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Newsletters 2006: Issue 12 April 2006

Contents of this page: Useful Holiday Information - Air Travel  -  Top Tips | Disabled Drivers Association | EC backs disabled air passengers | Useful holiday/day trip websites | Conservative Pledge to disabled | Carers Week 12-18 June 2006 | Have you been a victim of crime or affected by crime? | Recognise a stroke and save a life | Seniorlink - national immediate emergency response service | The Lancet confirms the need for digital hearing aids from NHS | Portable hands-free T-hook for hearing aid users | Media - BBC accessibility | New Musculo-Skeletal Service proves a hit with patients | The National Autistic Society - new dentist guide | ASBAH – 40th Anniversary | Honours for local people | Sports activities for people with disabilities | Dance Movement Therapy classes at The Junction | Theatre | Disability forums

Useful Holiday Information - Air Travel  -  Top Tips

If you are a disabled person;

The access to Air Travel for Disabled People – Code of Practice is available from: Department for Transport, P O Box 236, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7NB; Tel: 0870 1226 236; Textphone: 0870 1226 405; Webpage

Disabled Drivers Association

Long-established arrangements exist with car ferry companies, which allow full members and their cars to be carried at substantial discounts both to and from the continent and within the British Isles.

Website         Helpline 0870 770 3333

EC backs disabled air passengers

The European Commission has pledged to protect the rights of disabled people travelling by air in Europe.  A draft regulation is now being considered by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament aimed at prohibiting airlines from denying reservation or boarding to people because of their disability or age. It also guarantees those people the right to receive assistance free of charge in airports and on board aircraft.

“Europe is strengthening citizen’s rights”, said Jacques Barrot, vice-president of the European Commission responsible for transport.  The commission is proposing an important social measure which will enable the elderly and people with reduced mobility to travel in Europe under the best conditions.”

Under the terms of the proposed new regulation, member states will be obliged to lay down penalties and set up independent bodies to deal with complaints.  It is proposed that airports will bear the responsibility for providing wheelchair or other assistance to passengers moving through their airports to board their flights.  This service is to be funded by a new fee charged to airlines.

(This article was taken from a website conceived by travel journalist Mike Swindell to provide information on accessible tourism for travellers with disabilities.)  www.ucango.co.uk

Useful holiday/day trip websites

Conservative Pledge to disabled

David Cameron, the new Conservative Leader, has pledged to bring disability issues into the ‘mainstream’ of the party’s policy discussions. 

Mr Cameron, who has a severely disabled son, told Jeremy Hunt, his new Shadow Minister for Disabled People, that he had “the most important job of all”.  Mr Hunt said he wanted to focus at first on the needs of parents of disabled children and the role of carers. He said the poverty faced by disabled people was also “one of the many areas I will be looking at carefully”.  And he said he wanted to find ways to simplify the benefits system for disabled people and ensure such benefits were better targeted.

Carers Week 12-18 June 2006

The theme for Carers Week this year is ‘In sickness and in health’ which reinforces the notion that for many caring is not about choice.

Carers Week will be supporting all carers, of every age and from every community.  It will be stressing the importance of carers health and emotional wellbeing.  Improving healthcare provision for the UK’s six million carers makes sense not just for carers, but also for every single person who is supported as a result.

In 2005 Carers Week had a record 1,074 local partners – organisations of every size who organised events and activities in their area.  In 2006 it is hoped to top this and ensure that Carers Week reaches every community.

A number of carers helped bring Carers Week alive in 2005 by talking about their experiences to the media.  It is hoped that there will be carers who want to play a similar role in 2006.  Naturally support and guidance will be offered and there are strong media protocols which are strictly adhered to.  If there is a carer out there who may be interested please email Tracey Thompson at tracey.thompson@carersuk.org or call 020 7566 7842.

The Carers Week website has been given a makeover, with the aim of making it easier for all users to find the information and resources they need.  Distinct sections have been created for the three main groups of people who use the site – event organisers, carers and journalists.  Please visit the site to find out more.

