PosAbility – Dec / Jan 2021

Dec/JAn 2021

MAGAZINE ENVIRONMENTALISM Why disabled people must be included in conversations about climate change

CHRISTMAS

YEAR IN REVIEW

Everything you need to have a holly, jolly Christmas from food to gifts

We remember what happened in 2021 so that you don't have to

Editor: Rosalind Tulloch Staff Writers: Katie Campbell Designer: Fionnlagh Ballantine Sales: Danny McGonigle

Welcome

CONTRIBUTORS

Sam Renke, Mik Scarlet, Dan White, Tammy Harman, Ian Taverner, Kelly Gordon, Sophie Buck, Lydia Wilkins

DEC/JAN 21

and family activities, to a list of gift ideas to buy from some amazing disabled-owned businesses.

Ros EDITOR

e are in the full swing of Christmas now, and who can believe that we have made it through another year of a global pandemic? We remain ever hopeful that this year will allow us to spend time with our family and loved ones, and to make up for missing out on so many things last year.

This issue brings you an indulgent amount of Christmas content, from Christmas and Boxing Day recipes

Like us on Facebook Search for ‘PosAbility Magazine’

With COP26 taking place recently in Glasgow, we have an article from Sophie Buck exploring the importance of the inclusion of disabled voices in the climate change conversation, and Dan White also highlights the lack of young disabled voices that were included in the climate change conference itself.

We spoke to graphic designer Jenny McGibbon, who lives with ME/CFS, about the designs she creates for the chronic illness community on page 24, and freelance writer Kelly Gordon explores the stigma around sex and disability on page 27. You will also find all the usual instalments from our wonderful columnists as they round up this year.

We would like to take the opportunity to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Let’s hope 2022 is a year full of hope and happiness.

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DISCLAIMER

PosAbility Magazine is published by 2A Publishing Limited.

The views expressed in PosAbility Magazine are not necessarily the views of the editor or the publisher. Reproduction in part or in whole is strictly prohibited without the explicit written consent of the publisher.

Copyright 2021 ©2A Publishing Limited.

All Rights Reserved. ISSN 2049-2251

Contact Details: 2A Publishing Ltd, 20- 23 Woodside Place, Glasgow, G3 7QL Tel: 0141 465 2960 Fax: 0141 258 7783 enquiries@2apublishing.co.uk posabilitymagazine.co.uk Dec/JAn 2021

MAGAZINE ENVIRONMENTALISM Why disabled people must be included in conversations about climate change

CHRISTMAS

YEAR IN REVIEW

Everything you need to have a holly, jolly Christmas from food to gifts

We remember what happened in 2021 so that you don't have to

Follow us on Instagram @ posabilitymagazine

To find out more about subscribing to PosAbility Magazine turn to p66

posabilitymagazine.co.uk

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Making the most of the festive season and supporting disabled business owners

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13 DECK THE HALLS

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News, stories and updates

36 HOT STUFF

YEAR

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07 FYI

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DEC/JAN 2021 | ISSUE 64

The latest must-have products

38 INHOSPITABLE ENVIRONMENTALISM Sophie Buck highlights why disabled people must be involved more prominently in the conversation on climate change

19 THE GREATEST GIFT Sam Renke highlights the importance of setting boundaries and taking time for yourself

20 FESTIVE FEASTING We have delicious options for every dietary requirement this Christmas

23 COOKFULNESS

42 A SENSE OF THE SEASON Christmas can be an overwhelming time for autistic people, Lydia Wilkins explores how you can cope with the chaos of the festive season

44 NEW YEAR, NEW TRAVELS Euan’s Guide wants to hear from you on all the accessible places you visit in the new year

Ian Taverner treats us to a tasty Boxing Day alternative

24 AN UNINTENTIONAL FOLLOWING Meet Jenny McGibbon, a Glasgow-based graphic designer who shares beautiful messages with the chronic illness community

27 LOVING YOURSELF Kelly Gordon encourages everyone to embrace their sexuality

31 HO HO HUMBUG Mik Scarlet laments the inaccessible changes he sees unfolding around us

47 KIDS’ CORNER From a Christmas countdown of activities for the whole family to our regular column from Dan White and our Future Voices showcase, plus plenty of Christmas gift ideas

58 BLIND CREATE Discover the creative social enterprise teaching visually impaired individuals how to draw

61 A NEW YEAR REVOLUTION Ditch those New Year’s resolutions for a different start to your year

32 CHRISTMAS CRACKERS Get prepared for Christmas with everything from reusable crackers to gingerbread candles

35 CALL TO ACTION Shona Louise has launched a petition to tackle the accessibility issues surrounding the theatre industry

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62 A YEAR IN REVIEW A round-up of the highs and lows of 2021

65 GET THAT DREAM JOB Tammy Harman of Evenbreak gives employment advice

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The Motability Scheme enables disabled people to lease a new car, scooter or powered wheelchair without the worry of owning and running one. Parents and carers can drive on behalf of the customer.

The vehicle should be used by, or for the benefit of, the disabled person.

Making life easier for disabled people

“We went on our first family camping trip.

Something we couldn’t have done without the new car.”

Sam, Elisabeth’s mum

Who can join the Motability Scheme?

You may be able to join the Scheme if you receive one of the following: • Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA).

• Enhanced Rate of the Mobility Component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

• War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement (WPMS).

• Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP).

What’s included on the Motability Scheme?

Insurance Breakdown assistance Servicing and repairs

How Motability, the Charity can help We can provide charitable grants for: • Car adaptations to help make travelling as comfortable as possible.

• Vehicle Advance Payments for larger, more expensive vehicles.

• Up to 40 hours of driving lessons, to ensure disabled people have access to driving tuition in specially adapted cars as necessary.

To find out more visit motability.org.uk or call 0800 500 3186

Tyres and battery replacement

To find out more about the Motability Scheme visit motability.co.uk or call 0800 093 1000

Motability is a Registered Charity in England and Wales (No.299745) and in Scotland (No.SC050642). Motability is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Reference No.736309). All cars, scooters and powered wheelchairs provided under the Motability Scheme are leased to customers by Motability Operations Ltd, who operate the Scheme on a contract basis for Motability. Motability Operations Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Reference No.735390).

FOR YOUR INFORMATION News and stories from around the world

EMMERDALE ACTOR AND DEAFINITELY ANNOUNCE CHARITY LAUNCH “FREEDOM” THEATRE EVERYDAY WORLD PREMIERE INSPIRED T-SHIRTS ctor James Moore, who plays Ryan Stocks in the longrunning ITV soap Emmerdale, has helped launch a new collection of t-shirts designed by service users of the Enham Trust in Andover, in partnership with sustainable fashion retailer CDUK.

homelessness. Disabled people have also been in other aspects of the clothing, with photographs shot by wheelchair user Ian Rice, and packing and shipping handled by Trusts Third Party Logistics, a social enterprise providing employment for disabled people.

The designs were inspired by the service users’ emergence from the pandemic, and feature a number of designs which reflect their emotions and feelings about this. Priced at £24 per shirt, £4 from each sale will go to the Enham Trust, and another £4 will be used by CDUK to help tackle

James, who was the first disabled winner of a National Television Award in 2019, said: “I’m really happy to be partnering with CDUK and Enham Trust on this project. I’m a strong disability advocate and appreciate everything Enham Trust are doing for disabled people. I’m also a vegan and an environmentalist and CDUK does great things with regards to that.

Sounds like really amazing stuff.”

s part of their 20th anniversary season, Deafinitely Theatre have announced the world premiere of their new show Everyday will open at the New Diorama Theatre on 20 May, running until 11 June ahead of a national tour.

Written and directed by artistic director Paula Garfield, the show is based on interviews conducted with d/Deaf women who have survived domestic abuse.

Everyday will be performed in BSL and spoken English. The company has also launched Talking Hands as part of the celebration, a new series of digital films highlighting urgent and everyday stories that affect the d/Deaf community, with more details to be announced soon.

Stevie Mitchell of CDUK was instrumental in the creation of the project, reaching out to the Enham Trust through his partnership with the Aster Foundation. He said: “I’ve loved working with the artists supported

by Enham Trust. The designs are exciting and vibrant. The goal of the project makes it even more rewarding, and the collaboration has attracted support from James Moore who has been a delight to work with. To top it off, the t-shirts will be picked and packed by Enham Trust’s Third Party Logistics social enterprise, providing opportunities for disabled people to gain work.”

Paula Garfield said: “We’re enormously proud of everything we have achieved over the past 20 years, creating world class theatre accessible to everyone.

We begin our 20th anniversary season with Everyday - based on my interviews with d/Deaf women who have survived domestic abuse. It’s a vital and necessary conversation, with instances of domestic abuse rising significantly as a result of the lockdowns of the past 18 months.

Our intention is to raise awareness about violence against d/Deaf women – an issue prevalent in our community with d/Deaf twice as likely as their hearing peers to suffer domestic abuse, but also to address this important and challenging issue in a sensitive, and ultimately, uplifting manner.”

To purchase the t-shirts, visit cduk.online.

For more information, visit DeafinitelyTheatre.co.uk.

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EUAN’S GUIDE ISSUES RED CORD NOTICE n line with World Toilet Day on 19 November, access charity Euan’s Guide asked for people who regularly use accessible toilets to order their red cord cards in an attempt to make toilets safer for everyone.

The charity has already distributed 100,000 of the cards around the country, which they ask to be attached to red emergency cords that are present in accessible toilets. The credit cardsized notices ask the public to ensure that the red cord is untangled and able to hang freely at the floor. Unfortunately, people who need to use the cord in an emergency have found them to be tied up, cut short, or out of their reach

entirely, thereby making them unable to safely alert someone that they require assistance.

A number of people have offered the charity feedback on the initiative, including Nikki, who said: “I have spent 20 minutes collapsed on the floor unable to get help because of the red cord being tied up in a hospital outpatient toilet and it’s just awful being unable to get help. Having this card and being able to display them will hopefully prevent others from experiencing the same as I have.”

Euan MacDonald, co-founder of Euan’s Guide, said: “Making 100,000 accessible toilets safer is an incredible milestone but we want to have a Red Cord Card in every accessible toilet across the country. That is only going to be possible with the support of more people and businesses as we continue to raise awareness of this lifesaving issue.”

To find out more about the initiative, visit EuansGuide.com/SaferToilets.

YORK RESIDENTS CHALLENGE

ork Accessibility Action (YAA) - a group of disabled people and their carers based in the city - are challenging the local council over the permanent closure of key streets in the city centre due to COVID-19, which has left them with no suitable accessible parking within 150 metres of the city centre.

The group told the Guardian that the city centre has now become a “no-go zone” after the City of York Council voted to prevent blue badge holders from parking in pedestrianised zones between 10.30am and 8pm, with the council arguing that the measure had been made permanent at the recommendation of the police as part of an anti-terrorism measure, per the i.

YAA has launched a legal case in order to reverse the decision, which they believe disregards the Equality Act, having raised over £6000 at present to fund the action.

A spokesperson for the council told the Guardian: “The council has a duty to protect the lives of residents and visitors, but we know that doing so as effectively as the police advise will have a significant impact on some blue badge holders.

“Proposals to improve access across the city include reintroducing blue badge access and parking on Castlegate from September, and investing in additional blue badge parking bays in the city centre.

“We have also committed to improve footways and access to toilets, install benches, create a new Access Officer role to lead on future access work, and explore the potential for an electric shuttle bus to help disabled people get into and around the city centre.

“We know that these measures will make a difference for many blue badge holders in the city and we will continue to engage with residents and partners on these issues.”

Visit YAA’s fundraiser at CrowdJustice.com/case/ ClosedToUs.

PODCAST HIGHLIGHTS REALITIES OF CARE WORK new podcast from Rashmi Becker, founder of inclusive dance company Step Change Studios is examining the realities of unpaid and paid care work, supported by public funding from Arts Council England.

Conversations With Carers will see Rashmi, who also acts as the guardian of her disabled brother, speak with carers about the strain they feel due to the pressures in their role. She said: “I know first-hand the exhausting pressures carers face on a daily basis.

While carers advocate for people they support, their own health and wellbeing is often neglected. During the pandemic, the isolation, stress, and poor treatment that carers experience was magnified. This motivated me to create Conversations with Carers and

provide a platform that highlights the realities of care work.”

Dance films also form part of Conversations with Carers, and are performed by both disabled dancers and non-disabled dancers, some of whom are also carers. Rashmi continued: “I firmly believe in the power of the arts to engage and connect people and wanted this work to provoke our perceptions of care work in thoughtful and creative ways.

Dance provides an alternative form of expressing emotion and experience. I hope that Conversations with Carers, in all its forms, will help society to acknowledge the realities of paid and unpaid care work, and that it will help make the case for urgent change in the way we treat, support and recognise carers.”

ONLINE SHOP WITH GOOD FROM DISABLED PEOPLE LAUNCHES Devon-based learning disability service run by national charity United Response has launched a new online storefront selling custom and personalised gifts created by their service users.

