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa’s highest mountain, which rises to 5,895 metres above sea level.
Asked whether he was nervous about the prospect, Albie-Junior had a remarkably simple response: “No.”
At nine years old, he has already demonstrated that age and disability do not necessarily determine the limits of ambition. His story is a powerful reminder that extraordinary achievements often begin with a willingness to take on the next challenge — one step at a time.
When Healthcare Communication Fails Patients Pay The Price
A deaf woman receiving the wrong vaccine after being denied effective British Sign Language (BSL) support has highlighted a much wider problem in healthcare: communication is not an optional extra. It is part of safe, effective treatment.
According to a report from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), the woman, identified as Samantha, had booked a flu vaccination. She had arranged her flu and Covid vaccinations for different weeks and even showed a note on her phone stating that she was there for the flu jab only.
Despite this, she was given a Covid vaccine.
The PHSO found that the GP practice had failed to provide the accessible communication support she needed. A BSL video that could have helped confirm which vaccination she had requested was not shown to her. The practice also believed it had established her consent through her grandmother, who was not in the treatment room and had early-stage dementia.
The consequences went beyond receiving the wrong injection. Samantha told the ombudsman that the experience had a “profound impact” on her.
The case illustrates a fundamental principle: patients cannot give meaningful consent if they cannot properly understand what is being offered to them.
Accessibility is a patient-safety issue
It can be tempting to think of interpreters, subtitles, large-print documents, audio information and other adjustments as additional services that make healthcare more convenient.
They are much more important than that.
When a patient cannot access information about a diagnosis, medication, procedure or vaccination, the risk of misunderstanding increases. That can affect consent, treatment decisions and ultimately patient safety.
The PHSO said disabled people were being let down because public services were not consistently meeting their accessible communication needs. These needs can arise because of disability, neurodivergence or because English is not someone’s first language.
Its figures are striking. Since April 2020, the ombudsman said it had concluded 623 investigations involving reasonable adjustments. Of those, 496 were upheld or partly upheld.
That suggests this is not simply a story about one unfortunate mistake.
Families should not have to become interpreters
The report also highlighted the experience of Alan Graham, a deaf patient being treated at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust.
When an interpreter was unavailable, hospital staff asked his teenage grandson to interpret for the family and communicate extremely serious information, including that Graham might die.
That places an extraordinary burden on a young family member.
Medical conversations can involve complex terminology, distressing information and difficult decisions. Expecting relatives—particularly children or teenagers—to interpret such conversations can create emotional pressure while also increasing the possibility that important information is misunderstood or lost.
Following an ombudsman investigation, the trust apologised and said it had introduced measures intended to improve communication and accessibility for deaf patients.
There are examples of better practice
The PHSO’s report was not solely critical. It highlighted North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust as an example of how services can improve.
The trust worked with local advocacy groups and deaf people to understand why patients felt excluded. It subsequently provided guides explaining how patients could access interpreting and translation services.
The result was a 50% increase in the use of interpreters over one year.
That is an important lesson. Accessibility works best when services listen directly to the people who use them rather than simply assuming that existing arrangements are adequate.
Trust depends on being heard
Healthcare relies heavily on trust. Patients need to believe that professionals understand them, that their choices are respected and that important information will be communicated clearly.
When communication breaks down, that trust can quickly disappear.
Rebecca Hilsenrath, chief executive of the PHSO, said that when people feel they are not listened to and their needs are not met, they lose trust in the very services designed to support them.
That is why accessible communication should not be treated as a bureaucratic requirement. It is fundamental to dignity, informed consent and safe care.
The Department of Health and Social Care has described the experiences highlighted in the report as completely unacceptable, while NHS England has said it is unacceptable for deaf people or those with visual loss to face barriers to understanding or accessing healthcare.
The challenge now is turning those statements into consistent practice.
What should change?
The lesson from these cases is straightforward: healthcare organisations need to identify communication needs before treatment begins and make sure the appropriate support is actually available.
That means providing qualified interpreters where necessary, using accessible written and visual information, checking understanding directly with the patient and avoiding assumptions about what a patient has consented to.
Most importantly, accessibility needs to be built into healthcare rather than treated as something that is arranged only when a problem occurs.
Samantha’s case should never have happened. Nor should a teenager have been put in the position of interpreting potentially life-changing medical information for a family member.
Good healthcare is about more than the medicine itself. It is also about making sure every patient can understand what is happening to them, communicate their wishes and participate in decisions about their own care.
When that communication fails, the consequences can be far more serious than a misunderstanding. They can undermine safety, dignity and trust—the very foundations on which healthcare depends.
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Teen Completes Seven GCSEs In Five Months Using Only His Eyes
For most teenagers, GCSE season is a demanding few weeks of revision, exams and uncertainty. For Patrick, a 16-year-old from Cheshire, the challenge was very different: he completed seven GCSEs over five months using eye-tracking technology.
Patrick, a student at The Fallibroome Academy in Macclesfield, has cerebral palsy and uses technology that allows him to communicate and operate a computer with his eyes. His exams began in February and were completed in June, ahead of GCSE results day.
Taking exams in a different way
Patrick used eye-gaze technology, which uses cameras and infrared light to track eye movements. This enabled him to select answers and complete his exam papers without physically writing.
But the technology did not make the exams easy.
Because Patrick could not write out separate workings, he had to complete calculations and reasoning in his head. Some questions took significantly longer than they might for other students.
Reflecting on the experience, Patrick described completing his seven GCSEs “with my eyes” and said that having to do his workings mentally was particularly difficult.
His determination meant returning to the exam room repeatedly over several months and maintaining his concentration despite the demanding process.
A memorable send-off
When Patrick finally completed his exams, he received an emotional surprise from his teachers and classmates.
As he left the exam hall, they formed a guard of honour to celebrate what he had achieved.
Patrick initially felt embarrassed by the attention, but later said he appreciated the generosity and support of everyone involved.
His mother said the family had been “blown away” by his resilience, particularly the amount of time and effort required to complete individual questions.
The school community’s support appears to have been an important part of Patrick’s journey, giving him encouragement during an exceptionally long examination period.
Inspired by Rob Burrow
Patrick has also spoken about the influence of the late rugby league player Rob Burrow, who lived with motor neurone disease.
After seeing Burrow appear on CBeebies Bedtime Stories, communicating with the help of technology, Patrick was inspired by the possibility of using assistive technology to continue pursuing his ambitions.
Like Burrow, Patrick uses a computer to speak, demonstrating how technology can help people communicate and participate in activities that might otherwise be inaccessible.
Looking beyond GCSEs
Patrick’s ambitions extend well beyond his exams.
He hopes to study media at A-level and dreams of becoming a television presenter. His long-term ambition is particularly striking: he has said he wants to work in the media and become “the next Clare Balding on wheels”.
At the same time, Patrick has already shown an entrepreneurial streak. He has started a small business sourcing second-hand cars for friends, charging a commission based on the price of the vehicle.
His next target? Finding someone willing to buy a Ferrari.
More than exam results
Patrick’s story is about much more than the grades he is about to receive.
Completing seven GCSEs is an achievement for any teenager. Doing so over five months while relying on eye-gaze technology, without being able to physically write out workings, required extraordinary patience and determination.
His experience also highlights the importance of accessible technology and supportive schools in making education possible for students with disabilities.
As Patrick looks towards his next chapter, his ambitions are clear. Whether he ends up presenting on television, running a business or pursuing another career, his GCSE journey has already demonstrated the qualities that could take him a long way: resilience, creativity and an unwillingness to let physical limitations define what he can achieve.
Mother’s Keyboard Tattoo Helps Son Communicate
Blind Dental Patient Told She Must Book Online
A woman who is registered blind says she was told she could not make an emergency dental appointment because she was unable to book it online.
Gail Drake, 66, from Bridlington, East Yorkshire, called the town’s Mydentist practice with toothache but, despite explaining her situation, she was repeatedly told it was impossible to make an appointment by telephone.
When she asked to speak to the practice manager, she was told to make her complaint by letter or email, despite her visual impairment.
A spokesperson for the company has apologised for her experience and told the BBC it had “taken steps to resolve the issue”, adding that patients can book urgent appointments over the phone.
Drake, who called the practice after developing a “niggling toothache”, has been partially-sighted since childhood and has recently developed fast-growing cataracts.
She struggles to use apps and fill in online forms because of the small text and her inability to zoom in, and she said she expected adjustments would be made to accommodate her needs.
“I was met with, ‘You need to go online and book an appointment that way’,” she said.
“So I explained that I was registered blind and perhaps they’d have a different provision for me. And she just reiterated that I needed to go online.”
Drake said she was told she could try to call again on Monday morning, but was warned that all the emergency appointments might have already been booked online by other patients.
“I felt very upset, very frustrated and that nobody gave a damn about my pain,” she said.
“I was shocked to be treated like that.”
Drake contacted the Care Quality Commission about her experience.
The regulator advised her to make a formal complaint, and it was then that the company told her to make it by letter or email.
After the BBC contacted Mydentist, Drake received a telephone call offering her an emergency appointment that day.
A spokesperson for the company apologised and said: “Any patient who is in need of urgent care can contact the practice via telephone or through the website to inquire about availability and to make an appointment with the team.”
Khadija Raza, from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), said as well as ensuring all online booking systems were compatible with assistive technology, there “should also be non-digital methods, including telephone and face-to-face”.
Raza said: “Many blind and partially sighted people are not just finding it difficult to make medical appointments because of inaccessible systems, they’re also telling us they’re not receiving correspondence, including appointment letters or test results, in a format they can read.
“If you’re blind or partially sighted, you can request your health and care information in alternative formats, such as large print, email, audio or braille and there are resources to help people do so available on RNIB’s website.”
Love, Disability And The Right To Be Seen As A Whole Person
For many people, dating apps have transformed the search for love. With a swipe, a match can be only moments away.
But for disabled people and those living with chronic illnesses, that experience can be very different.
Mainstream dating platforms can sometimes expose users to prejudice, awkward questions and assumptions about what disability means for relationships and intimacy. As one Bristol man with cerebral palsy told the BBC, people can see his disability before they see him as a person.
That is one reason specialist dating platforms are attracting growing attention.
Creating a space where disability isn’t a barrier
Apps such as Dateability have been created specifically for disabled people and people with chronic illnesses. Other services, including Hiki, Special Bridge and Dating4Disabled, also aim to make dating more accessible and inclusive.
The appeal is not simply about finding someone with similar circumstances. It is about creating an environment where people can be more open about their lives without fearing that disclosure will automatically end a potential relationship.
For Dean Chard, who has cerebral palsy, previous experiences on dating apps included being unmatched after revealing his disability or feeling that potential partners had judged him before getting to know him.
A specialist platform, he says, can make honesty feel less like a risk.
That matters because disability is only one part of someone’s identity. People with disabilities still want companionship, romance, affection and intimacy — just like anyone else.
Dating can come with extra hurdles
For some people, the difficulties are practical as well as social.
Daniel Peake, who is autistic, described dating as something that can require considerable preparation. Communication, eye contact and unfamiliar environments can all make meeting somebody new more challenging.
Knowing where a date will happen, when it will happen and what to expect can therefore make a significant difference.
Accessibility in dating is not just about ramps, lifts or accessible toilets. It can also mean creating environments where people can communicate comfortably, disclose information at their own pace and feel understood.
For Tom Lewis, who has cerebral palsy and is gay, a dating app has offered an opportunity to connect with people who share aspects of his experience. He also receives support from his carers when using the app.