Website: www.carersweek.org

Have you been a victim of crime or affected by crime?

Victim Support is a national charity with local branches helping people cope with crime. Trained volunteers contact people after a crime to offer free, confidential support and information. People are referred to Victim Support by the police and other organisations or just contact us themselves to ask for help.

People react to crime in many ways, although most victims don’t suffer long term harm, both adults and children can be seriously affected.

People who have suffered a crime may need practical information and advice, or simply someone to talk to.

Cambridge & Ely Victim Support cover Cambridge, South Cambs and East Cambs. Volunteers arrange to visit people in their homes and provide free confidential support and advice following crimes ranging from burglary, assault, harassment, threats to rape and murder.  Visits can also be arranged at Victim Support office or other accessible venues.

Recognise a stroke and save a life

The following information may be very useful...

A neurologist says that if he can see a stroke victim within three hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke.  He said the trick was getting a stroke recognised, diagnosed and getting the patient to a hospital within three hours, which is tough.

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify and lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer brain damage when people nearby fail to recognise the symptoms of a stroke.

Read and learn these three steps:

  1. Ask the individual to smile.
  2. Ask him or her to raise both arms.
  3. Ask the person to speak a simple sentence (coherently) -eg …It is sunny out today

If he or she has any trouble with any of these tasks, call paramedics immediately and describe the symptoms to them. 

After discovering that a group of non-medical volunteers could identify facial weakness, arm weakness and speech problems, researchers urged the general public to learn the three questions.  Widespread use of this test could result in a prompt diagnosis and treatment of the stroke and prevent brain damage from occurring.

Seniorlink - national immediate emergency response service

Senior Link (from Help the Aged) is an immediate response service for emergencies.  It is a pendant-style alarm call system which costs £1.63 per week maintenance and the unit is free if you have less than £20,000 in savings.  Otherwise it will cost £157 to purchase.  You will need to have two keyholders. Contact: 01483 729 678 for more information.

The Lancet confirms the need for digital hearing aids from NHS

Reduced hearing is common in elderly people in Great Britain and the provision of hearing aids is inadequate, writes The Lancet. Based on its own survey, the highly respected medical journal concludes that there is a real need for digital hearing aids to be dispensed to the elderly through the National Health Service.

The survey was based on so called whispered voice tests of 14,877 elderly hearing impaired people. 2,180 were hearing-aid users, and of those, 998 (46%) were left with significant hearing difficulties even when using their outdated analogue hearing aids.

According to The Lancet survey, many people who own hearing aids do not use them regularly, and even when wearing their aids many still have socially disabling levels of hearing loss.  A major source of morbidity in elderly people could be alleviated. Surveys from 20 NHS Trusts dispensing modern hearing aids found that patients fitted with digital hearing aids report a 41% improvement in benefit compared with patients fitted with analogue hearing aids.

Portable hands-free T-hook for hearing aid users

GN Transistor has developed a convenient hands-free solution for hearing aid users who use Ericsson’s latest mobile phones. T-hook can be used with BTE and ITE hearing aids and is placed on the ear allowing safe and comfortable placement. Sound is picked up when setting the hearing aid in the T-position (telecoil). No additional batteries are required.  For more info visit:
www.transister.se

Media - BBC accessibility

A greater number of TV programmes are being subtitled and signed each week.  However, some of the internet has remained inaccessible until now – but that’s all changing as the BBC makes even more of its online content accessible.

For more information on web accessibility on the BBC, visit the My Web My Way site, where you can also find an overview of subtitling on bbc.co.uk

New Musculo-Skeletal Service proves a hit with patients

A new community-based musculo-skeletal service is proving popular with local residents.

