The Sound of Silence

It shocked me to find out that around four million people in the UK suffer from undiagnosed hearing loss. One in ten adults currently suffer with mild tinnitus, with one in a hundred having hearing loss that seriously impacts on their lives.

Though many individuals are born with hearing problems and learn to live their life to the full, others see their hearing deteriorate later in life, or suffer damage in an accident. There are a huge range of factors that can cause hearing loss, including physical injury, autoimmune inner ear disease, damage to the inner ear and of course age related hearing loss.

For anybody interested there is a campaign to raise awareness of undiagnosed hearing loss, Amplifon have produced a handy infographic detailing key information about hearing difficulties, including the warning signs to look out for and how to prevent further deterioration. Well worth a look if you or a family member suffer from any form of hearing impairment. 

Happy 2012 from Ableize

Well here we are in 2012 and we survived the world coming to an end (so far) global warming and all the other atrocities that have threatened to be thrown at us.

I hope you all out there in cyber land had a terrific Christmas and that your New Year started with a bang and continues on an upward slope towards a very prosperous and happy 2012.

I am just off to trudge through the marauding crowd to return those broken, duplicate presents and just hope that the shop assistants are in a good mood as I don't have receipts for any of them, I will then be dragged very much against my will around the shops in search for sales that simply don't exist or if they do the money saved wont even pay for the petrol to get their.

As you may have gathered I'm not a lover of shopping, much prefer chucking it all in the online shopping basket and having Royal Mail deliver it to my door.

Rant over, have a terrific 2012 and keep your eye out for blog entries here that promise to be enthralling and holding you on the edge of your seat in excitement, unlike this one.

Ableize Shortlisted - Disabled Entrepreneur of the Year

As the owner of Ableize I was shortlisted as Disabled Entrepreneur of the Year but sadly never made it through to the top three, not sure how long the shortlist applicants will remain on the Leonard Cheshire Disability site but for those that want to waste a few minutes at their time my profile along with other Disabled Entrepreneur of the Year shortlisted applicants can be found here

The award is organised by Stelios, owner of EasyJet and is in its fifth year and offers 50 K to the winner with two runners-up receiving 1K each to help with growing their business.

Shame I didn't make it I was going to invite you all to the pub!

Life's a Bitch - Then You Need a Stairlift

This week I finally bit the bullet and had to give in and admit that I'm no longer safe to climb the stairs, basically I had three options. 1 move from my lovely four-bedroom house that I'm proud of and worked hard to get. 2 continue struggling on the stairs knowing that one day I would inevitably fall. 3 install a pesky stairlift.

Having already upped my life insurance I have finally given in and admitted that a stairlift is the only real option, don't get me wrong, stair lifts are a great device but when you finally admit to needing one and having one installed it's like admitting another thing that you can no longer do, i.e. my stair climbing days are numbered, on top of this you are also giving in to the fact that you are getting older and less capable as the years to by, another hard thing to admit.

However as a tetraplegic wheelchair user with a severe spinal injury from the age of 17 and told on day one that I would never walk and then fighting just short of a year with eight hours a day full-on physiotherapy to prove the medical world wrong I am proud as well as grateful that I managed to tackle stairs as well as walk; albeit short distances up until the ripe old age of 52; as they keep telling me, it was major achievement but it doesn't make it any easier when this bleating one eyed monster assists you up the wooden hill.

Making a Head Injury Claim

I have had a few enquiries through Ableize directory and forum lately asking for advice about head injury claims, I'm no expert and certainly won't pretend to be so I've taken the liberty of asking a professional body to offer an insight. Details are listed below.

A head or brain injury is probably the most frightening, unpredictable and deadly type of injury. In a lot of cases, the injured are left with permanent damage and in many cases disabled as a result of head and brain injuries. Many doctors refer to these injuries as “talk and die” because many people don’t realise they are hurt, when they could actually be bleeding in the brain. This means that side effects and disabilities can see late onsets. It’s therefore imperative that anyone who suffers any sort of head injury, whether from a fall, sports injury, or car accident, seek immediate medical attention and have a doctor check for symptoms of serious injury that may change your life. Some of the symptoms to look out for are glassy eyes, confusion, nausea, headaches and unexplained tiredness.

Not only is it important for health and safety reasons to go to the hospital immediately after a head injury, but having hospital records will be very useful in the event of a future claim.

What should you look for?

It is critical that whichever lawyer you choose has the right experience in dealing with the specialised nature of brain injury claims; instructing a non specialist can mean your claim is not properly assessed.

One of the great things about the internet is that it allows you to undertake research that goes well beyond word of mouth. Finding a reputable and caring solicitors firm is vital. Local support groups may enable you to meet other victims, who may have gone through the process and can provide recommendations.

What should you expect?

Once you have identified a Solicitor ask if they offer a free of charge initial meeting at a place of your choice, so you can meet them face to face, ask them about their personal brain injury experience, and get a feel for them. You are likely to be working with this person for a considerable time, and it is vital that you can trust them, and feel confident in having them represent you.

It is normally helpful to take a trusted friend or family member with you. They can take a note, and may think of questions that don’t cross your mind.

Once you have decided upon your choice of lawyer meet with them again, and ask for their advice about the likely stages of your case, and timescales. Ask for a copy of their initial advice and their case plan in writing, so you have a document setting out the steps the lawyer anticipates taking. Of course it is not possible to plot the timeline for your case precisely at the outset, but a written outline can help you as you have something to refer back to as your claim progresses.

