Enable January / February 2023

The UK’s leading disability and lifestyle magazine

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January / February 2023

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NEW YEAR GOALS

Disabled people and organisations share their hopes for the year ahead

find creative and innovative ways to grab people’s attention and challenge the status quo. We know what the barriers to disability employment are, we want 2023 to be the year when they are finally removed. In 2023 I want to continue to spread my message of kindness. I hope this simple message of kindness continues to be a guiding light for myself and others. To empower people with arthritis to take control of their condition and lead a more active life. Our hope is that everyone has the opportunity to meet a partner and find love and that unnecessary barriers are broken. We can't do it alone, but together we know we can achieve great things. There is a lot for decision makers to learn from these experiences in order to create a more equal society for disabled people. We would like to see more people with learning disabilities to learn how to travel independently. We hope the government will listen to their voices and make a public commitment. We hope the government will publish a national carer's strategy so that carers across the country are given the practical and financial support they need to be able to care well and safely. We are changing the world through dance. I am passionate about creating a fairer and more equal society for blind and partially sighted people. We're committed to remaining a force for change. I'm hoping that 2023 brings some positivity and we start to feel some of that pressure begin to ease. We will be focusing even harder on how we enable disabled people to realise their talents. We look to funding the most innovative, collaborative research projects that we hope will drive breakthroughs. In 2023, I believe that kindness will be the key to lighting our way back to each other again. We must continue to evolve and develop innovative approaches to handle the challenges that come our way. 2023 is the year that disabled people take over the world. For more people like me to be represented on TV and in the wider media to show that we can dream big and we can shine like stars. We want to support even more disabled people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to enjoy dancing in 2023. In 2023 try to focus on putting yourself first and what makes you happy rather than trying to please others. Supporting even more unpaid carers, helping them to feel more in control of their lives, more supported and better able to care. To continue to learn, listen and be guided by the lived experience of people affected by Parkinson's. They want what everyone wants; purpose, hope, homes in communities where they feel they belong, are valued and included, real relationships based on mutual respect and appreciation, and the right support at the right time to make all of this possible. Remember

*Model shown is Aygo X Pure (MY22) 1.0 VVT-I Auto at £0 Advance Payment. Subject to availability. Available as part of the Motability Contract Hire Scheme. Please note that a total of 60,000 miles over three years are allowed on the Motability Contract Hire Scheme. O er valid between 1st January 2023 and 31st March 2023. Motability Scheme vehicles are leased to customers by Motability Operations Limited (Registered Company No.1373876), City Gate House, 22 Southwark Bridge Road, London, SE1 9HB. To qualify you must be in receipt of the Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA), the Enhanced Rate Mobility Component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), the War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement (WPMS) or the Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP) and applications must be made with participating dealers between 1st December 2023 and 31st March 2023. Prices are correct at time of print, are subject to availability and may change. O cial fuel consumption gures in mpg (1/100km): combined 54.7 (5.2) to 56.5 (5.0). Combined CO2 113 - 117 g/km. Figures are provided for comparative purposes; only compare fuel consumption and CO2 gures with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. These gures may not re ect real life driving results. All models and grades are certi ed according to the World Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP), which replaces the New European Driving Cycle test procedure (NEDC). All CO2 gures quoted are NEDC equivalent. All mpg gures quoted are WLTP gures. Please visit www.vehicle-certi cation-agency.gov.uk/fb/wltp.asp

EDITOR’S PICKS...

22 MS AND MENOPAUSE

For people living with multiple sclerosis, going through the menopause can be a confusing and overwhelming time as many of the symptoms of the two conditions are similar. We speak to the MS Society and one woman shares her experience.

49 RECIPE: CARROT, COCONUT AND CHILLI SOUP

If you’re looking to start cooking more as the year begins, this delicious soup recipe from Jack Monroe’s latest cookbook, Thrifty Kitchen, is a great place to start.

ready to enjoy the first issue of Enable Magazine in 2023

he beginning of a new year often signifies the chance for new beginnings, but many of the issues faced in the last 12 months will continue to affect people in the disability community in 2023. This issue, we’re putting the spotlight on these problems and the changes necessary to improve the quality of life for disabled people in the UK, whilst also celebrating positive movements and achievements.

On page 10 we catch up with Team GB wheelchair basketball athletes Robyn Love and Laurie Williams as they discuss their experience of the IVF process and their hope to share more through social media when they welcome their first child this spring. Then on page 13, people from the disability community and disabled people’s organisations share their hopes for the year ahead.

Also inside, we highlight the current crisis facing social care on page 18, before discussing the true price of the cost of living crisis with Sense on page 51. During this time, you might be wondering how financial support is changing. On page 56 we break down what benefits are increasing when the new tax year begins.

Plus, Enable columnist Tim Rushby-Smith talks about the power of integrated sport on page 30; we meet an entrepreneur modernising mobility aids on page 78; and a physiotherapist talks us through the importance of accessible fitness spaces on page 42. All of this and much more inside.

COVER PRICE £3.00

PUBLISHER

Denise Connelly denise@dcpublishing.co.uk

EDITOR

Emma Storr emma.storr@dcpublishing.co.uk

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS

Jane Hatton

Tim Rushby-Smith Alisdair Suttie

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION

Lucy Baillie lucy.baillie@dcpublishing.co.uk

SALES

Marian Mathieson marian.mathieson@dcpublishing.co.uk

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©DC Publishing Ltd 2023. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any way without prior written permission from the publisher. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of DC Publishing Ltd. The publisher takes no responsibility for claims made by advertisers within the publication. Every effort has been made to ensure that information is accurate; while dates and

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Emma Storr, Editor

What’s inside

January / February 2023 58

Interview

10 PREPARING FOR BABY LOVE

Robyn Love and Laurie Williams share their IVF experience.

Spotlight

13 2023 NEW YEAR GOALS

Discover people’s hopes for the year ahead.

Care

16 CHAMPIONING CARER’S LEAVE

The bill that could improve employment prospects for unpaid carers.

18 SOCIAL CARE AT BREAKING POINT

Two social care organisations voice their concerns.

32 CLOSING THE HEALTH GAP

The new resources highlighting the importance of the GP Learning Disability Register.

42 ACCESS TO FITNESS

How can gyms become more inclusive and accessible?

64 CARING FOR YOUR MIND

Tackling anxiety, stress and imposter syndrome.

Life

20 THE POWER OF COMMUNITY

Learning from others when living with a chronic condition.

35 SUPPORTING US TOO

The domestic abuse campaign helping people with a learning disability and autistic people.

28

REVISITING MEMORIES

The importance of memorable objects and the right care for people with dementia.

Health

22

MS AND MENOPAUSE

Spotting symptoms and reaching out for support.

25 ELIMINATING CERVICAL CANCER

Improving access during Cervical Cancer Prevention Week.

36 THE RIGHT TO A RELATIONSHIP

The importance of meaningful connections and having the helpful information.

39 THE DIARY

Discover our pick of events for January and February.

45 NEW YEAR NEW HOBBY

Try something different in 2023.

46 DAYS OUT

Google opens first accessibility discovery centre in the UK

TECH GIANT GOOGLE HAS opened the doors to its first dedicated Accessibility Discovery Centre in the UK. The new centre has been built in consultation with RNIB, RNID and Everyone Can, alongside Google’s internal disability alliance employee recourse group. This is the first Google centre of its kind outside of the US and will provide a space for research, product development,

learning and sharing information.

To coincide with the launch, Google also announced the new Project Relate app, helping people with nonstandard speech to communicate and be heard, and a £1 million support package for people with disabilities to enable job opportunities in the technology sector and to support Mencap in their work to keep young disabled people safe online.

UK GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES NEW DISABILITY ACTION PLAN

THE GOVERNMENT HAS CONFIRMED that a new Disability Action Plan will be consulted on and published during 2023. The new plan is expected to set out the practical action ministers will take over the next two years in order to improve the lives of disabled people in the UK. The announcement was made following the official opening of the new Global Disability Innovation Hub research lab based at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London on International Day of People with Disabilities.

At the event, the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Tom Pursglove MP, said: “Over one in five people in the UK are disabled. It’s vital we continue to take concerted action across government to improve disabled people’s lives.

“I’ll be bringing forward our Disability Action Plan in 2023 to

build on government reform of the disability agenda, underlining our global leadership on disability rights and leading the way in areas such as assistive tech and accessibility.”

DISABILITY BENEFIT CLAIMS DOUBLE IN PAST YEAR

THE INSTITUTE FOR FISCAL STUDIES (IFS) has shared that claims for a number of disability benefits have risen dramatically over the past year. In a new report, the IFS found that claims for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) had doubled to 30,000 a month between summer 2021 and July 2022. This rate tripled amongst teenagers.

The new figures suggest a rise in worsening health across the general population, something which could become more detrimental as we progress through a particularly hard winter. Regardless of why these results are being seen, more claims will contribute to higher government spending on welfare: currently there are 2.8 million claimants which comes to £15 billion each year. The rise in applications has also led to a backlog of around 250,000 people who are waiting for their claim to be assessed.

AScheme thatputs youinthedriving

We’ve got dedicated parking you can reser ve for your visit. Just let us know and we’ll save you a space right out side.

The Motability Scheme is administered by Motability Operations Limited (Registered Company No. 1373876), City Gate House, 22 Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 9HB. The facilities o ered are for the hire (bailment) of goods. You will not own the vehicle. Agreement subject to acceptance and age restrictions may apply. The agreement can be terminated early with the consent of Motability Operations Limited and administrative charges may be applicable. Mileage allowance of 20,000 miles per annum over three- or five-year terms. To qualify you must be in receipt of one of, the Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA), the Enhanced Rate of the Mobility Component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), the War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement (WPMS) or the Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP), which will be taken in lieu of the four weekly hire rental. Attendance Allowance is a nonqualifying allowance. Terms and conditions apply and are available on request. Lookers is a trading name of Lookers Motor Group Limited, 3 Etchells Road, West Timperley, Altrincham, WA14 5XS, registered in England & Wales Reg. No. 143470. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. We are a credit broker, not a lender and can introduce you to a number of lenders. Introducing you to a number of lenders means we receive a commission. Lenders pay commission at di erent rates either as a fixed fee or as a fixed percentage of the amount you borrow. The commission that we receive does not a ect the amount that you pay to the lender under the credit agreement.

NEW MINISTER FOR DISABLED PEOPLE CONFIRMED

ON 27 OCTOBER 2022, the UK Government confirmed the appointment of a new Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work. Tom Pursglove, MP for Corby and East Northamptonshire, has been a member of parliament since 2015. Chloe Smith MP, previously held the position from 16 September 2021 to 6 September 2022, with a more than seven week gap between the appointments. The minister is responsible for disability policy; work and health strategy;

disability employment; oversight of the Disability Unit; financial support and disabled claimants, and more. Since being appointed, the minister has already received backlash after claiming the UK has a record of providing “global leadership on disability inclusion” after the United Nations (UN) committee on the rights of persons with disabilities found the government guilty of “grave” and “systematic” violations of the UN disability convention.

SPORT ENGLAND REVEAL NEW PARTNERSHIPS WITH DISABLED PEOPLE’S ORGANISATIONS

SPORT ENGLAND - A PUBLIC body which invests National Lottery and government money in projects and programmes that help people get active and play sport – has awarded £6.5 million in funding to three disabled people’s organisations. The new partnerships will see Mencap, Special Olympics GB and Sense given funding to help create system-wide change and increase access to sport for disabled people across England. The announcement comes as part of Sport England’s Uniting the Movement strategy which gives partners funding over a five-year period.

Mencap have been awarded £2.7 million to help the organisation improve access to physical activity, and to create resources and networks to showcase learning, develop best practices and advocate for change. Special Olympics GB has been awarded £1.5 million so that the charity can continue delivering inclusive sporting opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities. Sense is the final recipient of the funding, having been awarded £2.2 million. This will allow the charity to help more people with complex disabilities become active in their local communities.

UK two decades away from accurate TV representation

A NEW REPORT FROM the Creative Diversity Network (CDN) has found that disability representation on-screen and behind the scenes in the UK television industry is still falling short, with accurate representation not expected to be reached for almost 20 years. To reflect the UK’s disabled workforce, which is 17 per cent of all workers, more than 13,000 additional disabled people need to enter and stay in the industry. At the current rate of progress, this won’t happen until 2041.

The report, Diamond at 5: A deep dive into the representation of disabled people in UK television, compares UK broadcasters, considering the proportion of contributions by disabled people. In 2020-21, BBC programmes had the highest number at 7.3 per cent, followed by Channel 4 at 6.2 per cent. ITV and Sky were found to have the smallest number of contributions by disabled people, but both had increases in off-screen representation.

PIC: ©RICHARD TOWNSHEND PHOTOGRAPHY

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In October 2022, Team GB wheelchair basketball athletes Laurie Williams and Robyn Love shared their pregnancy news with the world. Now, the couple is ready to change perceptions and share their experience

baby Love

Last August, Robyn Love was competing as part of the Team Scotland wheelchair basketball team at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, with fiancé and fellow Team GB wheelchair basketball athlete Laurie Williams cheering her on from the side lines. At this time, the couple were excited about more than the prospect of a Commonwealth medal: the same morning they had found out Laurie was pregnant with their first child.

CATALYST

“We’ll have been going out for eight

years in February and once we got to a certain stage in our relationship we considered whether children are something that we’d want, obviously it won’t just happen miraculously and it takes a lot of planning,” highlights Laurie.

A few years ago, Laurie’s dad passed away after battling cancer and it prompted the couple to start their path to becoming parents.

“It was kind of a catalyst, family is literally everything and we wanted to create our own family,” enthuses Laurie. “When I was 18 I was diagnosed with polycystic ovaries (PCOS) so that’s always been in the

I don’t think there’s a platform for women with disabilities to openly discuss their experience of pregnancy

background and I wondered if it would qualify for any support from the NHS.”

Currently, same sex couples have to pursue and fund IVF privately as this isn’t routinely offered on the NHS, but after speaking with her GP and a fertility clinic, Laurie and Robyn were offered the chance to complete one round of IVF through the NHS. This opportunity was based on the fact that due to having PCOS, Laurie would receive access to fertility treatment.

“We were completely taken aback, more than we expected,” remembers Laurie. “We had our first proper appointment in January of this year and they have just been fantastic with us.

“From our experience, disability has never been discussed in a limiting way. We’re in a great hospital, they’ve got midwives who deal specifically with women with disabilities and they’ve been really conscientious and thorough, but not in a way that is remotely condescending or patronising.”

This treatment was refreshing for Laurie and Robyn. Having been a wheelchair user since she was a child, Laurie knew it was a possibility that she could be treated differently, and so it was a relief when this didn’t happen.

EXCITEMENT

After egg retrieval took place and a fertilised embryo was implanted, it was time for Laurie and Robyn to wait two weeks before taking a pregnancy test to find out whether the process had been successful.

