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Extracts
from Issue 15
Get Practical!
Broadening Your Horizons Norfolk Association for the Disabled,
The Lord Mayor’s New Horizons Fund and the Ashwellthorpe Hall
Association working together are planning to hold a major event
on June 5 and 6 2001. Major developments in the technologies
available can dramatically improve the life of those with all
forms of disabilities, and their carers, but often the people
who would most benefit are the last to hear about such innovations.
This event will present a wide diversity of resources and practical
solutions to improve the quality of life of disabled people
and to encourage personal aspiration and achievement. For more
information please contact Hilary Jeffries at Norfolk Association
for the Disabled. Tel: 01603 486669.
Gas Register
This scheme is available to pensioners and to disabled gas consumers.
The register supplies, free of charge, a series of special arrangements
and services. These include a free, yearly safety check of all
gas appliances, provision of special adapters and prepayment
meters when required, repositioning of the gas meter, if owned
by the supplier, and the use of a password scheme for identification
of the supplier’s authorised officers. To register, phone your
gas supplier on the number given on your bill, and ask to go
onto their ‘Special Care Register’. They will send you a form
to complete.
Get Kids
Going
This is a national charity which gives disabled children the
opportunities to participate in sports by providing them with
specially built sports wheelchairs. It also provides personalized
wheelchairs, trikes and other mobility aids for children to
use every day; at home, in school and to enable them to play
with their friends. Tel: 020 7481 8110, or email: getkids.going@virgin.net
website: http://freespace.virgin.net/getkids.going
CREATE!
Create! is offering an email arts information service. This
free service will send regular bulletins to anyone who wishes
to subscribe, and will complement its regular quarterly newsletter
‘ReCreate’ by sending up to date information that cannot wait
for the paper version. Ideas, comments and contributions are
invited. Create!’s main aim is to involve disabled people in
the local arts scene and ensure that information is in the right
place at the right time. Further info from Ann Young on 01603
626972 or create@vcentre.fsnet.co.uk
website: www.vcentre.fsnet.co.uk
CHANGES
Making Sense, the countywide project which works to improve
access to information and awareness for people with a sensory
disability has a new Co-ordinator. Contact Sandy Griffiths on
01493 722131 or write to her at 6 Lawnswood Drive, Caister-on-Sea,
Great Yarmouth NR30 5RB.
The Multiple Sclerosis Society has moved to 373 Edgeware Road,
London NW2 6ND. Tel: 020 8438 0700 or Helpline: 0808 800 8000.
West Norfolk Carers Project has a new co-ordinator, David Hall,
who can be contacted on 01553 760568 or at 16 Tuesday Market
Place, King’s Lynn PE30 1JN.
The British Diabetic Association has changed its name to Diabetes
UK. Contact 10 Queen Anne Street, London W1G 9LH. Telephone
the helpline on 020 7636 6112 or visit the website www.diabetes.org.uk
Tenovus Cancer Information Centre’s helpline is 0808 808 1010,
or write to College Buildings, Courtnay Road, Splott, Cardiff
CF24 2ZA.
The International Glaucoma Association has moved to 108c Warner
Road, Camberwell, London SE5 9HQ. Tel: 020 7737 3265.
Thetford and District Access Group’s Chairman, Peter Midwinter
can now be contacted at 2 Anna Sewell Close, Thetford IP24 1TN
or on 01842 766563.
Health Promotion England has moved to 50 Eastbourne Terrace,
London W2 3QR. Tel: 020 7725 2880, Fax: 020 7725 2881.
The new Co-ordinator of Norwich and District Carers’ Forum is
Sally Maguire, telephone 01603 219924. Disability Sport England
has moved to Unit 4G, 784-788 High Road, Tottenham, London N17
0DA. Tel: 020 8801 4466, Fax: 020 8801 6644, Email: info@dse.org.uk
Young
Stroke Support Group
This social group is for any under 60s from Norwich and anywhere
in Norfolk and meets on Friday evenings at the Vauxhall Centre
in Norwich, from 7pm – 9pm. Currently members come from Thetford
and Suffolk as well as from Norwich and the surrounding area.