Positively Unique is currently creating an assortment of Christmas related products, ideal for gifting during the festive season, including personalised photo mugs, photo slates, cushions and clothing. They’re also creating bespoke Christmas decorating, including stockings and baubles.

Positively Unique is supported by the Ian Karten Charitable Trust, who funded printing equipment.

The charity says they hope the project will help service users build confidence and provide valuable work experience, while

also fundraising and increasing awareness for the charity.

Kate Conroy, senior service manager for Devon Wellbeing, said: “We are so excited about Positively Unique. It will create so many opportunities for the people we support to gain vital employability skills and hands-on experience of working.

“They will be creating quality, desirable products to sell to the public. Hopefully it will also help to raise awareness of some of the amazing work done by United Response.”

To see what Positively Unique has on sale, visit Positively-Unique.

UnitedResponse.org.uk. To find out more about the work of charity United Response, visit UnitedResponse.org.uk.

LATEST

TWEETS

Cortney Gensemer @CortDoesScience ...Is disability imposter syndrome a thing? I think I have that Gregory Mansfield @GHMansfield Disabled people don’t want or need a nondisabled person’s version of access.

Christiane Link @Christiane Some people should have the job title “finding excuses manager” not “accessibility manager”. sick grinch meg @sickgirlmeg Non-chronically ill person: we’ve all been through the same pandemic Me: *feral screeching* ren @cripcryptid hey quick question why are wheelchair accessible concert tickets more expensive and why am i not allowed to have more than one friend Ellen Jones @ellen__jones With mask-wearing being made compulsory again, I would like to remind those are not disabled that the sunflower lanyard scheme was created to show a person has a hidden disability.

It was not created as a way for you to avoid wearing a mask.

A Blurred Muffle @ABlurredMuffle I don’t know who needs to hear this but let disabled people complain.

Let us vocalise our feelings and thoughts. Our thoughts are valid and we deserve a safe space to vent our frustration without backlash or judgment.

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BROTHERWOOD CELEBRATE 20 YEARS OF CERTIFIED QUALITY MANAGEMENT The UK’s wheelchair accessible vehicle specialists Brotherwood celebrated a significant milestone in 2021, reaching the 20th anniversary of their ISO 9001:2015 certification, certified by UTAC. TAC are a market-leading group in vehicle testing, type approval and emerging technologies for autonomous, connected and electric vehicles.

Specifying the rigorous requirements of the company’s quality management systems, ISO 9001 certification highlights Brotherwood’s consistently robust approach to quality management, assuring their clients that every wheelchair accessible vehicle that the WAV conversion specialists produce has been meticulously engineered in line with stringent regulatory requirements.

Brotherwood first gained ISO 9001 accreditation back in 2001 and have maintained the standard for the following two decades. Based on the concept of continual improvement, Brotherwood’s commitment to quality has led to the development of exacting quality control systems and monitoring processes, delivering a strict conformity of production that also enables the company to comply with the most demanding type approval regulations such as ECWVTA (European Community

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Whole Vehicle Type Approval).

The result is a product that inspires customer confidence across the full range of Brotherwood wheelchair accessible vehicles, including the Mercedes-Benz V-Class ‘Klastar’ and the new Toyota Proace Verso ‘Tigon’ conversions; vehicles used by wheelchair users and their families across the UK and beyond to deliver comfortable, inclusive and safe wheelchair accessible transport.

The peace of mind provided by 20 years of certified quality management is further evidence of Brotherwood’s reputation as a market leader in the design and manufacture of wheelchair accessible vehicles.

BROTHERWOOD Brotherwood was founded in 1985 when founder, Rod Brotherwood, created his first vehicle conversion for his neighbour who was a wheelchair user. Since then the company has grown into one of the UK’s leading wheelchair accessible vehicle specialists, providing customers with first-class service and first-class vehicles. If you are looking to find out more about the range of wheelchair accessible vehicles that Brotherwood have on offer, you can call 0330 1747 555 or visit brotherwood.com.

We all welcome a little extra assistance now and again, particularly when travelling alone. Thistle Assistance is an initiative to help you feel safer and more comfortable when using public transport.

thistleassistance.com

Deck Halls the

BY ROSALIND TULLOCH

All going well, Christmas will be a very different affair this year compared to the disaster of 2020. Many of you may well feel the need to make up for the distinct lack of festivities last year by going all out with Christmas parties and family gatherings, but a number of you may still be shielding and taking much-needed precautions.

Regardless of your situation, PosAbility is here to ensure you get well and truly into the Christmas spirit. There will be no ‘bah humbugs’ overheard here, because we love the magical feeling of Christmas and we intend on spreading our (slightly over-enthusiastic) love for the festive season far and wide! f you are not a fan of the twinkling lights, tasty treats, mulled wine and the pressure of gift giving, you may want to skip the next few pages. However, if like us you wish you could decorate your house as soon as Halloween is over, then please do read on for some wonderful Christmassy ideas that will guarantee to have you feeling jolly this season.

DECORATE

What feels more Christmassy than hauling out the boxes of Christmas decorations that have been hiding at the back of your cupboard since January, waiting to re-emerge for their time to shine? Nothing is the answer to that question. Decorating your home is a sure-fire way to get even the most subdued Christmas celebrator in

the mood for festivities. We are firm believers that Christmas requires a tree – of any size or description – so whether it is a big, real tree dropping needles everywhere or a tinsel tree that sits on the side table in your living room, this should be top of the list. Lights are the quintessential sign that Christmas is here, but don’t feel pressured into adorning your house like Blackpool illuminations and regretting it when your electricity bill comes in, opt for some battery-operated string lights and place them around your home to bring a little twinkle to your rooms.

Check out thepompomporium.com for some fun and personalised Christmas décor and gifts. Disabled creator and entrepreneur Linzi Brooks creates beautiful pompom wreaths, stockings, baubles and much more.

MOVIES AND MUSIC ...whether it is a big, real tree dropping needles everywhere or a tinsel tree that sits on the side table in your living room, this should be top of the list

Nothing awakens our festive senses quite like playing our favourite Christmas playlist or watching our favourite Christmas movie. Create your own playlist to get you into the mood this Christmas, it can include some regular songs too so you don’t get too overwhelmed with festive singing by 25 December. Ask Alexa to create a Christmas playlist that you can keep adding to or simply ask her to play some Christmas songs.

The cold winter nights are ideal for snuggling under a blanket with a hot chocolate and reciting every line from Home Alone, Miracle on 34th Street or The Muppet Christmas Carol – even Die Hard, if you believe it is a Christmas movie. Those days in between Christmas and New Year are also the ideal time to embrace a hygge lifestyle (the Danish way of living a warm and satisfying life) – no one knows what day it is until the next year, so make the most of it before life gets started again!

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FOOD AND DRINKS

Mulled wine is one of my very favourite things about the festive season. The smell, the taste, the warmth of it in your hands – it is literally the perfect end to any winter’s day! I like to add some extra warmth to my mulled wine by raiding the back of the booze cupboard, try adding a splash (or glug) of brandy or port to your mulled wine and taste the difference, but always drink responsibly, we are certainly not promoting festive drunkenness! Try out the following recipe to make your own mulled wine – or if you don’t have a spice cupboard filled with these items then keep your eyes peeled for the readymade mulled wine sachets that you can simply add to your red wine.

Now you will need something to nibble on with your mulled wine.

Mince pies? Truffles? A cheeseboard?

Whether your tastes are sweet or savoury, it’s time to indulge in your favourite festive treat. Mince pies are always a crowd-pleaser, especially when served warm with some cream or ice cream, but they are not ideal for everyone. The shops are now full of gluten-free and vegan options for Christmas treats, so if you are having a gathering be sure to offer some dietary options so you know everyone can enjoy themselves and have their fill of tasty treats.

MULLED WINE Ingredients 1 btl red wine (nothing fancy) 1 orange, sliced into rounds 2 cinnamon sticks 2 star anise 8 cloves 4 tbsp brown sugar Good glug of brandy, port, or Cointreau Method Add the red wine, orange, spices, sugar and liquor to a large pan Stir everything together Cook over a medium-high heat until the wine is almost at a simmer – be careful not to let it bubble otherwise it will burn off the alcohol Reduce the heat to low, cover and allow to warm through for at least 20 mins before tasting Add more sugar if necessary Use a ladle to decant to mugs or glasses (careful of the heat) this helps to avoid filling a glass with cloves and cinnamon sticks Enjoy!

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GIFT YOURSELF

There can be a lot of pressure around this time of year; pressure to attend parties, pressure to host family and friends, pressure to buy the right presents. It can all be a bit overwhelming. Don’t bow down to the pressure. The festive season can be chaotic, and it is easy to find yourself guilted into attending endless parties, gatherings, dinners and festive events. Don’t burn yourself out trying to please everyone.

Christmas should be a time to relax and enjoy yourself, at your own pace and at your own level of comfort. Gift yourself the gift of doing whatever you choose this year, put your needs first and take your own health and wellbeing into consideration before agreeing to joining in events that you know will have an adverse effect on your mental or physical wellbeing. If you want to curl up in your pyjamas and watch Christmas telly for three days, do it. Just make sure you have stocked up on enough delicious treats to last you.

SUPPORT DISABLED BUSINESS OWNERS Rather than spending all of your cash with the well-known retail giants this year, let’s make a conscious effort to support disabled-owned businesses. Disabled creators across the land are producing unique and desirable products, offering a great range of gift ideas to treat your loved ones, or yourself. They may not be as visible in the mainstream media so we have put together a list of just some of the entrepreneurs you can support.

I’M FINE ATTIRE Clothes created for people living with chronic illness, endometriosis, abdominal pain and bloating. Their clothing includes pockets that accommodate their unique heat packs to provide pain relief and warmth on days when it is needed. Their clothing is all created with comfort in mind to ensure you can live your warmest and best life in the comfiest of clothes. imfineattire.com

SAMESIS An online business born out of lockdown to provide you with luxury handmade lashes. Created by disabled student Kartier Rose, these lashes are sure to make you feel glam for any occasion. Kartier is a lashes expert and only sells lashes that she has tried and tested to ensure they look great and last well. samesis.co.uk

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NIFTY NOTEBOOKS

INNABOX DESIGN

Claire Taggart is the Northern Ireland-based creative genius behind this beautiful stationery. If you want to bring a smile to someone this Christmas then please do purchase her adorably quirky Christmas cards that feature festive tortoises, you will not be disappointed. Claire is also a GB boccia player and competed in Tokyo. There is clearly no end to her talents.

Nikky is the creator behind InnaBox Design and her Etsy store welcomes you to a plethora of fun pins, cards, mugs and stickers. Nikky describes herself as an endo warrior and chronically ill, and her array of products will give you great inspiration for Christmas gifts this year. Her witty pins will certainly bring a smile.

Etsy – Innabox Design

Etsy – Nifty Notebooks UK

IT’S ALICE ELLA Chronic Christmas humour is all wrapped up in Alice Ella’s ‘Snow Tired’ jumpers and mugs, very fitting for the winter weather. Alice Ella lives with chronic illness and sells her designs through her Etsy account – we are particularly taken with the ‘Je suis très fatigué’ t-shirts.

Etsy – It’s Alice Ella

NOT YOUR GRANDMAS Hannah runs Not Your Grandmas, a website, blog and shop. She is on a mission to rid the world of dull, medical-looking mobility aids and products and inject some style and colour into this marketplace. Her shop has some bright and beautiful compression socks, jewellery and stationery. notyourgrandmas.co.uk

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KITTY STRAND DESIGNS Give the gift of something beautiful to hang on the wall this Christmas. Kitty’s designs are gorgeous and colourful and feature important messages and reminders. She has a great range of cards too and a particularly cute Christmas dog card, so whether you choose a print to represent brain fog, or a Greggs sausage roll you know it will look great and you may need to buy one to keep for yourself.

MAHLIA AMATINA Mahlia is an incredible artist who was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome in 2015. She explores the creative side of neurodiversity in her art, creating beautiful abstract paintings to adorn your walls. She has also teamed up with disability charity Scope to produce a range of tote bags, tea towels and t-shirts for their online shop. mahliaamatina.com

Etsy - Kitty Strand Designs

FUN BLUE BADGES Looking to vamp up your blue badge this year? Fun Blue Badges will not disappoint you, they have an amazing array of handmade designs to brighten up the dull standard issue holder. Know anyone who loves LEGO, leopard print, cats, glitter, baby pandas or skulls? You will be spoilt for choice here. funbluebadges.co.uk

THIS THING THEY CALL RECOVERY Jenny McGibbon is a talented graphic designer who draws on her experience of living with ME. Her Instagram account is filled with relatable messages in beautiful designs and you can explore her online shop for her creative works, plus you can find some new products in Scope’s online shop. Incidentally you can also turn to page 24 to read our recent interview with Jenny. thisthingtheycallrecovery.com

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ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY TO KEEP YOU ON THE MOVE

THERA-Trainer EXERCISE BIKES ACTIVE / PASSIVE

WHY THERA-Trainer?