“Throughout the whole process I think we were both quite realistic in our expectations because often the reality is that it isn’t successful and it doesn’t work first time,” explains Laurie.

“We were nervous but if it was me and I was the one carrying I would’ve done the test before then, but throughout the whole process Laurie has just been so good, doing anything the doctors asked,” adds Robyn.

When the day arrived to take the test, it was time for Robyn to compete at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“We didn’t have anywhere to meet really and so we ended up taking the pregnancy test in a Morrisons toilet and it came up positive,” reveals

Robyn was given the responsibility of checking the test, first in disbelief that it was positive, and then overjoyed that it was.

“I was absolutely buzzing when we found out, just so excited,” remembers Robyn. “Laurie’s mum and my parents were together in an Airbnb so it was quite nice getting to phone them, they were all huddled together around a screen so it was nice getting to share that moment.”

After finding out, Laurie had to stop competing or training, but instead has taken up swimming to stay fit.

“Whatever challenges are thrown our way, I feel like we’re ready for them,” offers Robyn. “Laurie has sacrificed so much for basketball, she’s sacrificed weddings, friends, relationships, I think athletes have to sacrifice so much, especially their bodies.

“I think this is one of the first times that Laurie is sacrificing her body for herself and for us.”

SUPPORT

On 12 October 2022, Laurie and Robyn took to Instagram to share the positive news with the world, and seeing the reaction has been incredible for them both.

“The response from people was so overwhelmingly positive, I think sometimes there’s a little bit of cynicism in all of us where you think someone’s going to say something inappropriate because we have disabilities or because we’re in a same sex relationship, but there has been absolutely no negativity or poor attitudes towards us whatsoever,”

shares Laurie.

“Within the wheelchair basketball community, all around the world people are being so lovely, the USA team, the Dutch team, everyone is just being so kind,” adds Robyn. “The past few years have been difficult for a lot of people, but especially the disabled community, I think that’s partly to do with the strong reaction that we did get from the community.”

SHARING

By sharing their personal experiences of pursuing IVF as a same-sex couple with disabilities, Laurie and Robyn are also helping to change attitudes.

“We’re here challenging perceptions but in a really positive way and showing that if you have a disability it doesn’t matter, it shouldn’t stop you from being able to have a family,” highlights Laurie. “The same goes for being in a same sex relationship, nowadays you shouldn’t have to be worried about what people think.”

Since sharing the news, Laurie and Robyn have received advice from other wheelchair users in their community on how to adapt as parents.

“It’s been really nice because at the moment, I don’t think there’s a platform for women with disabilities to openly discuss their experience of pregnancy and of motherhood, so I hope we can promote that on our social media as well,” admits Laurie. “I’m hoping that as we get further along in the pregnancy and when the baby arrives we can say that this is the way that I do things and it doesn’t make you any less capable of being a parent, it’s just different.”

For Robyn, this excitement for a new opportunity is mirrored, she explains: “I love problem solving, so straight away I’ve been like right what prams do we need, what cots can we get, what cot will work the best for us, so I’ve been a real research geek.

“Anything that makes her life easier I’ll do it, whatever it is. Then eventually we should hopefully be able to share our experiences of what baby items are on the market at the minute that can be used to make wheelchair parents’, disabled parents’ lives easier. I think that’s part of the joy of it.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Keep up to date with Robyn and Laurie on Instagram @Robyn_Love13 and @Laurie_Williams8

Laurie. “We were just so over the moon, it was really hard to let the news sink in.”

Laurie and Robyn

2023 New Year goals

Helen Walker

Chief executive, Carers UK

We hope the Government will publish a national carer’s strategy so that carers across the country are given the practical and financial support they need to care well and safely.

Rashmi Becker

Founder, StepChange Studios

Dancing makes people happy and boosts wellbeing. We want to support even more disabled people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to enjoy dancing in 2023 and to support more organisations to provide dance and fitness spaces that are inclusive.

Jordan Jarrett-Bryan

Presenter

2023 is the year that disabled people take over the world like robots and take control of their own equity. I know someone will find the inclusion of the word ‘robots’ and ‘disabled’ in the same sentence offensive but I don’t care. The revolution will be televised (and on YouTube, Apple TV, Netflix, Google TV and more) and I’m gonna be leading it.

Ellie Goldstein Model

I wish for more of my hopes and dreams for 2023. To model in New York and maybe one day be on the cover of Vogue. To continue to spread the word that you can achieve whatever you want with or without a disability. Never change who you are!

Jen Blackwell

Founder of DanceSyndrome

I do have Down’s syndrome but that doesn’t hold me back. All I can say is go for your dreams. Dream. Believe. Achieve. My dream is to travel the world with my dance. We are changing the world through dance.

Jolanta Lasota

Chief executive, Ambitious About Autism

We know many [people] have serious concerns that proposals in the SEND Green Paper could make the already broken SEND system worse. We hope the government will listen to their voices and make a public commitment to the protection of SEND funding and rights, to avoid writing off an entire generation of autistic young people.

To celebrate the start of 2023, we caught up with some of our favourite interviewees from the past year alongside important figures in the disability community to find out their hopes for the year ahead

George Webster

Presenter

My hopes and goals for 2023 are to achieve my 100th parkrun, keep on doing my CBeebies work which I love, and for more people like me to be represented on TV and in the wider media to show that we can dream big and we can shine like stars.

James Wythe Healthy Living James

For those also suffering with invisible illnesses (such as M.E) in 2023 try to focus on putting yourself first and what makes you happy rather than trying to please others.

Kate Lee Chief executive, Alzheimer’s Society

As we look to 2023, we’re committed to remaining a force for change, using research and influencing to make sure the government is prioritising dementia and pushing for breakthroughs that will change the lives of people affected by dementia now and in the future.

Frank Gardner Presenter

My goals for 2023 are to go ice kayaking in Antarctica with old school friends - and not fall in! Get my next Luke Carlton spy novel into the Sunday Times top 10 when it comes out in the summer.

Matt Stringer

Chief executive, RNIB

I am passionate about creating a fairer and more equal society for blind and partially sighted people, and to ensure our voice is heard we will continue to find creative and innovative ways to grab people’s attention and challenge the status quo.

See the full list from our interviewees and the Enable team online at www.enablemagazine.co.uk

PICS: ©CBEEBIES; DAVID PD HYDE/GUCCI/VOGUE

ITALIA; ANDY COMMONS; GRAY HUGHES; PAUL CARTER

CHAMPIONING CARER’S LEAVE

The Bill that could change unpaid carers’ right to unpaid leave from their job to support a loved one

On 15 June 2022, Liberal Democrat MP Wendy Chamberlain was selected to present a Private Member’s Bill to Parliament, using the platform to introduce the Carer’s Leave Bill 202223. Although it was the first time this particular Bill had been presented, the idea isn’t new: in 2021 Conservative MP Jack Brereton introduced a similar Private Member’s Bill, the Employment (Caring Leave) Bill 2021-22, but it didn’t receive a second reading despite both the 2017 and 2019 Conservative general election manifestos including a commitment to introduce leave for carers.

Paired with years of campaigning by carers’ organisations, disabled people’s organisations and unpaid carers themselves, demand for the legal entitlement to leave is clear, and its introduction won’t just benefit carers, but employers and the economy.

Speaking on the introduction of the Bill, Wendy said: “Unpaid carers are the

absolute backbone of our society. It is estimated that [there are] at least 2.3 million working carers who could be eligible for leave under this bill: a huge number of people who currently receive far too little support.”

ENTITLEMENT

The Bill, if passed, will create a new right, entitling an employee to be absent from work on unpaid leave in order to provide or arrange care for a dependent with a long-term care need. It would be a day one right, meaning the leave would be available to all employees

regardless of their time in a job role.

Currently, the Bill doesn’t discuss a requirement for people to be on a carer’s register to qualify, but instead stipulates that it would apply to anyone caring for a spouse, civil partner, child, parent or other dependent who needs care because of a disability, old age, or any illness or injury likely to require at least three months of care.

Eligible people would be entitled to one week of Carer’s Leave per year, giving unpaid carers more rights in the workplace and preventing the need to use annual leave due to caring responsibilities.

STEP FORWARD

Although the leave would be unpaid under the powers of the Bill, many carer’s charities believe it is a step towards enhanced packages of support from employers.

“Employers who already have Carer’s Leave in place say that it’s a win:win situation, to support and retain key employees in the workplace, helping to keep business going and avoiding extra costs,” explains Katherine Wilson, head of employers for Carers UK. “The most forward-thinking employers go one step further and have provided Carer’s Leave as a paid entitlement.”

The offer of Carer’s Leave can help unpaid carers stay in work for longer, removing recruitment costs for employers and helping them to retain a skilled workforce. As the Bill continues to pass through the formal approval stages, Wendy, carer’s charities and unpaid carers await the news of whether Carer’s Leave will become enshrined in UK law.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

To keep up to date with the progression of the Bill, visit bills.parliament.uk

Eligible people would be entitled to one week of Carer’s Leave per year

ADAPT ABILITY

Social care

at breaking point

As the cost of living forces people to change careers for higher pay, social care is losing essential staff, adding to a number of existing issues facing the sector

Across the UK, many people expect that social care is something tailored to a growing ageing population. While these services can be essential for older people, they are vital to disabled people of all ages being able to live meaningful and fulfilled lives. More than this, social care is often needed for people to fulfil basic tasks like eating, dressing and washing, that they can’t do alone.

Despite the inherent need for a well-functioning social care system, the UK’s is currently in crisis, and has been for years. The sector is facing

a range of issues that are being exacerbated by the cost of living crisis, forcing a dedicated workforce to consider other careers.

PROBLEMS

“One of our biggest challenges is workforce: we’re finding it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain staff,” stresses

Professor Martin Green, chief executive at Care England (www. careengland,org.uk). “That’s partly because there is not enough money in the system and so we’re not able to compete with the salaries currently offered by supermarkets

It’s really scary because what we’re seeing is the sector starting to crumble

for jobs that are a lot easier.

“There’s very little understanding in government of the real issues in social care or how to fix them, and there’s no mention of anywhere near the amount of funding that would be needed to try and do this.”

On 22 September 2022, the former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng announced that the 1.25 per cent rise in National Insurance Contributions rates for employees, employers and the self-employed would be reversed from 6 November 2022. This also meant that the Health and Social Care Levy Act 2021 was repealed.

“Even small changes to funding like this are going to have a wider effect down the line,” reveals Martin. “We need a long-term, sustainable approach to social care.”

Martin’s concerns reflect that of the wider sector and of Access Social Care, a charity providing free legal advice to people with social care needs.

“I have worked in the sector for more than a decade and in that time, I think the cries for help from the sector have gotten louder and louder,” shares Kari Gerstheimer, chief executive at the charity. “For many years now, people in the sector have been saying that social care is in crisis because it’s not being funded properly, but I can honestly say I’ve not seen it like this before and it’s really scary because what we’re seeing is the sector starting to crumble.

Currently, social care providers are telling Access Social Care that they can’t continue to carry on: the funds aren’t there to keep many supported living facilities, care homes and day centres running.

“We’re seeing social care providers saying look, we can’t sustain this,” explains Kari. “They’re telling us that care workers that have been with them for decades are handing in their notices because they can’t afford to do this work anymore. People have to care deeply and have a passion in order to do this work and these people are not taking the decision to leave the profession lightly.”

“It’s not just care workers,” adds Kari. “It’s also managers, regional managers and directors that we’re losing because resilience is so low: we’ve just been through the pandemic and now we’re in the midst of an economic crisis.”

UNDERSTANDING

The sector needs saved and longterm funding and planning is at the heart of the solution. Currently, this isn’t on offer.

“Normally we don’t see solutions until something reaches crisis point, but social care has been at crisis point for years now,” emphasises Martin. “We need to recognise that

everyone is affected by social care and that health and social care rely on each other.”

The crisis that social care is currently in could be a turning point, but unfortunately this doesn’t seem likely, Kari says: “I think the scale of the problem is not properly understood in central government and I don’t think there is an understanding of the scale of amenities needed to solve that problem.

“Some people in society still think that social care is paid for by the NHS or is part of the NHS and they are often shocked to find that it’s not.”

Social care may not be part of the NHS, but the two sectors are intrinsically linked, relying on each other to function.

“Right now, there’s so many people in hospital beds who need to be discharged but the issues affecting the whole system are preventing that, and there’s probably about 20 times more people in the community who have never had the assessments that they need to access support services,” reveals Martin. “What then happens people end up in crisis and go into hospital and it’s a constant cycle.”

The issue is also having a detrimental impact on unpaid carers, with their responsibilities increasing to fill the existing gaps in provision.

All of these factors and concerns feed into Access Social Care’s Dear Prime Minister campaign which was launched in November 2022. The campaign is calling on the Prime Minister and his government to fix social care now.

“Central government need to understand that social care needs to function well for society to function well,” stresses Kari. “What I want is for the government to recognise that fixing social care isn’t a nice thing to do, it’s something that we absolutely must pay attention to as a society.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Learn about the Dear Prime Minister campaign at www.accesscharity.org.uk

THE POWER OF

Community

If you are living with a chronic illness or chronic pain, having the support of people around you can make you feel less alone, and like you can reach out to a community when you need help. While speaking to friends and family about how you’re feeling can be beneficial, finding a supportive community that understands what you’re going through can be especially helpful.

COMMUNITY

Throughout the UK, there are support groups, online forums and charities ready to help you find people who live with similar symptoms and needs.

Chronic Illness Support For All (www. cisfauk.org) provide help for anyone experiencing chronic illness based on an understanding of how isolating and exhausting this can be. This support can be over the phone, online or in-person for adults or teenagers throughout the UK. The organisation currently has an online support group based on Facebook called CISFA which is run by an experienced support group team.

Since 2011, Pain UK (www.painuk. org) have been providing a voice for people living with pain in the UK. The umbrella organisation works to create a better quality of life for this group through awareness raising, connecting to members, consultation, governance and by supporting research. The charitable organisation also signposts to support groups and helps share information on why attending a support group can be so helpful.

For people living with fibromyalgia, Fibromyalgia Action UK (www.fmauk.org) is a charity run primarily by volunteers, many of which live with the condition themselves. The group exists to provide information and support to people with fibromyalgia and their families, whilst running national helplines, an online support forum, a UK-wide system of support groups and more.

SOCIAL MEDIA

As we start 2023, more people than ever before are utilising social media to share their experiences, discuss chronic illness and connect with people who understand.

Oliver

@thekidwithabag

When Oliver Kaye was 16-years-old in January 2020, he was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, and just six months later he had a stoma fitted. Now, the teenager is using social media for good and breaking the taboo around bowel conditions and chronic illness. Using Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, Oliver shows his stoma bag, treatments and answers commonly asked questions he gets as a teenager with a stoma.