Further information from Debbie Munro on 01493 384462.
Discounted
train fares
Virgin Trains has launched a new Charity Line service – a telephone
booking service available to all UK registered charities. When
travelling with Virgin Trains registered users (price £15 per
year for an account) will be able to use Saver tickets in both
morning and evening peak periods free of the usual restrictions.
Charity Line can be used to purchase tickets for all train companies
on the National Rail Network, but the ticket concession applies
to Virgin trains only. Contact Charity Line, P O Box 6006162,
Edinburgh EH11 3YS. Tel: 0845 3050 350.
Star
of the small screen?
The BBC is looking for disabled people to join its database
of experts available to comment on a range of issues for television
news programmes. Experts are asked to contribute to news stories
as and when they break. The BBC’s diversity policy is aimed
at getting more people from under-represented sections of society
on screen and having a bank of disabled experts available to
comment on news stories will help them further this aim.
After
16 – What’s New?
The Family Fund Trust has set up a website version of the above
book which encourages young disabled people to make sure they
are at the centre of their plans for the future, including further
education, where to live etc. The website is at www.after16.org.uk
or the book is available free to young disabled people, £10
to others from the Family Fund Trust on 01904 621115.
BENEFITS
AND FINANCE
Disabled Persons Tax Credit A new fast-track scheme has
been announced for DPTC which will make it possible for people
who have recently become sick or disabled to stay in work even
if their illness or disability means they have to move to a
less demanding (and less well paid) job, either with their current
or a new employer, or have to reduce their hours in their current
job. From 3 October 2000, people who have been sick for 20 weeks
or more may be able to claim DPTC through a fast-track system.
To qualify for this a person must:
* have received statutory sick pay, employers sick pay or short
term incapacity benefit for a period of a least 20 weeks within
8 weeks before the claim for DPTC
* be working for at least 16 hours per week and be earning at
least 20% or £15 less than they were before
* have an illness or disability that puts them at a disadvantage
in getting a job
* have savings below £16,000
* be resident and present in the United Kingdom, and have no
limitation on their stay here. Someone who does not qualify
for DPTC under the fast track can still qualify if they receive
a qualifying benefit such as disability living allowance. In
this case they do not need to have suffered a reduction in wages.
Working Families Tax Credit WFTC will include a credit
of £22.25 a week for disabled children for awards beginning
on or after October 3 2000.
Therapeutic Earnings The therapeutic earnings limit is
to go up from £58.50 to £59.50 per week from October 2 2000.
This is the maximum which can be earned for agreed therapeutic
work whilst remaining on incapacity benefit or severe disablement
allowance.
Home Grants The Housing Minister has announced that disabled
facilities grants will be increased by £39 million over three
years to enable more disabled people to adapt their homes to
meet their needs. There will also be £153 million to establish
a new Supporting People programme by 2003/04, which will bring
together support services for vulnerable people.
Older persons tax rebate planned Older people with a
small occupational pension or savings above the £8,000 limited
barring pensioners from extra government help will receive a
special tax rebate. A consultation paper on the new scheme is
to be published soon. The plan will replace the current limit
and assist those on between £100 and £200 per week. Final figures
are to be published during the autumn.
Bus Fares
The Government has announced plans for a new national concessionary
bus fare scheme for pensioners and disabled people, to bring
an end to the current ‘postcode lottery’. The scheme should
benefit 1.5 million disabled people and 5.5 million pensioners.
Minimum
Income Guarantee
A national telephone claims service is available to help pensioners
check whether they are entitled to claim MIG. The line enables
pensioners to call free of charge from the privacy of their
own homes instead of visiting a DSS office. Operators will help
the caller decide if they are entitled to claim, and if so,
help them fill in the claim form over the telephone, and then
post the form to them for checking and signing. Lines are open
Monday – Friday 7.00am – 9.00pm on Freephone 0800 028 11 11.