What can you do to help your lawyer?

There are a number of basic things you can do to help your lawyer progress your case. Ask at the outset what information they would like from you. This could include payslips, invoices for expenses you have incurred, diaries outlining care needs, medical appointments and improvements etc. Respond to their letters or enquiries are soon as you are able. Remember to tell them if you change your email address or phone number. You’ll be surprised how often this doesn’t happen. These simple things can save your lawyer time, and help them to quantify your claim.

This post was prepared for Ableize on request by Joanne Berry, who works for UK based Solicitors Pannone. Pannone are specialists in head injury services.

Ableize Disability Directory Reaches the Magic 3 Million Hits

Ableize disability was created due to the frustration of receiving poor search results when looking for information about specific disabilities, health problems, local disabled clubs, and services such as disabled education as well as products and services etc. The directory has established itself as the largest and most viewed disability and mobility aids site not only in the UK and Ireland but within Europe and most worldwide destinations.

The site not only offers you the chance to view a collection of almost 3000 sites and 450 specific categories but provides a great outlet for businesses to share their product ideas and new daily living aids that make our lives just a little bit easier.

Ableize disability information and services directory continues to grow from strength to strength and has recently hit the 3 million unique visitors mark.

If you haven't done so already please take a flick through Ableize, you will be surprised not only by the vast amount of content but also by the quality of the sites that are there for you to make your life that little bit easier.

Harwich Cafe Bans Guide Dogs

A blind lady and her guide dog have been banned from eating or drinking in a small cafe in the Essex port town of Harwich, the home base of ableize disability resource.

Apparently the owner Gary Cox somehow believes he is above the laws of the Equality Act 2010 and has taken it upon himself to ban not only this guide dog and his owner but all guide dogs simply because one guide dog was sick in his small town cafe over a year ago. (not sure if the dog that was sick ate their)

Staff at the small cafe claim that the ban is able to be made within Health and Safety and hygiene laws. Well sorry to disappoint you Mr Cox but whoever gave you that advice was talking out of the back of the head as I'm sure you'll soon find out when the Equality and Human Rights Commission jump on your back followed closely by the Guide Dogs Alliance.

Banning a guide dog from a business providing such services is like telling wheelchair users that they must leave their wheelchairs outside, it is blatant disability discrimination and very much against current disability laws, laws that frankly Mr Cox should have been aware of not only in the areas concerning guide dogs but also in all access requirements for all disabilities, deaf, blind, mobility impaired, learning difficulties etc, becoming a service provider means you have to meet certain requirements and these are just some of them.

What Mr Cox probably is not aware of is that he has one of the UK's longest established accessibility auditors living right on his doorstep and I'm sure they will be looking closely at the future of his and his cafes staff discriminatory behaviour. I guess it's time that this cafe owner to wake up and smell the coffee!

Finally a question for Mr Cox, if a child is sick will you ban all children?

Sign This Petition To Stop Disabled Parking Bays Being Abused

Fed up with disabled parking bays being abused by the non-disabled? Now YOU can make a difference!

I have started a government e-petition to request that the UK government implement a £50 fine to non-disabled and those without a Blue Badge as an attempt to put a stop to disabled parking bays being constantly used by the non-disabled. Their actions prevent us disabled people from parking close to the building of facility we are visiting and prevents wheelchair users from fully opening the car door to enable them to get out when these inconsiderate people force us to park in smaller non-disabled bays.

Please sign the petition by clicking on this link Fine Those That Abuse Disabled Parking Bays http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/3494 if like me you are fed up with always finding disabled parking bays constantly used by mindless non-disabled drivers.

If we get enough signatures this will force the government to address this issue, so the ball is in your court. Please sign the petition and forward this link on to all your friends and family members so that they can all sign it to and help make a difference and finally put an end to the misery of this long-standing problem faced by all disabled people.

Please add this request to all your social sites such as Facebook and Twitter as we desperately need 100,000 signatures before the year is up.

Luggie Mobility Scooter Review

Been looking at lightweight mobility scooters lately, I don't often deliberately promote disability and mobility aids but every now and then a little gem jumps up and bites me so it would be silly not to share them with others that could get the benefit of them. One that really grabbed my attention is called the Luggie, it is a really neat folding lightweight mobility scooter, ideal for popping in the car for holidays, nipping around the supermarket or those days out to enjoy our new found UK sunshine (don't hold your breath it won't last!)

OK, there are a ton of folding mobility scooters out there, I hear you cry but the Luggie offers a new and innovative design, after folding, the telescopic control tiller forms part of the handle in a similar way to a suitcase and it has specially designed wheels so it can be wheeled about similar to a suitcase. I am guessing that's where the name came from i.e Luggie/luggage.

The Luggie has a lightweight lithium battery, height adjustable tiller, folding seat and folds up to 17.5 inches wide and just 25 inches tall and comes in a choice of five exciting colours.
Check out the Luggie at  www.luggiescooters.com 

Philip Davies MP A Disgrace to the Disabled

Normally the thought of getting involved in any political discussions makes me want to throw myself out of my wheelchair and stick my head in a bucket of sick but Philip Davies MP really got my goat this week along with about 99% of the UK public, so here I am with my newly found political head on fighting back.