These experiences highlight an important point: accessibility is personal. What makes dating easier for one person may not be what another person needs.
When a dating app leads to marriage
Perhaps the most powerful argument against stereotypes is what happens when people actually get the opportunity to meet.
Dateability recently celebrated the marriage of Colin and Kaci LaFon, two US-based users who met through the platform.
Kaci described Colin as her best friend and said their conversations focused from the beginning not on limitations, but on what they could do together.
For Colin, meeting someone who understood the complexities of health and disability helped turn potentially awkward conversations into opportunities for listening and understanding.
Their story is a reminder that relationships do not have to be defined by medical conditions or disabilities.
People can meet, laugh, argue, fall in love, support one another and build a life together. Disability may be part of that life, but it does not have to be the whole story.
Challenging a deeply rooted stereotype
One of the biggest issues raised by this discussion is the persistent assumption that disabled people are somehow less interested in sex, romance or relationships.
Dateability co-founder Jacqueline Child argues that this stereotype remains widespread. She has spoken about experiencing discrimination herself after developing a chronic illness as a teenager, including hurtful comments about relationships, children and being perceived as a burden.
Such attitudes reveal how easily disability can become the first and only thing some people see.
But disability does not erase sexuality, personality or the desire for companionship.
The broader challenge is therefore cultural as much as technological. A new app can create a safer space, but it cannot by itself eliminate ableism.
Making intimacy less taboo
Dateability’s founders say their wider ambition is to make disability and intimacy less taboo.
That is an important goal because inclusion in dating is about more than giving people another app to download. It is about challenging the assumptions that have made many disabled people feel invisible or undesirable.
Mainstream dating platforms have also acknowledged the problem. Match Group, which owns services including Tinder and Hinge, says it has invested significantly in tools designed to tackle abusive behaviour and recognises that wider social biases can appear in online dating.
Ultimately, the question is not whether disabled people should have their own spaces.
It is whether everyone should be able to enter the search for love without being reduced to a diagnosis, a wheelchair, a communication difference or a chronic illness.
The growing popularity of accessible dating platforms suggests that many people are ready to answer that question with a simple message:
See the person first.
Brooke Takes Steps With Help Of Technology
For many families, a child taking their first steps is a moment they imagine from the very beginning. For Brooke Hacker’s family, that moment came years later — and with the help of a remarkable piece of technology.
Fifteen-year-old Brooke, from Sketty in Swansea, has cerebral palsy and had never been able to walk. During a trial at Equinox Physiotherapy in Cross Hands, Carmarthenshire, she used a robotic exoskeleton designed to help children practise walking.
With the device supporting her legs and helping guide her movements, Brooke managed to walk 812 steps.
For her parents, Andrew and Rebecca, seeing their daughter walking was something they had never expected to witness.
“You can’t put into words what it feels like to see your daughter do something you were told would never happen,” Andrew said.
The moment became even more special when Brooke’s four-year-old sister, Holly, was able to run alongside her.
Rebecca described watching the sisters together as “incredible” — a simple family moment that had once seemed impossible.
A major leap in physiotherapy
Brooke had already been attending physiotherapy for more than a year. According to lead paediatric physiotherapist Mia Martin Evans, she would normally take around 30 steps during a session.
The exoskeleton dramatically increased that number.
The technology, developed by Canadian company Trexo Robotics, is a motorised wearable system that can be adjusted to a child’s height, abilities and individual needs. It is intended to help children practise walking patterns that may be difficult to achieve through conventional therapy alone.
The device is designed for children with conditions including cerebral palsy, spinal muscular atrophy and muscular dystrophy, as well as some children recovering from stroke or brain injury.
For physiotherapists, the potential goes beyond simply helping a child take steps.
As technology develops, therapists can also collect more detailed information about movement and progress. Artificial intelligence and improved data analysis could eventually help clinicians tailor rehabilitation programmes more precisely to individual children.
Hope — but also a difficult question
Brooke’s experience has highlighted both the possibilities of medical technology and the challenges of making expensive innovations widely available.
A Trexo exoskeleton costs roughly £40,000 to £50,000, according to its creator Manmeet Maggu. The device was developed after Maggu learned that his nephew, who has cerebral palsy, might never walk.
The technology is already being used in countries including the United States, Canada, Australia and Singapore. Its trial in Wales represents an opportunity to explore what it could offer children in the UK.
But the price presents a significant barrier.
For Carys and Marc Bowen, whose three-year-old son Hopcyn has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, the experience was particularly emotional. Hopcyn was also able to walk using the exoskeleton during the short trial.
His parents had previously been told that doctors could not say whether he would ever walk independently or even sit up or speak.
Carys described the experience as overwhelming — but also bittersweet because the equipment was only available for a limited time.
Should access be nationwide?
Brooke’s parents believe children across the UK should have the opportunity to use technology that could make such a profound difference.
Their call raises a much bigger question: how should healthcare systems decide which new technologies to fund?
Medical innovation is advancing rapidly, but every new treatment or device comes with a cost. The NHS has finite resources, meaning expensive technologies have to be assessed alongside many other competing healthcare needs.
That makes evidence particularly important. Questions about long-term benefits, clinical effectiveness, safety and value for money will all play a role in determining whether technologies such as robotic exoskeletons could eventually become more widely available through the NHS.
More than 812 steps
The significance of Brooke’s achievement cannot be measured simply by counting her steps.
For her family, those 812 steps represented something much bigger: a moment they had once believed might never happen.
Her story also illustrates what can happen when physiotherapy and emerging technology work together. A robot cannot replace the dedication of a child, their family or their therapists. But it can provide new possibilities for movement and rehabilitation.
As medical technology continues to evolve, stories like Brooke’s offer a glimpse of a future in which innovative equipment could give more children opportunities to achieve things once thought impossible.
For Brooke, it began with a single step — followed by 811 more.
When A Heatwave Becomes An Accessibility Crisis
For many people, a heatwave means discomfort: hot nights, crowded trains and the search for somewhere cool. But for disabled people, extreme heat can create a much more serious set of challenges — affecting mobility, independence, employment and even the ability to leave home.
With another heatwave expected this week, the experiences of disabled people highlighted by BBC News raise an important question: are our homes, transport systems and emergency plans designed with everyone in mind?
When getting around becomes a risk
For Emily Davison, who has a visual impairment and relies on a guide dog, high temperatures can make travelling unsafe for both her and her dog, Rosie.
That can mean cancelling trips to work events and missing opportunities to earn money. Public transport can become too hot, while finding suitable taxis can be difficult.
The result is more than inconvenience. Every journey requires additional planning, and sometimes the safest choice is simply not to go.
For someone whose independence already depends on accessible transport, extreme heat can effectively put daily life on hold.
Wheelchairs, lifts and the hidden impact of heat
Hot weather can also affect mobility equipment.
Actor Jimmy Macfarlane uses a powered wheelchair and says high temperatures cause its battery to drain more quickly. That means he has to think carefully about how far he can travel and whether he will have enough power to get home.
His experience also shows how problems that might appear minor to other people can become major barriers. When he lived in a sixth-floor flat, a lift breakdown during hot weather left him unable to leave his home.
For someone who cannot simply take the stairs, a broken lift is not an inconvenience — it can mean being effectively trapped.
Heat also makes everyday activities more exhausting. Macfarlane, who has cerebral palsy, describes ordinary tasks such as showering and getting dressed as already requiring extra energy. Extreme temperatures can make those activities harder still.
Even staying cool can create new dangers
Advice for coping with hot weather often sounds straightforward: close curtains during the hottest part of the day, open windows when temperatures fall and use fans to circulate air.
But simple advice does not work equally well for everyone.
Claire Sisk, who has severely impaired vision, says leaving windows and doors open can make her feel vulnerable because she cannot easily see whether someone is approaching or entering her home.
Fans can also become obstacles because they change the familiar layout of a room.
Outside, bright sunlight can further reduce the vision she has, making journeys unpredictable and potentially dangerous.
These examples illustrate a broader problem: accessibility cannot be separated from heat resilience.
The financial cost of extreme heat
There is another side to the problem that is easy to overlook — money.
If extreme heat prevents someone from travelling to work, attending appointments or carrying out their usual activities, it can have an immediate financial impact. At the same time, keeping a home cool can mean higher energy bills, particularly when cooling equipment needs to run for long periods.
Research cited by BBC News suggests that disabled people can face difficult choices between protecting their health and managing household costs.
That is why heatwaves should not be treated simply as a matter of personal preparation. Housing, transport, social care, employment and public infrastructure all play a role in determining how safely someone can cope with extreme temperatures.
Designing heatwave policy with disabled people, not just for them
The experiences of disabled people point to a wider lesson about climate change.
As extreme heat becomes a recurring feature of summer, emergency planning needs to account for the different ways people experience weather. A recommendation that works for an able-bodied person may be impossible, impractical or even dangerous for someone with a disability.
That could mean considering accessible cooling spaces, reliable lifts, accessible transport, flexible working arrangements and clearer guidance tailored to different disabilities.
Most importantly, disabled people need to be involved in designing those solutions.
Climate resilience is not simply about surviving higher temperatures. It is about ensuring that people can continue to work, travel, access healthcare and participate in society when conditions become difficult.
For many disabled people, extreme heat already exposes weaknesses that exist all year round.
As summers get hotter, making society more resilient to heat must also mean making it more accessible.
A press release:
The accomplishments of musicians playing instruments with only one hand is to be celebrated at a special concert being organised by music disability charity, The OHMI Trust.
Taking place on Saturday, 12th September 2026 at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, the concert marks the charity’s 15th anniversary of helping musicians with an upper limb weakness, impairment or absence to play the musical instruments they want to play – whether that be through commissioning the research, design and manufacture of adapted instruments, making them available through the OHMI Instrument Hire Scheme (made up of over 400 adapted instruments and pieces of enabling equipment), or matching musicians with qualified teachers.
The concert aims to showcase the art of the possible through a vibrant mix of repertoire and styles performed by OHMI Music-Makers of all ages, alongside RBC students and alumni. It will include one-handed performances on the flute, clarinet, recorder and piano, with performances on the trumpet and French Horn made possible with enabling equipment.
Our talented musicians on the night will include:
- Hungarian musician Edit van der Burg who will be flying in to join the performance. As a talented young musician, Edit suffered a significant brain injury after being knocked down by a car. Long-term OHMI friend and instrument maker, Maarten Visser invented, designed and built an adapted flute for Edit to enable her to play to her previous standard, despite having lost the use of one side of her body. There have been several improvements to the instrument in the years that followed, and an entirely new instrument created in 2007 which one Dutch flute-reporter described as “a Stradivarius with the looks of a Harley Davidson”.
- Teenage pianist, Freya Terris whose long-term injury and surgery left her unable to play with her right hand. She recently made history as the first person to pass ABRSM Grade 8 using only one hand.
- French Horn player, Chris Griffiths who has the condition Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT), a neuropathy which affects hands and feet (and which led him to an elective bilateral amputation). Chris uses a French Horn stand to take the weight of the instrument (created by students at the University of Newcastle through a recent Hackcessible challenge).
- OHMI trustee, Liane Todd whose career as a peripatetic woodwind teacher was cut short after a serious accident whilst performing in a theatre pit orchestra. Now living with complex regional pain syndrome, a long-lasting condition affecting her entire left side, she has adapted her music-making by playing the one-handed clarinet. At around £6,000, the clarinet is one of the more expensive adapted musical instruments and is at the forefront of OHMI’s plans to find more cost-effective manufacturing methods such as 3D-printing.