Charleigh

@charrvictory

Charleigh was diagnosed with MS when she was just 22-years-old and also lives with Grave’s disease and endometriosis. Grave’s disease is an autoimmune condition where your immune system attacks your thyroid, causing it to become overactive, while endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places like the ovaries and fallopian tubes, causing pain. Along with sharing details about her conditions and what its like to live with multiple chronic illnesses, Charleigh also shares style and beauty tips, and her day-to-day life.

Jessica

@misschronic_diaries

After receiving multiple misdiagnoses, treatments and medications, Jessica became aware of how little support exists for people with chronic illnesses. Jessica has campaigned for increased awareness of chronic conditions for more than five years and has started her own business and also uses Instagram to document her health journey. A big part of her work on Instagram is trying to change perceptions of what disability looks like, and the importance of people going easy on themselves.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Social media hashtags like #SpoonieCommunity and #ChronicIllnessSupport can help you find people sharing their experiences online.

Living with a chronic illness can be a lonely experience at times, but connecting with people in this community can help you feel seen and heard

Jessica

Charleigh

MS AND MENOPAUSE

In the UK, more than 130,000 people live with MS, but the effects of menopause can feel similar to symptoms of the condition, leading to calls for more research and awareness

Problems with memory and concentration, mood changes and bladder problems are all menopause symptoms, but they are also symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS). For people trying to manage both conditions at once, it can be a confusing and overwhelming time.

“The effects of the menopause can feel similar to MS symptoms,” highlights Sam Walker, executive director of support and services at the MS Society. “It’s not always easy to know if MS or the menopause is causing a symptom, or if it’s something else entirely.

“The hot flushes and difficulty sleeping which many women experience during menopause can make MS symptoms feel worse. Finding ways to manage the effects of the menopause could help with MS symptoms, too.”

The MS Society community have previously shared their tips for dealing with symptoms, one being to fill a hot water bottle with ice cold water to stay cool during hot flushes.

“Some women with MS say that hot flushes caused by the menopause

make their existing fatigue and bladder problems flare up until they cool down again, and no matter what your hormone levels are, feeling hot can trigger MS symptoms,” explains Sam.

With the symptoms of the menopause and MS being so similar, it might feel difficult to approach your MS team or GP for support.

“A symptom diary can be a good way of giving the healthcare professionals a clear picture of symptoms and symptom patterns, as well as their impact,” advises Sam.

It can help to keep note of both physical symptoms and emotional changes that occur before visiting a healthcare professional. Without further research, the way the two conditions affect each other can’t be truly understood.

“At the moment we can’t be sure about the effect of the menopause on MS, however there is growing interest in the effect of the menopause on MS relapses and/or progression,” reveals Sam. “A 2015 study found that after the menopause, disability might get worse a bit faster than before. But other studies haven’t found this.

“Another study suggested that relapses happened less often after the menopause,” adds Sam. “We need bigger, good quality research studies - which include women from diverse ethnic groups - to find out more.”

Until this happens, Sam would remind people living with MS to seek support if they believe they are perimenopausal or menopausal. There are treatments available that can help regardless of an MS diagnosis.

“Hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, can be used to relieve symptoms of menopause,” says Sam. “It’s not for everyone, but there’s no reason to think that MS affects how HRT works.”

IMMEDIATE

Rachael had a hysterectomy in January 2014 when she was 47-years-old after living with endometriosis for the majority of her life. This meant she became menopausal overnight with no prior symptoms, but what she didn’t know was that at the same time she also had MS.

The signs of MS had been there for years while Rachael spoke with different doctors and a neurologist from around 2013, but after her neurologist left the area she lives in, she was discharged from the service. It wasn’t until August 2018 that Rachael found out about her MS diagnosis, and that it had been on her medical records for years without her knowledge.

“I was never perimenopausal and so because of the hysterectomy I went

So many of the symptoms you get with the menopause are similar to those with MS like the cognitive issues and the effect on sleep

into menopause literally overnight,” remembers Rachael. “It started immediately in the hospital with the night sweats, but looking back now it’s easy to second guess whether everything was menopause or if it was actually the MS that I didn’t know about.

“At the same point periods of memory loss started, all of the things with menopause that people don’t often talk about.”

Rachael was unable to have HRT due to her medical history and so was left to deal with the effects on her own. She was first given antidepressants, but knew this wouldn’t help the root of how she was feeling.

“There’s so many things that go hand in hand, and now looking back so much could be explained by the MS,” expresses Rachael. “I feel like I went

through it blindly.

“So many of the symptoms you get with the menopause are similar to those with MS like the cognitive issues and the effect on sleep.”

STIGMA

When Rachael started going through the menopause in 2014, there was still a lot of stigma in openly discussing what was happening, but she believes this has changed for the better now.

“These days there’s a lot more awareness and information, now that people like Davina McCall have got to that age, it’s being talked about,” enthuses Rachael. “It seems like in the last few years employers are really taking it into account, bosses experience it or their wives experience it.”

Armed with the knowledge that some

of her menopause symptoms could have been related to her MS, Rachael would encourage other people to seek advice if they experience a new or worsening symptom.

“You have to ask yourself: is that MS or is it the menopause?” advises Rachael. “Remember that it’s not always MS, you can get other things and especially if you’re menopausal, they might be able to treat that side of it away from the MS.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Always consult a healthcare professional if you are concerned about symptoms of MS or menopause.

Connect with the MS Society online (www.mssociety.org.uk) or by calling the free MS Helpline on 0808 800 8000

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THE PATH TO ELIMINATING

Cervical cancer

Currently, the World Health Organisation has a plan to eliminate cervical cancer, but without better support and the removal of existing barriers for disabled women and people with a cervix, this isn’t possible

In the UK, the HPV vaccine is over 99 per cent effective at preventing pre-cancer cells caused by HPV, these are linked to 70 per cent of cervical cancers. It is also thought that 70 per cent of cervical cancer deaths are prevented through cervical screening in England, but 83 per cent of the deaths that do happen could be avoided if everyone was able to attend their cervical screening appointment regularly.

In 2019, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust carried out a research project called We’re Made to Feel Invisible. The research spoke to women with a physical disability about barriers to cervical screening and found that 88 per cent of women in this group find it harder to access or attend cervical screenings. Concerningly, 49 per cent chose not to attend based on a previous bad experience.

“Jo’s vision is a world without cervical cancer but in the meantime,

we want to make sure people with a cervix who need help and support – whether it’s because of an HPV diagnosis, cell changes or cervical cancer – can come to us for high quality information and support,” explains Samantha Dixon, chief executive at the charity. “The results of that report are quite shocking I think, this was done before COVID and we want to build on that work in 2023 and look at what progress has been made.”

TOOLS

The tools we need for early detection and prevention are readily available in the UK, but women and people with a cervix who have a disability are often left out of the conversation.

“We know that the HPV vaccine and cervical screenings are our best tools to preventing cervical cancer in the first place, but we need to make sure that every woman has equal access to them,” stresses Samantha.

“In that same report there’s one woman who needs a hoist and she was told it would take too long and she can’t have a home visit,” adds Samantha. “She felt let down and forgotten and that’s a common theme with the women that we speak to. They feel really frustrated and angry, and quite rightly so because we should be supporting all women to go for such a vital test.”

Recently, the charity has done work in Scotland specifically with people with a learning disability. The uptake of cervical screening tests for this group is just 30 per cent.

“We knew that there was a particular issue there, so we partnered with Enable Scotland and we held a series of focus groups with women and their carers, and we let them tell us what they felt they needed to help them access cervical screenings,” shares Samantha. “They were telling us things like the surgery saying they don’t need to go because it was presumed they weren’t sexually active. We worked with them to co-produce films taking you through the process and these are also available in British Sign Language now.

“We’re pleased with this work but we know we need to build on that and think about how we better support women with a range of disabilities across the UK.”

Dispelling taboos around who needs a cervical screening, reminding GP

practices of their duty to provide access and adjustments under the Equality Act, and more research and education around the barriers disabled women and people with a cervix face are all key to improving uptake and increasing prevention.

PREVENTION

From 23 to 29 January 2023, its Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, providing an opportunity to highlight the need for change.

“The focus in January will be around how in theory we have the tools to dramatically reduce cervical cancer in the future through the HPV vaccine, screening and effective treatments for cell changes, and how with those three tools the World Health Organisation has developed an elimination strategy for cervical cancer,” highlights Samantha. “But we know there are certain groups that are struggling to attend cervical screenings and we’re keen to see more focus placed on how we identify those groups and how we listen to them about barriers.

“For us, awareness weeks aren’t just around reminding people that they need to go to screenings, it’s around making sure all those in decision making roles are really thinking about giving equitable access to all those that need to come for screenings.”

During the week, Jo’s Trust are also launching a piece of research where the charity spoke to around 1,200 healthcare professionals and other people in the cervical screening and vaccination space.

“We want to ask them what the practical barriers currently are, what will stop us from achieving true prevention in the UK?” questions Samantha. “We’ll then be lobbying with politicians and other decision makers to say its great that we have a plan for elimination, but here’s the practical things we need to put in place to make it happen.”

With the right education, training and awareness, cervical cancer deaths could be fully prevented, but before this can happen, disabled women and people with a cervix need to have their voices heard.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Find out how to take part in Cervical Cancer Prevention Week from Jo’s Trust (www.jostrust.org.uk)

They feel really frustrated and angry, and quite rightly so

Image taken from the Beck Gardens show home.

Revisiting

MEMORIES

The use of music, photographs and clever tweaks in the home can all help to improve the quality of life for people living with dementia

MEMORIES

Photos can be a visual aid that help the quality of life for someone living with dementia. Dementia UK provide a Life Story template to help you and your loved one collect their memories. A Life Story documents what matters to someone living with dementia with important information about them and the things that make them happy. This can help in the future if someone has difficulty communicating or understanding who important people are. This can come in a host of formats whether you decide to create a book, a collage, a memory box or video recordings.

MUSIC

For people living with dementia and their families, familiar music in any form can be a powerful connector. With the potential to spark memories, people living with the condition and their loved ones can benefit from music whether it is playing their favourite song aloud or reintroducing them to an instrument they used to play.

In recent years, research has found that music can have a host of medical benefits for people living with dementia. These positive effects can be seen through the reduction of anxiety and depression, and the maintenance of speech and language. Listening to music can also be a calming and entertaining process, whether it helps someone remember or not. If you are caring for someone with dementia, asking their friends and family about the type of music they used to listen to can be helpful: it is more likely to have a positive impact if it is something already ingrained in their memory.

Charities like Music for Dementia (www. musicfordementia.org.uk) help raise awareness of these benefits, but also give advice on how carers and loved ones can use music and singing to help.

ENVIRONMENT

Creating the right environment at home can help someone with dementia to live well. Ensuring family pictures are out on display, labelling where things are in the home, painting adjacent walls in different colours, and making sure the home has good lighting can all make a big difference to someone’s quality of life and avoid them feeling distressed in their own home.

This also applies when searching for the right care home or nursing home for your loved one with the condition. Look for a care provider who has expertise in dementia and Alzheimer’s, supporting your loved one to live the best life they can. Care providers like Notaro Homes (www. notarohomes.co.uk) give you the chance to ask about how they have adapted the environment to provide a safe and calm space for people living with dementia, and how support can be tailored to what your loved one likes and needs.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Discover more ideas to help document and maintain someone’s memories from Dementia UK (www.dementiauk.org)

Look for a care provider who has expertise in dementia and Alzheimer’s

Tim Rushby-Smith Powering inclusion through integrated sport

Warning: this column contains sport. Again. In the last few months, a couple of sporting events have caught my eye. And no, I am not going to discuss the World Cup, or that goal (full disclosure: I am actually writing this column before the tournament has kicked off, but there’s bound to be a ‘that goal’).

Instead, I would like to focus on the Rugby League World Cup and the Commonwealth Games. And what, you may ask, do these two events have in common? The answer is integration; both events included para-sport.

REPRESENTED

The Rugby League World Cup included both the women’s game and the wheelchair version under the same umbrella. In the case of the Commonwealth Games, the event built on an already-established programme of para-sport, increasing the number of sports included to eight.

These integrated events can create new audiences for different codes or disciplines. For families that include a person with a disability, the impact of seeing every family member represented can be massive. It can help to make participation become an expectation instead of a novelty.

At the elite level, there will be a more nuanced discussion about the

relative pros and cons of participation in combined events. The focus in parasport will already have shifted to the Paralympic Games in Paris in 2024, and the discussion around merging the Olympics and Paralympics will no doubt begin again. In practice, the sheer number of events make such a merger extremely unlikely, if only for the logistical issues. But as the Paralympics has grown in size and popularity, it is now widely seen as the natural partner to the Olympics, with the stars becoming household names. Para-sport has truly come of age, especially now we have even seen controversy on and off the field of play.

SHOWCASE

As there is no separate ParaCommonwealth Games, the event provides an opportunity to showcase para-sport, especially with newly included events like basketball 3x3. I

must declare my passion for wheelchair basketball in particular, especially as one of my team-mates was part of the Australian men’s team that won gold at Birmingham 2022.

But showing para-sport side by side has a bigger impact. When I talk with my children’s friends, it’s clear that they view my participation in sport as perfectly normal. Just as it’s normal to see me shopping in the supermarket. Or helping with reading in the classroom. Or picking up at the school gate. Or helping out with a flat bicycle tyre. By taking advantage of the right opportunities, integrated sporting events can help to make inclusion feel familiar; obvious; perhaps even unremarkable.

Columnist Tim Rushby-Smith discusses the power of integration in large sporting events and the wider impact this can have

Follow Tim on social media on Twitter @Trushbys, and on Instagram @trushbys.art

Para-sport has truly come of age

PIC: © DAVID P MCCARTHY

CLOSING THE health gap

People with a learning disability currently face health inequalities, affecting life expectancy and their quality of life. Now, a new resource is helping people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities join the GP Learning Disability Register

During December 2022, charity Mencap announced the release of a new easy read resource, highlighting the importance of joining the GP Learning Disability Register. The register is an essential document for the health and wellbeing of the 1.2 million people with a learning disability in England, but currently just 276,365 people are recorded on the register.

RESOURCE

“The resources are for people from all backgrounds whether English is their first language or not, however we know that there is a lack of representation amongst people from BAME communities within healthcare systems,” highlights Stephen John, the community activism lead in Mencap’s campaign team. “We know from LeDeR reviews that people from BAME communities with a learning disability are underrepresented, and we know from anecdotal evidence that there are barriers to them accessing the right support in healthcare.”

Closing this support gap and removing barriers to accessing healthcare is essential. To combat this, Mencap began working with groups around England including in Sussex, Bradford and Rochdale, reaching out to community groups from different backgrounds to identify the culture and language barriers they face.