Jenny Brown, Deputy Director of Service Development, Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire Primary Care Trusts explains “There are three main elements to the service, which is provided from community bases in Chesterton, Great Shelford and Trumpington. Two local GPs with a Special Interest (GpwSI) in Musculo-skeletal care and treatment, Dr Mandy Wharton and Dr Sally Barnard, are based at the Chesterton Medical Centre, working alongside a physiotherapist and a consultant rheumatologist, and treat patients with the following conditions:

“With a maximum waiting time for an appointment of six weeks” comments Jenny, “the service is proving to be really popular with patients”

Two additional GPwSI in hand orthopaedics (Dr Colin Hitchcock) and knee orthopaedics (Dr Simon Owen) are an integral part of the musculo-skeletal service operating from Great Shelford and Trumpington.

Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire Primary Care Trusts are now funding and providing a team of 15 GpwSIs.  These GPwSIs provide quicker access for appropriate patients as an alternative to hospital outpatient appointments, whilst at the same time freeing up hospital appointments for those who need more specialist hospital care.  GPwSIs are now providing a service in the following areas:

A further seven GPwSIs are in training to take on specialist interest roles in Urology, Dermatology, Gastroenterology, Cardiology and Clinical Genetics.

The National Autistic Society - new dentist guide

One of the latest publications from NAS is: ‘Going to the dentist: a guide for people with autism and Asperger syndrome’.

It has been written by Kate Wilkes of the NAS Autism Helpline and it has illustrations by Steve Lockett. It includes a host of helpful strategies on making this experience as painless as possible.  Published by The National Autistic Society, 2006, 12pp, A5, pbk, illustrated  (Code NAS 625) ISBN 1 899280 92 8    50p plus p&p. You can also order it online

ASBAH – 40th Anniversary

The Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus is celebrating it’s 40th anniversary this year. They are marking this with a fundraising drive to raise £300,000 needed to launch a national Helpline and Information Service. For more information about ASBAH you can contact them at: 42 Park Road, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. PE1 2UQ; Tel: 01733 555 988; Fax: 01733 555 985; Email: info@asbah.org

Honours for local people

Mr Anthony Michael Barnes, a long serving Director of Directions Plus is to receive an MBE at a special investiture at The Guildhall, Cambridge on Friday 7 April 2006.Two local women have been honoured in the New Year honours.  An MBE has been awarded to Meg Muggridge, a founder of Chatterbox – Norfolk’s first Talking Newspaper – in Norwich. Patricia Molloy, from Huntingdon was also awarded an MBE after providing respite care to disabled children for 20 years. Well done!

Sports activities for people with disabilities

East Cambridgeshire - For details of activities in East Cambridgeshire contact the Sports Disability Forum Tel: 01353 616 375 or 01353 616 383:

Multi Sports - Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire

Horse Riding - Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire

Disability Swimming In Chesterton - Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire

Dance Movement Therapy classes at The Junction

As part of the Summer Workshops at The Junction, they have programmed three Dance Movement Therapy classes.  Depending on how these are attended, they may consider programming more classes in the future. The workshops are for children aged 7-10 years.

Theatre

Cambridge Arts Theatre has a selection of performances throughout the summer and offer half price seats for customers with disabilities and one companion.  Synopses are available from the Box Office. Tel: 01223 503 333.       

Disability forums

Cambridge Forum of Disabled People - Campaigning for equality of opportunity for people in Cambridge.

If you are interested in joining the Cambridge Forum please contact Gerri.

South Cambridgeshire Forum of Disabled People - Sawston Branch

Gerri Bird has set up a forum in Sawston with the help of local residents.
The forum, which meets once a month, has been running since February 2005.  If you have a disability, are a carer or are an older person or an organisation working with or for disabled/older people or carers and are interested in joining, please contact Gerri. One of the things the forum is involved with is campaigning for better access in all areas.

Cambourne Forum of Disabled People - Coming soon: Cambourne forum – if you know an older or disabled person who may be interested – please contact Gerri.

East Cambridgeshire Access Group - The group looks at all issues to do with disability eg access to shops, buildings etc. They also have a sub group for plan vetting of new buildings and alterations to older buildings. If you are interested in joining or would like more information – please contact Gerri.

Gerri is looking into setting up a forum for the Chatteris/Littleport area.  Anyone interest should contact her as above.