Philip Davies suggested to his fellow cronies in Parliament that disabled people should be allowed to work for less than the minimum wage, to allow them to get onto the job ladder and off of their disability benefits! He claims that people with learning disabilities and mental health problems would have a better chance at getting a job if they were to work for a pittance (opps sorry meant less than the minimum wage)

Does this mixed up moron really believe that this is anything but discrimination, would MP's work for less than the minimum wage to get their foot on the political ladder? would Mr Philip Davies MP be happy to work for the minimum wage? does Mr Davies even know what the minimum wages is? and furthermore does Mr Davies MP know what planet he is on? because I'm sure as eggs are eggs he's not on the same planet as me.

Do we, the good old British public really pay this guy's wages for him to come up with preposterous suggestions like this?

Yes sadly we do.

Customer Service Really Is Everything

Some time back I purchased an electric exercise machine called a Mini Walker, this is an excellent disabled exercise aid that enables wheelchair user such as myself to exercise their legs as this does all the turning for you electronically.

While the product purchase may be excellent the company selling them has a lot to be desired, let me explain. After using the unit a few times it was evident that I needed wider foot straps, I say evident I would have thought that it would have been obvious that many people that use these electronic exercises may well have swollen feet and because of that would require wider straps to enable the foot to fit completely into the unit. Okay all sounds simple enough, just contact the company and ask them if they can do wider straps, problem solved, or so you would think!

Coopers of Stortford that sell these units are very good indeed at selling them but when it comes to customer service, (one of the most important factors you should consider when purchasing online) they are probably amongst the worst I've ever come across and that really is saying something.

I contacted Coopers of Stortford by e-mail on May 18, I immediately received an automated reply back that says:

To enable us to deal with your enquiry efficiently, we would ask that
you allow up to 7 working days to receive our response. Please do not
resend or chase during this time as this may cause further delay.

On June 1 (14 days later) and still no reply I contacted them again and as of today June 10 (total 23 days) surprise surprise there is still no reply!

The unit that cost me one pound short of £100 today sheared a pedal off while I was using it! So I am now seething after throwing £100 down the swanny without a hope in hell of receiving a reply from a company that is very keen to take my money but not so keen to provide any form of after sales service.

Coopers of Stortford consider yourselves named and shamed. Disabled people have a massive £84 billion a year spending power in the UK, that does not mean we should be ignored when things go wrong!

Disabled Computer Aid

Just popping in a quick entry to share my experiences of voice activation and dictation systems.

Many years ago I purchased and tried a voice-activation system, it drove me up the wall and simply made me frustrated. So it threw it to the back of the cupboard. It took me some persuading with a friend, constantly telling me how much they had improved, so I dived in, brushed the mothballs out of my wallet and purchased DragonDictate.

YouTube clip

All I can say is I'm totally and utterly amazed by the system, I am able to use the keyboard, but after typing for several hours a day as I often do, I find myself in pain and not really wanting to continue. You can not only write in Microsoft Word, and all online applications such as this one, but you can also have complete control of your PC, example, you can open and close programmes and basically do just about everything you can with a mouse.

What may surprise you, is the fact that I'm writing this entire article using DragonDictate, okay, I've made a few mistakes, but that's mainly due to the fact that I've only had the software for less than 48 hours.

Below you will see a link to a YouTube video clip show that will amaze you. I'm also including a link to purchase it by Amazon, if you don't believe me how good it is. You really need to try it! Trust me, I'm a guy that doesn't like spending money and I take some persuading!!

I'd also like to hear from others that have the programme and have been using it for some time.

Right, so that's my hands freed up and probably saved a few bob in the process by not having to forever replace the keyboard that seems to constantly be having the letters wearing away.

I'm getting to the age now where I have decided to try to make my life easier wherever possible, it's taken me a long time to get their but I am now looking at a range of adaptions and devices after being nagged constantly by the other half, so I shall start looking at stairlifts
and a range of other daily living aids and devices, will blog about them at a later date to let you know how they are going.

Considered a disabled sport?

Most people with a physical or mobility disability will frown on taking up a sport, mainly due to a fear that they wont be able to do it, they will look silly or that they won’t be able to compete at a reasonable level. As a disabled person myself I can relate to all of these.

But get over those barriers and you may well find the reward far greater than you realised, firstly remember that you are not alone, every disabled person that has taken up a social activity or sport felt the same on day one

There are tons of disabled clubs dedicated to enjoying a range of sports, hobbies etc and most (if not all) will be there to cater for your needs.

A few disabled sports (click the link) to consider are horse riding, swimming, archery, basket ball and all offer great benefits, socially and of course physically to help improve your mobility as well as being great for rehabilitation. I’m not here to preach, just to show you some of the disabled sports out there waiting to be enjoyed.

One bright day in the middle of the night

Just had to share this with you.

One bright day in the middle of the night,

Two dead boys got up to fight.

Back-to-back they faced one another,

Drew their swords and shot each other.

One was blind and the other couldn't see,

So they chose a dummy for a referee.

A blind man went to see fair play,

A dumb man went to shout "hooray!"

A deaf policeman heard the noise,

And came and shot the two dead boys.

A paralyzed donkey walking by,

Kicked the copper in the eye,

Sent him through a nine inch wall,

Into a dry ditch and drowned them all.