DLA mobility
component
A decision by a tribunal should make it easier for profoundly
deaf British Sign Language users to qualify for the lower-rate
mobility component of DLA, and should also help people with
conditions such as epilepsy, whose need for supervision is not
directly related to their walking ability. The commissioners
ruled that supervision could be taken into account when assessing
the need for the lower rate mobility component.
Parents
helpline expands
Parentline Plus is expanding its free helpline to deal with
a large increase in the number of parents calling with concerns
that their children are being bullied at school. The move is
backed by the Department of Education and Employment. Tel: 0808
800 2222.
Travel
Insurance
AllClear Plus is a specially designed travel insurance package
for disabled travellers and those with pre-existing conditions.
It will pay medical and hospital expenses of up to £5 million,
costs to fly home and cancellation and curtailment protection
without strings. Further information from AllClear Plus on 01277
267584 (8.00am - 8.00pm Monday-Friday, 9.00am – 4.00pm Saturday).
Working
from home?
Homeworking is a new website giving free information for those
wishing to work from home. Subjects include job search, debt
advice, small business information, scam warnings and case studies.
Visit www.homeworking.com
Norfolk
Millennium Trust for Carers
The Trust established through the We Care 2000 Appeal will begin
grant giving in October 2000. The Trust will help carers by
offering financial and practical support. Applica-tions can
be made by individuals or carer organisations who can demonstrate
a need for services which cannot be provided by statutory organisations
such as Health or Social Services. Individuals can apply for
grants of up to £1,000, organisations for up to £5,000. For
a copy of the criteria and guidelines write to The Trustees,
Norfolk Millennium Trust for Carers, c/o Valley Farmhouse, Gunthorpe,
Nr Melton Constable, Norfolk NR24 2PB.
Identifying
deafblindness
Sense has launched a new national scheme to help identify the
thousands of people with combined sight and hearing problems
whose needs are going unnoticed. It has produced a 10 – point
identification plan to assist carers, social workers, doctors
and other service providers. The plan lists five characteristics
that could indicate a sight impairment and five that could indicate
a hearing impairment and suggests that anyone who falls into
both categories should be assessed for deafblindness. Studies
by the Department of Health and the RNIB have indicated that
nearly one in 13 people over 75 suffer from deafblindness. Sense
believes that early identification would help people retain
their independence because they could learn other ways of carrying
out their activities.
LEGISLATION
Carers and Disabled Children Act received royal assent
in July and will mean added benefits for the estimated 1.7 million
people in the UK who provided more than 20 hours of care a week.
It will ensure first time services for carers, enhanced rights
to assessments of carers’ needs, direct payments for carers
and disabled children over the age of 16, and a short term respite
break voucher scheme. DRC & the Human Rights Act The Disability
Rights Commission is to appeal to the government to extend its
powers to cover the Human Rights Act 1998 when it comes into
force in October, to improve its chances of proving that poor
services may be discriminatory. According to the DRC Chairman,
it is still unclear under the Disability Discrimination Act
whether a social services department could be found guilty of
discriminating against a disabled person simply for providing
them with a poor service. In the autumn the DRC is to publish
a consultation document proposing extension of the DDA to all
businesses with three or more employees – it currently only
covers firms with more than 15 employees.
Internet
Shopping
A new project offering disabled people and carers the chance
to buy specialist products via the Internet has been launched
in Norwich. www.disability-shop.com claims to be the first independent
internet-only provider of disability and care products. The
site will carry a newsletter on health and disability issues
and aims to encourage debate between users through a message
board.
PUBLICATIONS
Juggling on a Unicycle is a short guide to organizing
a small voluntary agency and has been designed to be easily
photocopied and disseminated. Price £1.80 plus SAE or it can
be downloaded from www.lse.ac.uk/depts/ccs
Opening
Doors is an accreditation guide for voluntary organizations.