“There shouldn’t be this big gap

and we wanted to address that, we consulted the groups to create these resources and asked them to look at them culturally too, that’s important because now they’re not just language specific, but actually culturally specific for people from different BAME communities,” adds Stephen.

HEALTH CHECK

One of the main benefits to people joining the GP Learning Disability Register is gaining access to an annual health check.

“If people better understood the benefits then I think we would see more people join the register and at the top of these is the annual health check,” reveals Stephen. “This helps ensure someone with a learning disability is as healthy as they can be and it picks up on any illnesses before they become too serious.

“There are major health inequalities that people with a learning disability face. People from BAME communities tend to be more disjointed from bodies like the NHS, so getting them informed about the register can reduce these inequalities further.”

BENEFITS

Alongside receiving an annual health check, there are a host of other positives to being on the GP Learning Disability Register.

“If you’re on the register then you get priority access to COVID vaccines

and the flu vaccine,” explains Stephen. “There’s still a high percentage of people with a learning disability that die from respiratory conditions and so the flu vaccines should really be up there in terms of things people want and need to get, it’s really important.

“To me, the fact that its completely free is a big benefit, too.”

Another positive to being on the register is that people are then more likely to have reasonable adjustments recorded, improving overall access to their GP and healthcare.

“That could be having a double appointment because you need to ask more questions or because it takes longer to speak, or it could be something like you need information in an easy read format,” offers Stephen. “That can mean all the difference between picking up on an illness or not,

because it affects whether the person can attend the appointment or not.”

IN THE COMMUNITY

Liaising with people from BAME communities throughout England was a key part of creating these resources. Working with local advocacy organisations like Bradford People First, Grace Eyre based in Hove, Midland Mencap and Rochdale Gateway Leisure was essential to this being possible.

Zahida Iqbal, who is a carer for her daughter, worked with Rochdale Gateway Leisure and the people they support to help create the resources.

“I was given six to seven weeks to work on the project, work with the community and translate the whole thing,” remembers Zahida. “We arranged a number of consultations and meetings with people in the community

that were really successful.”

During these consultations, Zahida was able to gather feedback on the resources, help translate them and also gather opinions from different professionals in health and social care.

“We need to be able to deliver this information to all groups because a lot of people and carers don’t understand the language and that means they miss out on a lot of services just because of a language barrier or a cultural barrier,” stresses Zahida. “Being on the register lets doctors pick up on any health issues earlier and there’s so many benefits to that. It means people aren’t left in the dark without support or with the wrong information.

“Through this process some of the people I consulted have actually gone and had their child added to the register with their doctor because they didn’t

know about it before.”

Creating inclusive, easy read resources is a great step forward, but Zahida would also like to see more done to improve access.

“We need to raise more awareness too because some GPs are so busy that they aren’t always offering annual health checks when they should,” shares Zahida. “Anything we can do to improve things for the community and to better educate healthcare professionals on why these are so important is a good step.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Access the resources or find out more about joining the Learning Disability Register at www.mencap.org.uk

If people better understood the benefits then I think we would see more people join the register

Supporting us too

This winter, two leading organisations in the UK have teamed up to further the #UsToo campaign.

The campaign, run by ARC England, works to raise awareness of domestic violence against women and girls with learning disabilities and/or autism, and providing victims, potential victims and the services that support them with resources and training.

Campaigns like this help create essential resources for people with learning disabilities and/or autism. This group are more likely to face domestic abuse than the general population and over a longer period of time. Additionally, the abuse they experience can be more frequent and severe. Paired with additional barriers to accessing essential support services, more work like this is necessary to improve the situation.

PARTNERSHIP

Now, support organisation Dimensions has partnered with ARC England to support the campaign. The team behind the Us Too is a group of women with learning disabilities and/or autism who have experienced domestic abuse. Through offering a range of accessible materials, the team are helping people with learning disabilities to better identify the signs of abuse, as well as providing a clear guide on how to seek support if this is happening or happens in the future.

The Us Too team also provide peer-led training for social care support staff, peer education or professionals from domestic abuse and sexual violence organisations.

To further the campaign, Dimensions

are sharing resources and information from ARC England with the people they support and work with, helping them to stay safe and keep others safe.

TRANSLATE

As part of the campaign, the team has collaborated with Open Clasp Theatre Company to translate the experiences of women with learning disabilities and/ or autism who have been subject to domestic abuse, creating a powerful film, Us Too: Alisha’s Story.

The film, which has been made available to view online, was commissioned by Durham University and Sunderland University after research revealed the barriers people with a learning disability face when reporting sexual and domestic abuse. Dimensions are also sharing Michelle’s story which contains advice for women and girls currently experiencing domestic abuse.

IDENTIFY

There are different ways that everyone can help women with a learning disability and/or autism identify domestic abuse and whether they

are experiencing this. Meaningful connections and conversations with family, friends or co-workers can help to gauge which behaviours are normal and which are symptomatic of abuse. Input from trusted people can also help women and girls to seek the right support.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Learn more about the #UsToo campaign and how to access resources or training at www.dimensions-uk.org/us-too and www.arcengland.org.uk

Campaigns like this help create essential resources for people with learning disabilities and/or autism

In the UK, people with a learning disability and/or autism face higher rates of domestic abuse than the general population. Now, new resources are helping to make support information and training more accessible

THE RIGHT TO A

RELATIONSHIP

Currently just three per cent of people with a learning disability live as part of a couple compared to 70 per cent of the general population. Increasing education and awareness can help make this more equal

Meaningful relationships form the basis of most people’s support networks in times of happiness or need, and for people with a learning disability, the opportunity to form positive romantic relationships should be equal to anyone else. Currently, this isn’t the case, but work is ongoing to remove barriers to romantic and sexual relationships.

Dr Claire Bates runs Supported Loving, a human rights-based campaign hosted by Choice Support, based on the belief that people with learning disabilities and autistic people should be able to enjoy the same sexual and romantic relationships as anyone else. Originally, Supported Loving started as a network, highlighting good support for people to form and maintain relationships, but now it has grown, working in new ways to encourage and create good practice.

SUPPORT GAP

Over the last 12 months, the network has been working with Skills for Care (www.skillsforcare.org.uk) to create new resources.

“We’ve basically been working on a big project to develop a training pack for social care staff to better support relationships,” reveals Claire. “There’s a lot of people with a learning disability that need support to meet people, to develop relationships and to maintain them. We’re trying to fill that gap by supporting staff so that they can help more people have relationships.”

A big part of this is creating resources that enhance the support available for autistic people. This is something that is often lacking when it comes to sex and relationship education.

“There’s very minimal materials for autistic people, by autistic people and so we’ve been developing a training pack to help that, and this has been led by our members,” shares Claire.

Currently, the shortage of appropriate support doesn’t stem from a bad place: answering questions about sex and relationships can be a hard topic to deal with, especially if this is a topic that social care staff haven’t discussed with someone’s family before.

SHOO THE TABOO

“We’ve developed a resource called Shoo the Taboo which is basically cards that have common dilemmas and questions on them, for example one discusses being asked an explicit question about sex and what to say back, then on the other side it has helpful things to start the conversation and other things you might need to consider,” explains Claire.

The cards also cover topics like discussing consent and boundaries.

“Without proper training, answers to these questions could be influenced by our own values or the wishes of a family, there’s a range of barriers right now whether it’s personal or organisational,” explains Claire. “We need to overcome them and actually show people what the benefits to relationships are. We need to all understand the benefits as well as the barriers.

“Providing information and answers can actually help someone be safer, because often they’re going to do it either way.”

Working with and informing social care staff is an essential part of closing this support gap, but a person’s wider network comes into it too, encompassing family carers, parents

Providing information and answers can actually help someone be safer, because often they’re going to do it either way

and anyone else in a position to provide advice and care.

Whether family members agree with someone pursuing a sexual or romantic relationship or not, the ability to do this is actually a human right. Under the Human Rights Act, everyone has the right to private and family life, and the right to marry and have a family.

IMPROVING

Claire believes that perceptions are changing and more young people with a learning disability and young autistic people are pursuing meaningful relationships.

“We’re seeing a change in younger people: young people have access to phones and they have the internet and so they can see everything that we do,” highlights Claire. “It seems like we’re seeing younger people who have an expectation to have a relationship, to have a sexual relationship, that they can get married and have children, and rightly so.”

While things are clearly getting better, there’s still a long way to go in order to provide equal opportunities to fulfilling relationships for everyone.

“I would love to see more specialist dating agencies that provide support around relationships, I know that’s

something people we work with would value,” offers Claire. “People want somewhere safe to meet people because with regular dating apps there’s a fear of manipulation or exploitation.”

Until this happens, organisations like Choice Support will continue running campaigns to highlight the need for resources and guidance.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Get more advice and information on discussing relationships at www.choicesupport.org.uk

thediary

NETWORK FOR SUPPORTING DISABILITY

Events to help you plan the start of 2023

JANUARY

Online www.can100.org

Join the Community Action Network (CAN) in this online event, perfect for people who work or volunteer for a charity or a not for profit organisation which is helping people with disabilities or the people around them. During the session, CAN will help different organisations connect, discussing their latest projects and how they can enhance collaboration. The network, which covers Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset council areas, enables collaborations in the local area.

FEBRUARY

16 JANUARY 17-23 JANUARY 2 FEBRUARY

TIME TO TALK

Nationwide www.timetotalkday.org.uk

Each year, Time to Talk Day helps to kickstart the conversation around mental health, encouraging people to talk to a loved one about how they’re feeling. The day is a chance to get the nation to open up, taking a critical step to improve wellbeing, but it also has a wider effect. Community events, campaigns, social media posts and conversations on the day can help to reduce the stigma around mental health problems. If you want to take part or host an event in your local area, download a free resource pack from Mind (www.mind.org.uk).

28 FEBRUARY

RARE DISEASE DAY Worldwide www.rarediseaseday.org

This annual awareness day exists to generate change for the 300 million people living with a rare disease around the world alongside their loved ones and carers. The international event helps to educate the public and healthcare professionals, allows people living with a rare disease to feel seen, and helps them to connect with other people who can understand their situation.

In the lead up to the day, the organisers are sharing people’s stories and where you can find events online.

BIG ENERGY SAVINGS WEEK Nationwide www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

At an especially difficult time due to high energy bills, the Big Energy Savings Week campaign focusses on reducing the amount of energy you use in order to lower bills and highlighting sources of support. Each year, the Energy Saving Trust and Citizens Advice Bureau (www.citizensadvice.org.uk) provide information during the week. If you are currently concerned about paying your energy bills, contact Citizens Advice for support by calling 0800 240 4420 (prefix with 18001 for Relay UK).

23 JANUARY

TRAINING: AUTISM AND EATING CHALLENGES Online www.autism.org.uk

This online training course is suitable for anyone working with an autistic child, focussing on understanding and supporting autistic children with eating challenges. Written and presented by Dr Elizabeth Shea who has decades of experience in childhood feeding disorders and autism services, the one-day course will cover taking a developmental approach, evidence and practice-based strategies for intervention, and more.

21 FEBRUARY

LEARNING DISABILITIES AND SEXUAL HEALTH St Georges Works, Norwich www.tht.org.uk

This face-to-face event will aid all practicioners promoting sexual health for people with a learning disability in the Norfok area. The training will include a short overview of sexual health promotion and education, allowing practicioners to understand that people with a learning disability have the same sexual needs as everyone else and how to overcome difficulties in communicating sexual health issues. The course will also cover describing consent, an will highlight resources and services that can be accessed to aid and support practicioners in this area.

If you have any events coming up in March or April email us at diary@enablemagazine.co.uk with the details for inclusion in next issue’s diary page.

Start the new year with a chance of winning a weekend break in the Lancashire countryside for up to eight guests at Brickhouse Farm Cottages (www. brickhousecottages.co.uk). The selfcatering accommodation is made up of 12 outstanding cottages with disabled access and facilities. Six of the cottages are also dog-friendly, with a small charge per dog.

Each cottage varies in size with two to five bedrooms, an open plan living area, 40-inch TV and free Wi-Fi. Nine of the cottages have their own private patio facing an accessible fishing lake which guests can use free of charge throughout their stay.

All of the cottages have ceiling track hoists and wet rooms, and some have profile beds as standard. The Birch, Willow, Pine and Poplar cottages also have electric beds that allow movement of the head and feet. Different features can be added to your booking for an additional cost including shower trollies, riser reclining armchairs, portable hoists and more. The Brickhouse team are always happy to discuss guests’ unique needs for their stay.

The holiday accommodation is a short journey away from the bright lights of Blackpool, and you can use the on-site Hydrotherapy pool, sensory room and bistro for an additional cost during your trip.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

A WEEKEND BREAK AT BRICKHOUSE FARM COTTAGES

HOW TO ENTER

All entries must be received by Monday 27 February 2023. The prize is a weekend break at Brickhouse Farm Cottages for up to eight people to be used during March and April or October, November and December in 2023 or 2024, excluding Christmas and New Year weeks in each year. Number of guests, dates available and the cottage available are subject to availability. The competition excludes the Elm and Hawthorn cottages. Any additional costs are the responsibility of the competition winner. The contents of the prize may differ from the images and descriptions included here. The prize in non-transferable, non-refundable, there is no cash alternative and cannot be sold to another party. One entry per household. The publisher’s decision is final.

Access to Fitness

The start of a new year can come with a desire to focus on health and fitness, but a lack of accessible spaces in the gym and wellness industry, or little understanding from fitness professionals, can make this feel impossible

Currently, there is a a lack of inclusive and accessible gyms across the UK. Accessibility and inclusivity in fitness spaces is improving, but without proper funding, training and awareness, the void will continue to widen. Just outside of London, one company is combining the appeal of a luxury fitness space with the expertise you can find in a healthcare setting, while keeping it affordable and accessible for a range of people in the disability community.

SOLUTION

VIM Healthcare combines a health space and an accessible gym, with a focus on the use of specialist equipment supported by healthcare professionals. The result is a comfortable, safe space for clients to improve their fitness regardless of their disability.

“We wanted to solve a problem,

in essence the problem being there is a huge inequality across the board for people living with impairments in terms of access to exercise and healthcare,” explains Tom Taverner, a physiotherapist who founded the company alongside Jon Graham, a specialist neurological physiotherapist, and Crispin Simon who has a history working in the medical technology field.

VIM Gym was the result of this desire: a welcoming, accessible space that combines the equipment you would find in any fitness space with specialist technology and support from experts. Plus, the business model has been created so that gym memberships start at £55 a month paired with an access pathway for people who could benefit from the support.

Long waiting lists for NHS treatments and a lack of appropriate spaces for people with impairments to exercise independently also fuelled the idea for VIM, but the team knew that the space needed to feel less like a medical environment and more like a luxury gym.