- One-handed recorder player Esther Mannouch who once feared radiotherapy damage to her hand would end her music-making. Her specifically designed instrument has, however, enabled her to continue playing and hosting concerts, many of which have raised funds for OHMI.
- One-handed flautist Rebekah Goulston whose cerebral palsy affects her conventional playing of the instrument. She settled on the flute after doing her own research into identifying instruments to better represent disabled people at the highest levels of performance.
Emma Brown, a postgraduate research student at RBC and trustee of The OHMI Trust, said: “What better way to reflect OHMI’s unwavering belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to play, create and perform music to the highest level than by holding a concert at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire! We’re thrilled to have the support of RBC who are as passionate as we are about inclusion, excellence and future-facing musical practice. I’ll be playing on the night alongside the OHMI Music-Makers to celebrate the musical achievements of some of the individuals who have been supported by OHMI over the years, as well as to raise awareness of the adapted instruments and enabling equipment on offer from the OHMI Instrument Hire Scheme.”
Tickets for OHMI’s 15th anniversary celebration concert, priced at £15, can be booked on the RBC website. Proceeds will be used to support OHMI’s future work in supporting disabled musicians.
The concert is one of OHMI’s ‘15 for 15’ fundraising events where concert and ensemble performers are invited to support and raise awareness of OHMI’s valuable work through their own events.
As temperatures soar across large parts of the UK this week, staying safe in the heat is more important than ever.
The Met Office has issued amber heat warnings across almost all of England, with temperatures expected to reach the mid-to-high 30s. While extreme heat can affect everyone, it can pose a particularly serious risk to people with a learning disability.
Mencap is urging people with a learning disability, their families, carers and support services to take action early and treat extreme heat as a serious health risk.
Why can hot weather be more dangerous for people with a learning disability?
People with a learning disability can face additional challenges during periods of extreme heat. Some people may find it difficult to recognise that they are becoming too hot or to communicate that they are feeling unwell.
Others may need support to drink enough water, stay cool or recognise the early signs of heat-related illness.
Existing health conditions can also become worse in high temperatures, while some people may live in homes or other environments where keeping the temperature comfortable is difficult.
With very hot days combined with limited relief overnight, prolonged exposure to high temperatures can increase the risk of heat stress.
The good news is that taking simple precautions can make a significant difference.
How to stay safe during extreme heat
If you are supporting someone with a learning disability, planning ahead can help reduce the risks.
Keep hydrated
Encourage regular drinks of water throughout the day. Don’t wait until someone feels thirsty before offering fluids.
Tea and coffee shouldn’t be relied on as the main source of hydration, particularly during very hot weather.
Keep rooms as cool as possible
Close curtains or blinds during the hottest part of the day to keep sunlight out.
Where possible, ventilate rooms during the evening and overnight when temperatures are lower. Check indoor temperatures regularly and consider which room in the home stays coolest.
Avoid the hottest part of the day
Where possible, stay indoors in the coolest part of the home between around 11am and 3pm.
If you need to go outside, try to avoid direct sunlight, stay in the shade and consider changing plans or routines to avoid strenuous activity during the hottest hours.
Dress for the weather
Loose, lightweight clothing can help the body stay cooler. If you’re going outside, remember to stay in the shade wherever possible and avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.
Check in regularly
Regular wellbeing checks are particularly important for people who may not easily recognise or communicate that they are becoming too hot.
Don’t assume that someone will tell you if they are uncomfortable or feeling unwell. Look for changes in their behaviour or physical condition and make sure everyone involved in their care knows what signs to look out for.
Know the signs of heat exhaustion
Recognising the early warning signs of heat-related illness is essential.
Symptoms of heat exhaustion can include:
- Dizziness, headaches or unusual tiredness
- Feeling sick or vomiting
- A fast heartbeat or rapid breathing
- Excessive sweating
- A high body temperature
If someone develops symptoms, move them somewhere cooler, help them cool down and give them fluids. Seek medical advice if their symptoms persist or get worse.
Don’t wait for someone to become unwell
One of the most important messages from Mencap is the need for early action.
Extreme heat shouldn’t be treated simply as an inconvenience or something to endure. For some people, it can become a serious and potentially life-threatening health risk.
Families, carers and support services can help by having a clear plan in place before someone becomes unwell. This could include identifying the coolest room in the home, making sure drinks are readily available, adjusting daily routines and agreeing what to do if someone’s health starts to deteriorate.
As extreme heat becomes a more regular feature of UK summers, being prepared is increasingly important.
Mencap’s director of public affairs, Dan Scorer, has emphasised that much of the harm caused by hot weather can be prevented when people receive the right support and appropriate action is taken early.
Making heat safety accessible
Everyone should be able to understand how to stay safe during extreme weather.
Mencap has produced Easy Read guidance on staying safe in hot weather, specifically designed to help people with a learning disability understand the risks and the steps they can take to stay safe.
If you are a person with a learning disability, family member, carer or support worker, make sure you have a plan for hot weather and check in regularly with anyone who may be particularly vulnerable.
Extreme heat can be dangerous, but early action, good support and regular checks can help prevent avoidable harm.
For accessible information, visit Mencap’s Easy Read guide to staying safe in hot weather.
When Family Becomes The BSL Interpreter
For many families, caring for an elderly parent can be challenging enough. But when professional care services cannot communicate effectively with that parent, relatives can find themselves taking on a role they were never meant to carry.
That is the situation facing Peter Moone, a Northampton man who has spent much of his life interpreting for his deaf mother.
Moone, 49, says his 85-year-old mother, Maureen, has struggled to access appropriate support since the death of her husband in 2025. Born deaf, she did not learn to read or write, meaning communication through British Sign Language (BSL) is particularly important to her.
Yet, according to her son, specialist deaf-care provision has been difficult to find.
A responsibility that began in childhood
Moone’s experience is unusual in one respect, but sadly familiar in another. He says he has interpreted for both of his deaf parents since he was just eight years old.
As his mother has grown older, that childhood responsibility has followed him into adulthood.
The problem is not simply about knowing how to sign. Professional care involves sensitive conversations about health, finances, personal needs and sometimes deeply emotional experiences. Expecting a family member to interpret every interaction can create pressure for both the individual receiving care and the relative providing it.
It can also raise questions about privacy, independence and whether the person receiving support is genuinely able to communicate freely.
The cost of specialist care
Moone says he approached West Northamptonshire Council about finding suitable support for his mother and suggested a specialist provider based in Peterborough.
The provider cared for Maureen from August 2025 while funding arrangements were considered. However, Moone says the council later told the family it could no longer continue funding the service because of financial pressures.
That left the family facing a bill of around £3,500, according to the BBC report.
For families already dealing with the emotional consequences of losing a loved one and supporting an ageing parent, unexpected care costs can add another layer of anxiety.
Why access matters
The issue goes beyond one family or one local authority.
For deaf older people, accessibility cannot simply mean having a telephone number, a website or a standard care service available. True accessibility means being able to communicate with professionals in a way that allows a person to understand what is happening and express their own wishes.
That distinction becomes especially important in health and social care.
A hearing person would not normally be expected to bring a relative to every appointment simply because the professional could not communicate with them. Deaf people should not automatically be placed in that position either.
Family members can provide invaluable support, but that is different from making them responsible for delivering essential communication.
A wider support gap
The situation has also emerged against a backdrop of concern about specialist deaf services in the area.
Deafconnect, a charity that supported deaf and hard-of-hearing people in Northamptonshire through services including advocacy and education, closed in July. The loss of organisations such as this can be particularly significant for older deaf people who may already have limited access to appropriate services.
When specialist organisations disappear, families can be left trying to navigate complicated care systems on their own.
And for someone who has spent decades communicating primarily through BSL, finding a service that genuinely understands their needs is not an optional extra. It can determine whether they are able to live with dignity and independence.
Listening to the people who need support
West Northamptonshire Council has said it takes concerns about the standard, accessibility and provision of care services seriously and deals with them through its established investigation processes.
For families such as the Moones, however, the bigger question is what happens between making a complaint and receiving meaningful support.
Accessibility should not depend on how persistent a relative is, how much time they have available or whether they are able to navigate a complicated complaints process.
The lesson from this case is simple: communication is part of care.
If a person cannot communicate with their carers, doctors, social workers or other professionals, then access to care is already compromised.
For deaf people growing older, specialist support and qualified communication services can make the difference between being dependent on relatives and being able to participate in decisions about their own lives.
The challenge now is ensuring that deaf people do not have to fight for that basic level of independence — and that families are not left carrying the responsibility alone.
Deaf Golfers To Make Mark On World Stage
For three golfers from Yorkshire, the journey to Sweden is about far more than competing for trophies. It is about ambition, community and showing what deaf athletes can achieve.
Brian Robinson, Charlotte Dixon and Donna Serridge-Cross are among England’s 24-player squad travelling to the World Deaf Golf Championships in Sweden. Their stories highlight the determination and passion behind a sport that is creating new opportunities for deaf golfers.
Age is no barrier to ambition
At 68, Brian Robinson might be one of the older members of the England squad, but he has no intention of letting age stand in the way of his ambitions.
The Normanton Golf Club player describes representing England as a dream come true. With a touch of humour, he jokes that he may be like a “grandad” compared with some of his teammates, but he is looking forward to meeting other golfers and being part of the international deaf golfing community.
His message is particularly powerful: dreams do not have an expiry date.
When the course goes completely silent
For deaf golfers, competing at an international level can bring a unique set of challenges.
Players at the championships must meet specific hearing-loss requirements, and hearing aids and external cochlear implant equipment have to be removed during play.
For Donna Serridge-Cross, who uses British Sign Language as her first language, that can transform the experience of being on the course.
Without her hearing aid, familiar sounds disappear — including the strike of the club, the movement of the wind and warnings such as someone shouting “fore”.
Yet Serridge-Cross is no newcomer to the international stage. This will be her sixth World Deaf Golf Championships, and she describes the event as a welcoming and supportive community.
That sense of belonging is just as important as the competition itself.
A new chapter for Charlotte Dixon
For Charlotte Dixon, the championships represent a new chapter.
The Leeds golfer has more than 30 years of experience in the sport, having started playing as a junior at Sand Moor Golf Club. However, she only discovered deaf golf more recently after attending the Open Championship at Moor Allerton.
Now, she is preparing to represent England for the first time at the event.
Dixon also highlights an important aspect of deaf sport: finding a community where communication feels natural.
For someone accustomed to navigating a predominantly hearing world, joining a deaf sporting environment can initially feel daunting. But golf can provide a shared space where players can communicate, compete and build friendships.
More than a golf tournament
The World Deaf Golf Championships are about competition, but their significance goes beyond the leaderboard.
Players communicate in different ways, including through sign language, speech and lip reading. Even sign languages vary from country to country, but Robinson is confident that differences will not prevent players from connecting.
That spirit of adaptability reflects what makes sport so powerful. The game creates a common language — one based on skill, teamwork, competition and shared enthusiasm.
For England Deaf Golf, the championships are described as the pinnacle of international deaf golf. The organisation hopes the players will not only compete successfully but also challenge assumptions about deaf athletes.
Changing perceptions, inspiring the next generation
Perhaps the biggest impact of the England squad will be felt beyond Sweden.
When young deaf golfers see athletes from their own communities competing internationally, it can make previously distant ambitions seem possible.