It offers guidance on ways to identify and meet training needs
of staff and volunteers; information on relevant accreditation
routes; support mechanisms to help implement a programme; an
overview of the changing contexts in training and accreditation;
a glossary of terms, helpful contacts and further reading. Price
£12 (inc p&p) payable to RSA No. 1 Account, from RSA Project
2001, 8 John Adam Street, London WC2N 6EZ.
A free self-help
guide for disabled and older people about carrying out repairs,
adaptations and improvements to their homes has been launched
by Scope and Care & Repair England. It includes advice on finding
funding; how to employ a builder; and how to ensure that works
runs smoothly. The guide is available in print, Large Print,
on computer disc and audio-cassette. Telephone 020 7619 7100
or 01457 891909 for a free copy.
The RNIB
and Guide Dogs for the Blind have produced a guide to help those
involved in planning access in and around buildings. The
Sign and Design Guide gives informa-tion on creating effective
and consistent signs, and sets out a step by step approach to
planning and designing signs. Price £20 from RNIB Customer Services
on 0845 702 3153.
Communication
Problems after Stroke is a new booklet produced by the Stroke
Association and addresses those who experience speech and literacy
difficulties after a stroke. Available free from the Stroke
Association, Northamp-ton Resource Centre, 61-69 Derngate, Northampton
NN1 1HD.
Coping
When Your Child Has Special Needs gives practical advice
on matters such as handling hospital appointments and coping
strategies for other family members, and results from the author’s
experiences with her son who has microcephaly. Price £6.99 by
Suzanne Askham, published by Sheldon Press.
Left
Out
A survey compiled by Scope that looked at 513 buildings and
services found that more than half of all buildings do not have
an accessible toilet and 36% do not have level access. Only
41% offered designated parking, 17% of staff were not respectful
to disabled people, and only 30% of the businesses surveyed
had customer information available in a format other than standard
print. Left Out – Disabled People’s Access to Goods and Services
is available at £3 to individuals and £20 to organisations from
Scope. Tel: 020 7619 7341.
Low vision
website
The Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) has set up
a new ‘low vision’ website. It has two sections, one for people
with sight problems and the other for eye care professionals,
and is access-ible to specialist technology. The site contains
a database of all low vision services throughout the UK, as
well as research reports and product information. Visit www.rnib.org.uk/lowvision
Nansa’s
new project
Norfolk and Norwich Scope (Nansa) are recruiting a Youth Scheme
Co-ordinator to establish a project to encourage the inclusion
of young people with disabilities in mainstream youth clubs
and leisure activities throughout Norfolk. Further information
from Joy Mounser on 01603 630769.
Mobility
Solutions
HAND has extended its services to include HAND Mobility Solutions.
They renovate donated electric wheelchairs and scooters and
manual wheelchairs and then recycle them on to others at a very
economical price which is sufficient to cover the cost of the
repairs carried out. HAND would welcome donations of unused
wheelchairs and also hand controls and other car adaptations.
It would also welcome volunteers with engineering experience
to help with the work. Steve Hopwood, is a HAND volunteer who
uses his own experience of aids and adaptations to offer advice
and information to those needing assistance. Call Steve on 01603
448005, or call the main HAND office on 01603 448000.
Extracts
from Issue 14>>>
Every
effort is made to ensure that the content of NDIS News is correct,
however we cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions.
Goods and services featured do not carry any recommendation
from NDIS or Norfolk Social Services NDIS NEWS is available
free of charge in standard print, Large Print and on audio cassette.
Produced by Heather Davy NDIS, The Vauxhall Centre,
Johnson Place, Vauxhall Street, NORWICH NR2 2SA Tel 01603 763295
Fax 01603 610632 E-mail: ndis@gtnet.gov.uk. Tape version by
Chatterbox With thanks to TXU Europe
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