(If you don't believe this lie is true,

Ask the blind man -- he saw it too!)

Disabled Cruise Holidays

Cruise ship access for the disabled:
Not having had a holiday for about five years, I was finally persuaded by the trouble and strife to take her away, we checked out accessible cruises and it seems to be an ideal hol for the less mobile, no accessible hotels to worry about finding, no worry about finding restaurants or getting from A to B etc, its all on hand.

If you choose a big cruise ship it will have plenty to do and loads of chilling out to be had, well that's the plan, will let you know.

Most modern cruise ships have fully adapted disabled cabins, loads of lifts giving access to all levels and many have accessible travel laid on for excursions ashore if you want.

One bit of advice for wheelchair users if interested is try to get a cruise that leaves and returns to the same port so you can avoid all the messing about being man-handled on and off planes if choosing a fly cruise option.

Will give you all an update when done and dusted, in the meantime if anbody has got any advice i'd love it hear it.

Disabled man not allowed to use his wheelchair

36 year old disabled guy Jim Starr purchased a special tracked wheelchair to get access to the countryside and the beach and has been told he CANNOT use it in any public areas unless the takes and passes a driving test similar to the test tank drivers need to pass.

I guess the bureaucrats think Jim's mighty machine will do damage to the beach, hell best ban kids digging on the beach then and doing dreadful things like moving the sand about to build castles.

One reason Jim bought the machine was because the countryside is unaccessible to his standard wheelchair, well Jim i'd say you carry on buddy and if they try to stop you ask them why they are failing under the DDA to make reasonable adjustments to footpaths and public council owned areas for wheelchairs!

View video By CLICKING here
Also see Ableize Countryside Disabled Access.

Government plans stop paying DLA

The Government has said that it plans to stop paying Disability Living Allowance (DLA) mobility component to people living in residential care from October 2012.

This will have a massive impact on the independence of thousands of disabled people. It will mean that many will no longer be able to meet extra costs like a taxi when there's no accessible public transport, an electric wheelchair or an adapted car.

Please help by signing the petition by clicking this link, it will only take a few seconds and could make a massive difference.

Not Dreaming of a White Christmas

I’m NOT dreaming of a white Christmas. No its not me being Scrooge, how dare you humbugs assume that lol Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing everywhere white and crisp and even but it’s a pig to get about in when you have a disability, wheelchairs won’t more through the stuff and trying to walk on crutches is a big mistake as the bruises on my back could prove.

No, while the white stuff hits the deck I shall do all my shopping from the comfort of my chair, one eye on the PC screen, the other looking out the window.

So on that note I shall wish you all a very happy Christmas, be safe out there if you are travelling remember, if you get stuck in a jam its not the end of the world, the main thing is you reach your destination safely.

Have a good one and I hope 2011 brings you everything you dream of.

Buying Gifts for a Disabled Person

I over heard a relative ask my wife “what does your disabled husband want for Christmas”

Call me cynical if you like but Auntie Thelma asking what a “disabled” person want’s for Christmas comes across as a wee bit discriminatory due to the emphases on “disability” may be she was expecting the reply of , well, he would really love a shinny new pair of crutches, maybe even some high gloss polish to make his wheelchair rims gleam.

Aiming those un-imaginative gift ideas at disability only is a bit like assuming we can only buy kitchen device for women or DIY tools for the men or what colour slippers should I buy Granddad! Mmmmmmm thinking about this a bit deeper now, as my Granddad has about 200 pairs of slippers maybe it’s Granddads that are being discriminated against; Grandadascrimination perhaps.

But seriously, all these gifts are great when purchased for a reason or of course as a very valuable necessity in many cases; so this year I am again aiming at being practical so will only buy Granddad slippers if his mysteriously all get stolen in the night by the slipper pixies.

Last year for example I bought him a walking stick, not because I could not think of anything else or even because the slipper shop was closed, no it was given great thought and was very gratefully received and is used everyday, probably because it was neatly personalises and it folded up when he didn't need.

So gift ideas for this year are again going to be practical and if a daily living aid is practical then a daily living aid it will be and I am sure it will be very well received and used rather than sit in a cupboard waiting to be redistributed as a gift for Auntie Thelma next year.

Blogging Contest

The Disabled Shop is holding a blogging contest for people with disabilities or
working with disability.

The prize is £250 - and the possibility of a job as a paid blogger.

The winner of the best post will be chosen by the website Disability Writes, an
organisation which exists to actively support and encourage disabled writers,
whatever their previous writing experience.

There are two ways to enter the contest.

1. Write a post on your blog, marking it clearly as Disabled Shop Blogging Contest
Entrant, and send the link to info@thedisabledshop.com.
2. Write a post and send it to info@thedisabledshop.com as an attachment.


NOTE:
Ableize is not connected to the Disabled Shop we are just helping them promote their competition

Take That – Disability Discrimination?

As a wheelchair user with spinal injuries I spent all of 24 hours trying to purchase tickets to the Take That 2011 live concerts in the UK but with no luck. They are all now sold out. Here’s the problem.

