ALEX BROOKER
On therapeuticlife,comedy, and The Backstreet Boys
The must try Rosésfor that summer feeling
FOOD & DRINK:
Amanthus Drinks takes us through their top picks
Around The World
In 9 Arts Festivals
Wedding planning
with a chronic illness
The power audiobooksof Real reading:
TRAVEL, ARTS & LEISURE:
Brighten your bucket list with 9 Arts Festivals
DISABILITY SPORT:
The Paralympic gold winning Couple
12 In Conversation With Unlimited
On flexible working and employee happiness
18 Wedding planning with a chronic illness
Tips and tricks on how to conserve your energy on your big day
22 An interview with Alex Brooker
On therapeutic comedy, life, and The Backstreet Boys
30 Cycling back to joy amongst Lake Geneva and the Jura Mountains
DRM’s columnist Carole Edrich discovers the benefits of Pays de Gex as an accessible cycle route
34 “Real reading: The power of audiobooks
Charity Listening Books explores why audiobooks are so important
38 Who cares? Well, I do - Dr Amo Raju
Dr Amo shares his thoughts on social responsibility
42 What is hydrotherapy, anyway? EA Mobility explores
44 Convalescence amongst the Tyrolean mountains
Discover a reset with a difference in rural Austria
48 How your next holiday can bridge divides within communities
Travel writer Daniel Edward explores the travel sector specifically designed for those with visual impairments
LEISURE
50 Sykes Lodge Building accessibility and luxury from the ground up
Executive Editor: Lee Gatland
Art Director: Richard Hejsak
Managing Editor: Chloe Johnson chloe@sevenstarmedia.co.uk
Sales Team: 01959 543 650 sales@sevenstarmedia.co.uk
Published by
SEVEN STAR MEDIA LTD
184 Main Road, Biggin Hill, Westerham, Kent Tel: 01959 543659 disabilityreviewmagazine.co.uk
58 Around The World In 9 Arts Festivals
Brighten your bucket list with an inclusive, intersectional, and entertaining arts festival
62 How the knitting community is reckoning with accessibility
“We can do everything. Just give us the patterns.”
SPORTS
66 The Paralympic Couple
Introducing Chris and Louise Hunt Skelley
72 “Yoga starts wherever you are.”
Donna Noble, a body-positive yoga teacher, is on a mission to make yoga more inclusive
76
FOOD AND DRINK
74 We Love Cake: addressing the ‘Flexi-treat’
The bakery company exciting the market of free-from cake
76 The must try Rosés for that summer feeling
Amanthus Drinks takes us through their top picks
COVER CREDITS: Alamy.com
Disclaimer: Disability Review Magazine (DRM) is published bi-annually (twice per annum) by Seven Star Media Ltd. No part of DRM may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted to any form without permission. Views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of Seven Star Media Ltd, and are included to provide advice only. No content is a substitute for professional medical advice. During printing, images may be subject to a 15% variation. © Copyright of content belongs to individual contributors with the magazine copyright belonging to Seven Star Media. All rights reserved. Please either keep this magazine for future reference, pass it on for somebody else to read, or recycle it.
we shouldn’t, but Abigail shows in her article how something perceived with saccharine sweetness such as the knitting community can actually be a powerful tool for accessibility and awareness about different needs. It’s not lesser than, just because it’s more low impact, just as we have an article exploring how audiobooks are not shameful or lesser than due to their format. Adventures are what we make of them and taking joy in more “simple” pleasures is something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately.
Summer is here and with it a sense of adventure. Whether it’s the adventure to a spa set in rural Austria, stories from the Tokyo Paralympics, or exploring personal adventures with craft hobbies, this issue covers a lot of them. One of the articles I’m really excited about sharing is Abigail Popple’s piece on accessibility in the knitting community. At first, it may not sound as grand an adventure as the pieces we have in this issue about mountain ranges in France, or the wonderful interview with Alex Brooker who has been all over the world and back with his delightful humour, but it’s important to highlight. As summer encourages us all to get outside, I want to take a moment to think about the adventures that can happen inside the home.
ME awareness day has snuck up on me as I write this, and many of us with energylimiting conditions can feel left out of these summertime adventures, as the way society defines them is often focused on things that may not be available to us, either due to cost, time, energy or health. Travel, concerts, gatherings…these can be a struggle or not viable at all for many disabled people, especially those who are vulnerable to illness. This is not to say that we can’t partake, or that
We’re often thinking about the next big thing; that big holiday, the big promotion, the big wedding day, but small joys can be a wonderful thing to seek, too. They can be stepping stones, to keep us going, but also larger than they seem. Finding happiness in the smaller things is something I’m actively aiming for, and I hope the adventures we’ve explored in this issue speaks to that. It doesn’t have to be a “milestone” to mean something, and every-day I see how the disabled community are uplifting both the big moves, but also the little ones. A friend getting the carer they were struggling to get for so long, a day with lower pain, tackling a fear food – it’s something I hope we all take with us as we are met with countless summer hacks to have the best summer of our lives. We can just be, as well. That’s an adventure, too.
Chloe Johnson
As summer encourages us all to get outside, I want to take a moment to think about the adventures that can happen inside the home.
Evenbreak is delighted to be sponsoring Morph’s Epic Art Adventure, the UK’s first stepfree art trail, taking place during the summer of 2023.
Over sixty uniquely designed, super-sized sculptures of muchloved children’s TV charac-ter, Morph, are shapeshifting their way through central London to form an extraordinary, free public art trail alongside iconic London landmarks.