“We wanted to create a gym which was connected to the health clinic, that enabled people living with impairments or people who just don’t feel comfortable in a normal gym to work out independently and have the right equipment, but also supervision,” shares Tom. “In essence, we’ve created this space to solve a problem in exercise equality, while also creating a space which is designed in a way that is inducive to wellness.”

TECHNOLOGY

The centre offers intensive rehabilitation supported by technology,

but this is also at the heart of the gym, something which has attracted the likes of author, artist and presenter Sophie Morgan to the space. This includes REX, a hands-free robotic device for rehabilitation, the FES bike which provides electrical nerve stimulation to activate muscles, and the EasyStand Glider which enables users to stand and get their upper and lower limbs moving.

“Say someone who is paralysed, like if we take Sophie for an example, they have a lot of weakness or no activation in their lower limbs,” offers Tom. “They still need to be able to bear weight and move in a dynamic way because this is really important for their bone density, their bladder and bowel, their circulation, but also from a strength conditioning point of view.

“If you’re completely paralysed your muscles will deteriorate, but our equipment can help prevent that. We can put electrodes on your muscles and stimulate them to maintain their strength and create blood flow.”

The medical knowledge that the team bring to the gym is key to exercise being both safe and effective.

“There’s a real need for specific equipment for these client groups which they can’t get in a normal gym because they simply don’t exist in a normal gym,” highlights Tom. “An ordinary gym would maximise the number of members and would try to get them to come less often with the least staff possible, whereas what we have is highly skilled staff, and we try and cap how many members we’ve got.”

FUTURE

A fitness environment like VIM Gym is revolutionary, but it shouldn’t be: Tom

There’s a real need for specific equipment for these client groups which they can’t get in a normal gym because they simply don’t exist

hopes that in the future more spaces like this are created.

“There’s not a lot of accessible spaces, often gyms have accessibility as a kind of afterthought rather than a primary thought, or they don’t have the right staff on site to support people and give people the right guidance,” offers Tom. “There’s a huge portion of the population who need a space like this, but currently the markets aren’t living up to what they need to be doing.

“I think it is a lack of funding, but I also think people don’t fully understand the size of the population who need this kind of help.”

Although this is the case, change could be on the horizon, Tom says: “It’s like everything: when the public start to talk about it, social media talks about it, people become more aware then action follows.

“We have to get there somehow because currently, a huge percent of the population is not being served.”

NEW YEAR NEW HOBBY

Start the new year by discovering a hobby that you can pursue solo or with family and friends

GET OUTSIDE

When picking up a new interest or hobby, the need to research and plan ahead can make it feel more like a chore than something fun. If you’re looking to get outside and try something new, Ordnance Survey have taken the stress out of planning with the Get Outside campaign (getoutside.ordnancesurvey. co.uk). Encouraging people to discover the best of the outdoors in the UK in an enjoyable, accessible and safe way, Get Outside is accompanied by a range of guides covering everything from secret wild swimming spots near London, to

safety tips for walking in the outdoors. You can filter the guides online to suit your needs whether you’re a beginner, want to go on an adventure as a family, or if you would prefer to walk or cycle. The Get Outside campaign was launched with inclusivity in mind, so you will be able to find specific accessibility guides which have been produced with the input of the disability community. These include sensory walks, wheelchair routes and stile-free walks. The range of information available makes it easy to plan an activity at short notice, but it also gives you the chance to plan for the year ahead depending on the season.

WINTER SPORTS

It might be January, but there’s still a few months of the winter left to get into a new winter sport. When you see the words winter sports, you might think of skiing or snowboarding, and while these are great options, there’s other opportunities to pick up something new in the colder months: curling and ice hockey are great options. Well-loved winter sports like skiing and snowboarding can also be adapted in a range of ways, like tandem snowboarding, tethered skiing or sit skiing. Dedicated organisations like Disability Snowsport UK (www. disabilitysnowsport.org.uk) and Ski2Freedom (www.ski2freedom.com) exist to support adaptive winter sports. This interest doesn’t have to stop when the weather starts to get warmer in the spring: there’s plenty of winter sport centres where you can pursue indoor snow sports, use a dry slope for skiing or snowboarding, or to train ahead of next winter.

SPORTING ORGANISATIONS

Across the UK, disabled people’s sporting organisations are ready to open the doors to people looking to try a new activity. British Blind Sport (www.britishblindsport.org.uk), Special Olympics GB (www.specialolympicsgb. org.uk), Activity Alliance (www. activityalliance.org.uk) and Cerebral Palsy Sport (www.cpsport.org) all provide great opportunities to get active.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Parasport (www.parasport.org.uk) have a search tool to help you discover new opportunities.

DAYS OUT

Plan ahead and discover new sites with our pick of days out with everything from museums to walking tours throughout the UK

Accessible tours: Edinburgh Mercat Tours

www.mercattours.com

Are you ready to explore Scotland’s capital city? Steeped in history, Edinburgh is a pictureperfect city whether it’s raining or the city has a rare day of sunshine. Mercat Tours have many tours to choose from, taking people’s different needs and expectations into account. All of the tour company’s storytellers are trained to adapt tours when needed. The two most accessible tours provided are the Secrets of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile and Treasures of the Old Town tours. These are both predominantly outdoors, accessible for wheelchair users, and transportable stools can be provided for people to take breaks during stops.

Museum of Liverpool Liverpool Museums www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk

Liverpool is continually named the UK’s most accessible city, and there’s plenty of sites that help contribute to this title. The range of collections within the Museum of Liverpool span more than 10,000 years of Merseyside’s history, covering everything from land transport to The Beatles. The museum is free to access and there’s plenty of design and environmental features to make your visit inclusive and accessible. Many exhibits feature subtitled videos and interactives; there is a braille guide for blind and visually impaired visitors; and visual stories are available through the website to help people plan their visit.

Edinburgh

Liverpool

National Trust and National Trust for Scotland

www.nationaltrust.org.uk, www.nts.org.uk

Both the National Trust and the National Trust for Scotland provide pages of inspiration sure to get you excited for your next outdoor adventure. These ideas of things to do can be categorised by season, area or type of activity. Both websites have resources specific to accessible experiences, from visiting Culzean Castle and Country Park on the west coast of Scotland, to walking along Salcombe Hill in Devon.

Accessible Adventures at Go Ape

Locations across the UK www.goape.co.uk

Go Ape are outdoor adventure centres around the UK, but what many people don’t know is that most of the courses are designed with accessibility in mind. These activities can be mentally and physically challenging, but the centres welcome people with a range of disabilities and impairments and can offer tailored support, This includes preadventure consultations, British Sign Language safety briefs and free tickets for carers.

The Warner Bros. Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter

London

www.wbstudiotour.co.uk

This is the perfect day out for any Potterheads in your family. At The Warner Bros. Studio Tour, you’ll get to immerse yourself in the world of Harry Potter while you learn about the making of the famous franchise. The site has a great approach to accessibility and adjustments, with an Accessible Plus facility featuring a hoist, height adjustable changing bench and more. British Sign Language tours are also available at no extra cost, and carers go free when booked through the Visitor Services Team.

FINDING INFORMATION

Snowball

Available on Apple and Android Snowball Community is a new mobile app, allowing people to upload their own reviews and rating of places around the country. The app, which is backed by Team GB Paralympic gold medallists

Hannah Cockroft OBE and Aaron Phipps MBE, is free to use and allows people to rate everything from restaurants to tourist attractions and supermarkets.

Euan’s Guide

www.euansguide.com

Euan’s Guide is an access charity, best known for providing reviews

and campaigning to make thousands of accessible toilets safer. The site tackles a general lack of disabled access information for attractions throughout the UK, with reviews by and for disabled people.

AccessAble

www.accessable.co.uk

AccessAble takes the chance out of going out, giving you detailed information on how accessible somewhere is before you leave the house. The access guides by the organisation provide you with facts, figures and photographs available online or through an app.

Cadbury World

Bournville, Birmingham

www.cadburyworld.co.uk

Lose yourself in chocolate during a visit to Cadbury World. The attraction from the famous chocolatier has everything from a 4D chocolate adventure to the story of making chocolate and the chance to try your hand at making your very own Cadbury treats. The site is well-known for being accessible with provisions in place to help people plan a trip that is suitable for them, and additional measures available once you arrive.

AN INCLUSIVE GETAWAY

Maison des Landes is the only hotel in Jersey designed specifically for people with disabilities. Currently undergoing a £3.8 million refurbishment and reopening in Summer 2023, Maison des Landes combines the relaxing atmosphere of a modern hotel with the very latest facilities for people with disabilities. Located on the edge of Jersey’s National Park with stunning views and protected wildlife, the hotel is the ideal base to explore the island. Find out more by visiting the hotel’s website www.maisondeslandes.co.uk

Culzean Castle

Reopening after a stunning £3.8 million refurbishment

The only hotel in the Channel Islands designed specifically for people with disabilities, Maison des Landes provides the relaxing atmosphere of a modern hotel and the very latest facilities.

• Hydrotherapy pool

For more information please visit our website: www.maisondeslandes.co.uk, call 01534 481683 or email: reservations@maisondeslandes.co.uk

A

Carrot, coconut and chilli soup

note from

Jack

I first made this recipe using frozen chunks of butternut squash, which was delicious, but using carrots makes it far more economical without compromising on the flavour or end result. Should you find yourself in possession of a squash, however, feel free to use that instead in homage to the original. And you may be surprised to know that, as with the carrots, you don’t need to peel a squash. The skin is perfectly edible, especially when fried, as here; it adds an almost toffee-flavoured undertone and plenty of fibre into the bargain. I’m almost talking myself into changing this back into a squash recipe, but carrots are cheaper, so carrots it is!

SERVES 4 GENEROUSLY INGREDIENTS

350g carrots

2 large onions or 250g frozen onion

6 fat cloves of garlic

2 tbsp light cooking oil

A few generous pinches of salt

Plenty of black pepper

2 chicken or vegetable stock cubes

700ml water

1 x 400g tin full-fat coconut milk

1 tbsp mixed dried herbs, or dried thyme

½ tsp–1 tsp chilli flakes, to taste

STEPS

Wash and finely slice your carrots, and peel and slice your onions if using fresh. Peel your garlic cloves and halve them lengthways.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan and add all the veg. Season generously with salt and pepper. Fry for a few minutes on a medium heat, stirring to disturb it all so it doesn’t stick and burn. Crumble in your stock cubes, and add the water, coconut milk, herbs and chilli. Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer, for around 20 minutes, until the carrots are very soft.

Transfer everything to a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to do this in

batches, depending on the capacity of your blender.

Return the blended soup to the pan and simmer for a further 5–8 minutes to thicken. Serve piping hot.

TO KEEP

Leftovers will keep in the fridge for three days, or in the freezer for up to six months. Defrost thoroughly in the fridge overnight and reheat to piping hot to serve.

Extracted from Thrifty Kitchen by Jack Monroe, available from 5 January (Pan Macmillan).

Jack

Our products are widely used by Health and Social Care professionals for vulnerable older people and those with learning difficulties who need to be reminded of essential daily tasks such as taking their medication.

Find out more today: pivotell.co.uk

THE TRUE PRICE OF THE Cost of living crisis

As the cost of living crisis continues, people in the disability community continue to struggle to afford essentials like energy for equipment and food with the little financial support on offer

Since a cost of living crisis was declared in the UK during July 2022, disabled people have taken the brunt of the impact, forced to make the choice between eating or using money for electricity to keep essential equipment or heating on. This situation will be detrimental to people’s health, but for many people it isn’t a new one.

“Even before the current cost-of-living crisis, we know disabled people were more likely to be in debt and struggling to heat their homes,” reveals Richard Kramer, chief executive of charity Sense.

Before the cost of living crisis began, research by Sense showed that 24 per cent of people with complex disabilities were already struggling to keep their homes adequately warm.

“The rapid increase in energy costs disproportionately hit people who need energy-intensive equipment to live a healthy, fulfilled life,” stresses Richard.

QUALITY OF LIFE

For many disabled people, this crisis means a choice between eating or heating: 62 per cent of disabled people and their families told Sense that they have already had to make this choice in the last year, and 72 per cent of disabled households have been pushed into debt by rising costs.

“In response to what we were hearing from our community, we launched a petition calling on government to provide long-term, targeted financial support for disabled people during this crisis,” shares Richard.

The petition, which is still available to sign on the Sense website, has received more than 60,000 signatures at the time of writing. The charity also created an emergency financial support fund during August 2022. This was the first time in Sense’s history that the charity gave out direct cash payments.

“Sadly, we know many disabled people are still in desperate financial situations and worried about how they will pay

their bills long-term,” explains Richard. “Many of the families we support run daily equipment such as feeding machines, powered wheelchairs, hoists and electric beds. Turning the energy off for these machines is simply not an option.

“We know that for many disabled people, the decisions they are making to try and cut costs are drastically reducing their quality of life, and in some cases impacting on their ability to lead healthy, pain-free, independent lives.”

LONG-TERM SOLUTION

While the UK Government has introduced limited financial support with more coming as this year begins, more has to be done. There needs to be a long-term solution, not just a band aid on the problem.

“We need to see a wholescale review of how we support disabled people and their families,” states Richard. “What has been announced addresses the short term but not some of the fundamental inequalities faced by disabled people.

“We need to review how benefit rates are set so that people can afford to live. We also need to think about how we support disabled people and their families through respite, recognising their caring commitments and the impact of wider austerity and pressures on them.”

One option would be the introduction of a social tariff. This would discount the cost of energy for disabled households who use more energy to run essential equipment. Implementing this would take us a step closer to an equal approach.

“Charity-led grant schemes are not long-term or sustainable solutions. It is the Government’s responsibility to act and tackle the systemic issues,” emphasises Richard.

“Much of the narrative is around working more or working harder but almost 30 per cent of people with complex disabilities are on Universal Credit. This compares to just five per cent of non-disabled people.

“Disabled people, and particularly those with complex disabilities, face significant barriers to entering employment or working more hours. So do many carers. That’s why the government needs to do more.”

EMMA’S STORY

Emma, who is deafblind, has been working with Sense since 2009, doing paid and voluntary work. Here, Emma shares how the current cost of living crisis is affecting her life.

Disabled people, myself included, have been affected before the pandemic and the cost of living crisis and now it’s like we’ve been left in limbo because its 10 times worse than it’s been before. In my household in particular we have additional costs on top of the average household because we have medical machinery that we need. I have an emergency alarm in case I fall and have a seizure, my partner has a sleep apnoea machine and we have a special fire safety alarm for when I’m asleep. It feels like those kinds of things haven’t been considered in support, the funding supplied is gone within a day for us.