As a wheelchair user you cannot buy tickets for concerts on-line , EVERYBODY else can but not wheelchair users, well you can but you will be seated in row 374, 28th seat in with no chance of getting you and the chair there! In other words wheelchair spaces that are reserved for our access needs are not sold online, instead wheelchair users have to ring a “so called” accessible number supplied by Ticketmaster. OK that sounds good and a sensible thing to do, the trouble is it’s the same number that 1 million other non-disabled people ring so getting through is near on impossible. Even after punching the redial button till your arm drops off!

If you should be lucky enough to get through to the "accessible booking line" of Ticketmaster, you will hear a message saying "this is an accessible 24 hour booking line for people with disabilities" you will them hear about 2 minutes of messages giving out other numbers then you will be asked to hold, 5 seconds later the phone will disconnect, I know I tried that a number of times. I then had a bright idea, the message says its a 24 hour booking line! great I will try at an unearthly hour and get through.

2am i'm bleary eyed but determined to get through, then a message says "this line in now closed, please call back during office hours"

So after a long wait, a massive phone bill and probably the only chance of seeing Take That with Mr Williams in tow I have lost out because of my disability and because I was unable to book in the same manner as the non-disabled. That in a word is “discrimination” whatever way you wrap it up.

Just in case i'm coming across as a moaning disabled person that's got the hump because he missed out, as i'm sure many non-disabled people did, please see this very issue raised by another disabled person in the TAKE THAT forum see Disabled Access Tickets that includes the following entry...

Anyone had any success? I am furious as can get as many standing tickets as I want online for Tuesday but cant get anywhere near to even seeing if there is a wheelchair space available. This is a ridiculous system and so discriminatory as we are 'competing' with able bodied people on the phonelines for a tiny number of spaces compared to the number of able bodied tickets. I missed out last time for exactly the same reason. Soooo annoying!

OK maybe Take That (the group) are not as members discriminating against the disabled but those that organise their ticket sales sure as eggs are eggs seem to be!

Accessible Hotel Accommodation

The madness and insanity of trying to book a hotel room to cater for me as a wheelchair user is driving me nuts (OK I was nuts before that so lets say nuttier)

If you want to book anything other than a bog standard Travelodge with no restaurant and a bed made of house bricks you will be stuffed. Most online hotel booking is now done through affiliate websites, they do not give any option to book a disabled room or even tell you if they have one and the last thing they will do is give you the hotel contact details because you might just book direct and cut out their referring fees.

I have started a new category in Ableize that I hope will build over time and help others in my position, its called accessible hotel accommodation.

As an update on ableize, we now have almost 500 local disabled groups and clubs located throughout the UK and have increased the number of sites to nearly 2500, not bad for a one man band hey! Pop in and take a look around by clicking Disability we have disability in the UK and Ireland covered.

Disabled Gardening Products

Every now and then a bunch of new ideas aimed at making our life easier jumps out and bites me, the latest being disabled gardening products and aids, a while back I told you about the Garden Flower Wheel a great but simple idea that makes tending potted flowers easy from a wheelchair position.

Well now a new company has sprouted from the soil of the well fertilized World Wide Web designed at making our lives easier. Hi Grow Accessible Gardening an apply named play on the words "Hi" and "Grow" is a Yorkshire based company run by Robin Rose (OK quit the gardening/rose jokes this guy's for real and serious with it) I was very impressed with his accessible growing products (click the link for details)

With wheelchair accessible growing stations, tool racks, window box grow bags and varied height plant racks suitable for children, older people and those with disabilities they are not only fashionable and well designed but dam practical to boot.

OK, this is all starting to sound like sales pitch but what the hell, when a new bunch of ideas springs onto the market that is designed to make disabled peoples lives easy I am prepared to shout about it and these accessible gardening products are worth a shout or two.

Check them out and start enjoying that much loved hobby of gardening. You don't have to give up gardening just because you have a disability!

Roll on next summer!

Ableize Directory Update

Not had much time for blogging lately, been working away far too much for my liking. As well as working away in the background building up areas of the Ableize directory. We now have almost 500 Disabled Clubs and Groups listed by county so feel free to check it out, oh and if you know anymore please throw the url at me via the contact us link over at www.ableize.com

Well, our so called summer seems to have left us before it got going, and there was me hoping we were going to have an Indian summer, nearest I got to an Indian summer was spending over an hour on the phone trying to sort my mobile!

Disabled Soldier Loses Benefit

OK, let me get this right, a soldier fighting for his country loses his leg and because he can now walk with the ‘aid’ of a prosthetic limb he cannot claim disability benefit.

What is our country coming too, benefits can be claimed if a person has a limp and able to walk 5 miles with a stick because a stick is classed as an aid but a prosthetic limb is not classed as an aid.

OK, lets take the soldiers prosthetic limb away from him and see if he can walk unaided, of course he won’t be able to, his prosthetic limb is an AID, that AIDS him to walk!

We need a serious shake up of the benefits system in the UK and giving disability benefits to those that are actually ‘disabled’ might just be a start!

Disability Living allowance and the Budget

Today’s budget in the UK announced that disability living allowance will continue as is for the time being but come 2013 there will be medical assessment made of all those currently claiming as well as new claimants.

Don't know your views on this but my take on it for what its worth is GREAT, shame its not immediate, yes those of us genuine cases will have to put up with a bit a hassle but my guess is those of us with lifetime disabilities will be given permanent acceptance without the need of refresher visits to the GP.