Regular exercise at home is encouraged to help maintain and improve muscle tone, circulation and flexibility, decrease fluid retention and increase stamina levels - all vital for anyone with limited mobility.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT EXERCISE bike to suit both your need and budget from our range of THERA trainers.

HIRE PLAN AVAILABLE

MOBI 540

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FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION DEMONSTRATION IN YOUR HOME OR REQUEST A BROCHURE CALL US ON 01908 564100 or email info@medicotech.co.uk

TIGO 558

01908 564100 info@medicotech.co.uk www.medicotech.co.uk MEDICOTECH

TIGO 510

smiling, giggling and making jokes, but beneath the surface all is not well.

I’ve learned over the years to set boundaries so my body can heal. This however doesn’t make it any easier to feel utterly lonely, cut off, depressed and even like I’m failing at life.

SAM RENKE

When you have a disability or chronic condition, we spend so much time and energy trying to convince the world that being disabled isn’t a bad thing and our lives aren’t a tragedy -which of course is completely true, but it still doesn’t mean I don’t feel frustrated and scared about my future an awful lot.

COLUMNIST

Our favourite teacher-turnedactress, Sam Renke, brings you her take on life and the colourful experiences it throws her way.

THE GREATEST GIFT he greatest gift you can give yourself is to be kind to yourself.

It’s taken me years and years to be able to stop and take time for me, to set boundaries and put myself first above anyone and anything.

I’ve been struggling as of late. The pandemic and the change in weather, not to mention the rather unpleasant decline in my health, have left me feeling pretty blue. I’m simply not my chipper self. For someone who is a “Christmasaholic,” I couldn’t be feeling less festive. I almost don’t recognise this lifeless and hollow shell I have turned into these past few months. Never mind Santa bringing me coal, my heart feels as heavy as a big lump. In fact, my frustration and unhappiness exploded out and onto my social media with a rather desperate and sad Instagram post.

It read: “Today I hate my disabled body”, now I appreciate the word hate is very strong, but at the time that was the only world that could represent exactly how I was feeling.

“Today I hate my disabled body. That’s okay because it won’t last forever. My body feels tired, run down, in pain, so

much so as of late that I’ve taken the decision to cancel a number of work commitments, events including going to the South of France and the attitude Awards last night in London.”

Having your body let you down, especially when you have so much you want to do, is probably one of the hardest things about having a disability for me. Your mind is raring to go like a cheetah but your body is more a tortoise.

It’s easy to think that the world will forget about you if you are not constantly visible. Honestly, the past few weeks I have really tried to make myself a priority and although I’ve turned down so many opportunities to safeguard my own mental and physical wellbeing, I need to be kind to myself and trust that when one door closes another opens. I have faith that making yourself a priority is the best gift you can give yourself. No one said it was going to be easy but in the long run, investing in yourself will pay off.

“I need to be kind to myself and trust that when one door closes another opens”

I spent many years not listening to my body, saying yes to everything and not disclosing to anyone when I was in pain. I’d fit around others and their needs never asking to change plans like meeting friends at 10 o’clock at night for drinks, which would have a negative impact on me for the rest of the week. I was always scared that if I told people I couldn’t “come out to play” they simply wouldn’t ask me anymore. When you have a disability the fear of missing out can be all-consuming. Even when you pluck up that courage and share your vulnerability not everyone gets it because you’re not sat there crying your eyes out. Instead you’re actually

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Feasting FESTIVE

BY KATIE CAMPBELL

This Christmas, it’s easier than ever to make sure you’re catering to your loved ones’ dietary requirements hristmastime can be difficult for people who live with dietary restrictions: it’s one of the few times of the year where everyone who celebrates seems to follow a very rigid menu of turkey, ham, stuffing, and the other types of standard fare which may not align completely with your food needs. Going for a Christmas meal when you’re not entirely sure they grasp your dietary needs is, to be frank, anxiety-inducing at best and dangerous at worst. If you need to give a well-meaning but unsure family member some good alternatives for Christmas meals, or you’re just looking to mix up the Christmas dinner you’re making this year, we come bearing gifts!

NIBBLES

Christmas nibbles are a different breed of party food entirely. The rest of the year you may be lucky to procure a small bowl of crisps to sit beside you at an event, but at Christmas, it’s practically unheard of to not have wee bowls of something stashed strategically around you at all points of the day. Posh crisps? Absolutely. Cheese on a stick? Why the devil not. A charcuterie board of cheese and crackers made to look like a candy cane? Slide that over here my friend for we are absolutely here for that. The problem is that these adorable and tiny foods can be full of gluten, dairy-heavy, and all-together unsuitable for everyone at your Christmas shindig. Second only to asking your friends and family what you can get them to suit their needs, you’ll find that supermarkets have upped their game in making sure everyone can have a fabulous festive season. Asda are offering Extra Special vegan trimmings for the dairy- or meat-free friends in your life, which looks absolutely lovely; it includes cranberry and Bradley apple stuffing balls, caramelised red onion cocktail sausages and soya pigs in blankets. It’s really easy to make something gluten free for your festivities (pigs in blankets and the classic king prawn ring can be gluten free all year round, you know), so it’s all about taking the time to investigate the ingredients list of your Christmas fare to make sure it suits your guests’ needs. A top tip is that food labels have to show the 14 most common allergens on food packaging in bold so it’s easiest for you to see. Those allergens are: celery, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, peanuts, sesame, soybeans, sulphur dioxide and sulphites, and tree nuts.

MAIN COURSES

The iconic Christmas meal is the turkey dinner: a big, oven roasted bird, covered in lashings of gravy and surrounded by pigs in blankets, Brussels sprouts, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. Sometimes, a brave soul will introduce ham, or beef; even more rarely has the Yorkshire pudding made a clandestine visit to the Christmas dinner table. Whatever you serve, there are simple ways to cater for anyone who may have dietary requirements. For any friends living with celiac, keep an eye on your pigs in blankets and stuffing - both may contain gluten that helps bulk them out, but gluten free alternatives are easily found in the isles of your local supermarket. For vegetarians or those abstaining from turkey, a Quorn roast is an absolute treat on Christmas Day; alternatively, you could don your apron and prepare one of BBC Good Food’s vegan Christmas recipes! Mushroom and sweet potato wellington, cranberry and lentil bakes or a colourful vegan Christmas pie filled with beetroot, sweet potato, chard and celeriac will certainly be a hit at the dinner table. We are long past the days of vegetarian and vegan friends being saddled with a sad and soggy nut roast on Christmas Day; with the understanding that eating a bit less meat can be helpful for the environment, there are more veggie and vegan choices available in supermarkets than ever, so there’s loads to choose from!

DESSERT

There is something joyous about pudding after your Christmas dinner - maybe because you’ve ususally eaten so much turkey that you get to have dessert again on Boxing Day? That could be it. There is an outrageous amount of choice when it comes to afters in the supermarket these days: Marks and Spencers trademark decadence comes in gluten-, nut-, and dairy-free varieties these days, so no-one ever has to miss out on having a wee treat after dinner. Again, the supermarkets are choc full of amazing Christmas desserts, and you can get fantastic free-from items all year around. You’ll find yourself falling over gluten free Christmas puddings, dairy free ice creams, low sugar chocolates and alcohol-free brandies that make catering for dietary requirements much easier now that you likely don’t have to go to a specialist shop to get everything you need.

Regardless of what you eat, the most important thing is to have a healthy, happy and delicious Christmas.

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Life after traumatic injury can be challenging Blesma is here for all serving and ex-Service men and women who have experienced loss of limb, use of limbs, hearing, sight or speech, either during or after Service

Get in touch to find out how we can support you and your family Tel: 020 8548 7080 Email: membersupport@blesma.org Find out more: www.blesma.org

Cookfulness

BY IAN TAVERNER

Ian Taverner is the author of Cookfulness, the cookbook designed for those living with chronic illness and pain. Every issue Ian will be contributing an exclusive new recipe, complete with his unique cooking format and hints and tips to allow everyone to make tasty, nutritious meals in their own kitchen, and in their own time.

PAELLA DE BOXEO - OLÉ!

(BOXING DAY PAELLA) Beats a curry!!

KEY – steps marked for when something really important is needed Hints & Tips – to help you throughout and after Cookfulness Playlists – get your best tracks going!

INGREDIENTS

1

Make sure your pan is oven proof and fits the oven before cooking, or use hob

2

Make sure your pan is deep enough to take the ingredients and stock before cooking

3

If the stock has gone and rice isn’t cooked, just add a little boiling water You want a good crust underneath so don’t think it’s

4 burnt, it’s flavour!!!!

Best not to have leftover potatoes in here as be very

5 carb rich!

WAYS TO CHANGE Add chopped chorizo and fry with the onion mix

Give Yourself Time – take extra time, take a step back, breathe and re-Cookfulness yourself

Difficulty rating: *** Serves: 6-8 Cooking time: 35-40 mins Preparation time: 15-20 mins Give yourself time: 1hr 10 mins

HINTS & TIPS

YOU WILL NEED Knife Chopping board Weighing scales and bowl Large oven proof flat bottomed pan with lid (same size hob pan and lid if not Measuring jug Tablespoon Teaspoon Large spatula

2 tbsp olive oil 2 cloves of garlic sliced or 2 tsps ready chopped 1 onion diced or cup frozen chopped 1 tsp ginger chopped (fresh or jar) 2 tsps smoked paprika 1 tsp dried chilli flakes 400g paella rice 1.5 litres (2 ½ pints) stock (chicken or veg) Christmas dinner left overs - enough to cover entire base of pan to couple cms thick (chop to bitesize chunks - turkey, chicken, roast veg, parsnips, carrots, sprouts, pigs in blankets, even yorkies!)

Handful fresh coriander, sour cream, rocket & tortilla chips to serve

Works with pretty much any leftover foods! Try and experiment!

METHOD KEY Pre-heat the oven to 180c In the pan, over a medium high heat, heat the oil and fry the onion, garlic and ginger for 2-3 mins Add the leftover Christmas dinner pieces, smoked paprika and chilli and stir gently to coat Add the rice and stir to gently to combine Pour over the stock, bring to light boil then reduce to a low heat and put on the lid Transfer to oven or cook on hob (times same) KEY Set the timer for 30 mins Cook for 30 mins and until stock all absorbed and rice cooked Remove lid, top with fresh coriander and serve in the dish, accompanied by sour cream, rocket leaves and tortilla chips Follow Ian’s Cookfulness journey on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook all @Cookfulness Cookfulness is available in hard copy and e-book on Amazon, BookshopUK and Waterstones.

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AN UNINTENTIONAL

FOLLOWING

BY ROSALIND TULLOCH

Jenny McGibbon is a Glasgow-based graphic designer who lives with ME/CFS. In 2017 she started a blog when she was taking a year out from studying at university, just to keep herself busy. It has since grown into a graphic design business and her following on Instagram alone is over 26,000. We caught up with Jenny to find out more about her incredible work.

Jenny was born with gastroschisis and spent the first year of her life in and out of hospital. Following several surgeries as a baby she then led a relatively healthy childhood, until she was 16-years-old and she developed chronic internal bleeding that the many specialists she saw struggled to diagnosis and treat.

Jenny explains: “I never really got a proper answer or a name for what was happening to me, I never got any sort of formal diagnosis, it just happened and it was a mystery.

Then it seemed to fix itself, I had iron deficiency anemia while all this was going on and my hematologist described it to me like trying to fill a bucket with a hole in the bottom, because I was bleeding from somewhere but they weren’t sure where. So that was reassuring for a 16 year old.”

At 19, Jenny knew something else was wrong. Treatments that previously helped her stopped working, and she knew there was a new problem, despite doctors insisting it was down to her existing health complications. After fighting for more investigation, it turned out Jenny had ME/CFS and this is the chronic illness that impacts her daily life the most.

Jenny went on to study Fashion Branding at university, but took a year out after her second year for her health. In this time she was looking for a hobby that she could do from the comfort of her bed to keep her busy and occupied.

This is when her blog was born, This Thing They Call Recovery.

“I had to take my third year out for my health and then that is when I started the blog, just for something to do, a low impact hobby that I could do from my bed. Then I went back to uni after a year, finished that and went to college to do graphic design, still intending to work in fashion. But chronic illness was just becoming more and more a part of my life and by that point I realised it was there to stay. Up until a few years into it I was still under the assumption that once they find out what’s wrong they’ll fix it and that will be that, whereas now it is clear that this is something I am

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going to live with, manage and deal with. I was learning so much about disability at the time, learning what that means and what that can look like, and that is when I realised that I can identify as disabled myself – that I was disabled enough to use that word for myself!

“I was learning so much, I realised that this is what I am passionate about, this sector. That’s when I totally changed my mind and decided I wanted to work in this area instead, and that is when I set up all the social media stuff. At that point I had no health-related stuff in my portfolio whatsoever, and I wasn’t well enough to do internships while studying so I just had to make my own stuff. No one was meant to look at it, it was just meant to be a sort of online sketchbook. It was something I could do that was low impact, a skillset that I could learn and just do as a hobby really and I really enjoyed doing it and it turns out people resonate with it and I turned it into a job.”