The message from this Yorkshire trio is clear: whether you are 68 and fulfilling a long-held dream, 41 and preparing for another international championship, or 43 and embarking on your first major deaf golfing event, there is always room to pursue something new.
Their journey is a reminder that accessibility in sport is not simply about removing barriers. It is also about creating communities where people feel welcome, supported and able to reach their potential.
As the England team tees off in Sweden, they will be competing for their country — but they will also be carrying the hopes of the next generation of deaf golfers with them.
And sometimes, the most important victory happens long before the final score is recorded.
When An Accessible Toilet Closes, Accessibility Disappears
Imagine planning a family day out only to discover that a basic necessity isn’t available. For many families caring for someone with severe disabilities, that’s exactly what happens when specialist Changing Places toilets are closed.
A recent situation in Bournemouth has highlighted how something as simple as a locked toilet can have a major impact on inclusion, independence, and quality of life.
Why Changing Places Toilets Matter
Unlike standard accessible toilets, Changing Places facilities are designed for people with profound physical disabilities. They typically include:
- A height-adjustable changing bench
- A ceiling or mobile hoist
- Extra space for wheelchairs and carers
- Appropriate support equipment for safe personal care
Without these facilities, many disabled people cannot comfortably or safely spend extended periods away from home.
A Family’s Frustration
Patricia Risbridger, who cares for her eight-year-old granddaughter Esmai, who has cerebral palsy, says the closure of Bournemouth’s Lower Gardens Changing Places toilet has made outings far more difficult.
According to Patricia, the facility has remained unavailable during multiple visits over the past two years. While her family can still lift Esmai for now, she points out that many carers cannot safely do so. As a result, families may have no choice but to shorten trips or avoid visiting altogether.
Her experience reflects a wider issue affecting disabled people across the UK whenever essential accessible facilities are unavailable.
The Impact Goes Beyond Convenience
For most people, finding a public toilet is a minor concern. For someone who depends on a Changing Places facility, it can determine whether they can leave home at all.
Campaigners say that without these specialist toilets, families can face impossible choices, including:
- Cancelling planned outings.
- Returning home early.
- Resorting to unsafe or undignified alternatives, such as changing someone on a toilet floor or in a vehicle.
Accessibility is not simply about providing ramps or disabled parking spaces. It also means ensuring essential facilities remain available, functional, and properly maintained.
Why Was the Toilet Closed?
The Bournemouth facility was closed following repeated vandalism that caused extensive damage.
The local council has explained that repairs have taken longer than expected because it is introducing a more secure entry system designed to reduce future vandalism. Officials have apologised for the delay and say the facility is expected to reopen once testing of the new security measures is complete.
Meanwhile, another Changing Places toilet in Poole’s Dolphin Shopping Centre has also been temporarily closed after damage to its specialist changing bed, with replacement equipment requiring several weeks to manufacture.
Protecting Accessible Facilities
Unfortunately, vandalism doesn’t only result in repair bills. It can remove vital services from the people who rely on them most.
When specialist equipment is damaged, repairs are often costly, replacement parts can take weeks to arrive, and entire communities are left without appropriate facilities.
This highlights the need for better protection of public accessibility infrastructure through improved security, faster maintenance, and greater public awareness of the importance of these spaces.
Accessibility Shouldn’t Be Optional
Creating inclusive communities involves more than installing accessible facilities—it requires keeping them available when people need them.
For families like Esmai’s, a functioning Changing Places toilet isn’t a luxury or an extra convenience. It’s the difference between participating in everyday life and staying at home.
As towns and cities continue to invest in accessibility, maintaining these essential facilities should be treated as an ongoing commitment rather than a one-time achievement. After all, true accessibility exists only when everyone can use public spaces with dignity and confidence.
For many of us, spending a day in the countryside is something we take for granted. A walk across rolling hills, a visit to a scenic viewpoint, or a family outing in nature can be a simple pleasure. But for people who use wheelchairs or have limited mobility, these experiences are often out of reach.
A remarkable initiative in Sussex is working to change that.
A New Way to Experience Nature
The Obamobile is a specially designed horse-drawn carriage that allows wheelchair users to travel across terrain that would normally be difficult—or impossible—to access. Recently brought to Sussex for a series of demonstration sessions, the innovative carriage is giving people with disabilities the opportunity to explore the stunning landscapes of the South Downs Way.
The project isn’t just about transportation. It’s about inclusion.
As inventor Simon Mulholland explains, when one family member cannot access the countryside, it often means the entire family misses out. By making these spaces accessible, the Obamobile enables everyone to enjoy time together outdoors.
More Than Just a Ride
The response from families has been overwhelmingly positive.
For children and adults with mobility challenges, the chance to visit places like Devil’s Dyke offers more than just a scenic trip. It provides freedom, adventure, and the opportunity to participate in activities many people take for granted.
Parents and carers have highlighted how valuable these experiences are, particularly during school holidays when accessible outdoor activities can be difficult to find.
Safety at the Heart of Innovation
Creating a horse-drawn carriage for wheelchair users comes with unique challenges, and safety has been a major focus of the design.
Mulholland has incorporated an emergency quick-release system that can instantly detach the carriage from the pony if it becomes frightened. The mechanism can even activate automatically under certain conditions, providing additional reassurance for passengers and handlers alike.
This thoughtful engineering demonstrates that accessibility and safety can go hand in hand.
Inspired by a Vision for Inclusion
The project was inspired by the late Andy Davies, who lived with Muscular Dystrophy. As his condition progressed, he became increasingly aware of the barriers preventing disabled people from enjoying the countryside.
His vision was simple yet powerful: everyone should have the opportunity to experience beautiful natural spaces, regardless of physical ability.
Today, that vision continues to inspire efforts to make the South Downs more welcoming and inclusive.
Looking to the Future
Local accessibility advocates hope the demonstration sessions will encourage charities, volunteers, or local pony owners to establish a permanent service in Sussex.
The Obamobile isn’t intended to replace other accessibility solutions, such as off-road wheelchairs. Instead, it complements existing options by providing access for people whose needs cannot be met by traditional mobility equipment.
With continued community support, initiatives like this could become a regular feature in national parks and rural areas across the UK.
Why Accessibility Matters
Accessible tourism and outdoor recreation benefit everyone. They promote independence, improve mental wellbeing, strengthen family connections, and ensure that natural landscapes can be enjoyed by people of all abilities.
The Obamobile is a reminder that innovation doesn’t always require cutting-edge technology. Sometimes, combining traditional methods with thoughtful design can make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.
As conversations around accessibility continue to grow, projects like this show that creating inclusive spaces isn’t just possible—it’s essential. Every person deserves the chance to experience the beauty of nature, and initiatives like the Obamobile are helping make that vision a reality.
Tail Or Tale? 9 Common Myths About Assistance Dogs Debunked
Did you know that not all assistance dogs are Labradors? Or that they don’t need to wear a branded jacket to be considered “on duty”?
As we celebrate International Assistance Dog Week (2–8 August), it’s the perfect time to separate fact from fiction and shine a light on the incredible work assistance dogs do every day.
Many people have misconceptions about assistance dogs, from where they can go to how they’re trained. Canine Partners, a UK charity that creates life-changing partnerships between disabled people and expertly trained assistance dogs, has shared the truth behind some of the most common myths.
Let’s put your knowledge to the test.
1. All assistance dogs are Labradors
🐾 Tale
While Labradors are one of the most recognised assistance dog breeds, they’re far from the only option. Golden Retrievers, Labradoodles and other breeds can all become assistance dogs, provided they have the right temperament, good health and the ability to learn the tasks required.
The focus is always on finding the right dog for the job—not the breed.
2. Assistance dogs are only working when they’re wearing a jacket
🐾 Tale
Many people assume that if an assistance dog isn’t wearing a branded harness or jacket, it’s off duty.
In reality, assistance dogs can be working whether they’re wearing identification or not. In the UK, there is no legal requirement for an assistance dog to wear a harness, jacket or lead slip in public.
Many charities use distinctive jackets simply to help identify the dog and discourage distractions.
3. You should always ask before stroking an assistance dog
🐾 Tail
Even if an assistance dog looks relaxed, it may still be focused on helping its owner.
The golden rule is simple: always ask the owner before approaching or petting any assistance dog. Distracting a working dog could interrupt an important task or reduce its concentration.
Many handlers are happy to let people say hello when it’s appropriate, but it’s always their decision.
4. Only guide dogs are allowed in shops and restaurants
🐾 Tale
This is one of the biggest myths.
Under the Equality Act 2010, trained assistance dogs are permitted to accompany their handlers into shops, restaurants and other public places. Businesses are expected to make reasonable adjustments, and refusing entry because someone has an assistance dog may amount to disability discrimination.
Assistance dogs support people with many different disabilities—not just visual impairment.
5. Assistance dogs never get to play
🐾 Tale
Working dogs also get plenty of time to simply be dogs.
They enjoy walks, playtime, exercise and even activities like agility. When they’re off duty, they’re able to relax and enjoy life just like any family pet.
A happy, healthy dog is a better working partner.
6. Assistance dogs are trained using rewards
🐾 Tail
Modern assistance dog training relies on positive reinforcement.
Dogs learn tasks through games, praise, treats and affection rather than punishment. Every successful task is rewarded, making learning enjoyable and helping build a strong bond between dog and handler.
It’s a training method that’s both effective and welfare-friendly.
7. Emotional support dogs and assistance dogs are the same thing
🐾 Tale
Although both provide comfort, they’re not the same.
In the UK, emotional support dogs are not legally recognised in the same way as assistance dogs and do not have the same public access rights.
Assistance dogs receive extensive specialist training to perform practical tasks that help mitigate a person’s disability, while emotional support animals provide companionship without task-specific training.
8. Assistance dogs have an official UK registration
🐾 Tail
Surprisingly, there is no official government registration or certification system for assistance dogs in the UK.
Instead, many charities choose to meet recognised industry standards through organisations such as Assistance Dogs UK (ADUK) or Assistance Dogs International (ADI), ensuring high levels of training and welfare.
9. Assistance dogs only help people who are blind or deaf
🐾 Tail
Perhaps the biggest misconception of all.
Assistance dogs can support people living with a wide range of physical disabilities and medical conditions. They can retrieve dropped items, open doors, help with dressing, operate switches, call for help in an emergency and perform countless other daily tasks that improve independence.
Their support extends far beyond sight and hearing loss.
Why Awareness Matters
These misconceptions may seem harmless, but they can have a real impact on the lives of disabled people who rely on assistance dogs every day.
Understanding when not to distract a working dog, recognising that assistance dogs come in many breeds, and knowing their legal rights can all help create a more accessible and inclusive society.
As International Assistance Dog Week reminds us, these remarkable dogs are far more than companions—they’re skilled partners that provide independence, confidence and life-changing support.
The stage at my local music bar when I spent another night enjoying my freedom a couple of months ago
How Wheelchair Rugby Is Building Global Connections
Sport has an incredible ability to bring people together, regardless of geography, language, or background. One inspiring example comes from the world of wheelchair rugby, where athletes are proving that competition can also be a powerful force for inclusion, education, and international collaboration.
A wheelchair rugby captain from Cumbria is preparing to travel to Kampala, Uganda, with a mission that extends far beyond winning matches. During her two-week visit, she will help local athletes develop the sport by running coaching sessions, explaining the rules, mentoring players, and supporting the organisation of Uganda’s first wheelchair rugby tournament.
This initiative highlights how knowledge-sharing can have a lasting impact. Rather than simply donating equipment, the project combines practical resources with hands-on coaching, giving players the opportunity to build skills and confidence while strengthening their local sporting community.