Why am I so pleased about this? Well, I am sick of hearing about the thousands of people that have in the past had some kind of disability (or pretended to have a disability) but have now either recovered naturally or recovered fully after an operation but still think they have the right to continue not only claiming to be disabled but claiming money to boot and no checks on these people has for many years let them carry on cheating the system.

I can only hope those that have diddled the system for years are now searching the papers for a job ready for when they make a miraculous recovery just before their assessment.

Big Brother & Disabled Housemates

Ableize was approached last time round before the Big Brother line up was chosen (Dec 2009) by the producers of Big Brother to help find a disabled housemate, we spent a great deal of time and effort publicising their search and low and behold, no disabled member was included in the show.

We vowed not to assist them again if we were contacted because we knew many disabled members applied, as none get through we felt it was purely Channel 4 attempting to be ‘seen to be’ politically correct and sending out the message that they intend to include a disabled person on the show but never got round to it!

Well, we are now at the final Big Brother show (thank god for that I hear you cry)
In the line-up of potential disabled housemates were:

Jenna (19) – A student from Pontypridd in Wales, says she has 'disabled arms'. (Channel 4's description, not ours)

Leanne (29) - an author who lives in London and has had most of her leg removed due to cancer.

Amin (19) - he's a club dancer and actor of Iranian origin, profile describes him as a 'dwarf'. (Channel 4's words, not ours, we prefer to refer to such people as those of a 'small stature')

Steven (40) - ex-forces man from Leicestershire, he's double amputee (legs) and also lost of one eye in service.

So, are there any disabled housemates that made it onto the show this time? Well yes, there is, Steve the ex-forces amputee injured while on patrol in Belfast. OK, call me cynical but has he been chosen because he is an ‘ex-serviceman’ injured representing for his country and he will of course and rightly so be representing our brave boys on TV to the world, he openly states to ‘lobby for the rights of soldiers who have been injured’ and why not, it’s a dam worthy cause.

I’m not for one second suggesting that Steve does not deserve his place and publicity on the one eyed monster that sits in the corner of my lounge, no but I do ponder on the question of:

Would there be a disabled person in the Big Brother house if he was not an injured soldier?

Mobile Phone Perks for the Disabled

I have been having problems with my mobile phone lately and sent it back for repair, 5 days later and still no mobile. Hell, how did we survive without our trusty mobile? For the disabled its not just the convenience of rattling out text messages by the dozen about the weather or what we had for tea, will leave that to the kids of today that can’t seem to amuse themselves unless it involves hitting buttons in some shape of form.

No, for the disabled its more about a lifeline, security and knowing wherever we are we can get somebody on the end of a phone to help if needed.

Anyway, back to the heading subject, I learnt today that many mobile phone companies offer preferential services to their disabled customers. Example: I’m with 3 mobile (well someone has to be) and after the 5 days of not having a mobile I’m told by my friendly guy in Mumbai or wherever he is that if I am disabled and get a form filled in by my GP to prove it, then when my phone goes wrong they will replace it immediately, no more sending it off and waiting days on end without a phone, they just replace it with a new phone. You can also get:

• Free use of their directory services if unable to use the printed directory
• Large print or Braille bills
• Text benefits for the deaf etc
• Priority repair service as mentioned above

If you are disabled and on a monthly contract I’d strongly suggest you check out your provider's special deals for disabled customers. You might have to ask for details or dig deep on their websites (no they aint going to make these freebies easy to find!)

The info above is if you are on the 3 network but other providers offer varied services. Application form for 3 disability services is tucked away on their site but I will save you looking click Application for disability services on 3 three.co.uk

A few Accessibility PC tricks

A couple of quick tips for making your PC more accessible. If you know of any good ones please POST them and I will get them added.

1: Enlarger your web broswer:
Most vision impaired people know this one but for those that don't and want your web browser/web sites to appear larger simply:

Hold down the Ctrl key and press + to enlarge, Ctrl - to make smaller again.

2: Pressing multiple keys:
For those of you that have problems holding down multiple keys, Alt, Ctrl, Delete for example do the following:

On your PC go to Start then Control Panel click Accessibility Options then put a tick in the box that says Use Sticky Keys click OK. and close the page. Then try it out by pressing the following 1 at a time Ctrl then the - key (next to the 0 zero key) as described in the 1st thread.

Got anymore, please share them.

Disabled WC’s – A DDA Claim in the Waiting

As a wheelchair user I find it hard to understand why in 2010 many hotels, restaurants and shops offering disabled WC’s facilities are still failing miserably under the requirements of the DDA, many are so badly fitted out, cramped and offer poor transfer aids that they are putting disabled people at risk of accident or injury.

A disabled WC I recently used in a hotel room I booked from a well known hotel chain, well, these are called ‘lodges’ and aimed at those that ‘travel’ Come on this isn’t rocket science put the two words together and you will know who I’m talking about, no, still not got it? OK, let me start again! A disabled WC I recently used in a Travel Lodge lol was so high that when sitting on it not only could my feet not touch the ground for balance, but I could not even reach the loo roll or any of the badly installed grab/support bars. (Not the image shown)

A disabled WC needs to meet the needs of all people with disabilities and at the very least offer safe transfer on and off the WC from a wheelchair position as well as colour contrasted grab rails to assist our friends with vision impairments.