Jenny’s work is filled with honesty, humour and value.

Her words resonate with disabled people and the chronic illness community because she focuses on the impact of the symptoms she experiences as someone living with ME/ CFS, rather than focusing on the symptoms themselves.

This inclusive approach resonates with a wide audience and her messages can sometimes be just the thing a person needs to read in that moment to remind themselves that they are not in this alone.

“The number one comment I get from people is “thank you for making this because I needed to hear it or read it today”. I think people don’t realise how much it helps me to have them say that too, it’s a two-way street, it’s like a nice community.”

“I think it’s nice because I talk about the impact of symptoms on your life and not the symptoms themselves,

that then means the people that follow me have a really wide range of different disabilities and conditions. It’s nice that there is this common thread that we all relate to each other with. Your symptoms might be different, even if you have the exact same diagnosis as me, I am different dayto-day, but the impact of what you are dealing with - there is this common thread, we all know what it is like to have it impact friendships, relationships, your work, your hobbies.”

Jenny has recently teamed up with disability charity Scope to contribute some of her products to their online shop to help raise funds for the charity. She has created beautiful mugs, water bottles and aprons for the online shop and she hopes that these products will play a role in raising awareness by being a tool to start up casual conversations around disability and chronic illness, whether in the workplace or out with friends.

“For me products are such a tangible, physical way of bringing my work to people because I want my work to raise awareness of what life with chronic illness and disabilities is like. I know that it can be quite a daunting subject matter for people and it feels like a really big conversation, but I think products are such a nice way to give people an in to that conversation. Say it is a mug on your desk or a water bottle by your bed, or a poster on your wall, whatever it might be, it could be a simple “oh I like your mug” in an office conversation and it just feels like a flippant comment, but actually that’s an in to then raise a bit of awareness. It’s a casual setting, it doesn’t feel overwhelming, and I think that’s really what we need, more of these little conversations dotted in throughout our lives.”

You can find out more about Jenny’s work on her website thisthingtheycallrecovery.com and you can follow her on Instagram and Facebook @thisthingtheycallrecovery.

*Code expires 31/12/2021

Loving YOURSELF Kelly Gordon is a 32-year-old entrepreneur and consultant. Her work spans recruitment, presenting and she is currently the creative director for sex tech brand Hot Octopuss. Kelly is passionate about breaking the stigma that surrounds the topic of sex and disability and she is determined to highlight the importance of embracing your own sex and self-love journey. ex and disability, two words that thankfully are starting to pop up a lot more in the same sentence. When I was younger I really struggled with them and the stigma attached to the idea of disabled people having sex, as well as my own disabled identity.

I will be the first to admit that when I was a teenager I was not comfortable with my disability and often tried to hide it, which now sounds not only stupid, but hilarious!

How did I think that it was possible to hide a full-sized electric wheelchair? I would always choose the smallest, “least offensive” wheelchair often causing myself more struggles due to the fact that I refused to include a riser or a tilt function on my chair for fear of making it more “bulky”. In my head, if I had more buttons on my controller it would prompt questions that I wasn’t comfortable answering or I would overthink. Needless to say, I was very insecure about the whole thing but I certainly didn’t act it.

I was interested in sex and dating from a young age and it became a huge part of my identity. I was growing up during the launch of the internet, and internet chatrooms especially. I used these “safe spaces” as a place to explore and a place to be myself without my chair. Little did I know that these spaces weren’t particularly safe after all. Meaning that when I inevitably fell for someone or wanted to meet them it was time to disclose my disability, something that no matter how many times I did it, I still found difficult.

Sometimes I just simply wouldn’t meet that person, other times when the reaction was positive I would meet them but I would never truly be comfortable as there were too many unanswered questions in my head that I was afraid to ask.

All of this being said, going through these difficult situations left me with a new found understanding of how to deal with relationships and a confidence in myself.

Dating as myself.

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These days I see my disability as a part of me, a part that I’m proud of and a part that I believe has shaped me and made me the interesting, confident and attractive person that I am. So these days after going through a lot of difficult encounters (sexual and none) I spend my time working with Hot Octopuss to bring pleasure to every body. So here are a few tips that I have crafted to help you with your sex and self love journey:

01

02

03 04

05 28

Learn to embrace your disability as part of you and communicate your needs effectively I know for some this will be easier said than done, but once I figured out that I could put myself out there and get an extremely positive reaction it was so freeing. The same has to be said about communicating my needs, every relationship I have had I have always tried to increase the communication levels. This has left me in the position where I am comfortable to talk openly about my needs when it comes to my disability, but also within a relationship as well.

Learn about what you like!

Part of experiencing amazing sex and self-love is to learn about what you like, whether that is how you like to be touched, how you like to touch yourself or what fantasies turn you on. Toys are an amazing way to explore alone or with a partner and there is some amazing tech out there now that means that sex tech is getting more and more accessible. If you can’t experience or don’t feel comfortable exploring toys then work on what really turns you on in your mind, think of new erogenous zones that you can explore, look into audio porn or written erotica, there is something out there for everyone now, don’t be scared to dive in.

Be Safe I can’t stress this one enough, hook-ups are so tempting, but when indulging in hook-ups make sure you are safe. Whether that is letting a friend or family member know a keyword and a location, or even getting your PA to stay nearby, it is so vital to protect yourself, something I wish I had done more when I was younger.

Be your complete self Whether that is the way you dress or your interests, don’t hold back! The most honest and beautiful connections occur when you are completely genuine, and yes you won’t be right for some people, but when you find “your person” it’ll become even more amazing.

Do something you are comfortable with for your first meet up As a wheelchair user, I have a mental list of places that work for me, with that I mean perhaps a bar with good space around the tables, good service and accessible loos, or a restaurant that I can access without the need

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to mess with big clunky doors or curbs and tight spaces to get around. It always makes me more prepared and more calm, that goes for anything from business meetings to first dates! It leaves the brain space to just be you, and most importantly to enjoy yourself.

If you’d like to reach out to Kelly about sex, intimacy, relationships or self love you can DM her @mskelgee or email her at kelly.gordon@hotoctopuss.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kelly Gordon is a 32-year-old entrepreneur and consultant based in the West Midlands. She has spinal muscular atrophy type 3 which is a genetic disability, meaning for her, that she uses an electric wheelchair to get around.

Kelly’s condition is progressive and has meant that she has faced losing her ability throughout her life especially when her body faced big changes and challenges such as pregnancy. Kelly has two young sons and absolutely loves parenting with help from her supportive partner Josh and her awesome team of PAs. Kelly’s current projects span from recruitment to working for forward-thinking sex tech brand Hot Octopuss as creative director. Kelly highly values this role as sex and sexuality has always been a huge part of her identity and she is on a mission to bring pleasure to the masses. Kelly also works as a presenter and is the current host of Hot Octopuss’s brand podcast Pleasure Rebels. Kelly also co-founded the business With Not For, with Emma Gardner. Kelly and Emma are working together on this project to not only get disabled people into work but to push disabled people into high paid and high power roles, ultimately getting them to boardroom level by embracing talent, confidence and reeducating big employers about the benefits of adding people with disabilities to their teams.

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MIK SCARLET COLUMNIST

Follow Mik on Twitter

HO HO HUMBUG t’s Christmas. It’s a time for celebration and I was wanting to write something positive and uplifting. I wanted to be gripped by the spirit of Christmas, but I actually feel like I’ve been possessed by the spirit of Scrooge. I so wanted to be “ho ho ho”, but I’m afraid that this article is going to be “ho ho humbug”.

I’ve been battling a prolonged period of intense pain, which really eats away at your joy and love of the world. I ordered a new wheelchair but when it came it was all wrong, which was compounded by the fact my old wheelchair had reached the end of its life (thanks to it being damaged in a car accident), meaning I am having to sit in a £5000 mistake while I wait to get it sorted. This is also adding to the pain I’m experiencing which is adding to my grumpiness. The thing that is getting to me the most is the constant struggle to build a better, more accessible society seems to be becoming harder and harder every day.

I had thought that the lockdown which we have all been through in the last couple of years would have educated the non-disabled society of what it feels like to be stopped from being able to do what you want by things out of their control, the core of what it feels like to be disabled. I dreamed that being restricted would lead to society not wanting to see another going through the nightmare.

Fat chance it seems. In fact, society seems to have hardened towards those of us who experience exclusion.

At every turn, all over the country, it seems as lockdown eases the disabled community has been forgotten and is now seen as even more of an annoyance.

@MikScarlet

In Camden where I live, I seem to have woken up every day since lockdown eased to find something new has happened that makes the borough less accessible, less welcoming for disabled people. I see the rhetoric around inclusion and access is still being spouted, but in truth there is no evidence of it happening. Quite the opposite in fact. New cycling infrastructure and concepts like “low traffic neighbourhoods” are being rolled out without any thought of the negative impacts on disabled and older people, despite this being a legal requirement of local councils. All over the borough colourful crossings are being put in, without any thought of the safety of disabled people.

Outside eating spaces, streateries as they’re charmingly named, are eating into blue badge parking spaces and blocking pavements. At every turn it seems that disabled people are either being forgotten or actively excluded from enjoying what Camden has to offer.

It’s not like local disabled people have been passive as this has happened.

I’ve been working with various groups to make the voices of disabled people heard. Shouting and crying to highlight why these changes make our lives harder, we are ignored at every turn.

I have acted in a professional manner on some of the new infrastructure, explaining the legal requirements that Camden Council haven’t done, but rather than change their policy, they’ve just started claiming to have

“I so wanted to be “ho ho ho”, but I’m afraid that this article is going to be “ho ho humbug”

acted legally without any real action. I received a leaflet the other day about the plans to make a temporary low traffic neighbourhood permanent, despite the work a local disabled people’s organisation has been doing to highlight the damage it is doing to local disabled people. This will embed these issues forever without a single change. The only thing the leaflet does is claim to make life easier for “wheelchairs”. Not even wheelchair users. That’s where we are now.

All over the country it seems the disabled community are facing the same thing. We have always been at the bottom of the inclusion list, but post lockdown we’ve been pushed off the list entirely. It seems that disabled people all over are no longer on the radar when trying to build a better post-COVID society. The drive for greener towns and cities leaves us unwanted and unable to join in. What do we do about it? I must admit I have no idea. During a period where COVID still means many of us can’t think about direct action, and I see so many active campaigners sharing the experience of being blatantly ignored, that I can’t help finding the whole situation making me scream “humbug”.

It does look like by the time all this COVID awfulness is really over disabled people are going to face another huge battle to overturn so many of these changes. It’s going to be tough, but we did it before. We fought for equality and things did start to change. I’m hoping that over Christmas I’ll be visited by the ghosts of disability rights campaigners past, present and future who will show me the way forward. Let’s hope so and that the next column is filled with positivity and proactive solutions.

For now, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

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Christmas

BY KATIE CAMPBELL

Whether you’re inviting friends and family over for a festive party or keeping it low-key this year, we’ve tracked down some of our favourite Christmas accoutrements to keep you and your prospective guests in the festive mood this year.

From quality crackers to top-tier entertainment, we’ve got Christmas covered.

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Habitat Christmas Joy Side Plates

Ideal for nibbles or canapés, these gorgeous and modern side plates feature two different Christmas scenes: one shows a couple bringing their freshly cut Christmas tree home, while the other has people celebrating the arrival of the fabled Christmas pudding to the dinner table. The plates are ceramic and microwave safe too, just in case your snacks get chilly.

Habitat | £12

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Reusable Christmas Crackers

The sheer quantity of rubbish involved makes Christmas crackers a bit naff for the environment, but you can easily find reusable Christmas crackers in shops now! These ones from Dunelm are pretty, and they’re made from fabric so they can be washed in the washing machine and reused year-on-year! The best thing about them? Dad jokes not included.

Dunelm | £15

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Mulled Winter Punch

When you have friends or family that don’t drink, it’s always nice to give them a fancy drink option when everyone else is having a little tipple after dinner. This mulled winter punch from Belvoir Farm is alcohol free and made with fruit juices and the traditional spices you’d find in mulled wine, giving it that cosy, warming feeling. It’s also low in salt and free from artificial sweeteners and preservatives!

The Vegan Kind | £4.29

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The Muppet Christmas Carol Blu Ray

We’re not going to tell you that the 1992 film The Muppet Christmas Carol starring Sir Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge is the best Christmas film ever made, because that’s talking in absolutes and we don’t do that here. It’s about as high up the list as you can get, though. Is it really Christmas unless you’ve cried watching Kermit dance through the streets of Muppet London? Frankly, Mr Oz, we can’t be sure.

Amazon | £17.29

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Hot Chocolate Melts

Hot chocolate is the ultimate Christmas drink: it’s like a massive hug in a mug on a frosty day, especially when you get really, really good hot chocolate. Splurge on some hot chocolate melts from Harry Specters - they’re available in four flavours (sea salt caramel, hazelnut, dark and orange), and all you need to do is add them to your favourite milk or milk substitute for an absolutely indulgent winter treat.