The visiting team is also contributing specialist sports equipment, including a high-value competition wheelchair and medical supplies. For emerging sports programmes, access to the right equipment can make a significant difference, helping more athletes participate safely and competitively.
Sport as a Level Playing Field
One of the most powerful messages from wheelchair rugby is the sense of equality it creates. Athletes often come from diverse backgrounds and live with different disabilities, yet once they are on the court, everyone competes under the same rules with the same determination.
Wheelchair rugby is a fast-paced, physical sport that demands teamwork, strategy, communication, and resilience. Success depends not on an individual’s disability but on their skill, commitment, and ability to work with teammates.
This spirit of mutual respect is one reason the sport has such a strong community. Players frequently celebrate one another’s achievements, even across rival teams, creating friendships that extend well beyond competition.
Breaking Down Barriers
Accessibility remains a challenge in many parts of the world, making opportunities for adaptive sports especially valuable. International partnerships like this help increase awareness of disability inclusion while encouraging local communities to invest in accessible sporting opportunities.
By working directly with athletes in Uganda, the visiting coach is helping create a foundation that local players and organisers can continue to build upon long after the visit has ended.
Why Stories Like This Matter
It’s easy to think of sport solely in terms of medals, championships, and league tables. Yet stories like this remind us that its greatest achievements often happen away from the spotlight.
When athletes share their expertise, donate equipment, and encourage others to participate, they help create opportunities that can transform lives. They demonstrate that sport is not just about competition—it is about confidence, friendship, belonging, and the belief that everyone deserves a chance to play.
As wheelchair rugby continues to grow around the world, initiatives like this show how one team’s generosity and one athlete’s commitment can inspire lasting change across continents. Sometimes the biggest victory isn’t the score at the end of the match—it’s the community that’s built along the way.
selfie of the week from a couple of months back when I was attending the Friday club and enjoying lots of fun stuff there.
From Paralysis To The Peak Of Snowdon
Sometimes the greatest victories aren’t measured by speed, strength, or trophies—they’re measured by taking the next step when the world tells you it’s impossible.
That is exactly what makes Sam Baldwin’s story so remarkable.
Just over a year after a devastating motorcycle accident left him paralysed from the waist down, the 28-year-old father from Oxfordshire achieved something that once seemed unimaginable: reaching the summit of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), the highest mountain in Wales.
A Life Changed in an Instant
In March 2025, what began as a routine motorcycle ride ended in catastrophe. After losing control of his bike, Sam suffered life-threatening injuries, including seven broken vertebrae in his neck and back, multiple fractures, a punctured lung, and paralysis from the waist down.
He spent months in hospital recovering from his injuries. Doctors warned his family that he would likely never walk again—a devastating prognosis for someone who had previously enjoyed rugby, basketball, and an active lifestyle.
Yet Sam refused to let those words define his future.
Finding Hope One Movement at a Time
Recovery from a spinal cord injury is rarely straightforward. It demands extraordinary patience, determination, and resilience.
For Sam, hope began with something incredibly small: the slightest movement in his toes.
What may have seemed insignificant to others became the turning point in his recovery. That tiny sign of progress motivated him to keep pushing forward, setting one goal after another as he worked tirelessly through rehabilitation.
His journey reminds us that progress isn’t always dramatic. Sometimes it starts with the smallest victories.
Conquering an Unfinished Dream
Before the accident, Sam had planned to climb Yr Wyddfa. Fate had other plans.
Sixteen months later, he returned to fulfil that dream.
Supported by family and friends, Sam completed the demanding nine-hour climb while raising funds for Spinal Research, a charity dedicated to advancing treatments for spinal cord injuries.
The climb wasn’t easy. In fact, Sam described the descent as one of the hardest challenges he has ever faced. But reaching the summit represented far more than conquering a mountain—it symbolised overcoming doubt, adversity, and the limitations others believed he would face forever.
More Than Just a Fundraiser
For Sam, the climb carried a message beyond personal achievement.
He dedicated the challenge to everyone living with spinal cord injuries who would give anything for the opportunity to take just one step.
His fundraising efforts also shine a spotlight on the importance of continued research into spinal cord injuries. While rehabilitation has helped Sam regain mobility, many people are still waiting for breakthroughs that could transform their lives.
Every donation and every awareness campaign brings that future a little closer.
Appreciating What Matters Most
Although Sam continues to live with physical limitations, his perspective has changed.
He may no longer play competitive sports or carry heavy loads, but he treasures the everyday moments that many people take for granted—walking with loved ones, spending time with his daughter, and simply enjoying life outside a hospital ward.
His story is a powerful reminder that resilience is not about returning to the life you once had. It’s about building a meaningful life with the challenges you face today.
Lessons We Can All Take Away
Sam Baldwin’s journey offers valuable lessons for everyone:
- Never underestimate the power of persistence.
- Small improvements can lead to extraordinary achievements.
- Hope often begins with the smallest signs of progress.
- Family, friends, and community support make an enormous difference during recovery.
- Challenges can become opportunities to inspire and help others.
Final Thoughts
Climbing a mountain is difficult for anyone. Doing it after surviving a life-changing spinal injury is extraordinary.
Sam Baldwin’s achievement is about far more than reaching the highest point in Wales. It represents courage, determination, and the refusal to let adversity have the final word.
His journey reminds us that while we cannot always control what happens to us, we can choose how we respond. Sometimes, the most inspiring stories begin with a single step that everyone else believed was impossible.
Across Britain, church bells have marked the passage of time for centuries. They’ve celebrated weddings, mourned losses, welcomed festivals, and brought communities together. In the Devon town of Bovey Tracey, one dedicated bell-ringer is determined to ensure that tradition continues for generations to come.
Mike Wigney’s story is one of resilience, determination, and unwavering passion.
After suffering a life-changing spinal injury in a climbing accident more than two decades ago, many people would have expected Mike to leave his hobbies behind. Instead, he found strength through bell-ringing. From his wheelchair, he has visited more than 2,800 bell towers across the UK, including many of England’s historic cathedrals, proving that physical challenges need not define what someone can achieve.
Getting to the ringing chamber is rarely straightforward.
Many historic church towers were built centuries before accessibility was considered. Narrow spiral staircases, steep ladders, and small trap doors present significant obstacles. Yet with determination—and the support of fellow ringers—Mike continues to reach the ropes. His wheelchair is dismantled and carried upstairs, while friends help him navigate spaces that were never designed with accessibility in mind.
His story highlights the importance of inclusion, showing how communities can overcome barriers through teamwork rather than allowing those barriers to exclude people.
Today, however, Mike faces a different challenge.
The bells of St Peter, St Paul and St Thomas of Canterbury Church in Bovey Tracey have rung for around 500 years, but their future is uncertain. The steel supports that help hold the bells are deteriorating after years of exposure to Devon’s damp climate. As the metal corrodes, it expands, placing pressure on the surrounding stonework and threatening the tower itself.
The bells remain in good condition, but the supporting structure urgently requires repair.
The local church is now working to raise £120,000 to replace the ageing steelwork and secure the future of the tower. Without the necessary funding, there is a real possibility that the bells could eventually fall silent.
What makes this story particularly inspiring is that the problem isn’t a lack of volunteers.
Many churches across the country struggle to recruit bell-ringers, but Bovey Tracey has built a thriving community that includes experienced adults and enthusiastic children still in primary school. Mike also dedicates his time to training the next generation, ensuring that the centuries-old tradition continues beyond his own lifetime.
His commitment extends beyond preserving an instrument—it is about protecting a shared piece of local heritage.
Church bells are more than historic artefacts. They represent continuity, craftsmanship, music, and community spirit. Once silent, these traditions can be incredibly difficult to restore.
Mike Wigney’s journey reminds us that preserving heritage isn’t only about maintaining old buildings. It’s about supporting the people who keep those traditions alive, passing skills from one generation to the next, and ensuring that history remains something we experience—not just something we read about.
If the campaign succeeds, the people of Bovey Tracey won’t simply save a bell tower.
They’ll help ensure that the sound which has echoed across their town for five centuries continues to ring for the next five hundred years.
For many young adults with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the journey from education to meaningful employment can be filled with uncertainty. While many are eager to work, opportunities that provide the right support remain limited. A new college opening in Rugby hopes to change that by placing employability at the heart of its education.
A Different Approach to Learning
Creating Tomorrow College is expanding with a new campus in Rugby, welcoming its first students this September. Designed for learners aged 18 to 25 with SEND, the college focuses on equipping students with the practical skills, confidence, and workplace experience needed to secure long-term employment.
Rather than relying solely on classroom-based learning, the college partners with businesses to immerse students in real working environments. This approach helps learners develop professional skills while gaining valuable insight into different industries before they enter the job market.
Learning in a Real Workplace
The Rugby campus has been developed in partnership with Iron Mountain, a global data storage and information management company. By operating within a live business setting, students will experience day-to-day workplace routines from the beginning of their studies.
Learners will also have opportunities to explore career paths in areas such as hospitality and retail, giving them practical exposure that can help shape their future career choices.
Addressing the Employment Gap
Employment remains a significant challenge for many people with learning disabilities, despite strong interest in joining the workforce. Colleges that prioritise vocational education and supported internships play an important role in narrowing this gap.
Creating Tomorrow College reports that every student leaving its programmes has progressed into employment. While outcomes vary between individuals and institutions, this highlights the potential impact of combining tailored education with hands-on workplace experience.
The Importance of Personalised Support
Parents often describe finding suitable post-18 education as one of the biggest challenges their families face. Every learner has different strengths, learning styles, and support requirements, making personalised guidance essential.
Families connected with the college have praised its understanding of SEND and its focus on helping students build independence alongside employability skills. This type of tailored support can make a significant difference in preparing young adults for life beyond education.
Looking Ahead
As more employers recognise the value that neurodiverse and disabled employees bring to the workplace, partnerships between educational providers and businesses are becoming increasingly important. Programmes that combine academic learning with real-world experience not only improve employment prospects but also help build confidence, independence, and long-term career success.
The opening of the Rugby campus represents another step towards creating more inclusive pathways into employment. If similar initiatives continue to expand across the UK, more young people with SEND could have the opportunity to develop fulfilling careers and contribute their talents to the workforce.
Final Thoughts
Education should prepare every young person for the future, regardless of their individual needs. Colleges that combine specialist support with genuine workplace opportunities demonstrate that, with the right environment and expectations, young people with SEND can thrive in employment and achieve their ambitions.
Photography Brings Joy To Man With CP
Life doesn’t always follow the path we expect. For many people living with a disability, everyday tasks can require creativity, patience, and determination. Yet, as one young photographer from Aberdeenshire shows, passion can become a powerful way to overcome challenges and discover joy.
At just 21 years old, Jake Smith has refused to let cerebral palsy define what he can and cannot achieve. Instead, he has embraced photography—not only as a hobby but as a way of expressing himself, connecting with nature, and inspiring others.
A Different Way of Seeing the World
Photography is often described as capturing moments, but for Jake it is much more than pressing a shutter button. It is about experiencing the world through curiosity and creativity.
Because cerebral palsy affects his movement and coordination, Jake has adapted the way he uses his camera. Rather than seeing this as a limitation, he has found techniques that allow him to continue doing what he loves. Whether balancing his camera carefully or using a tripod for support, he proves that determination often matters more than perfection.
His story reminds us that success isn’t about having the easiest path—it’s about finding your own.