OK, at the risk of boring you, here’s a run down:
Apart from offering safe transfer, all facilities such as soap, washbasin, paper towel or hand dryer need to be reachable from sitting on the WC, this is for obvious personal hygiene reasons that I’m sure I don’t need to go into! Emergency pull cords need to be reachable from both the WC seated position and the floor area in case of falls. Doors should be outward opening in standard 1500mm x 2200mm compartments and be a minimum of 750mm wide (1000mm preferred)

The regulations for a WC are very specific and there for a reason. However we still continue to find newly fitted disabled WC’s in a dangerous state and most are simply not updated to meet DDA standards due partly to cost but mainly down to ignorance.

This will continue into the near future, however, time will come and I’m sure that won’t be far off when sadly a disabled person will either be very badly injured or heaven forbid die because these standards are not met, this will be closely followed by a massive court case that results in the company (or local authority council) being sued for a great deal of money, probably courtesy of our no win, no fee lawyers that are just waiting to jump on the backs of those guilty parties.

Note: The disabled WC image above is a reasonably good example but as far as the DDA is concerned it actually has a minimum of 7 that's SEVEN major faults, how many can you spot? Our friends at Access All Areas have promised to drop in the answer in at a later date so please bookmark this page to return.

Basic facts supplied courtesy of Access All Areas – DDA specialists

Funny Website Addresses

I came across these web addresses that may give the site owners a shock when they read them back as one word, just though i'd share a few chuckles with you all as a break from disability stuff:

Enjoy:

1. A site called ‘Who Represents‘ where you can find the name of the agent that represents a celebrity. Their domain name… wait for it… is
www.whorepresents.com

2. Experts Exchange, a knowledge base where programmers can exchange advice and views at
www.expertsexchange.com

3. Looking for a pen? Look no further than Pen Island at
www.penisland.net

4. Need a therapist? Try Therapist Finder at
www.therapistfinder.com

5. Then of course, there’s the Italian Power Generator company…
www.powergenitalia.com

6. And now, we have the Mole Station Native Nursery, based in New South Wales:
www.molestationnursery.com

7. If you’re looking for computer software, there’s always
www.ipanywhere.com

8. Welcome to the First Cumming Methodist Church. Their website is
www.cummingfirst.com

9. Then, of course, there’s these brainless art designers, and their whacky website:
www.speedofart.com

10. Want to holiday in Lake Tahoe? Try their brochure website at
www.gotahoe.com

Snazzy Crutches and Walking Sticks

Are we seeing the beginning of the end of the NHS ‘one size fits all and available in all colours providing they are a putrid grey’ crutches and walking sticks?

I was looking at replacing my crutches a few days ago and got the shock of my life (OK I’m easily shocked) Green, blue, yellow adults and children’s crutches jumped out the screen at me. Hell, at this rate becoming disabled will be fashionable with people jumping off tall buildings to break legs just to get their hands on them!

Googling a bit deeper I looked at walking sticks, I found sticks that would shock my old Granddad, pink, blue, multi coloured walking stick, folding ones, sticks with curved handles, straight handles, jeez, some didn’t even have handles.

I really need to calm down, I’m getting far too excited, either that or I really need to get out more.

Blogger alt image text for the blind

On a note most visitors here will find mind numbingly boring but very much worth a mention is how the blind and vision impaired see/read images in websites and blogs such as this one. This blogger template is supplied by good old Google but does not allow us and other webmasters to automatically include the VERY important alt text or alt tag to images on the new blogger system, old system yes but the new one nooooo.

OK, I hear most of you screaming at your monitors asking 'what the hell is this guy on about' Let me explain before you go off and hide in a darkened room.

Image alt text (or for the techy minded alt="your text here") is an html web code used to place text over an image when you run your mouse over it, or more importantly what blind readers see to tell the blind user what the image is. See image right when you put your mouse over it. (note: if viewing through Firefox you won't see the text but blind readers will)

The posts entered below this one will not offer this but from now on I shall add the html alt code manually because I know how important this is to the blind and visually impaired, just a shame Google missed it but as this post will be popping up in search engines perhaps our kindly friends over at Google will be kind enough to include the alt="your text here" command on future new versions in the Google blogger template coding.

Gripe end! :)

Remember the 'Acedes invalid Car'?

Anybody out there remember the dreaded ‘Invalid Carriage’? (full name Acedes invalid car) Thankfully now defunct along with that distasteful word used to describe those unfortunate enough to own one!

Three wheeled with or without hand controls, (well handlebars actually) two stroke 147cc and later 500cc engine with one seat and room for a folding wheelchair accessed via a large sliding door. At top speed it had enough power to cut the entire grass housed in a window box.

Available in any colour providing it was blue but if you were really lucky you could get one with a white roof. Built in Thundersley in Essex they were a real Essex bird babe magnet but only if you were trying to pick up Babe the pig from the movie of the same name!

The shell was made of fibreglass and they were built and supplied by the Health Services from 1933 up until 1977 when government came to their senses and scrapped them. By 2003 government agents crushed all they could lay their hands on, I say ‘crushed’ but I do believe all was needed was a pair of Christmas nut crackers and a strong hand.

Anyway for those interested a run down of these and other disabled motoring beasts can be found here HERE

OK, I'm being a bit strong on the little blue beast, it did at least get the less mobile out and about, to work, shop etc but i'm sure those that remember them are thankful we now have Motability supplying disabled adapted vehicles.