Harry Specters | £9.50

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Crackers

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Holly String Lights

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Gingerbread Soy Candle

Fairy lights are the perfect Christmas decoration they’re seasonal, plus they add a little ambience to their surroundings. This 10ft string of holly-shaped fairy lights are battery operated - powered by three AAs - and are perfect for plopping inside a bowl for an ideal Christmas centrepiece. Alternatively, you could use them to decorate your wheelchair or powerchair!

John Lewis | £10.50

Available in two sizes, this gorgeous candle smells so much like gingerbread it’ll make you hungry - but please, don’t eat it. Sweet and spicy, this quintessential winter scented candle is made from soy wax, so it’s also a great gift for any vegan friends in your life. The small business who makes it is eco friendly, so there’s no hangups that come with treating yourself to this beautiful candle.

Etsy - Home Crafted Candle Co | From £6.99

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Tartan Sherpa Throw

Napping on the sofa between Scrooged and the Christmas episode of Doctor Who is perhaps one of the finest activities you can undertake in-between festivities, so make sure you’re cosy and comfy while you do it. This throw is lined on one side with flannel fleece, and the other with Sherpa, so it’s extra snug - perfect for winter! It’s large enough to wrap around you, and is machine washable (in case you get your Christmas dinner on it).

Cotton Traders | £25

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Riso Printed Christmas Cards

Art Box London supports disabled artists in the UK by helping them to create, exhibit, sell and license their artwork, some of which is featured on this eight pack of cards. The six designs by different artists involved with the organisation include “happy Christmas” spelled in Makaton, beautiful snowy house and church scenes, and one fantastically festive elephant.

Art Box | £16

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Christmas Tree Brownie Baking Kit

Christmas isn’t just Christmas Day - there’s loads of time surrounding it in which you need to find things to occupy time. This Christmas Tree brownie baking kit is perfect for that - it has everything you need to make eight super cute edible treats! The kit comes with all of the ingredients including decorations and lollypop sticks to pop them on instructions, and a chef’s hat so you can really connect with your inner Marie-Antoine Carême while you bake.

Honeywell Bakes | £16

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Control is simply amazing; it is hard to put into words how easy it is to operate and what a huge difference it has made to me as Andie’s full-time carer”.

For more information on the full range of solutions available from mo-vis or to find your nearest retailer, email: contact@mo-vis.com call +32 9 335 28 60 or visit www.mo-vis.com .

he Scoot Control from mo-vis is a revolutionary steering control device which can be directly connected to the powerchair’s R-Net electronics to assist with control of the chair and its functions such as lights, horn and speed settings. Battery level and speed are displayed via LEDs. Compatible with most makes of powerchair, the Scoot Control consists of a fully proportional handlebar with 2 rubber handles and 2 configurable thumb throttles at either side. The Scoot Control can be configured to suite the individual, for example, the throttle direction can be changed and the default setting can also be changed from ‘Attendant Input Device Type’ to ‘Universal’ to enable the carer to access all the chair’s modes directly 14-year-old Andie from Leicestershire who was born with Rett Syndrome is one of the first people in the UK to benefit from this fantastic product and it has made a real difference as her mother Missy explains. “The Scoot

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Call to

BY KATIE CAMPBELL The theatre industry has an issue with accessibility that it’s been slow to tackle. An open letter from theatre lover and access consultant Shona Louise hopes to tackle the problem n our last issue, writer and theatre lover Shona Louise gave us some insight into the accessibility issues that she and many other disabled people face when they try to access live theatre performances. From the poor physical access in all areas of the theatres (including front of house and backstage) to the ridiculous hoops that people are forced to jump through to acquire access tickets, it’s intensely frustrating. Just last month on Strictly Come Dancing, d/Deaf contestant Rose Ayling-Ellis noted that she loved dancing in musicals week because she finds that, so often, trips to the theatre to see live musicals are inaccessible to her.

At the end of last year, Shona carried out a survey of over 250 disabled people who work in and visit theatres, and the results were - sadly - less than shocking. She found that over half of the 262 people that she spoke to didn’t feel welcome in theatres (57%), and that over three-quarters of disabled people have encountered accessibility issues that prevented them from visiting or working in a theatre (77%).

Shona carried out a survey of over 250 disabled people who work in and visit theatres, and the results were sadly - less than shocking

Respondents to her survey not only cited ticketing and physical access as issues, but restricted views in accessible seating, shows using intense light and sound, bad accessible toilets and a lack of Changing Places, poor quality information on websites, being separated from family and friends due to ticketing issues, a lack of accessible training and job opportunities, and ableism and ignorance from people working within the theatre industry as some of the numerous barriers that disabled people face when all they’d like to do is simply enjoy theatre performances.

That’s why Shona is using her platform as a writer and access consultant to try and make a difference.

Supported by a number of organisations within the industry - including StageText, Curtain Call Magazine, and #WeShallNotBeRemoved - she’s created an open letter that calls on the industry to make changes that prevent disabled people from accessing theatre.

In the letter, Shona writes: “Often, the positive experiences that were shared were those in which disabled people simply received equality. It is so shocking to disabled people to have this that it now feels like a favour or a luxury when they do receive the same opportunities and experiences as everyone else.

“Behind these statistics and experiences are human beings, though. Every time I have a poor accessibility experience, every time I hear someone ignore my requests for equality, a small piece of my love for theatre dies.”

At time of writing, Shona’s open letter has over 200 signatories, including people from both theatre lovers and those who work in the industry. In the open letter, Shona writes: “For far too long disabled people have been told we’re asking for too much, that we’re lucky just to get inside a theatre. In 2021, is this really the message we wish to convey as an industry? Those in the industry will say ‘we do care about disabled people’, but actions speak louder than words and the industry has missed the mark - time and time again.

“Why should disabled people continue to accept less?

Why should our voices continue to go unheard?”

To sign Shona’s open letter calling for a more accessible theatre industry, visit her website, shonalouise.com. You can follow her on Twitter at @ShonaLouiseBlog.

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INHOSPITABLE

BY SOPHIE BUCK

Disabled people are frequently excluded from environmentalism, both as people who can affect change and who are disproportionately affected by it. Sophie Buck breaks down the reasons why leaving disabled voices out of the conversation on climate change is so profoundly ableist. he 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) recently convened and revealed that, with continued fossil fuel burning, the planet is on track for a 2.4°C rise in global temperature, instead of the less damaging goal of 1.5°C. Disabled people are disproportionally affected by climate change, from rising temperatures to the increased scale and frequency of severe weather events that it causes.

Disabled people are also frequently overlooked when developing climate solutions, especially those who are also poor (a common co-occurrence under capitalism with added disability cost, medical care barriers and a productivity-based economy) and otherwise marginalised. The climate crisis also causes disabilities through pollution, injury and food shortages, yet, as exemplified by the inaccessibility of COP26, disabled people are disproportionately excluded from climate discussions.

It’s time to re-write disabled people into discussions surrounding climate change, and explore what an accessible environmental future could look like.

There are many ways in which disabled people are affected by climate change: from global temperatures rising (the UK reached a blistering 38.7°C in the summer of 2019), to extreme weather events like floods, wildfires, and tornadoes. Numerous disabilities involve a greater susceptibility to heat stress and dehydration - due

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...disabled people are all too often left out of disaster plans to heat intolerance symptoms and cardiovascular issues, difficulty hydrating oneself, and regulationimpacting medication side effects.

According to the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seven in ten people who die from hyperthermia-related causes (when the body is exposed to extreme heat and unable to cool itself) have an underlying cardiovascular condition.

Compounding this, disabled people’s average lower disposable income means they are more likely to live in poorer quality housing that is ineffective at regulating heat and are less able to afford air conditioning and fans. Moreover, disabled people’s mobility and mobility aid’s function can be impacted by extreme weather, which can, for example, cause electric wheelchairs to overheat, limiting the ability to get to (potentially inaccessible) air-conditioned public spaces.

As evidenced in United Nations Human Rights Council reports that:

“persons with disabilities [are] at a high risk of being left behind in emergencies, natural disasters, internal displacement and migration due to structural barriers such as lack of accessibility and poverty.”

Disabled people are at greater risk during climate disasters, having a reduced ability to escape harm and experiencing financial barriers that make having somewhere safe to go to and an accessible means to get there more difficult. Yet disabled people are all too often left out of disaster plans, with a lack of accessible escape routes or plans and information not conveyed in accessible formats.

Disabled people must be not just included but at the forefront in extreme weather plans: it’s a matter of life and death.

Not only are disabled people especially those multiply marginalised - most affected by climate change, but they’re also overlooked in plans to mitigate climate change, often being shamed and harassed for

assistance frequently not showing up and lifts broken. Transport is busy, with no guaranteed seating and wheelchair spaces, fluorescent lighting, and the risk of catching coronavirus. This is exhausting and anxiety-inducing, extending journey times at best and stranding disabled people at worst. For many disabled people, driving or being driven is the only way to travel safely and reliably. Nuance-lacking rules like taxing cars or creating car-free zones (as is being proposed in London and Brighton) without accessible transport alternatives disproportionately affects the already restricted freedom of movement of disabled people.

their exclusion to access sustainable rules for living. Access needs, like plastic straws, are too often treated as luxuries by non-disabled people rather than essential for everyday living, and disabled people are excluded from opportunities to refute this and propose accessible eco-friendly strategies. COP26 itself was inaccessible to wheelchairusing ministers and didn’t offer BSL broadcasting. Simultaneously, ableist environmental surveys, like the ones circulated by Imperial College and YouGov, proclaimed the negative effect of inhalers on the environment.

This was particularly ironic given the role of air pollution in increasing asthma rates and encouraged people to make “sustainable” lifestyle changes like cutting out meat and avoiding cars, which overlooked access barriers. A BBC headline in 2019 also argued that “asthma [has a] carbon footprint ‘as big as eating meat’”. It’s important to break down how some of these blanket climate

solutions impact already struggling disabled people, and explore more holistic solutions.

While vegan and vegetarian diets can help to reduce carbon emissions, it must be recognised that disabled people are less able to afford the added energy or financial costs these diets require. Their food choices may be restricted due to reliance on carers preparing meals, unable to restrict diets further due to eating disorder recovery or have dietary requirements. This means that meat taxes and imposed veganism disproportionally affect disabled people.

Similarly, while proposals to cycle, walk and use public transport instead of using gas-guzzling cars to get around are environmentally beneficial, they overlook mobility issues, fatigue and largely inaccessible public transport. The majority of tube and rail stations are inaccessible: the ones that are accessible are unreliable, with

Equally, while plastic production must be reduced to lower the undeniably harmful effect that it has on the environment, plastic-free living is not possible for many disabled people without a suitable alternative. For example, plastic straws are bendier and safer than existing plastic-free alternatives, and plastic is used for sterility and safety in medical settings, from syringes and pacemakers to masks and gloves. Many disabled people also rely on pre-prepared food or delivered items, which, albeit often undesirably, largely come packaged in plastic. While plastic is causing destruction, it’s also saving lives.

While the secondhand market is important as it allows us to reuse existing resources and offers the bonus of lowering costs, buying secondhand clothing can be especially tricky for disabled people due to clothing access needs limiting choice, such as sensory sensitivities; it’s hard enough finding disabilityfriendly clothing in mainstream shops, let alone secondhand shops, and searching through racks is an energydemanding task. Secondhand shops, which vary regionally in quality, are often cramped and hard to navigate for wheelchair users, and can be a challenge to travel to. Conversely, the online secondhand market is overwhelming in scale and comes with price mark-ups by resellers and the inability to return unsuitable items.

This isn’t to say that disabled

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people don’t collectively care about nor have a responsibility to the environment - disabled people, after all, are especially impacted by climate change. Rather, it’s that disabled people are largely excluded from environmental movements, as if it is not sustainable, as currently defined, to be disabled. Rather than enforce reductive and inaccessible climate solutions that focus on individuals’ actions, environmental movements need to holistically unpick the forces driving climate change: capitalism, fossil fuel burning and resource extraction that it’s built on, and the overconsumption it encourages. This perspective not only reveals how industries can reduce climate change, but also turns the tables to look not just at the sustainability of what is consumed, but also how much is consumed.

...disabled people are largely excluded from environmental movements, as if it is not sustainable, as currently defined, to be disabled

Revisiting the previously proposed climate solutions with this perspective can reveal effective and accessible ways to tackle climate change. Beyond the simple vegetables good, meat bad dichotomy, there’s a need for a more prominent discussion around sustainable farming practices and the fact a third to half of the food is never consumed. Efforts to reduce food waste by lowering aesthetic standards, encouraging nose-to-tail eating, and discouraging overbuying could have a huge impact. Likewise, ensuring the full accessibility of public transport, limiting non-essential air travel, and investing in innovation to make all

Disabled people must be included in environmentalism so that strategies and disaster plans can incorporate their needs

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fuel clean and renewable gets closer to the roots of the pollution problem.

With plastic, manufacturers need to invest in developing accessible alternatives to plastic that still enable sterility and lightness, working with disabled people to test this, and plans to reduce plastic usage should be nuanced to incorporate needs.