I only work four hours a week out of the house and so the rest of the time I’m home all of the time because I can’t go out alone. I can’t

just sit here and do nothing or not turn the heating on because I have arthritis. It feels like fighting a losing battle in a way. It’s affecting every angle of my life, my mental health, relationships. As a disabled person you want to be able to do more, to work more, to help more, and you can feel like you’re a burden sometimes. It doesn’t help when there’s comments that say you should just be doing more to help yourself and you physically can’t. My partner works more and so we aren’t eligible for things like Universal Credit either. On top of the additional costs we have, we still have the same issues as other people in terms of the cost of food and things. It’s bad to say but I’m not holding out much hope for more support because over time, I’ve learnt to not get my hopes up.

In a way, it feels like we’re going back to the 50s where disabled people were shut away and left to their own devices and it’s not right.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Sense can offer advice related to financial help, benefits and money through their website www.sense.org.uk

You can also call the Sense Information and Advice service on 0300 0330 9256

It is the Government’s responsibility to act and tackle the systemic issues

A fitting Home

If your current home doesn’t meet your needs because the symptoms of a disability have changed, you have recently acquired a disability, or your home has simply never met your needs, you might be wondering what steps to take to find a new home. Currently, there is a high demand for homes in the UK, but especially for accessible homes. There is also support at hand to help disabled people who need to move home or adapt their current property.

AFFORDABILITY

Due to a lack of accessible and affordable housing and the current cost of living crisis in the UK, many people are finding it more difficult to secure somewhere to live that meets their needs and requirements. According to Rightmove, the average rent outside of London is now £1,162 per calendar month, and during the last months of 2022, the average fixed mortgage rate was at its highest since 2008.

These additional pressures can make it even more difficult to find accessible or adaptable housing at an affordable price. If you are in a situation where you can’t afford to move but need a home better suited to your requirements, there are organisations that can offer guidance and support, or alternative options if you or your loved one require a lot of support.

Housing providers like Habinteg (www.habinteg.org.uk) and Ability Housing Association (www.abilityhousing.co.uk) provide housing and

support to people who want to live more independently, but have struggled to find a home that suits their needs.

Supported housing could be a good option if you require accessible accommodation and nursing care. Providers like Sanctuary Supported Living (www.sanctuary-supportedliving.co.uk) offer a range of services and levels of support in this area.

While these support organisations do exist, the UK’s lack of accessible housing can mean that suitable properties might not be available. Currently, 91 per cent of homes are not accessible. If you need advice on your rights around accessible housing, contact Shelter (www.shelter.org.uk).

ADAPTATIONS

If your current home doesn’t meet your needs and you are unable to move due to a lack of accessible housing or the costs attached to this, making adaptations to your home could be another solution. Adaptations can be big or small, and there is funding available to help with the majority of these, but it is important to note that this money is sometimes means-tested. The first step to deciding what adaptations are best for your home, and how they can be funded, is by requesting a care needs assessment. This is an assessment carried out by your local authority to decide what support you could benefit from due to a disability, long-term health condition or being elderly.

If you need to make large adaptations

to your home you could be eligible for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) to cover the costs. This includes adaptations like widening doors, installing ramps, adapting heating controls to make them easier to use, or improving access to rooms and facilities in your home. The grant is available in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Depending on your household income and savings along with where you live, you could be awarded upwards of £25,000 to cover the cost of adaptations, but if the grant is for a disabled child under 18, their parents’ income may not be considered. Landlords can also get a grant without their income being taken into account, but the council may require the property to be let to another disabled person if the current tenant moves within a five-year period.

In order to be eligible for this funding, you or someone living in your house must be disabled and intend to live in

Whether you want to move to a more suitable home or adapt your current one, there is support to help you take the first steps

the property for a number of years.

The person submitting the application has to be the property owner, tenant or landlord, and the council will decide whether the adaptations that the funds are required for are necessary, appropriate and reasonable.

Information on care needs assessments and the Disabled Facilities Grant is available from the UK Government website (www.gov.uk).

STANDARDS

Last year (2022), the UK Government confirmed that they would make changes to building regulations in order to improve accessibility and housing options for disabled people. This followed a consultation launched in 2020 on raising the accessibility standards of new homes, and recognising the importance of suitable homes for older and disabled people. The consultation received more than 400 responses and the demand for change was clear.

When implemented, the changes only affect new build homes, mandating higher accessibility standards for all homes moving forward. Now, all properties will be required to have step-free access to all entrance level rooms and other accessibility features as a minimum requirement. This came after years of campaigning by housing, disabled people’s and older people’s

organisations, but campaigners like the HoME coalition want to see more done for current homes, too. The coalition is a group of 10 organisations calling for urgent action to combat the UK’s lack of accessible housing, and this includes implementing the Lifetime Homes standard. This creates accessible and adaptable homes so that people don’t need to move as their needs change and so that homes are more generally adaptable.

Now, the coalition and other organisations await a second consultation on the details of regulatory changes and where exceptions will apply.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Your local authority (www.gov.uk) can offer guidance on funding options and accessible housing in your area.

UNDERSTANDING BENEFITS CHANGES

On 17 November 2022, the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, delivered the Autumn Statement, a smaller update to build on the Spring Budget which also happens annually. This saw changes to things like the way energy companies’ profits are taxed and education budgets, but the chancellor also confirmed that benefits will rise in line with inflation at 10.1 per cent. This understandably came as a relief to many, but navigating the information around these changes can be confusing.

ANNOUNCEMENT

The initial announcement detailed the rising of means-tested benefits only, but as more information was provided, so was a clearer picture of what benefits will be increased at the turn of the new tax year.

Alongside the specified benefits, people receiving the State Pension and Pension Credits will gain from the uprate, and the income threshold for some benefits will increase in line with this. It is expected that statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay will also rise. The annual Winter Fuel Payment and Local Housing Allowance will not increase in line with inflation.

REAL VALUE

The confirmation of benefits rising in line with inflation at the start of the new tax year marks one of the biggest percentage rises for benefits in the last decade, but this doesn’t necessarily mean the additional funds are enough to cover the increased cost of living and care.

Each year in April, benefits and pensions usually rise in line with what inflation was at in the previous September. For the benefits being uprated in April 2023, this figure is taken from September 2022 at 10.1 per cent, but just one month later, inflation had already risen to 11.1 per cent. Inflation

first hit these highs in July at 10.1 per cent which at that point was the highest reading since 1982, and this continues to rise.

This leaves the question of how much the uprate is actually putting in people’s pockets, and how does this stand in comparison to the rising cost of living? Research economists at the Institute for Fiscal Studies estimate that even with the 10.1 per cent increase, working-age benefits’ real value is still six per cent below their pre-pandemic levels. This is equivalent to nearly £500 per year for the average out-of-work claimant.

UPRATE

The following benefits will receive the 10.1 per cent uprate:

• Working Tax Credit

• Child Tax Credit

• Child Benefit

• Guardian’s Allowance

• Universal Credit

• Attendance Allowance

• Personal Independence Payment and Disabled Living Allowance

• Carer’s Allowance

• Employment Support Allowance and Income support

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Use the Disability Rights UK’s benefits guides to keep up to date with changes at www.disabilityrightsuk.org

In April 2023, the amount provided through some benefits will increase

How much is the uprate actually putting in people’s pockets?

REVIEW

DACIA JOGGER

Alisdair Suttie tests out the comfortable, spacious and good value Dacia Jogger

INSIDE

Any MPV has to work as a practical car and the Dacia Jogger has this covered with ease. For starters, it’s a full seven-seater thanks to a third of the seats being in the boot. They lift up easily into place and stow away just as simply, though they don’t fold flat into the floor like a Volkswagen Touran’s. Instead, you either leave them stashed against the middle road bench or remove them altogether. With these seats taken out, the boot is vast and more than able to carry two or even three wheelchairs with room to spare. There’s also a low load sill, and the middle row seats split 60/40 and tilt forward to create almost van-like amounts of cargo capacity.

If you use the Jogger as a fiveseat car, those in the rear seats have plenty of space for heads, legs, and shoulders, and the view out is good for kids. Up front, the driver is treated to a whole load of room in every direction. The driver’s seat adjusts for height, helping the fine driving position, but the base feels a little flat and unsupportive on longer trips.

The two upper trim levels that are the ones offered through Motability both come with rear parking sensors and a reversing camera. Dacia’s infotainment set-up, which shows the reverse camera image, is easy to use with clear icons and it can be used with your phone through Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

The

EQUIPMENT DRIVING

The entry-level Essential model of the Jogger is not offered through Motability, so your choice begins with the Expression model of the car. It comes with 16-inch steel wheels, air conditioning, cruise control, and modular roof bars which you can carry luggage with. It also has automatic windscreen wipers, keyless entry, and blind spot warning in addition to a safety kit that includes six airbags, automatic emergency braking, and Isofix child seat mounts. Move up to the Extreme SE and you gain alloy wheels, upholstery with red stitching, rear picnic trays for those in the middle row seats, and an uprated stereo system.

Dacia might major on value for money, but there’s nothing cheap about the way the Jogger drives. If anything, you could easily be forgiven for thinking this is a much more expensive machine for the way it deals with lumpy roads and corners. At any speed, it soaks up uneven surfaces without ever transmitting any noise into the cabin, so the Jogger is also much more refined than you’d expect of this type and cost.

The same is true of the way the Jogger tackles corners. It’s no hot hatch, but it has plenty of grip in reverse and feels pleasingly agile. This means you can avoid hazards if you need to make a sudden change in direction while the Dacia remains stable and sure-footed. It adds up to a car that is, unexpectedly,

very good fun to drive.

All Joggers use the same 110hp 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine, which is eager and lends the Dacia a decent turn of pace in town. At higher speeds it needs a bit more time to gather momentum, but it stays quiet and smooth while doing so. Expect average fuel economy of 48.7mpg, while carbon dioxide emissions come in at 130g/km.

SUMMARY

The Dacia Jogger is a simple, honest workhorse that does its job exceptionally well.

Dacia might major on value for money, but there’s nothing cheap about the way the Jogger drives

Product Roundup

Our pick of products for January and February

HEALTH

TALKING THERMOMETER

Complete Care Shop, £25.70 exc VAT www.completecareshop.co.uk, 03330 160 000

With a large digital display, this talking thermometer shows results on a liquid crystal screen prior to speaking loudly and clearly. Accurate to within fractions of a degree, the thermometer can be used in two different modes, allowing you to test temperature via the forehead or in the ear. The thermometer requires two AAA batteries which aren’t included.

SAFETY

THE ASSURE LIFE-SAVING WRISTBAND

Acticheck, from less than 50p per day www.acticheck.com, 0345 257 080

This simple to use, life-saving wristband gives you uninterrupted protection: it is waterproof with a one-year battery life, meaning it will always be there when you need it. You can easily call for help by squeezing the wristband and it also monitors for severe falls so even if you are unable to raise an alert, help is at hand.

FASHION

KIDDIMOTO PASTEL DOTTY MITTS

Halfords, £3.00 www.halfords.com

These comfortable, stylish and practical mitts are great for young wheelchair users, encouraging independence while keeping their hands safe and warm. Wheelchair gloves are essential in preventing injury or friction burns caused from wheelchair rims. Velcro straps allow the gloves to be adjusted to fit even the smallest hands, with two sizes available.

HEALTH

PILL SPLITTER

£19.99 ex VAT, Pivotell www.pivotell.co.uk

This innovative Pill Splitter from Pivotell features double stainless steel blades and a centering device to give your pills perfect halves with every cut. The angle of the blades prevents them from ever dulling or being sharp to touch. This Pill Splitter will split even the largest pills with ease and accuracy.

KIDS BEARHUGZZZ

POA, Kinderkey Healthcare Ltd www.kinderkey.co.uk, 01978 820714

The unique Bearhugzzz is a sanctuary created to be more calming for the senses. It can be a place for sleep or a calm quiet space within a school environment for students to access breaks from sensory overload. The soft but strong walls are made from sound absorbent materials to reduce noise levels. It has minimal visual distractions to help eliminate anxiety or anxious feelings. The Bearhugzzz can be easily erected or dismantled, making it portable and easy to transport to another room or building.

HOME SIMPLE MUSIC PLAYER

MARK 2

£91.66 ex VAT, Alzheimer’s Society shop.alzheimers.org.uk

This easy-to-use music player is perfect for people with Alzheimer’s and dementia, helping with entertainment and cognitive stimulation; expression and engagement; stress and reassurance. Easy and simple to use, the player has been designed to resemble old radios, making it recognisable for older people. Lifting the lid automatically starts the music and pressing the only visible button lets people skip to the next track.

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As the UK’s most respected and exciting disability and lifestyle publication, each issue of Enable Magazine is bursting with relevant and exclusive content from real life stories and celebrity interviews to advice and spotlight features on the topics that really matter to readers.

Every issue we cover subjects pertinent to the disablity community whether you have a physical, hidden, learning disability and/or mental health condition, you are a paid or unpaid carer, or a medical professional working with disabled people.

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CARING FOR

YOUR

MIND

As winter continues, looking after your mental health, looking for support and acknowledging how you are feeling is paramount

ith dark, cold days and the end of the festive season, the latter months of the winter can be especially difficult to cope with for some people. According to NHS Inform, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), sometimes referred to as the winter blues, affects around two million people in the UK each year. SAD is a type of depression that occurs at a particular time of year, most commonly in the winter months, but this time and the stresses of current events can put your mental health under additional pressure.

Mental health problems can begin to affect every area of your life from employment to personal relationships, so seeking support is essential.

STRESS

Over the last year, disabled people were more likely to report being very worried about the rising cost of living than nondisabled people, with 82 per cent of disabled people concerned in comparison to 75 per cent of non-disabled people. The additional pressures that have come with the start of the year –higher energy bills that are set to increase in April, the cost of food and the cost of keeping essential equipment on – can cause feelings of extreme stress or being overwhelmed.

More immediate financial support is needed to ease this stress along with long-term systematic change to protect disabled people in these scenarios, but until this happens, reaching out for help or learning about ways to better cope with stress can help.

Organisations like the Stress Management Society (www.stress. org.uk) provide information about stress and tips on how to cope.

ANXIETY

Like stress, everyone experiences anxiety, but the impact this has on your life can determine whether this a problem you should seek support for or not. If feelings of anxiety start to take over everyday life, preventing you from going about your day-

to-day, it could be time to reach out for help or information to better understand how to cope. Anxiety can be hard to label if you haven’t experienced it before, but normally manifests in three ways: through psychological, physical or behavioural symptoms.

These symptoms can include, but aren’t limited to, increased heart rate, nausea, feeling worried that you’re losing control, and muscle tension. While anxiety can affect anyone, it can be detrimental for people with health conditions that can have flare ups, like autoimmune conditions. Organisations like Anxiety UK (www.anxietyuk. org.uk) can offer advice, support and other help if you feel like anxiety is affecting your day-to-day life.