The Magic of Wildlife Photography
One of Jake’s greatest passions is photographing wildlife. Hours spent waiting in parks and woodlands are rewarded by the excitement of capturing a squirrel darting through the trees, a robin perched on a mossy branch, or a swan stretching its wings.
Wildlife photography teaches patience. Animals rarely pose on command, and the perfect image may come after countless missed opportunities. But that makes each successful photograph even more rewarding.
For Jake, those moments of achievement bring genuine happiness. They also offer an escape—a chance to immerse himself in nature and focus entirely on the beauty around him.
Creativity Has No Barriers
It’s easy to assume that physical challenges limit creative opportunities, but Jake’s journey proves otherwise.
His love of photography has already led to remarkable achievements, including publishing a book of his images. More importantly, it has given him confidence, purpose, and something he is deeply passionate about.
His mother’s pride reflects how meaningful it is when someone discovers an activity that allows them to flourish. While certain opportunities may have been more difficult to access growing up, photography opened doors that otherwise might have remained closed.
That is a powerful reminder that hobbies are more than pastimes—they can shape identity, build confidence, and create new possibilities.
Lessons We Can All Learn
Jake’s story offers valuable lessons that extend far beyond photography:
- Adapt rather than give up when faced with challenges.
- Spend more time outdoors and appreciate the natural world.
- Celebrate progress instead of chasing perfection.
- Pursue activities that bring genuine happiness.
- Share your talents to inspire others.
These lessons apply whether you’re picking up a camera, learning a musical instrument, writing a book, or simply trying something new.
Living Life with Positivity
Perhaps the most inspiring part of Jake’s journey is his outlook on life. Rather than focusing on obstacles, he chooses to focus on opportunities.
His message is simple but powerful: life is short, so make the most of it and stay positive.
In a world that often highlights limitations, stories like Jake’s remind us of what people are capable of when passion meets perseverance. His photographs capture wildlife, landscapes, and action—but they also capture something less visible: resilience, hope, and the joy that comes from doing what you love.
Sometimes the most beautiful picture isn’t the one hanging on a wall. It’s the story behind the person who took it.
Accessible Holidays Shouldn’t Be A Luxury
For most of us, a holiday is a chance to relax, recharge, and create memories with family and friends. It’s an opportunity to step away from the demands of everyday life and experience something different. But for many disabled people, planning a holiday is far from relaxing. Instead, it can become a frustrating search for accommodation that simply meets their basic needs.
Richard Douglas, who lives with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), knows this struggle all too well. As his condition has progressed over the years, finding suitable places to stay has become increasingly difficult. Accessible accommodation isn’t just about having a wheelchair ramp or wider doorways—it often requires specialist equipment such as ceiling hoists, profiling beds, and adapted bathrooms. Without these essential features, many holiday properties are simply not an option.
Accessibility Means More Than Compliance
Many accommodation providers proudly advertise themselves as “accessible,” but accessibility exists on a spectrum. A property that works for one guest may be completely unsuitable for another.
Current equality laws require service providers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled visitors. However, what is considered “reasonable” often depends on the size of the business, its resources, and the cost of making adaptations. While these legal requirements are important, they don’t always result in accommodation that genuinely meets the needs of people with complex disabilities.
For families who rely on specialist equipment every day, the difference between basic accessibility and true inclusivity can determine whether a holiday is even possible.
Holidays Matter for Everyone
The conversation around accessible tourism is often centred on the disabled traveller, but it’s equally important to recognise the impact on families and carers.
Caring for someone with significant physical needs is a full-time responsibility that doesn’t pause during a holiday. Yet having access to the right facilities can transform the experience, making everyday care easier while allowing everyone to enjoy a change of scenery together.
A few days away can provide emotional relief, strengthen family relationships, and improve wellbeing. These experiences shouldn’t be reserved only for those who can navigate inaccessible environments.
A Vision for Inclusive Tourism
Inspired by purpose-built accessible accommodation he visited in County Donegal, Richard hopes to create a similar holiday destination in Northern Ireland. His vision is to offer a space designed specifically for people with complex mobility needs, ensuring families can enjoy a holiday without worrying about whether essential equipment will be available.
Projects like this demonstrate what inclusive tourism can look like when accessibility is considered from the very beginning rather than added as an afterthought.
Why the Tourism Industry Should Care
Accessible tourism isn’t just a social responsibility—it also makes good business sense. Millions of people worldwide live with disabilities, and many travel with family members, friends, or carers. Investing in truly accessible accommodation opens the door to a wider customer base while promoting a more inclusive travel industry.
Small improvements such as clear accessibility information, step-free access, and adapted facilities can make a significant difference. Larger investments, including specialist equipment where feasible, can create destinations that genuinely welcome everyone.
Looking Ahead
Travel should be about discovering new places, spending quality time with loved ones, and making lasting memories. For disabled people, those opportunities are too often limited by barriers that could be addressed through thoughtful planning and inclusive design.
Creating more purpose-built accessible accommodation isn’t simply about meeting legal obligations—it’s about recognising that everyone deserves the chance to enjoy a holiday with dignity, independence, and peace of mind.
True accessibility isn’t achieved when a building just meets minimum standards. It’s achieved when every guest feels genuinely welcomed and able to enjoy the same experiences as everyone else.
The Edinburgh International Festival is continuing to make the arts more welcoming and inclusive in 2026, with an expanded programme of accessible performances, the return of its dementia-friendly concerts, and exciting new opportunities for emerging young musicians.
Running from 7–30 August 2026, the Festival is building on its commitment to ensuring that everyone can enjoy world-class performances, regardless of age, disability or additional support needs.
Dementia-Friendly Concerts Return
Following the success of its first dementia-friendly concert in 2025, the Festival will present two specially designed performances for people living with dementia, alongside their families, friends and carers.
These relaxed concerts aim to create a comfortable and welcoming environment where audiences can enjoy live music without the pressures often associated with traditional concert settings. They will feature performances from participants in the Festival’s Rising Stars programme alongside Discovery and Participation Associate Artist Lucy Drever.
For many people affected by dementia, opportunities to experience live music in an accessible environment can have significant social and emotional benefits. The concerts recognise the importance of making cultural experiences available to everyone.
Supporting the Next Generation of Musicians
The Festival’s Rising Stars professional development programme also enters its fourth year with an exciting expansion.
For the first time, the programme will include jazz musicians, welcoming five talented Scottish conservatoire students to work with acclaimed drummer Domo Branch and pianist Joe Webb. Together, they will perform as part of the Festival’s Jazz Jam at The Hub before taking part in the dementia-friendly concerts.
The initiative gives emerging performers valuable experience working with established professionals while performing on an international stage.
A Strong Commitment to Accessibility
Accessibility remains a major focus throughout the 2026 Festival. This year’s programme includes:
- 43 accessible performances across the Festival.
- 21 captioned performances – the highest number the Festival has ever offered.
- An updated, free Access Pass, allowing visitors to share their individual access requirements in advance for a more personalised experience.
- A detailed Access Guide, now also available in plain text, providing practical information ranging from seating arrangements to lift dimensions to help audiences plan their visit with confidence.
- New animated access guides explaining the Festival’s accessibility provisions in an easy-to-understand format.
These improvements are designed to remove barriers and make attending performances as straightforward as possible for disabled audiences and anyone with additional access needs.
Making the Arts More Inclusive
As arts organisations continue to recognise the importance of inclusion, the Edinburgh International Festival’s growing investment in accessibility demonstrates that world-class cultural events can also be welcoming to everyone.
Whether through dementia-friendly performances, improved accessibility information or opportunities for young musicians to develop their careers, the 2026 Festival is placing inclusion at the heart of its programme.
The Edinburgh International Festival runs from 7–30 August 2026. For more information about accessibility and the full programme, visit the Festival’s website.
The Civil Rights Movement Britain Forgot
When people think about Britain’s great social justice movements, the Suffragettes, the Miners’ Strike and the Greenham Common peace protests are often among the first to come to mind. Yet there is another movement that transformed British society while remaining largely absent from history books: the Disability Rights Movement.
A newly launched digital archive, NDMAC: Crip Fights For Civil Rights, is shining a long-overdue spotlight on the disabled activists who fought for equality through direct action, determination and decades of campaigning.
The archive, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, tells the story of Britain’s disability rights movement through oral histories, photographs, films and personal collections contributed by the people who lived through it. It is an important reminder that many of the rights disabled people enjoy today were not simply granted—they were hard won.
A Fight for Equality
Long before accessibility became part of public conversation, disabled activists were taking to the streets. They chained themselves to buses to protest inaccessible transport, blocked roads, occupied public buildings and organised campaigns that challenged discrimination and exclusion from everyday life.
These actions were not symbolic. They were designed to expose the barriers disabled people faced every day and force politicians and the public to pay attention.
Their persistence helped pave the way for one of the most significant pieces of equality legislation in British history: the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Thirty years later, the archive asks an important question: why is the story of the movement that secured these rights still so little known?
Preserving a Hidden History
One of the archive’s most remarkable discoveries is the collection of photographer and activist Keith Armstrong. His powerful images place viewers in the heart of demonstrations that helped reshape Britain, capturing not only moments of protest but also the solidarity and determination of the movement.
The project also celebrates the activists, artists and organisers whose contributions have too often been overlooked, ensuring their experiences are preserved for future generations.
As David Hevey, CEO of Shape Arts, explains:
“People often think disability rights arrived through luck or goodwill. The reality is they were fought for by ordinary disabled people who organised, protested and demanded change.”
It’s a powerful reminder that social progress is rarely inevitable. It happens because ordinary people refuse to accept inequality.
Why It Matters Today
Although Britain has made significant progress in disability rights, many barriers remain. Accessible transport, inclusive employment, equal access to public spaces and representation continue to be issues that disabled people campaign on today.
Understanding the history of the Disability Rights Movement helps explain how change happens and why protecting those gains remains important.
The stories preserved within NDMAC are not simply historical records—they are lessons in activism, resilience and community organising. They show how collective action can challenge prejudice and transform society.
A Legacy Worth Remembering
History often celebrates the most visible movements while overlooking others that were equally transformative. The Disability Rights Movement deserves recognition alongside Britain’s other landmark civil rights campaigns.
By preserving the voices of those who fought for equality, NDMAC ensures that future generations can understand not only what was achieved but also the courage and determination it took to achieve it.
If we are serious about telling the full story of Britain’s struggle for civil rights, then this is a history we can no longer afford to forget.
Sign Language Group Combats Isolation
In many rural communities, loneliness can affect anyone—but for deaf and hard-of-hearing people, finding opportunities to communicate and connect with others can be especially challenging. A new initiative in Bovey Tracey, Devon, is showing how something as simple as a monthly café gathering can make a meaningful difference.
A Place Where Everyone Can Communicate
The newly launched Deaf Café provides a welcoming space where deaf and hearing people can meet, chat, and learn British Sign Language (BSL) together. Hosted at the Riverside Community Centre, the monthly sessions are designed to encourage inclusion, build confidence, and create lasting social connections.
Rather than focusing solely on formal lessons, the café offers a relaxed environment where participants can practise signing over coffee, share experiences, and learn from one another.
Inspired by a Chance Encounter
The idea came from 23-year-old Bradley Oliver after meeting a young deaf girl at a local market. Unable to communicate with her using spoken language, he and his mother decided to learn BSL so they could greet her properly the next time they met.
As Bradley’s understanding of sign language grew, he realised there were very few places where deaf and hearing people could comfortably socialise using BSL. That simple observation became the foundation for the Deaf Café.