Secondhand selling must be made more accessible, but new clothing must be produced sustainably as standard, with affordable styles that will endure different trends and seasons, and quality that will last, while being consumed in moderation.

The future of environmentalism must be accessible because we need a habitable planet for everyone, not just non-disabled people.

Disabled people must be included in environmentalism so that strategies and disaster plans can incorporate their needs. Individuals like climate and disability activist Alex Ghenis, founder of Accessible Climate Strategies consultancy, are already leading the way. Disabled people have a wealth of experience with adapting and out-of-the-box thinking, which is exactly what the fastchanging world needs right now.

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BY LYDIA WILKINS

Christmas can be a very overwhelming time for autistic people. Lydia Wilkins explains what steps people could take to better cope with the change that comes with Christmastime. ith twinkling and flashing lights, bushy bracken springing up in just about every home, new smells to contend with, blow-up Santas, and shelves stacked with seasonal foods, it is safe to say that Christmas is firmly on its way. However, when you are on the autistic spectrum, this is likely to be a very stressful

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time of year, from the moment Halloween ends until the Christmas tree is taken down at some point in early January. Why is that, and better still, how can sensory beings cope with this annual period of change?

Contrary to popular (mis)conception, we actually have eight senses instead of six; the three usually missed are proprioception, interoception, and vestibular. However, autistic individuals have varying sensitivity levels by sense: you may be hyposensitive (seeking more input as a sensory seeker) or hypersensitive (avoiding input as a sensory avoider.) These can differ by sense; as an example, I struggle with too much noise (in that I am an avoider), but I actively seek out lots of flavours in food, such as different spices, as a sensory seeker. This should be the starting position for considering anyone’s support needs at Christmastime, as it may explain why some individuals struggle with some things while embracing others - for example, enjoying the input from lights but finding a lot of noise difficult.

SOUND

Sometimes, a lot of sound can be overwhelming to some autistic individuals, and Christmas celebrations can get noisy, especially social events like work parties and family gatherings.

Emily is the illustrator behind 21 & Sensory, an Instagram page and blog that details her experiences as a sensory being. She was also diagnosed as autistic two years ago.

Emily acknowledged that this time of year can be difficult: “I find family gatherings quite hard so I like to go hide in the toilet or a quiet, separate room every so often to keep myself calm and stop myself from getting overwhelmed.”

She added: “I’ve learned to say no to a lot more events this festive season (obviously in a nice/polite way!) so I’ve avoided my company’s work Christmas party and work team party because I know that I will just worry and panic in the lead up to them and during them. I will be much happier having a quiet night in at home!”

Consider your limits, follow the government recommended guidelines, and try your hardest to set boundaries with relatives

DEALING WITH CHANGES WHILE STAYING PANDEMIC SAFE 2021 will be our second Christmas living in a pandemic, and this has already brought a lot of change to contend with, often very rapidly. Dealing with change when you’re autistic is hard enough, but adding a pandemic adds a whole other layer.

TASTE

At Christmastime, there are lots of new foods to contend with: shops are stocked with things to try, there are a lot of sickly treats on offer, and there is a range of seasonal flavours that we may be expected to sample, too. Autistic people may find this difficult to contend with if they have ‘safe foods’; we also don’t really do change for a host of reasons. Autistic people may also have other difficulties with eating, such as sensitivity issues or other conditions.

Emily said: “I stick to my safe foods and don’t try anything new around this time of year. There can be a lot of pressure to try new foods and drinks out with family and friends. I know it’s just something else that’ll overwhelm me so I steer clear of it!”

Hester Grainger is the co-founder of the autism consultancy Perfectly Autistic. She was recently diagnosed with ADHD, and she has two autistic children. She said: “We have a visual calendar counting down the days until Christmas, which really helps. I also take the children’s lead when it comes to putting decorations up, so which day the tree goes up and what goes on it. If we have guests for Christmas we never make our children give up their rooms, as this is their safe space. We make sure that our guests understand that our children may have some quiet time on their own to decompress.”

Karl Knights is an autistic writer, who also lives with ADHD and cerebral palsy. He said his biggest strategy was to foster a sense of quiet: “This year, I think the challenges facing autistic people will be a little different.

The pandemic loves to destroy routine, and for obvious reasons, our usual routine might just not be possible this year. As so many of us are shielding, I think the real challenge this Christmas will be tackling isolation and loneliness. I’m not sure what the best way to go about tackling isolation is, but it’s a conversation that needs to happen, as I don’t think the challenges of the pandemic are going anywhere anytime soon.”

Consider your limits, follow the government recommended guidelines, and try your hardest to set boundaries with relatives or others you may be obliged to see in person. If you’re shielding, consider signing up for conversations with others, or just checking in with you.

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NEW YEAR NEW TRAVELS Going somewhere new without knowing if it meets your accessibility needs can be anxiety inducing - that’s why Euan’s Guide is encouraging everyone who’s able to get back out into the world to share their reviews of places they visit on their travels on their extensive website.

e all want to explore more areas and venues than ever before in the post-lockdown world. You might want to see more of your local area or further afield as the landscape evolves. Make your New Year’s resolution to become a reviewer on Euan’s Guide and share disabled access information far and wide!

REVIEWING IS VALUABLE

The community of reviewers at Euan’s Guide constantly grows, but sometimes people don’t know what to review or how to review. There are no limits to what you can review on Euan’s Guide. Your review is your story; it’s sharing your experience. Everyone has a favourite venue in their local area, whether it’s a café or a park. Sharing local knowledge makes a huge difference for potential visitors. Knowledge is power – your first-hand experience and simple tips, such as the ideal place to park, can make such a difference to somebody’s trip. That includes where the loos are or what the accessible route is at a venue.

Reviews often highlight what a venue has done well and sometimes how they can improve their disabled access.

Places have told us they have made changes to their accessibility after reading a review on Euan’s Guide. We’ve seen places change signage, create Changing Places Toilets and run BSL tours by way of example.

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WHAT MAKES A GOOD REVIEW?

It’s great to summarise your experience and have an overall description of your visit. You can help other people by sharing your experiences of visiting. Tell people about parking and transport, toilets and staff, but often, people want to know about access into the venue, including if the doors are easy to open, if there’s level access or whether there are any lifts.

It’s good to know if people have enjoyed their visit and if anything stood out to bring the review to life. If you were at a zoo, what animals were there? If you were at a restaurant, what was the pizza like? What made you visit somewhere in the first place?

Everyone has a unique experience when reviewing, and the access information people look for in a review can vary from person to person because access requirements are personal. Providing as much information as you can is important for the reader to make an informed decision on whether to visit a venue or not: pictures are fabulous and help people to decide for themselves whether a visit may work for them.

People look for information on toilets because that is often the main issue when planning ahead and you need to know as much detail as possible about facilities. For example, is there enough space? Is there a clear path to navigate your way to the toilet with good signage?

A picture can indeed paint a thousand words and gives people an idea of what access at the venue looks like before a potential visit. Images of specific areas of access helps the reviewer illustrate what they have said in their review. If you can, grab a picture of the following: the exterior and how to get in; the main area of the interior or an outdoor venue; and a snap of the toilet.

WHERE TO REVIEW

Some people choose to review certain types of venues, such as concert halls or restaurants, but others might review anywhere and everywhere they go – especially if it’s somewhere they haven’t been before. If a person is going out for a coffee or somewhere to eat, they might choose somewhere new so that they can review it. This broadens the range of places on Euan’s Guide and maps the local area for disabled access. Wherever you go, a review is there waiting to be written. A review of your local shop, post office or café can help so many people.

In the post-lockdown world, we want to know what’s changed, but we also want people to shout loud about the gems in your local area.

START REVIEWING TODAY

Everyone has different ideas on what makes the best review, and that’s what makes reviewing on Euan’s Guide so exciting. We can’t wait to read your reviews and hear about your experiences with disabled access across the country.

Write as much or as little as you like, and maybe add a photo or two. If writing is not your thing, you can send in a video or a set of photos.

Our Reviewer Engagement team would love to hear from you! They can talk you through what a good review looks like, how to review and what to review. Contact us today!

Email hello@euansguide.com.

Start your reviewing journey today on www.EuansGuide.com.

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hristmas is upon us, tinsel adorns the house, glitter is scattered everywhere from the kids making Christmas baubles, and Santa is declared the most important adult in your children’s life for the foreseeable future.

Christmas can be a bit of a sensory overload for many kids, so it is important to schedule in some quiet family time at home. This doesn’t mean missing out on anything, we have a calendar chock full of Christmas-themed family endeavours that will keep the kids amused this year in the run up to Christmas. As a reward for your wonderful parenting efforts you should turn back to page 14 for a mulled wine recipe that will come in handy most nights in December.

We also have Lydia Wilkins in our Future Voices column discussing the PIP assessments and cooking, Dan White raises concerns over the lack of representation of young disabled voices at COP26, plus we have some great Christmas ideas for kids on our product pages.

If you have anything you would like to see highlighted in our kids section please email ros@2apublishing.co.uk.

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C O U N T D O W N to

BY ROSALIND TULLOCH It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The air is filled with the magic of Christmas, twinkling lights, cheesy festive songs, and the anticipation of Santa coming down the chimney. Kids make Christmas special, there is nothing more heart-warming than watching their little faces light up when they see Santa, or scream with delight when they open presents. It can be an overwhelming time for many children too though, so be sure to take some time out to escape the hustle and bustle of the Christmas chaos and enjoy some calming environments.

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CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

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DECORATE THE TREE

A trip out to see the Christmas lights in your local area is a perfect festive outing for the whole family. The busy Christmas light switch-ons are often too busy to enjoy, especially for any children who are sensitive to noisy and busy environments.

Choosing a nice quiet night to stroll around your local area with a hot chocolate in hand admiring the twinkling lights is good for the soul. o.

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e have come up with some great ideas to do with the kids in the countdown to Christmas throughout December, which are sure to capture the Christmas spirit for the whole family.

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CHRISTMAS STORIES

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GET CRAFTY

When I was younger we had a tradition of reading the beautiful Christmas book The Night Before Christmas together. It is a tradition I now share with my children, in addition to also reading every Christmas book we can get our hands on throughout December. There is something special about cosying up with your kids to share a story and get excited about Santa coming. o.

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Kids love getting messy and creative, so it may be time to look out the glitter glue and every red and green pompom you have in the craft box and put them to work. Think paper snowflakes, tree decorations, and pompom snowmen, cover a table with newspaper and let the kids indulge their creative genius. o.

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It wouldn’t be Christmas without a beautifully decorated tree to place those presents under.

Kids love decorating trees with all the sparkly baubles and tinsel, it can be another great family tradition to adorn the tree and ensure everyone in the family hangs at least one bauble. Get the Christmas music on and go to town. o.

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MAKE CHRISTMAS CARDS

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CHRISTMAS BAKING

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MOVIE NIGHT

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HOT CHOCOLATE

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Homemade Christmas cards give a very personal touch. Knowing that a little one has put all of their effort into drawing a Christmas card just for you will melt even the coldest of hearts. Add in a hand delivery and your kids will have nailed being adorable this Christmas.

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SANTA CALL

One way to keep the kids excited and on Santa’s nice list this year is to look at arranging a call from Santa. You can arrange a video call, a telephone call, a text message or a letter from Santa, this allows you to choose the best fit for your child to ensure they love their personal message from the big man in the North Pole. o.

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It wouldn’t be Christmas without decorating some festive biscuits! Whether you make your own or buy some biscuits from the shops, simply grab some sprinkles – red, green, gold and silver are always winners – and make some simple icing with icing sugar and water to pour on. Kids will love the messy fun and tasty results. o.

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Grab some blankets, get some popcorn and settle in for a night of Christmas movies.

Whether your kids like the classic Miracle on 34th Street, love to laugh at Home Alone, or sneer at the Grinch, a family movie night is a heart-warming evening that all can enjoy! o.

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The finer points of a hot chocolate are hidden in the traditions and secrets of each family.

The rule we go by is that it simply needs 35 mini marshmallows on top of yummy chocolatey milk; whipped cream, sprinkles and chopped nuts are optional too. There is nothing more warming and delicious. o.

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DONATE

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POST A LETTER TO SANTA

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SING CHRISTMAS CAROLS

Teach your children about the importance of giving this Christmas by donating to a charity, food bank, or other organisation that you support. It does not have to be much, dropping a box of cereal into the foodbank collections at supermarkets can be a good place to start, or speak to your children about giving away some of their old toys to charity shops. o.

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Kids love writing their Christmas lists to post to Santa. Sitting down with them to help them decide what they want, helping them to understand that Santa cannot bring them everything, and guiding them towards an affordable yet magical list (that doesn’t contain any requests for pets) is a lovely family tradition. Pop it in the post box, send it up your chimney or leave it by the fireplace for an elf to collect.

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In the immortal words of Buddy the Elf “the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear”. Time to teach the kids some old school carols to have a good old-fashioned sing song. Start a playlist with songs like Silent Night, Away in a Manger and Little Donkey, these are some of the most kid-friendly ones that should hold their attention.