Anybody brave enough to tell us their experiences with the Acedes invalid carriage I’d very much like to hear them, click 'comments' below to leave your post.

Is Disabled Access All Bad

As disabled people we nearly all complain about it, most of us can tell horror stories, however, as a wheelchair user of some 30 years plus but still young enough to have a long memory I can positively say ‘things as far as access is concerned are definitely on the up.

OK before you bombard me with your valid claims of ‘I can’t access this place or that place', please let me explain from where i'm sitting.

Many moons ago at the ripe old age of 16, I left hospital after being in for just short of a year. I couldn't cross many of the roads due to very few having dropped curbs, these were a rare thing back then. Going into my local hostilary (you could get away with underage drinking then) was just about impossible and as a disabled person, you would be frowned upon for doing so, disabled people drinking, whatever next!

I was denied access to many public venues such as cinemas as I was considered a Health & Safety risk’ in case a fire broke out. Booking into a hotel was no better as very few had disabled rooms, as for flying, I would have had more luck trying to grow wings.

Disabled people did not drive standard cars either, they had (Bright Blue) ‘invalid carriages’ that stood out like a sore thumb and screamed out ‘Look I’m disabled’ See invalid carrige article here.

Thankfully there have been many improvements and changes over the years but more importantly the attitudes of people in general have changed a great deal and I really do mean a GREAT deal. As disabled people we now have a rightful place in society and in the big bad outside world.

OK so there are still many places we cant get access to and to be honest there always will be but if you look at the whole picture, access has evolved in leaps and bounds.

Putting right all the worlds access issues is a lengthy and somewhat mammoth task, especially in many older countries and cities like London etc but i'm please to say we are getting there, slowly yes I grant you but we are getting there, disabled people are no longer denied access to cinemas, booking into (most) hotels is now possible and yes, they even have disabled friendly rooms if not always DDA compliant ones, not only have we got rid of the‘Invalid carriages’ but society has gone one step further and got rid of the word invalid along with them, UK anyway, the Americans are behind us but they will soon follow.

So there we have it, in a nutshell, we are getting there access wise, we just need to start seeing see it and comparing where we have come from.

Supplied by: Access All Areas - DDA Audits

Blind leading the blind

I saw a lady with a guide dog pass my window. After a minute or so I watched as she signalled her dog to walk forward, the dog just sat there and refused to budge. (stupid dumb mutt I thought) This continued for a minute or so until I was so puzzled by it that I went out to see what was happening.

Sure enough the woman was still standing and trying in vain to get the dog to move forward.

I asked what the problem was and she explained that a car a few yards ahead had its wheels on the kerb and its motor running. In a situation like this the dog (not so dumb after all) is trained not to proceed but will wait for the car to either move on or have its engine turned off.

As I looked at the car I was able to tell the blind lady that in fact there was no one in it (the driver had mounted the kerb, left the engine running and popped into a shop for something, I waited another 2 or 3 minutes until the driver (I wont say whether a man or woman driver) returned and hopped into the car totally oblivious to the inconvenience she had caused.

I pointed out what had happened to the driver who seemed a little embarrassed and shot off in the car. (dumb driver) Only a week or so later I saw the same thing only this time I had the answer.

Some yards from my office is a dirt track crossed by a footpath? Once again the same blind lady and her dog were on one side of the path, the dog sat on the pavement and the lady signalling for it to move forward. This time a van driver was parked at the side of the dirt track reading a newspaper with his engine running to keep warm.

As this is a dirt track there is no kerb or pavement so once again the dogs training meant it would not take its owner in front of a car with its engine running whilst not entirely on the road.

Makes ya think hey?

Learning Difficulties - Disabilities

Imagine having something very important to say but you just cant get your thoughts across or make the person understand what you are trying to convey. You may feel bombarded by sights and sounds, unable to focus your attention.

You may not need to imagine this, you may understand it. You might be the parent or relative of a child experiencing learning problems, or have a loved one in your family diagnosed as learning disabled.

Although different from person to person, learning difficulties are common daily experiences of many children and adults. Those with a learning disability may experience a feeling of failure and low self-esteem.

OK, enough doom and gloom. It is important to understand that those with learning disabilities can and do learn and learn well.

This type of disability usually only affects certain limited areas of development, rarely are learning disabilities severe enough to prevent a person living a happy and normal life. This can effect a persons life a lot or very little. One thing is sure and that is our understanding, reaction and response to the person with learning difficulties, drastically effects that person.

Being patient, trying to understand and treating the person with respect greatly reduces their frustration and anxiety, helps them relax, feel less tense but most of all gives them time to think without pressure or fear of failure.

This type of disability usually only affects certain limited areas of development, rarely are learning disabilities severe enough to prevent a person living a happy and normal life. This can effect a persons life a lot or very little. One thing is sure and that is our understanding, reaction and response to the person with learning difficulties, drastically effects that person.

Being patient, trying to understand and treating the person with respect greatly reduces their frustration and anxiety, helps them relax, feel less tense but most of all gives them time to think without pressure or fear of failure.

This article is not designed to tell you all about learning difficulties, it is merely here to help you understand and relate with confidence and in doing so ease the pressure for the learning disabled to better cope with their disability.

For more details on learning difficulties and how to assist, see Mencap at www.mencap.org.uk