Bradley also understands what exclusion feels like personally, having faced health challenges that made finding employment difficult before launching his own laser cutting and engraving business.
Making Sign Language More Accessible
For many people, formal sign language courses can be expensive or difficult to access.
One attendee, Jean Fenton, who wears hearing aids and has been told she may eventually lose her hearing, attended the café after finding structured classes beyond her budget.
At her first session, she learned the BSL alphabet and how to sign her own name—small achievements that boosted her confidence and encouraged her to continue learning.
Her experience highlights an important point: accessible community learning opportunities can remove barriers that traditional education sometimes cannot.
Learning Together
Students and teachers from the Deaf Academy in Exmouth helped launch the initiative by teaching finger spelling and basic signs.
Teachers say the café benefits everyone involved.
For deaf students, it provides opportunities to meet new people outside their usual social circles. For hearing participants, it offers valuable real-world practice that classroom learning alone cannot provide.
This shared environment helps break down communication barriers while encouraging greater understanding between communities.
Why Community Spaces Matter
Organisations supporting deaf children and adults have long recognised the importance of inclusive community spaces.
Beyond learning a new language, initiatives like the Deaf Café help reduce social isolation, improve confidence, and encourage meaningful friendships.
They also raise awareness that communication is a shared responsibility. When more hearing people learn even basic BSL, everyday interactions become more welcoming and inclusive for everyone.
Looking Ahead
The Deaf Café will continue meeting monthly from September, giving local residents an ongoing opportunity to practise British Sign Language in an informal and supportive setting.
Its success serves as a reminder that inclusion doesn’t always require large-scale programmes or significant funding. Sometimes, it begins with a simple conversation—or, in this case, a simple sign.
As more communities look for ways to reduce loneliness and build stronger social connections, initiatives like this offer an inspiring example of how learning each other’s language can bring people together, one conversation at a time.
Primary School Pupils Enjoy Learning BSL
In a heartwarming example of inclusive education, Year 6 pupils at St James Church of England Primary School in Northampton have shown how learning British Sign Language (BSL) can transform the way children communicate, build empathy, and connect with others.
Since September, the pupils have been learning BSL and have successfully achieved their Level 1 qualification. While gaining a new language is an impressive accomplishment, the real success lies in how the children are using these skills in everyday life.
Learning That Makes a Difference
For many of the pupils, BSL has become much more than another subject in school.
One student shared that learning sign language has allowed them to communicate directly with their deaf aunt, while another explained that they now feel confident helping deaf people in the community if they need directions or assistance.
These real-life experiences show that BSL is not simply about learning signs—it’s about removing communication barriers and ensuring everyone feels included.
Why British Sign Language Matters
British Sign Language is the first or preferred language for many deaf people across the UK. By introducing children to BSL at a young age, schools help create a more accessible and understanding society.
Learning sign language also develops:
Communication skills
Confidence
Empathy and understanding
Awareness of disability and inclusion
Respect for diversity
These are valuable life skills that extend well beyond the classroom.
Inclusive Education in Action
Headteacher Sarah Beach explained that the school chose BSL because it would help create a more inclusive environment for everyone.
Rather than teaching a spoken foreign language, the school recognised that sign language could benefit pupils from a wide range of backgrounds, including children who are learning English and those with hearing impairments.
Teachers have noticed that some pupils who are new to English retain signs more easily than spoken words, helping support both communication and language development.
The initiative has also ensured that children with hearing aids—or those whose hearing may change in the future—already possess valuable communication skills.
Children Learn Quickly
BSL teacher Christina Felton, who first taught herself sign language before introducing it to pupils, described children as “like sponges.”
Young learners often absorb visual languages incredibly quickly, making primary school an ideal time to introduce sign language.
Beyond vocabulary, pupils have also explored the history and culture of the Deaf community, helping them understand that deafness does not limit a person’s ambitions or career opportunities.
As one pupil pointed out, deaf people can work in a wide variety of professions, from teachers to driving instructors.
More Schools Could Follow
The success of this programme highlights a growing conversation about whether British Sign Language should become more widely available in schools.
Teaching BSL offers benefits that reach far beyond academic achievement. It promotes kindness, accessibility, confidence, and community spirit while preparing children for a diverse society.
In an increasingly connected world, being able to communicate with more people—regardless of how they communicate—is a skill worth celebrating.
A Lesson in Inclusion
The pupils at St James Church of England Primary School have demonstrated that learning sign language is not only enjoyable but genuinely life-changing.
Their enthusiasm proves that when schools embrace inclusive learning, children don’t just gain qualifications—they gain understanding, compassion, and the confidence to make everyone feel welcome.
Perhaps the biggest lesson isn’t about signing at all. It’s about ensuring that no one is left out of the conversation.
Freya Terris Redefines Piano Playing Possibilities
When we think about achieving excellence, we often imagine people with every advantage at their disposal. But sometimes the most inspiring stories come from those who face seemingly impossible obstacles—and refuse to let them define their future.
At just 17 years old, Freya Terris from Lisburn, Northern Ireland, has shown the world what resilience truly looks like. After a long-term injury left her unable to play the piano with her right hand, many might have assumed her musical ambitions were over. Instead, she found a new path.
Rather than giving up on the instrument she loved, Freya devoted herself to mastering music written exclusively for the left hand. What began as a temporary way to keep playing gradually became a remarkable skill in its own right. Years of dedicated practice transformed a difficult situation into an extraordinary opportunity.
Her perseverance paid off in spectacular fashion. Freya achieved a distinction in her Grade 8 piano examination, performing an entire programme using only her left hand. According to the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM), she is the first pianist known to have completed the qualification with a repertoire designed solely for one hand.
Turning Frustration into Progress
The journey was far from easy.
Learning an entirely new technique required patience, determination, and countless hours of practice. There were moments when frustration threatened to overshadow her love of music. Playing different pieces than she had originally dreamed of wasn’t always easy to accept.
Recognising the emotional and physical challenge, Freya and her teacher occasionally stepped back from intensive lessons. Those breaks helped her reconnect with the joy of making music rather than feeling trapped by her circumstances.
Sometimes progress isn’t about pushing harder—it’s about knowing when to pause, reset, and return stronger.
The Power of Creative Thinking
Freya’s success wasn’t achieved alone.
Her piano teacher encouraged her to explore music specifically composed for left-hand pianists and introduced her to accomplished musicians who had overcome similar challenges. Knowing that others had built successful careers despite physical limitations helped reinforce the idea that her future in music was still full of possibilities.
Instead of focusing on what had been lost, they focused on what could still be achieved.
That mindset made all the difference.
Creating Opportunities for Others
Perhaps the most remarkable part of Freya’s story is its impact beyond her own achievement.
During discussions about adapting the Grade 8 examination, ABRSM recognised the need for greater accessibility. The collaboration ultimately contributed to the introduction of dedicated one-hand piano repertoire across Grades 1 to 8 in the organisation’s new syllabus.
This means future pianists with similar physical challenges will have a recognised pathway to musical qualifications without facing the same barriers Freya encountered.
Her determination has opened doors for countless aspiring musicians around the world.
A Lesson Beyond Music
Freya’s story isn’t simply about passing an exam.
It’s about resilience in the face of disappointment.
It’s about adapting when life doesn’t go according to plan.
And it’s about proving that limitations don’t always have to become barriers.
Whether you’re learning an instrument, building a career, studying for exams, or pursuing a personal dream, setbacks are inevitable. What matters most is how you respond to them.
Freya reminds us that success isn’t always about taking the expected route. Sometimes it’s about discovering a completely different path—and making history along the way.
As she prepares to study music at university, her achievement serves as an inspiring reminder that determination, creativity, and perseverance can transform even the toughest challenges into lasting opportunities.
Sometimes, one hand is all it takes to make history.
Dame Sarah Storey Retires
After more than three decades representing Great Britain at the highest level, Dame Sarah Storey has announced her retirement from international Paralympic competition. While fans may be saddened that one of the greatest athletes in British sporting history will no longer compete on the world stage, her decision reflects something bigger than medals—it signals a commitment to shaping the future of Para-sport.
A Career That Redefined Excellence
Sarah Storey’s sporting journey is unlike any other. She first captured the world’s attention as a teenage swimmer at the 1992 Paralympic Games before making a remarkable transition to cycling. Few athletes successfully switch elite sports, let alone become the most decorated Paralympian in their country’s history.
Across nine Paralympic Games, Storey amassed an astonishing 30 medals, including 19 golds. Her consistency, resilience, and ability to evolve throughout her career have made her one of Britain’s greatest sporting icons.
Her achievements extend beyond the medal table. She has inspired generations of athletes by proving that determination, adaptability, and relentless hard work can overcome almost any challenge.
Why Retire Now?
Interestingly, Storey has made it clear that her retirement is not due to declining performance. She believes she could still compete at the highest level, including defending her titles at the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.
Instead, she feels her greatest contribution now lies away from competition.
Storey has spoken openly about her concerns that the momentum generated by the London 2012 Paralympic Games has slowed. While awareness and participation have improved significantly over the past decade, she believes there is still much work to be done to strengthen Para-sport, improve opportunities for athletes, and secure the media attention and investment the movement deserves.
Her decision reflects a shift from competing for medals to advocating for lasting change.
More Than an Athlete
Throughout her career, Storey has become known for much more than winning races.
She has championed grassroots cycling, supported young athletes, and demonstrated that elite sport and family life can coexist. Many of her greatest victories came after becoming a mother, challenging outdated assumptions about motherhood and high-performance sport.
Her influence has reached well beyond the track, making her an ambassador for disability sport and an important voice in conversations around equality, accessibility, and athlete development.
A Legacy That Will Continue
Tributes from across British sport have highlighted not only Storey’s extraordinary achievements but also her dedication to helping others succeed.
Fellow Paralympians, coaches, and sporting leaders have praised her professionalism, determination, and willingness to push boundaries. Her career has inspired countless athletes with disabilities to pursue their own sporting ambitions.
Now, her focus turns toward ensuring future generations have even greater opportunities than she did.
Looking Ahead
Retirement rarely means stepping away completely for athletes like Sarah Storey. Instead, it often marks the beginning of a different kind of leadership.
By dedicating her energy to improving Para-sport, Storey hopes to build on the legacy of London 2012 and help create stronger pathways, better visibility, and greater support for disabled athletes around the world.
Her competitive career may be over, but her impact on Paralympic sport is far from finished.
Final Thoughts
Dame Sarah Storey leaves behind one of the most remarkable careers in sporting history. Her record-breaking medal haul will stand as a benchmark for generations, but perhaps her greatest achievement will be the work she does after retirement.
True champions don’t just win competitions—they leave their sport in a better place than they found it. Sarah Storey appears determined to do exactly that.
All Newborns To Be Screened For SMA
Families affected by spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) have welcomed a significant breakthrough after the announcement that all newborn babies in England will be offered screening for the condition as part of a major national study.
The decision marks an important moment for the SMA community, with campaigners, healthcare professionals and families celebrating the potential to change lives through earlier diagnosis and treatment.
Why Early Diagnosis Matters
Spinal muscular atrophy is a rare inherited condition that causes progressive muscle weakness. It can affect a child’s ability to move, swallow and breathe, and in its most severe forms can be life-limiting during early childhood.
One of the biggest challenges with SMA has always been timing. While revolutionary gene therapies and other treatments are now available, they work best before symptoms appear. Once nerve cells have been damaged, treatment cannot reverse that damage.