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This may not be the easiest sport to master, but it can be fun trying to make your way around the rink

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WINTER WALK

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CHRISTMAS JUMPER DAY

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CHRISTMAS MARKETS

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LEARN BSL

There is nothing better than getting the family all wrapped up to go out exploring on those gorgeous fresh winter days. We all wish for snow at this time of year, but rarely get it, and that is probably a good thing because it throws up all sorts of accessibility challenges. Frosty mornings are the best, so wrap up warm and take the kids out to admire the beautiful icy patterns that decorate the world outside. o.

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Choose a day in December and make the whole family wear something Christmassy all day. It could be a fun Christmas jumper, some tinsel as a scarf or some reindeer antlers, the choice is yours! It’s a great fun activity that will get everyone in the mood for the festive season, and you can look as silly or as glamorous as you like!

Across the country Christmas markets are popping up with the smell of delicious foods from across the world, fair rides, mulled wine and some eclectic gift options to buy. It makes for a lovely trip out but it can be expensive so don’t give in to every whim or demand for chocolate churros or feathery dream catchers! o.

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There is no better time to learn BSL than at this time year. Teaching your children to say Merry Christmas in sign language is a great way to begin showing them how important it is to know a few key phrases to be able to communicate with anyone who is d/Deaf or hard of hearing. Start by checking out some YouTube videos to teach you how to sign, you can then advance to courses if you want to take it further. o.

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GO ICE SKATING

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DOOR DROP

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PANTO TIME

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VISIT SANTA

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This may not be the easiest sport to master, but it can be fun trying to make your way around the rink, holding each other’s hands and falling over together. The important thing is that you pick yourself up and carry on, even if it does mean holding the rail all the way round. You can then all reward yourselves with some hot chocolate and treats.

In the spirit of giving, a lovely activity to do with your kids is to create little Christmas goody bags to drop on your neighbour’s doorsteps. Everyone loves receiving a little surprise gift, so why not pick up some little paper bags and fill them with small treats, homemade biscuits (be allergy conscious), drawings and homemade tree decorations. This personal touch will be really special to your neighbours. o.

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After missing out a whole year without any pantomimes or Christmas plays, it is just lovely to have these back on our calendar again. You don’t need to attend the London Palladium panto to see the stars in action, support your local theatre group and see what is on offer in your area – the tickets will be much cheaper but the laughs will be just as priceless. o.

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This can be a special and exciting trip to meet Santa in person. Grottos across the land have been created to invite little ones to share their Christmas wishes with Santa (although we know it’s always one of Santa’s representatives that take on this important work). Check out your local shopping centres, garden centres or wildlife parks and check the accessibility measures they have in place to ensure a smooth visit. o.

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PINE CONES

Collecting pine cones from a local nature trail or park is a terrific outing for the whole family to get involved in. Make sure each person has a bag and you can even make a competition out of it for who collects the most! Bring home your haul and let the kids decorate them, gold and silver spray can be really effective and sprinkles of glitter will make the perfect Christmas decoration. o.

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CHRISTMAS EVE

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CHRISTMAS DAY

The wait is nearly over, door number 24 has been opened on the advent calendar and you wonder whether the kids will actually go to sleep tonight with the keen anticipation of Santa coming. Time to make your own special tradition for the night before Christmas, it could be Christmas Eve boxes for the kids, or hanging the stockings, putting the star on the Christmas tree or eating your weight in Christmas cookies.

Whatever it is, it will be your own special family tradition. o.

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It’s Christmas! Santa has been, the kids rip open their presents, empty their stockings and bask in the glory of Christmas morning and sheer overwhelming delight. Dinner is prepared, wine is consumed, kids eat copious amounts of chocolate coins and Christmas pudding, and everyone collapses on the sofa to watch some Christmas telly. Another successful year done, you can sit back, pour yourself a brandy and congratulate yourself on being an awesome parent and making your kids Christmas dreams come true. o.

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SNOWSPORTS

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REINDEER CENTRE

We don’t need real snow from the sky to go sledging or skiing nowadays. Snowsport centres up and down the UK have their own machines working overtime to fill their indoor slopes with fresh fluffy snow, allowing visitors to enjoy the wonders of snow indoors. Disability Snowsports UK have ski schools at centres throughout the country so check out your closest base on their website. o.

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A visit to a reindeer centre simply adds to a bank of wonderful Christmas memories. You will find herds of reindeer dotted around the country, from the Cairngorms to the Cotswolds. Some centres offer opportunities to walk with the herd or to feed and pet them in a safe environment. You may even spot Rudolph if you are lucky. o.

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Kids’ PRODUCTS

WATER BEADS The squishy, sensory satisfaction of these water beads is undeniable. Drop them in water and watch them grow up to 15mm, then let the kids dive in with their hands to squish and squeeze the beads in their fingers, the therapeutic sensation is soothing and calming. The beads can be added to bowls, vases and pots, they are non-edible and non-toxic. amazon.co.uk

Prices from

£6.99

PUSH POP FIDGET JIGSAW Young kids across the land are besotted with push pop fidget toys. They come in all shapes, sizes, colours and formations, but we have discovered a jigsaw version.

The push pop jigsaw brings a Tetris-style element to the game and will be sure to keep idle hands and minds occupied. amazon.co.uk

Prices from

£12.09

Prices from

£2,695

EXPLORER MINI

This baby power wheelchair is an excellent solution designed to aid babies from six months old up to three years. It helps introduce self-initiated movement for children with mobility impairments from a young age and allows them to enjoy more independence. The fun design makes it appealing to little ones and it is fully adjustable to ensure comfort. easylivingmobility.co.uk

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MICRO TRIKE

RAINBOW SLIDE

The Micro Trike is a fun way for kids to take to the road for a first taste of independence. The trike is lightweight, folds away easily to be stored in the boot of the car or hall cupboard, has a comfortable seat and a great steering handle for parents to use when little ones are tired. micro-scooters.co.uk

Prices from

£69.95

See your kids’ eyes light up when they discover this bright colourful rainbow slide.

This amazing slide is ideal for kids aged 2-5, and holds a weight of up to 50lbs.

It can be folded up when not in use and stored neatly away, then taken out to allow the kids to slide their way to fun. argos.co.uk

Prices from

£20

OWL MUSIC BOX

Who doesn’t love a music box? This adorable little owl is a beautiful, nostalgic toy that plays the soothing tune of “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” as it turns slowly. It will be a delight for both young and old.

The winder is mechanical, you can simply turn the base from the left to the right and encourage your little ones to dance and sing. johnlewis.com

Prices from

£19.99

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inaccurate and incorrect, and was promptly taken to tribunal.

FUTURE VOICES Each issue we will be shining a light on a young disabled person who is blazing their own trail. Whether that be campaigning for access, giving up their time to help their community, achieving success in the sporting or arts arena, or educating their peers on disability.

LYDIA WILKINS Lydia Wilkins is a freelance journalist, copywriter, and an occasional speaker and lecturer. Her work covering disability and social justice issues has appeared in places such as The Independent, Refinery 29, The Metro, Underpinned, The Mid Sussex Times, and this very magazine, too! She is also a podcast host for Conscious Being Magazine and an ambassador for AccessAble. Her first book, The Autism Friendly Cookbook, will soon be published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Find out more at lydiawilkins.co.uk, She is also active on Instagram under the handle @journo_lydia. auded and much applauded, Ruby Tandoh’s new cookery book has won a lot of acclaim. Cook As You Are is something of a revelation for the mere fact that it is accessible, and has been written with the concept of accessibility in mind from the get go. Why did it take so long for such a book to be written at all?

Last year, thanks to the ongoing lockdown, I started the long process of applying for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for the first time; that I might be eligible for support had only just been flagged, and when you have nothing else to do, you may as well throw your hat into the ring. We’re all aware of the degrading treatment you receive from assessors, such as being expected to reveal the minutiae of your day-to-day lived experience, a sequence of your most private and vulnerable moments.

What I hadn’t expected was the expectation that “she can just learn to do x”. I am autistic, and therefore always going to be behind in terms of some skills attainment. I also have a spiky profile - for example, only being good at one thing in particular, whereas skills across other areas vary wildly. Apparently I could just learn to cook, learn to make a meal, and do it all without help or any extra time.

Needless to say, that particular assessment was beyond

The more you look, the more disability and food becomes tied together, such as when it comes to accessing food, or even just preparation. Disability Rights UK reported in February that the Trussell Trust said their data showed 62% of working aged adults, who accessed food banks, were in fact disabled. That is more than half - a huge number! The BMI also reported that, following the changes to Universal Credit recently, food poverty was also set to worsen.

We have been made so many promises about post lockdown, and a better (read: post-pandemic) world. Yet there has been such inaction on this issue, and if you have individuals who potentially do not know how to interact with food, how can you expect anything to change? The incumbent expectation is unfair and unrealistic, and more needs to be done for a better future.

As a result of my PIP assessment, I had an idea for a book - a response to this engrained, institutional attitude of ‘why don’t you just..?’ If you look for a disability friendly and accessible cookbook, chances are you will find offensive results on Google about curing your disability. Ostensibly I can just stop being autistic if I eat the right food! Gah. Nothing really did the job of starting to teach or empower me, and it was an issue spoken about anecdotally among myself and other autistic friends.

The Autism Friendly Cookbook will be published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers, with information about adaptations for the kitchen, as well as recipes written in an accessible form for autistic people - and with some contributions from other autistic people, too! This expectation is unfair to be incumbent on us: to teach and advocate for ourselves against the odds. A better future for all would be to start with the issues to unpick the high rate of food poverty among disabled individuals, as well as providing the right tools and education, too.

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AHEAD OF THE Centre of gravity is translated for easier tilting As the child grows, so does the Little Wave Arc Lightest folding tilt-in-space paediatric wheelchair

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powerful are either running scared, or afraid that their old world view of disability is being proven incorrect.

DAN WHITE

It’s not just disabled youngsters like my daughter and Greta who are concerned with preservation, it is now a huge growing number of them. Our disabled children are rightly furious because they are constantly kept out of the conversations that affect their lives. They are always talked over and talked for, never to.

COLUMNIST

Follow Dan on Twitter @Danwhite1972 Dan White, creator of the amazing Department of Ability superheroes and dad to Emily, who is 15 years old and has spina bifida, is a regular face in PosAbility, as he shares his experiences of life as a family with a disabled child.

THE FIGHT FOR OUR PLANET OP26, the global climate change conference, has been and gone and it was notorious for its disability exclusion. An Israeli minister found no wheelchair access for the event, and a young disabled speaker was left speaking to dead air as President Biden fell asleep duwring his talk. However, the most shocking omission was that of the most driven person ever to get involved in planetary protection, a young person powered by disability, Greta Thunberg.

This ableist stance, whether deliberate or accidental, gave the impression that the sea of suits and snoring ministers (all with vested business interests in maintaining the status quo of profit over the planet) did little to encourage the disabled community, who will be one of the groups hardest hit by climate change.

My daughter is a 15-year-old active climate change protestor.

As a disabled child on the cusp of teenage years and adolescence, she was and is still furious that the

voice of Generation Disabled was, until recently, left out of the green conversation. To her, (and me as an activist parent) young Greta Thunberg, has been a revelation.

Greta has empowered disabled young people fighting climate change, and fighting to be heard. She has become one of the most high-profile young women on the planet and she is utterly destroying entrenched stereotypes about what it is to be young with a disability.

Greta is autistic, and she herself states she utilises it as her superpower. She describes how being neurodiverse helps her stay focused and brush off criticism. She appears as a fearless leader for the young generation, more so for the young disabled generation.

She has given them a long-overdue license to speak up where for too long they have been forced into silence by ignorance and stereotyping by a world that doesn’t value a disabled child’s viewpoint. How do I know this? Well, Greta, was a “shocking omission” from COP26. It seems the suits and the

Disabled children around the world are already experiencing adverse socioeconomic outcomes such as less education, poorer health outcomes, and higher poverty rates. It should come as no shock to realise that where the environment has been degraded the most, such as industrial zones and oil-contaminated areas, rates of children born with a disability are remarkably high. Greta’s profile and embracement of her disability have finally given our children the chance to use their power and experience to be heard. This is a long-awaited chance for our children to get into the public sphere and use this growing platform to finally have their say on other issues that are personal and hit their community exponentially. They rightfully demand attention, climate change protesting is the cinder to light a larger flame of frustrating disability issues, that for them and us, need to be amplified.

Frustration needs an outlet and campaigning and protesting accomplish this. Shouting about the world under their feet, their wheels, their already politically under-threat freedoms, and the air they breathe, gives them an opportunity to address things from their perspectives with a disabled cheerleader channelling that demand to a, for once, eager media.

Disability will be one of the hardesthit communities by unchained and rampaging climate change, Greta has given our children legitimacy and vocality.

All children have the right to be heard and speak truth to power directly, unimpeded, and without old prejudices. Words win wars and our children deserve that chance to win the change.