IMPOSTER SYNDROME

According to job site Indeed, three in five workers experience imposter syndrome, with women and young people more affected by feelings of self-doubt. For disabled people, in particular people who have a non-visible disability, this may be a familiar feeling that you haven’t put a name to in the past. You could be experiencing imposter syndrome if you are doubting your skills, accomplishments or right to be in a particular job or situation. This can happen to different severities, whether it’s a passing thought that you aren’t qualified for the role you’re in at work, or something that bothers you every time you enter a workplace.

These feelings don’t only exist in the workplace, you may experience

them when receiving care, attending a local support group, or visiting a day centre. Imposter syndrome can stop you pursuing opportunities that you might have otherwise, or have a wider impact on your overall mental health. A good way to combat these feelings is to remember all of the reasons you deserve to be where you are, whether that’s reminding yourself of the skills you have, formal qualifications, life experience, or a passion for the area you’re working in.

Starting an open conversation with your colleagues about how you’re feeling can help you overcome imposter syndrome, and you might find that some of your peers feel the same way.

RESPITE

Periods of respite, whether they are as short as a couple of hours or for a week at a time, can provide a lifeline when you are struggling with your mental health. This is especially important if you feel like you are reaching breaking point or like you can’t provide the necessary care to your loved one due to the strain on your mental health.

Respite can come with support from people in your family or your friends, or from professionals. If you are a carer, asking someone close to you to spend as little as an hour with the person you care for so that you can take some time to yourself can make a big difference, especially if this becomes a monthly or weekly routine.

If you are struggling to take care of yourself or keep up with necessary care practices to support your physical health, opening up to someone close to you about how you’re feeling can help you understand why this is and form a plan on how to tackle this moving forward. Equally, you could contact a professional or an impartial helpline to have this conversation, whether you want to do it over the phone, through text message, or online live chat.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Learn about mental health problems and how to seek support through the Mental Health Foundation (www.mentalhealth.org.uk)

Anxiety can be hard to label if you haven’t experienced it before, but normally manifests in three ways

To us, Adrian Flux means celebrating the individual. It means understanding that your insurance cover should reflect your personal needs. That’s why we offer car insurance for people with disabilities that’s tailored to you.

If your vehicle has been adapted or modified to cater for your disability, or you’re a carer who needs bespoke cover, experienced insurance experts at Adrian Flux can talk you through our tailor made policies.

Call Adrian Flux today to make even bigger savings with our newly reduced rates.

MAKING A CHANGE

If you are employed full-time, you likely spend the majority of your time in the work environment: the average person will spend around 90,000 hours at work over a lifetime. For this reason, working somewhere that you are happy and fulfilled should be a priority, even if it means changing your job role or career to achieve this.

RESEARCH

Whatever your reason is for making a change in your career, doing thorough research is an essential step to ensuring this isn’t just the right path for you, but that you understand and are prepared for the career you are embarking on next. While a new role in a different industry could seem like a great fit right now, you should consider the same factors that you would before applying for any position: will this job be high stress? Will you have to work overtime or additional hours? Is there a shift pattern or set hours? Is there a chance

for remote or hybrid working?

If you are changing career due to acquiring a disability or the symptoms of a disability changing, you should also account for these reasons. Choosing a career that suits your needs could avoid further stress in the future.

Organisations like Prospects, UCAS and My World of Work (www. myworldofwork.co.uk) all have guidance and advice to help you choose your next steps.

RETURN TO EDUCATION

If you’re ready to make a big change, like completely adapting your career path, you might be considering returning to education in order to gain the right skills or qualifications. In recent years, the number of mature students - classified as people entering higher education aged 25 and over – has been increasing. This is for good reason: there’s a host of benefits to re-entering education as you get older. If you’ve already had a chance to enter the world of work, you now also

Choosing a career that suits your needs could avoid further stress in the future

Changing your career can come with a host of benefits, but doing your research is essential before you make the leap

know what you like about different roles and what would best suit your life outside of work. This could be influenced by caring responsibilities, location, if you have acquired a disability, or if symptoms of a disability have advanced or changed. You could have decided that working from home is right for you and want a new role that suits this, or that the chance to socialise in an office environment is what you want.

Whether it’s your first time attending higher education or you’ve already spent time at college or university, gaining new qualifications or a whole degree as an adult can give you knowledge, the power of choice when it comes to your career, and also a chance to connect with like-minded people.

Choosing what you study, where and how gives you freedom of choice and flexibility. There are different ways to complete a degree as an adult. If you’re attending college or university

full-time and in person, this can come with big changes to your daily routine and your financial situation for the length of your degree, but you can also do this around your current work using distance learning.

Providers like the Open University (OU) have distance learning opportunities, helping you to gain a new qualification at a pace that suits you and your unique requirements. Through the OU (www.open.ac.uk) you could study for a whole degree from home and do this part-time or fulltime, giving you the option to continue working while you study if necessary.

Many of the courses on sites like FutureLearn (www.futurelearn.com) are free to complete and can take as little as two to three weeks. It can be helpful to complete a short course like this before embarking on a full degree, giving you the experience of studying, taking notes, scheduling your time and keeping to deadlines – all necessary skills in higher education.

SUPPORT

Regardless of the provider or type of course that you choose, there should be specialist support on hand to help you navigate your new environment. This is something provided by all higher education institutions, with most students’ associations having a specialist team to support disabled students. It’s a good idea to contact the institution’s disability support team before you apply for a course to ensure the correct support and resources will be available for you.

Once your place is confirmed, they will then work with you to ensure you have the best student experience possible. Don’t be afraid to ask for everything you need: these teams exist to provide a wide range of support. For further advice on attending higher education with a disability and the support available, call the Disabled Students Helpline on 0330 995 0414, or visit www.ucas.com

CARER SKILLS

Whether you are a family carer or in a paid position in social care, upskilling can benefit the people that you care for every day. Organisations including Carers Trust (www.carers. org) provide and highlight free online courses for carers, helping people build on their skills and learn more.

Support also exists if you are looking to start employing your own support, or you are already an individual employer through organisations like Skills for Care. They support the social care sector with recruitment and skills development and have advice and guidance to help individual employers through every stage of recruiting a personal assistant, from doing the right preemployment checks to accessing training. Find out more on the Skills for Care website (www.skillsforcare. org.uk).

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Find new ways to gain new skills or change career through Prospects (www.prospects.ac.uk)

Choosing what you study, where and how gives you freedom of choice

Celebrating INCLUSIVE organisations

This spring, the spotlight is on businesses that are improving the life experiences of disabled employees and consumers

Each year, organisations throughout the UK get the chance to showcase the ways that they are implementing inclusive practices to benefit disabled employees and consumers. The Disability Smart Awards are an annual celebration of these businesses, whether they are improving the workplace, products or services for people in the disability community.

EXAMPLE

Organised by Business Disability Forum (BDF), the awards exist to provide a platform for organisations to share their work, but the event is more than just an awards ceremony or a celebration of

recent achievements or new policies: it’s a chance for other businesses to learn from people who are doing it well, and take these blueprints to improve their own inclusivity and accessibility.

Diane Lightfoot, chief executive at BDF, says: “We are so excited to be hosting our Disability Smart Awards again this year and thank Microlink for sponsoring them.

“We want to encourage organisations of all sizes and from all sectors to apply. We are looking for examples that have made a tangible difference to the lives of disabled people, and learnings which other organisations can feed into their own work.”

Organisations of any size and sector are invited to take part in the awards each year, whether they are highlighting global leaders, diversity and inclusion practitioners, internal policy or more within their business.

Last year, winners included Unilever, Microsoft, KMPG and HSBC.

RECOGNISE

For 2023, entrants will be looking to take home an award from one of 10 categories: diversity and inclusion professional; leader; technology; inclusive workplace experience; inclusive recruitment; inclusive

communication; inclusive customer service; accessible built environment; learning and development; inclusive product design.

The wide-ranging topics give an all-round example of what other organisations should be working towards as we move forward, while encouraging past and future winners to continue improving inclusivity and accessibility in all areas of business.

Alongside the 10 main categories, the awards will also recognise an individual with a Disability Smart Lifetime Achievement Award, and give out three additional awards in association with the Department for Work and Pensions for businesses registered for the Disability Confident employer scheme.

These three awards highlight impact, mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, and a small business demonstrating active support for disabled employees.

The winners of all categories, and what they have done to be recognised, will be announced at an awards ceremony on 27 April 2023.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Find out more about the awards and what they stand for at www.businessdisabilityforum.org.uk

We are looking for examples that have made a tangible difference to the lives of disabled people

Two of your favourite High Street health and beauty retailers offer support and get you on to the employment ladder. From application to interview and throughout your time with us, this Disability Confident employer is here to help. With apprenticeships available in store, in our distribution centres and in our head offices, we’ve got just the role for you, no matter your disability.

You will be supported to make the most of your ability. Reasonable adjustments are available, from additional breaks to physical tools to help you during your career with us.

Regardless of your position you will receive support from your line manager, plus all our apprentices get an experienced assessor who gives 1-2-1 support.

The company’s DisAbility network was created in 2020 to listen to, learn from, and directly support anyone who has a disability or long-term health condition. So far, they have raised awareness and supported team members to learn sign language, tackle isolation and focus on the ability not disability of everyone who works with us.

Superdrug & Savers Apprenticeships are inclusive, adaptable and could be the perfect fit for you!

Exploring

APPRENTICESHIPS

Apprenticeships are a great opportunity to earn while you learn and gain essential skills in the workplace, and they are becoming more accessible and inclusive for young disabled people

Apprenticeships can be the first step to a lifelong career in your chosen industry, cutting out years of studying at higher education level before entering the workplace. An apprenticeship is a hybrid between education and employment, allowing you to do a bit of both while getting paid and gaining practical skills.

Regardless of your interests, what you did well in at school and what career you wish to pursue in the future, there’s likely an apprenticeship that meets your wants and needs, with more than 600 to choose from in the UK. In an apprenticeship, you’ll earn a wage, work alongside experienced staff, gain industry-specific skills and get time to study alongside your work. This studying could take place at work, at a nearby college, with a training provider or online.

Apprenticeships can also provide a more gradual pathway into the world of work and some apprenticeships can be part-time with a minimum of 16 hours per week. Like any job, they can help increase independence and future work opportunities for young disabled people, or people who are looking to make a career change or re-enter the

PROVIDERS

workplace after a period of time off due to ill-health.

Currently, the minimum wage for an apprentice aged between 16 and 18-years-old is £4.81 an hour. This rate also applies to those who are aged 19 or over and in their first year. Anyone aged 19 or over who has completed their first year is then entitled to the National Minimum Wage which depends on your age, but starts at £7.49 from April 2023 for people aged between 18 and 20.

This February, employers and education providers will put the spotlight on the programmes they have available during National Apprenticeship Week. Taking place from 6-12 February 2023, the week is a chance to showcase the impact apprenticeships can have

on individuals, communities and businesses.

SUPPORT

Like any job, you are legally entitled to reasonable adjustments during an apprenticeship. These ensure any apprentice with a disability or a longterm mental or physical health problem isn’t disadvantaged in comparison to their colleagues. Similarly, disabled people undertaking an apprenticeship can use the UK Government’s Access to Work scheme (www.gov.uk). This can mean getting a grant to help pay for practical support with your work or getting to and from work, and support with managing your mental health at work. This support is available regardless of how much you earn or what money you have in savings, and is available at the same time as most benefits. More information is available through the Access to Work helpline (0800 121 7479, preface with 18001 for Relay UK).

FOR MORE INFORMATION

To find out more about National Apprenticeship Week and the opportunities available, visit www.nationalapprenticeshipweek.co.uk

Discover apprenticeship providers who can help to nurture and develop your skills, while providing tailored support.

AMAZON

www.amazonapprenticeships.co.uk

If you have an ambition to innovate, an attitude to succeed and academic strength in subjects like the arts or maths and sciences, an apprenticeship with Amazon could be the right fit for you. You’ll be placed within one of the company’s sector-leading business areas from engineering and manufacturing, software development or information technology, to creative and design, fashion or marketing with the chance to learn from experts. Amazon is an organisation that celebrates invention and recognises individuality. All of their apprenticeships are open to candidates with disabilities and a specialist team is on hand to provide support from the first steps of the recruitment process.

SUPERDRUG AND SAVERS

www.superdrug.jobs, www.savers.jobs

Leading the way for more than 15 years, the Superdrug and Savers Apprenticeship Programme has been recognised as an industry leader, transforming the career opportunities for hundreds of young people.

During your time with the company, you’ll get the chance to learn new skills that will benefit you in your future career. Through their youth employment strategy, Superdrug and Savers accept young people from a wide range of backgrounds and ethnicities onto the apprenticeship scheme which is renowned for its accessibility, enabling them to find their place in the world. Find out more now.

MOTABILITY OPERATIONS

www.motabilityoperations.co.uk Motability Operations has been providing the Motability car, scooter and powered wheelchair schemes for more than 45 years, but the organisations also offers inclusive apprenticeships that allow people to express their individuality and professionalism. Usually lasting 15 months, the apprenticeship scheme offers opportunities in finance, risk, dealer services and in the customer contact centre. Motability Operations will make adjustments wherever possible to ensure your needs are met, and you’ll get support from an assessor or training advisor throughout your apprenticeship to ensure you have everything you need to achieve your best.

You are legally entitled to reasonable adjustments

Support

Find your Future with an Amazon Apprenticeship

Be part of the story

We are a business that celebrates invention and recognise individuality. Our range of apprenticeships reflect our diverse workforce and the communities we connect.

Visit www.amazonapprenticeships.co.uk to find out more about where your next chapter could take you.

www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/careers

Your new career awaits

Every day in our region, we go to work to keep millions of homes’ taps flowing and toilets flushing. But we need your help. That’s why we’re looking for talented people to join us on our quest to protect our most precious resource, water.

At Anglian Water we believe that inclusion is for everyone. All are welcome, free to be themselves and valued for who they are. We encourage a culture of openness, respect and honesty. Our Inclusion Community brings together people from all walks of life, to help us create an ongoing conversation about Inclusion at Anglian Water.

Join us and embrace the challenge to love every drop. visit anglianwatercareers.co.uk

EMPLOYMENT Q&A

Utilising Access to Work

AThere is support available from a government scheme called Access to Work, which has been described as the government’s ‘best kept secret’, as not many people (including employers) know about it.

Access to Work is a publicly-funded programme that aims to help more disabled people to start or stay in work. It can provide practical and financial support for disabled people or those who have a long term physical or mental health condition. Support can be provided if you need help or adaptations beyond reasonable adjustments.

Knowing what support you might get from Access to Work can help you explain to a prospective employer that any adjustments you may need could be paid for, in part or in full, reassuring the employer that you won’t be too expensive to hire.

Access to Work can help you by providing support with: aids or equipment in the workplace which

could include assistive technology such as dictation software or a larger monitor; adapting equipment to make it easier for you to use – for example, a height-adjustable desk or ergonomic chair; travel to work if you are unable to drive and public transport is inaccessible for you, this could include taxi fares or a driver.