By introducing newborn screening, babies with SMA can be identified within days of birth, giving doctors the opportunity to begin treatment as early as possible. For many children, this could mean a healthier future with improved mobility, independence and quality of life.
Jesy Nelson’s Campaign
Former Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson has become one of the most recognisable voices campaigning for newborn SMA screening after her twin daughters, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe Nelson-Foster, were diagnosed with the condition.
Sharing the emotional reality of her family’s journey, Nelson has spoken openly about being told her daughters might never walk and about the daily challenges they face, including wearing spinal jackets and foot splints.
Following the government’s announcement, she described the decision as “a victory for every family” affected by SMA.
Although the screening programme cannot change the diagnosis of children already living with the condition, it offers hope that future families will receive answers sooner and have access to life-changing treatment before symptoms develop.
What the New Programme Means
The screening will be introduced across most of England from October 2026, with nationwide expansion expected by October 2027.
The simple heel-prick blood test will be added to existing newborn screening and will involve hundreds of thousands of babies. Researchers at the University of Oxford will lead the study, providing evidence to help determine whether SMA screening should become a permanent part of the UK’s newborn screening programme.
Scotland already screens newborns for SMA, and many families hope England’s programme will soon become a permanent nationwide service.
A Victory for Families and Campaigners
This announcement highlights the incredible impact that patient advocacy and public awareness can have on healthcare policy.
Families living with rare conditions often spend months or even years fighting for recognition, diagnosis and access to treatment. The voices of campaigners, charities, clinicians and parents have helped ensure that newborn screening for SMA has become a national priority.
For many, this represents more than a medical advancement—it is a recognition that every child deserves the best possible start in life.
Looking Ahead
The introduction of newborn SMA screening is a powerful reminder of how advances in genetic medicine are transforming healthcare.
While there is still much work to be done to improve support for people living with SMA and other rare conditions, earlier diagnosis offers families something invaluable: time.
Time to begin treatment.
Time to prepare.
And, most importantly, time to give children the greatest possible opportunity to thrive.
For families affected by SMA, this announcement is not just a policy change—it is a beacon of hope for future generations.
More than half of adults with learning disabilities in England die before the age of 65, an annual report into mortality suggests.
For the general population, that figure is 15%, according to the Learning Disabilities Mortality Review, which is known as the LeDeR and was commissioned by NHS England.
It looked at deaths recorded between 2021 and 2024 and found those with a learning disability died, on average, 19 years younger than the general population.
A government spokesperson said “significant action” was already underway to improve care, adding that ministers would “do all we can for people with a learning disability and autistic people.”
In a written ministerial statement, the government said the LeDeR findings were “stark”, while learning disability group Staying Alive and Well said “far too many people with a learning disability are still dying too young” and that it should be “headline news”.
The LeDeR found the proportion of avoidable deaths among those with learning disabilities, resulting from treatable conditions such as pneumonia or epilepsy, had “significantly declined” from 46% in 2021 to 39% in 2024, but remained almost double that of the general adult population.
The review was established in 2015 to examine the high mortality rates of people with learning disabilities and autism.
When deaths are registered with the review, it looks into the person’s life, the healthcare they received, their cause of death and whether anything could have been done differently.
The subsequent report has been compiled by King’s College London.
The Staying Alive and Well group, a panel of people with learning disabilities who are supported by researchers at Kingston University, said: “The numbers in this report are not just numbers for us. This is very real to us. This is about people. People dying too young: that could be us.”
The group said people with learning disabilities could feel “discriminated against or not taken seriously” when they needed healthcare, which made them “angry and upset”.
“Don’t look away, however uncomfortable it makes you feel,” they said.
“It may seem like we’re not getting anywhere, but we want you to keep reporting and reviewing the deaths of people with a learning disability.”
The government has confirmed Monday’s report will be the final LeDeR publication in the current format, with future data due to be recorded alongside other health outcomes for people with autism and ADHD in England.
In the written ministerial statement, health minister Preet Kaur Gill said the statistics highlighted in the report were “unacceptable”.
“I want to reassure you that we take them seriously,” she said.
She said the government was “committed to improving outcomes” through early intervention, as well as focusing on training to improve the identification of people with a learning disability on GP registers, to ensure they attend health checks.
NHS England has said it will roll out a “reasonable adjustment digital flag” for all disabled people to ensure that adjustments are kept in their record.
The Royal College of Nurses has previously raised concerns about the number of health staff specialising in working with patients who have learning disabilities or autism.
In its own report, published earlier this summer, it said the number of specialist practicing nurses had fallen by 44% – from 7,000 to 4,500 – in just over a decade, and only 500 new recruits to learn the specialism had been taken on this year.
Jon Sparkes OBE, chief executive of learning disability charity Mencap, said he was concerned that ending the LeDeR report in its current form could mean the issue became “deprioritised”.
“This is literally a matter of life and death, and risks undoing years of hard-won progress,” he said.
“We urgently need to know how the government will maintain independent scrutiny and, importantly, understand and tackle the causes of avoidable deaths.
“People with a learning disability need to know their lives are valued.”
For the family of Charlie Lander, the LeDeR is a crucial piece of work which highlights the health inequalities some people face.
Lander, who had severe learning disabilities and Pica syndrome – an eating disorder which leads to cravings for non-food items – died in hospital in June 2022 at the age of 48, after swallowing a plastic glove which caused a bowel obstruction.
A coroner found his death was “medical misadventure contributed to by neglect” and cited failings such as delays in treatment, incomplete observations, failure to escalate his care, and the fact he was alone when he died.
His mum Rosalie Lander said: “Charlie’s death was avoidable, and we live with the pain of losing him needlessly like this every day.
“Words fail me about the care he didn’t have. Urgent surgery to relieve the obstruction would have very likely saved his life.”
After the inquest, Dr Mark Roland, chief medical officer at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, apologised for the failings in Lander’s care.
“Our thoughts remain with Mr Lander’s family and loved ones,” he said.
He added that the trust was committed to reducing health inequalities for people with learning disabilities and had made significant improvements to care.
In a response to Monday’s LeDeR report, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “Our thoughts go out to all those who have lost loved ones and recognise that care for people with learning disability and autistic people needs to improve.
“Significant action is already underway to improve care. Over five million people have completed mandatory training, and along with new digital tools, improved data sharing and health check-ups, we will do all we can for people with a learning disability and autistic people.”
The Alt-Pop Rockers Putting Inclusivity Centre Stage
It has been a busy few months for Renegade Zoo, a band formed through a creative arts project for young adults with learning disabilities in Londonderry.
A debut album showcasing their brand of alt-pop launched earlier this year, a summer performance at the Foyle Maritime Festival followed, before taking to the stage at this year’s Stendhal Festival.
All students at Derry’s Tuned In Project, the band describe themselves as a group of neurodivergent and physically diverse musicians.
Rapper Donna Marie Duddy, known as DM, says Renegade Zoo is “about not putting limits on ourselves”.
She adds that is is about friendship and having the opportunity to write songs.
Before joining the band, songwriting was not something she had much chance to explore.
“The lyrics come much easier than the melodies,” she says.
Philip ‘Wally’ Wallace is the Tuned In Project’s music media teacher in Derry.
He says Renegade Zoo emerged from the project’s wider work encouraging students to get involved in music.
“We realised we had a drummer and a few different players. Once we started meeting regularly, we realised we had the makings of a band.”
He says being in a band has helped the young people grow in confidence and develop self-esteem.
“What we try to do is help the students find their voice through music and make sure they know that voice is being heard.
“Everyone in the band loves it, me included. It’s hard work, but they put so much effort into the songwriting, recording and performing.”
In March, Renegade Zoo launched their debut album, Eyes on the Road, at Derry’s New Gate Arts and Culture Centre.
Singer and percussionist Sarah Jane Murray, who goes by SJ, said the album launch was one of the highlights of her time in the band.
“It was great to see everybody getting up dancing these songs that we created ourselves.”
SJ also enjoys the songwriting process and says some songs emerge spontaneously during rehearsals.
“We’ll sit together, come up with melodies and guitar riffs.
“Sometimes Wally or somebody else will bring in a guitar riff and we’ll build a song around it.”
For SJ, Renegade Zoo is about “confidence and creativity”.
“There’s times that I might sing a wrong note or it might be a bit dodgy here and there and I just know for a fact that it’s just a process, that it is alright.”
The band’s album reflects the eclectic approach to songwriting that members say defines Renegade Zoo.
Their sound draws on a range of influences, including rock, pop, alt-country and hip hop.
“A lot of our songs aren’t typical break-up songs or romance songs,” explains singer Sorcha Friel.
“A Renegade Zoo song either has a great message or can just be a bit silly.”
She says one of the tracks, Waggledance, was inspired by an unlikely source – a “random conversation about bees one day”.
Performing at this year’s Stendhal Festival has been a particular highlight of her time in the band.
“The bigger the crowd the better. I get more nervous with a more intimate crowd.”
‘More new songs, more just being ourselves’
After a busy early summer Renegade Zoo are back in the rehearsal room writing new material.
Plans are being formulated for the months ahead and the band’s members have different ambitions for the future.
DM dreams of a UK tour, while SJ believes a tour of Northern Ireland may be a more realistic next step.
Sorcha’s hopes are simpler still: “More new songs, more just being ourselves.”
episode 16 of my keep come saying about being a Wheelchair user with a little humour thrown into.
Teen Who Helped Improve Tech For Disabled Honoured
A young man who was left with acquired cerebral palsy (CP) following a family holiday, has had a new laboratory in Bristol named after him.
Harchie Sagoo, who passed away in 2024 at the age of 18, was just a few months old when he developed CP after contracting viral encephalitis in Spain.
Despite his movement and speech being affected by CP his father, Bob Sagoo, said he “understood everything” and by the age of four-and-a-half he was using eye-tracking technology to control his devices and communicate.
As a key product tester for Bristol-based Smartbox, which creates technology to help people with disabilities to communicate, the company has now named its new testing laboratory Harchie’s Lab.
Harchie’s dad, who lives in Nottingham, said his son was born a healthy baby.
But following a visit to his parents in Spain, his son was left with lesions on his brain which affected his gross and fine motor movement and his speech.
“He had no cognitive disability so he understood everything,” he said.
“I felt technology was going to bridge that gap for him to engage with people and also to move on in life.”
At infant school, he started using Eye Gaze – which tracks a user’s eye movements so they can navigate a screen.
And as he got older, he not only used an Eye Gaze tablet to communicate but also to control things around the family home like the lights, the heating and the televisions.
It also allowed him to “learn and develop and grow” and “meet friends” at both mainstream school and college.
“Harch looked at it as an extension of himself but also a lifestyle device,” his father said.
“So he used it to control the environment around him including turning the shower cold – when I was in the shower.”
In 2014 Harchie started working with the Smartbox team, where he not only got involved in testing their latest devices but also “gave some really valuable feedback” which they built into the final design.
Before his death Harchie said being able to “express” himself, express how he was feeling and show he understands had “been very important” to him.
His father said that his son would have been “absolutely psyched” that the company’s new laboratory was being named in his honour.
“When I got wind that this was what they were planning, we were just blown away,” he said.
Smartbox’s products are used by over 100,000 people around the world.
Dan Stead, from the company, said its communication aids are a “lifeline for many people” so they needed to be as reliable as possible.
“This lab was set up to help us engineer our communication aids,” he said.
“They become a part of that person, they rely on it every single day.”
“Without it, it’s very difficult for you to build relationships, make friends, fall in love – all those amazing things.”