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TOOLS FOR CREATION

BY KATIE CAMPBELL

Blind Create is a new social enterprise encouraging blind and partially sighted people to create their very own artwork, guided by an artist with over 25 years of experience teaching the craft reating art isn’t just about the process of making something beautiful - it’s a tried and tested method of boosting selfesteem, and - per Harvard Health - can have a tremendously positive effect on your overall mental health.

Art therapy is a method that’s sometimes used to help people living with depression and other mental health conditions, and dementia.

David Grigor is the founder of Blind Create, a social enterprise that aims to make teaching and learning art more accessible for blind and partially sighted people. He wanted to use the enterprise to rekindle a love of art in all people, and utilise technology in order to deliver teaching sessions to anyone who would like to learn and enjoy art.

David is no stranger to teaching - for much of the last 25 years, he’s been teaching art in one way or another to a whole host of people across the world. Having spent time in England, Scotland, Brazil, Canada, and the United States, he’s taken his love of both art and teaching with him wherever he’s gone. Previously, he’s been the head of art at a SEND school in London, and from November 2012 to February 2020, he was an art instructor at a Scottish charity for blind and partially sighted veterans.

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Blind Create was conceptualised during the lockdown, and offers teaching sessions via video link.

Combining his experience in teaching art to blind and partially sighted people with the rise of video calling, David saw an opportunity to help people who wanted to get into art during the lockdown but weren’t exactly sure how to go about it without guidance.

Leaning into his previous experience, David understands that sight can be affected in different ways, of course, and this means that there are a host of different approaches that can be taken in the creation of art. Some people may also gravitate more towards different mediums - like watercolour or gauche - as well as a host of different techniques which can be taught over the course of a Blind Create session. You’ll learn lots of things you may have forgotten from school, including the theory of colour, composition, and the principals of design. Additionally, if you live with colour blindness, David can integrate that into lessons. All individual requirements are taken into consideration - when you attend one of the sessions, you can have anything with you that you might need

He wanted to use the enterprise to rekindle a love of art in all people

(including snacks and drinks!) that will help you be more comfortable as you learn. All that’s asked for the sessions is that you bring your own art equipment - all of which is detailed on David’s website - and that you have a good internet connection and can show your work on camera as you create.

Patricia, a Blind Create client, said in a testimonial: “With David’s expert tuition, I’m learning how to use perspective in my drawing and paint using bright colours with inks and watercolour. I’m thoroughly enjoying the sessions, and he ensures that my accessible needs are met every session as my sight has been affected in the past by cataracts.

“I thoroughly recommend Blind Create’s art sessions and David’s vibrant artwork; he’s really helping me to feel excited about my own art,” she continued. “I really enjoyed learning how to paint dogs as I now have a little cairn terrier. I will enjoy mixing acrylic paints to obtain various colours and textures which can be built up in fairly swift stages. I saw how David changed a blank page into a life-like spaniel over Zoom. It was phenomenal to observe.”

Blind Create sessions can be booked now on David’s website, DavidGrigor.com, and are £45 per one hour of specialist teaching.

Sessions can be held on whichever platform you find most accessible, including Facebook Messenger, FaceTime, Zoom, Skype and Teams.

For more information on how to book a class, or on what the classes will entail, visit DavidGrigor.com.

Artwork displayed is a mix of work from David Grigor and clients Jemima and Patricia

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A NEW YEAR

BY ROSALIND TULLOCH It’s time to ditch those resolutions and make 2022 the year for you id you know that is has been reported that 80% of New Year’s resolutions are abandoned by February?

Not a great statistic in the grand scheme of things, and it makes you really question the efficacy of this longstanding tradition of making New Year’s resolutions.

As we propel towards 2022 at a hurtling speed, unsure of where the last year has gone, the inevitable chatter around resolutions begins. People start committing to unrealistic and unachievable goals like, lose weight, drink less beer, quit smoking things that usually require a lot of support.

The usual suspects that always rear their ugly heads, and that apparently only 20% of people will actually stick to after January.

It appears that this good old tradition is not actually good for us at all. Setting ourselves up to fail right at the beginning of the year is not the most positive way to begin a new year that should be filled with hope and excitement.

Especially after the last two years we have all endured, we need a little hope and positivity in our lives.

We propose that this year, instead of New Year’s resolutions let’s embark on a New Year revolution, one that will help us to feel good about ourselves, that will motivate us and that will build us up to feel confident that 2022 will be a good year. Here’s some ideas of how we can do this…

...this year, instead of New Year’s resolutions let’s embark on a New Year revolution, one that will help us to feel good about ourselves, that will motivate us

1

BE KIND

2

DISCOVER WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY

3

SET BOUNDARIES

4

LEARN SOMETHING NEW

This is a mantra to live by, it is something we teach our kids, it’s something everyone believes in (hopefully), and it is something that we want from others. Being kind can be applied to every facet of your life, if you treat others kindly you are more likely to be treated that way too, which simply spreads good vibes and joy. Doing kind deeds for those we know or even strangers on the bus, can give you a hit of endorphins that will make you feel good every day. o.

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o.

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The key to bringing true happiness is to know what you really want. This is a tricky business and an overwhelming question, but if we break it down into small bitesize pieces you can figure out what things make you happy and take it from there. Have a think about what really makes you happy and then work out how to get more of that in your life.

Are you someone that finds it hard to say no when people ask you to do something for them, or invite you to an event? It’s time to start putting yourself first for the benefit of your health and wellbeing. If you know your energy levels will suffer as a result of attending something for a friend, politely decline and enjoy a night of rest instead. If they are good friends they will understand. o.

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o.

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Expanding your skillset, knowledge or discovering a new passion is a very positive thing to do. Don’t set yourself an unrealistic goal of learning a new language in six months or anything, but do promise yourself that you will try at least one new thing in 2022, without any pressure. It could be a free online course in coding, trying out an art class for beginners, or trying out some new recipes. Whatever it is, be sure it is something you enjoy.

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2021 A YEAR IN REVIEW

BY KATIE CAMPBELL

Do you even remember what happened this year?

We barely did, even though it feels like it was December 2020 five minutes ago. Here’s a look back on 2021, a year of limited ups and significant downs.

JANUARY 6: In the USA, supporters of Donald Trump storm the United States Capitol in an act of domestic terrorism that can safely be called one of the wildest things that happened in a four-year term that was simply a succession of wild things happening.

21: Glastonbury is cancelled for the second year running, which is terrible news for people who enjoy being caked in mud.

FEBRUARY

to use, but bolstering the argument for always having disabled people on your marketing team.

MAY 6: The BBC reports that 50 of the UK’s biggest employers will keep staff in a “hybrid” working model of both inperson and remote working. Disabled people who have been asking for this for years but were told it wouldn’t work were, as is now the standard, vindicated.

22: Despite moving to a judging model in 2016 that would dramatically reduce the likelihood of a country ending the Eurovision Song Contest with nil points, the UK’s entry Embers by James Newman finished the event with zero points.

JUNE

2: 100-year-old veteran Captain Sir Tom Moore, who raised over £32m for NHS Charities Together by walking in laps around his garden dies with COVID-19.

21: Hugo Hammond becomes the first person living with a physical disability to be cast on Love Island. The media report him as the first disabled person to be cast on the show, despite Niall Aslam continuing to exist.

9: Altnaharra in Sutherland, Scotland, records temperatures of −17.1°C, leading to many panicked Scots battling to finally get their head around how storage heaters actually work.

23: The Bank of England issued its final polymer banknote, featuring codebreaker Alan Turing. Finally, all banknotes are safe from the destructive horror of accidentally being left in a trouser pocket and flung in the washing machine.`

MARCH 5: A proposal to give NHS workers a 1% payrise as thanks for their work in the pandemic is, to put it very politely, strongly criticised.

29: The container ship Ever Given, which had been blocking the Suez Canal - one of the world’s busiest trade routes - was finally freed with the help of a tiny wee digger, which promptly became a meme.

APRIL 9: Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, died peacefully two months before his 100th birthday. During his lifetime, he had been the patron of a number of charities which sought to support disabled people, including The Prince Philip Trust.

12: National Rail made their website greyscale in tribute to Prince Philip, making it difficult for some disabled people

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JULY

OCTOBER

11: England lose to Italy in the Euro 2020 finals; the game becomes the most-watched UK event since Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997, which is kind of emotionally devastating in retrospect.

21: The British Medical Association criticises the government for not reinstating mandatory face coverings in England as COVID-19 infection rates once again skyrocket.

Disabled and chronically ill people who have been wearing them the whole time are allowed to say “I told you so” once per day.

25: In a now-deleted tweet, the health secretary Sajid Javid suggests we “learn to live with, rather than cower from” COVID-19. At this point, 129,158 people had died with the virus.

AUGUST 24: The Paralympic Games, which had been postponed due to you-know-what, actually kicked off. They were still called the 2020 Games, presumably so they didn’t have to reprint their promotional materials with 2021 on it, thereby saving some cash.

SEPTEMBER 20: The first major extension to the London Underground in 20 years opens, extending the Northern line out to Battersea. The new terminus draws ire for not being called Battersea Power Station Station, despite being a train station at Battersea Power Station.

28: Everyone and their granny begins panic buying petrol for reasons related to COVID-19 or Brexit, depending on who you listened to. Many believed that there was a shortage of fuel, but there was actually an issue with the supply chain caused by an HGV driver shortage, which then caused a shortage of fuel in some places. Panic buying then caused a shortage of fuel in other places.

31: The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) is held in Glasgow, with world leaders taking a week to decide exactly what needs to be done to stop killing the planet. In a twist that will shock no-one, there were multiple accessibility issues with the event, including Israeli energy minister Karine Elharrar - a wheelchair user not being able to access the conference venue.

NOVEMBER 14: Boris Johnson praises the COP26 agreement, calling it the “death knell for coal power” which is great for both fans of the environment and people who hate getting coal for Christmas.

23: Giuseppe wins The Great British Bake Off, completing Italy’s plans for cultural domination in 2021, having previously won both Eurovision and the Euros in July.

DECEMBER 12: Once again, we write this in late November, so we can only hope by this point everyone is given a governmentissued day of rest and recuperation for this year being just a bit too much for the soul.

25: Santa brings Christmas cheer, which we all needed in abundance this year, and because we’ve all been good this year, we each get a Lynx Africa gift set. Thanks Santa, you’re the best.

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Dream JOB GET THAT

BY TAMMY HARMAN

SIX REASONS YOU WEREN’T SHORTLISTED I’m not here to tell you bias doesn’t happen in recruitment. It does. It would be overly optimistic of me to tell you anything else. But it’s not always the only reason you weren’t shortlisted for interview, or why you didn’t get the job afterwards. Here are some other factors.

01

APPLICATION NOT TAILORED TO THE VACANCY Every application you make should address the job requirements directly. This means examining the ad, job description, and person specification, and applying your experience as closely as you can. You’re making a case for why you’re a good candidate – but so is everybody else in the applicant pool. If you don’t tailor your application, you won’t make the cut.

02 INNOTTE RUVPI ETWO SP KA IRL L S

Some people make great written applications but don’t express themselves well at interview.

PAR is a tool that can help structure your answers. It stands for Problem, Action, Result, and at least 70% of your answer should focus on the action. That’s where you get to show interviewers your problem-solving abilities, so use this chance to impress them.

03

NOT GRASPING THE EXTENT OF YOUR EXPERIENCE

before and been rejected, it can be hard to find the courage to ask next time. Not all employers are the same, though. Give the next one the opportunity to do right by you. And, if you need communication support for interviews, Access to Work can help.

05 TE HL SEEY IHNAMD I SNODMFEOORN E THE JOB

06

You can’t do much about this one. The only thing you can control in an interview is you.

Prepare yourself well beforehand, do yourself proud while you’re in there, and if you don’t get the job at least you got some functional interview practice.

YOU FORGOT TO TELL THEM WHY YOU LOVE THEM

Every employer wants to think they’re the only one for you. Woo them. Why work for this particular company? What interests you about the work they’re doing and why do you want to be part of it? When you’ve expressed that, you can talk about how your specific skills and experience will help them achieve their goals.

To find jobs from inclusive employers who are looking to attract more disabled candidates, have a look on the Evenbreak website (evenbreak.co.uk). To find relevant and accessible careers support for disabled candidates have a look on Evenbreak’s Career Hive (hive.evenbreak.co.uk).

You need to know your examples back to front.

Think about what you’ve already achieved – what did you do, and how did you do it? Learn to watch yourself objectively when you’re completing a task, and keep a projects, tasks, and skills book. Write down your findings when you do something (think about these examples in PAR form). Then you don’t have to work so hard to remember what you did two, five, or even ten years ago.

04

NOT ASKING FOR ADJUSTMENTS You can request adjustments for any part of the recruitment process. If you’ve asked for them

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MAGAZINE TRAVEL REVIEWS

Expert travel reviews to help you make the best choice when booking your holiday.

PRODUCTS

An innovative mix of products to support you in everyday living.

EMPLOYMENT AND EDUCATION Regular columns and features on getting your dream job. Providing advice on CVs, interview tips and much more.

PERSONAL STORIES

Inspiring tales from our readers.

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