It also helps with travel in work if you need to travel between different sites as part of your role, this could include taxi fares or a driver; communication support at interviews – for example, a British Sign Language interpreter; a wide variety of support workers, this could include someone to take notes at meetings or training events, a job coach to help you learn new tasks, someone to carry equipment around and more; disability awareness training for your colleagues; the cost of moving your equipment if you change location or job.

The Mental Health Support Service is also included in the scheme, through this you may be offered assistance to develop a support plan. This may include steps to support you remaining in or returning to work and suggestions for reasonable adjustments in the workplace.

Sometimes support may be a oneoff payment (for example, a heightadjustable desk for someone with spinal problems), or an on-going payment (for example, a driver for someone with a sight impairment or mobility problem).

Access to Work is designed to help people over 16 who have an impairment or health condition that impacts on their ability to do the job. It includes both employment and self-employment.

You can find out more information by calling 0800 121 7479 (Textphone: 0800 121 7579), or visiting www.gov.uk

YOUR QUESTIONS, ANSWERED

Evenbreak (www.evenbreak. co.uk) is a social enterprise run by and for disabled people, with a specialist job board and a career hive (hive.evenbreak.co.uk) where you can receive career advice and

personalised support free of charge.

In this series, Jane Hatton, founder of Evenbreak, answers your employment-related questions. If you have a question for Jane to answer send it to editor@dcpublishing.co.uk

QI need quite a few adjustments in order to be able to work, and I feel this puts employers off me. They think I’m just too expensive. How can I get past this?

Jane Hatton

In her column Jane Hatton, founder of Evenbreak, answers your employment questions

CALLING FOR Deaf awareness training

In schools across England, deaf pupils face additional barriers to getting the best education possible, resulting in these children achieving an entire grade less at GCSE than other young people. Now, a leading charity is calling for more teacher training in order to improve understanding and support.

POLL

A poll by the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) found that more than eight in 10 teachers believe a module on deaf awareness should be included in Initial Teacher Training. This training is run either by higher education institutes, or by schools themselves.

The poll of 5,700 primary and secondary school teachers found that

As the education sector and families await the results of the SEND Review consultation, there are fresh calls for more deaf awareness training for teachers

just three per cent of those surveyed were opposed to the training, and younger teachers were particularly in favour of it with nine in 10 teachers in their 20s wanting new teachers to receive deaf awareness training.

If implemented, the training would provide teachers with a basic understanding of how to support deaf children alongside knowledge on how and when to get specialist support to teach a deaf child.

This would improve the support currently available for deaf children, the lack of which became even more clear during the coronavirus pandemic.

In the same poll, one in five teachers said they still don’t get the information they need to teach deaf children effectively.

CHALLENGES

During the pandemic, face masks, a lack of subtitles when learning at home and other factors presented a host of challenges, causing barriers to learning and isolation.

Currently, the Department for Education is in the process of reviewing how disabled children are supported in schools as part of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Review.

The review itself was published during March 2022, followed by a consultation on the suggested legislative change. Now, schools, teachers, SENCos and families await the results of the consultation which are due to be published early this year (2023).

The SEND Review acknowledged that teachers lack confidence in teaching children with special educational needs and disabilities and that steps were being taken to improve this, but currently, no additional measures have been put in place to incorporate deaf awareness training into the core framework or the minimum entitlement for all trainee teachers.

As the SEND Review progresses this year, and as action is taken to improve support in schools, deaf children can’t be left behind. This time is an opportunity for the government to improve provision in England, and additional teacher training could be a crucial step in this process.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Discover more about the calls for additional teacher training from the National Deaf Children’s Society (www.ndcs.org.uk)

This time is an opportunity for the government to improve provision

We’ve equality at our core.

We’ve been named as a disability confident employer by Jobcentre Plus and have a positive attitude towards job applications from disabled people.

As we progress, we’ll continue to improve the way that we support our staff, customers, and stakeholders, regardless of disability, gender, ethnicity, age, religion, or sexual orientation.

Our Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion strategy is a priority at RoS. It’s not a one off or an event, it is an ongoing process, and we will work for our colleagues to feel safe, supported and included at work.

We want to be an employer of choice, attracting and retaining the best and widest possible pool of talent.

A NEW WAY TO WORK

In the UK, it is thought that around 90 new businesses are created every hour: in the first three months of 2022, more than 205,000 new incorporated businesses were registered. The rise in start-ups shouldn’t be surprising: becoming your own boss has a range of benefits, and for people in the disability community this can mean building a company to suit your needs instead of trying to find the right fit elsewhere.

COMMUNITY

Hannah, who is 33 and was a finalist at the Pride of Britain Awards 2022, has subclinical hypothyroidism but was misdiagnosed with fibromyalgia for many years, making it more difficult to care for her health. Eventually, Hannah had to stop

working due to her health.

“I was working in TV at the time and TV hours are not typically conducive to having a disability, and I was working more hours than I probably should have been which wasn’t helping my condition and so my health was rapidly going downhill,” recalls Hannah.

Hannah had originally gone to the doctors after experiencing large amounts of pain and one day woke up and couldn’t remove her duvet to get out of bed because it was so bad.

“I gave up work about four years ago so I was looking at being at home all of the time, but I’m not particularly good at resting,” reveals Hannah. “I wanted to still have some control over things and at the same time I was sort of learning about being disabled.

“I found this community online and I started gaining language to talk to

If traditional ways of working are difficult for you due to the symptoms of a disability, becoming your own boss could see you maintain a career while looking after your health

It works for me and allows me to have the freedom of working

people in my life about what it meant to me to be disabled and what my barriers were, why I had to give up work because I physically couldn’t do it anymore, but I also wanted to be quite active in the activism community.”

At this time, Hannah was becoming increasingly frustrated that all of her mobility aids looked clinical and didn’t match her personality.

“My argument is always that your shoes are really mobility aids to get you from A to B easier and we absolutely accept that someone would have five to 10 pairs of shoes to match every outfit, so why don’t we think of mobility aids in the same way?” questions Hannah.

IDEA

Hannah decided to take matters

into her own hands, spray painting her mobility aid and adding pink leopard print details, but the process also inspired a business idea.

“I was able to put my spin on it and kind of say this is me, and then what I found is that the conversation changed with people from them being like ‘oh what’s wrong with you?’ to ‘that’s really cool’ and then talking to me like a normal person, it seemed to breakdown that barrier,” highlights Hannah. “I started looking into trying to basically provide mobility aids that allowed people to show their personalities.”

After connecting with The Prince’s Trust to seek advice and guidance, Hannah adapted her idea to meet her budget deciding to focus on compression socks, and then Not Your Grandma’s was born. Making this connection also helped Hannah to find a new way of working that suited her health and energy levels.

“They helped me figure it all out and I went from not being able to leave the house because of my health to being able to contact people in my own time, in a way that led to me having my own business but also in a way that I could cope,” says Hannah.

Hannah started to learn that running a business doesn’t have to mean working from nine to five, five days a week.

“For a lot of time I was so sick that a day of work could be sending one e-mail, I had a desk that basically went over my lap or I would just work from my phone because it was the only accessible way for me,” reveals Hannah “Often it feels like you must do things in a certain way, but what The Prince’s Trust gave me was an ability to create a version of work that was right for me and I found that it didn’t have to be a traditional way of doing it.”

MODERN

For the last three years, Hannah has been on the correct medication for her condition and her health has improved, but having built her business in a way that works for her

also means that she doesn’t have to let high demand or busy periods affect her health either.

“It’s gone from not being able to stand upright to being able to cook, clean and drive again, but at the same time I’m still disabled and I still have to be aware of how stress affects my body,” emphasises Hannah. “I’m still very much working in a way that works for me, the way that I built my business is that I probably work about five hours a week because everything is automated and I have people that do the packing for me.

“It’s a completely different and very modern way of working but it works for me and allows me to have the freedom of working whilst also looking after my body.”

As Hannah looks towards expanding her range of products, she would encourage other entrepreneurs to reach out for advice and support, and to work in a way that suits them rather than what people might expect, she says: “I still have to remind myself that my first job is actually looking after my health and I think once you learn that its ok to put that first then you can find a different way of working that’s best for you.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Gain support and guidance on starting your own business from The Prince’s Trust (www.princes-trust.org.uk)

Hannah

PIC: © INSTAGRAM / NOTYOURGRANDMASUK

PLAYING MAKES PERFECT

Rehab.

We believe if you have to do something everyday, you should at least enjoy it.

GripAble turns daily training and exercises for weakened hands and arms into fun, accessible, engaging and measurable activities.

DISABILITY RIGHTS MOVEMENT

In the lead up to the 30year anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act in 2025, funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund will see the historical disability rights movement archived. Disability-led arts organisation Shape Arts have been awarded a £840,000 grant to undertake the project which will span four years.

HISTORIC

This new project is an important piece in documenting social history in the UK, with an overall lack of officially chronicled accounts of disability history across the country. The disability rights movement was integral to the introduction of the Disability Discrimination act in 1995, transforming the rights of disabled people in the country. As disabled people today continue to call for more rights, inclusion and access in society, the stories of the people who tirelessly campaigned, demonstrated and demanded to be recognised in the 1990s are at risk of being lost.

Now, this new project will record and digitise stories and items, creating an essential educational resource for generations to come.

INTERACTIVE

As unique stories are documented, they will be used to create an accessible and interactive website, telling the story of the Disability Rights Movement in the UK. The site will strive to preserve and catalogue stories, including through a collection of history films, while also building an e-learning portal for younger audiences, featuring gaming, zines and graphic novels.

Some of the stories and collections due to be preserved will be available to see for the first time. These include The Penny Pepper diaries from an activist who kept accounts of her day-to-day fights for access and inclusion; The Blast TV oral history interview with key figures from the movements including Baroness Jane Campbell; The LE Court Film Unit featuring films from the beginning of the modern rights movement in the 1960s.

The project will build on previous work by Shape Arts, like the National Disability Arts Collection and Archive (NDACA) which was created in 2018, and the National Disability Movement Archive and Collection (NDMAC) which received funding in 2020.

ANNIVERSARY

As the archive is built over the next four years, the focus will be on a series of events in 2025, helping to raise awareness of these stories while marking 30 years since the Disability Discrimination Act. The schedule will include a walk-in learning zone at Peckham Library, and a bus tour visiting key locations and sharing stories through a mobile cinema. Baroness Jane Campbell, a key figure in the movement itself and now a patron for the project, says: “This enterprise will celebrate efforts to transform society’s response to disabled people from medical cure or segregated service to one of a civil right to be fully included in society as equal citizens.”

CELEBRATING STORYTELLING

From 28 January to 5 February 2023, it’s time to celebrate the power of storytelling

This new year, National Storytelling Week will provide a chance for people around the country to celebrate telling stories in all forms. Alastair Daniel is a board member at the Society for Storytelling and was part of organising the week for 2023.

Why is this week so important?

National Storytelling Week is often perceived as just an education thing but its more than that. It was started in 2000 because the board wanted to do something that celebrated storytelling and made it more visible in the arts. There was a problem, and there still is, that people don’t realise storytelling is different than story reading or from acting, so creating an event that explained what it is was important then and still is now.

What is the difference between reading a story and telling one?

When someone tells a story, they are using their own language to create a narrative, like if you’re in a café and start telling a friend about your holiday, you’re not reciting someone else’s language. It’s about the person using their own linguistic resources to communicate. For example, if I told you the story of Little Red Riding Hood instead of reading you the book, I would be using my own language and imagination not the author’s.

How can storytelling come in different forms?

Connections and stories don’t always have to be oral, I’ve worked with people and used multi-sensory storytelling. I might be using my own language to create a story but as I’m doing that I’m using objects as an example, like if I’m talking about something cold I could use a piece of cold metal so that they can experience that. If they can’t make sense of the language I’m using then they still respond to the emotion in my voice, or the tension in my body as I’m creating my story, all of these things are taking

them on a journey.

If someone is unable to tell a story for themselves orally then we have to think of other ways to enable them to do that. We can adapt to different items and technologies that allow people to communicate. It isn’t always the language that matters, it can be the practice of creating something together.

Why is storytelling itself so important?

Often, story is the way that we make sense of the world, it’s the way we’re currently making sense of the cost of living crisis and of the war in Ukraine through what we see on the news: we’re listening to people’s stories because that’s how you make connections. If you read statistics then you’ll want to know the story of why they’re important. Story is the way that we pass our culture on to other people.

It’s a vital way that humans connect with each other.

Could you tell me about this year’s theme, celebrating storytelling?

We went around in circles on the theme and at the end of the day the basis of this is all kinds of stories so why not just celebrate them and how they are created, like if you’re sitting on the bus chatting to someone or if you’re attending a one-person show and everything in between that. But also to recognise that storytelling allows us to take a critical role in the world because we can reshape stories, we can challenge perceptions with them.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Learn more about National Storytelling Week from the Society for Storytelling (www.sfs.org.uk)

If you or a loved one need help with the stairs, we will do whatever it takes to keep you safe, mobile and independent at home. Whether you want to regain your independence or simply feel confident again, Stannah can provide a solution that will fit perfectly with your life.

We have options suitable for all needs and budgets and all of our lifts are designed with you in mind. With several customisable options and extras such as the upholstery on the stairlifts, mood lighting in the Salise homelift or cabin colour in the Stratum homelift, our lifts are sure to fit in with the home you love.

We take great care with our installations and our expert engineers will install whichever option you choose quickly and efficiently with minimum fuss.

Stratum Homelift Salise Homelift

Siena Stairlift

*Model shown is Aygo X Pure (MY22) 1.0 VVT-I Auto at £0 Advance Payment. Subject to availability. Available as part of the Motability Contract Hire Scheme. Please note that a total of 60,000 miles over three years are allowed on the Motability Contract Hire Scheme. O er valid between 1st January 2023 and 31st March 2023. Motability Scheme vehicles are leased to customers by Motability Operations Limited (Registered Company No.1373876), City Gate House, 22 Southwark Bridge Road, London, SE1 9HB. To qualify you must be in receipt of the Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA), the Enhanced Rate Mobility Component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), the War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement (WPMS) or the Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP) and applications must be made with participating dealers between 1st December 2023 and 31st March 2023. Prices are correct at time of print, are subject to availability and may change. O cial fuel consumption gures in mpg (1/100km): combined 54.7 (5.2) to 56.5 (5.0). Combined CO2 113 - 117 g/km. Figures are provided for comparative purposes; only compare fuel consumption and CO2 gures with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. These gures may not re ect real life driving results. All models and grades are certi ed according to the World Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP), which replaces the New European Driving Cycle test procedure (NEDC). All CO2 gures quoted are NEDC equivalent. All mpg gures quoted are WLTP gures. Please visit www.vehicle-certi cation-agency.gov.uk/fb/wltp.asp