Why Morph?
Morph lives on a desk, within the confines of an artist’s studio. His freedom is limited by his environment, and many of his adventures are born out of frustration with these limitations and the challenges of being a little guy in a big world. This echoes the daily experience of many young wheelchair users, who find their freedom and independence limited by the world around them. They are restricted by inaccessible environments, people’s attitudes, behaviour and perceptions of what young wheelchair users aspire to and can achieve.
As part of Morph’s Epic Art Adventure in London, WhizzKidz will use the art trail to encourage the public, business community and young people to
envision what a more inclusive world might look like for young wheelchair users, and what role they might wish to play in making this a reality.
What happens after the trail?
At the end of the trail, the Morphs will be auctioned off to raise significant funds for WhizzKidz to support young people by providing the wheelchairs, equipment, support and confidence-building experiences they need, and campaigning for a more inclusive society.
To find out more about Morph’s Epic Art Adventure in London visit: morphsadventurelondon.com/
Dr. Chris Eagle, a Human Health professor at Emory University, has written a novel that is already being lauded as a follow-up to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Dwell Here and Prosper takes readers back to the Philly suburbs of the 90’s. Based on the diaries his late father kept while in a dysfunctional assisted living facility, this novel offers a darkly comic glimpse into how we warehouse our most vulnerable people, namely, the elderly, addicts, and the mentally ill. Eagle’s debut was released by Tortoise Books on May 23rd, 2023, and it comes at a timely moment
as the world is starting to reckon with a burgeoning mental health crisis, especially among those who are poor and have no social safety net.
“Not since Kesey or Ernaux has the desperation, brutality, and inevitability of the care home hit home so powerfully.” — Michael O’Sullivan, author of Lockdown Lovers
Inside Job Productions gears up to release new film in collaboration with charity Mencap
Inside Job Productions, a film production company and social enterprise, has teamed up with charity Mencap, for people with learning disabilities, to produce a new film about the challenges faced by those with
The British Museum brings objects from around the world to the palm of your hand with their new Audio App
A visit to the British Museum’s world-famous collection can now begin from the comfort of your own home thanks to a brand-new app, enabling access to more visitors than ever before. The British Museum Audio app brings a wealth of information about the Museum’s collection to people’s smartphones and helps those planning a visit to make the most of their time before they arrive. Audiovisual content and expert commentary from the Museum’s curatorial team is included to help users learn more about over 250 key objects in the collection and where to see them. The app is currently in five languages – English, Chinese, French, Italian and Spanish. It also features a BSL guide.
Chrissie Lowery launched the Safe Space project in the summer of 2022 after a spate of rapes and sexual assaults within her town, and she is now gaining national recognition. The premise follows Lowery transforming the space along with local councillors, district councils, policing team and MPs to cut back the foliage, prime and paint the tunnel. Then a local artist paints a mural on each end of the tunnel, inviting children and families to help too. The project has gained national recognition with Lowery even being invited to see the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street as a community champion. The scheme is set to expand, giving away personal safety alarms, and moving countryside, with following projects focusing on the night-time economy to follow. Lowery also works on community projects around craft, mental health, and disability.
learning disabilities. CEO of Inside Job Productions, Ann Summerhayes, has a passion to “invest their profits in media-based projects that change people’s lives for the better, especially supporting people who experience poor mental health.”
Tattoo artist uses artwork to raise awareness about neurodivergence.
Colchester based tattoo artist, Alice Nicholls, takes on a new direction with delicate fine artwork. Having been in the tattoo business for over a decade, Alice decided she wanted to focus more on her own ideas for art and share her beautiful hand portraiture with the local community. During lockdown, Alice received a late diagnosis for autism and took on a fine art master’s degree to help her process the new situation through art. “Returning to pencil drawing after all these years has been an amazing direction for me and definitely an avenue I wish to pursue.” Alice is now raising money for local charity Autism Anglia who have been helpful for her family where
they have been let down by the system. Having explored her own journey through art, Alice felt the next step was to hear the stories of others and to promote the need for understanding and acceptance for neurodiversity in society. The project is called In Your Hands and so far has included members of the community, other artists, and celebrities. The Chase’s Anne Hegerty, Mission Impossible and James Bond actor Sean Cronin, Prof. Simon BaronCohen and Dr Temple Grandin have been among the participants. “Hands tell the story of our lives. So much can be seen and expressed through our hands, I feel they have been undervalued in modern day portraiture.”
Max Stainton-Parfitt is a physically disabled man on a mission to defy expectations in the stunning feature documentary My Everest. The film’s disability consultant Sam Oldknow gave DRM an exclusive quote about the process.
“Carl Woods (director, editor) and I me around 2 ½ years ago when My Everest was in the edit. I was brought on to help construct the narrative, Carl would send me rough cuts, then we would spend hours at a time on the phone sharing our thoughts regarding the disability representation. One of the main points I made in the very early stages was, we needed to look behind the character’s disability
and find out what his internal motivations were, therefore letting Max’s character drive the narrative rather than his disability, in essence making the representation authentic to Max. If Carl or I had any concerns during these conversations, we would collaborate creatively to find a solution. I remember we were regularly going back and forth about a certain section in the piece we like to call “The Martha section”. It occurs around 50 minutes into the film. Martha (Max’s mum) speaks about her battle with the NHS to get Max seen and diagnosed. We both knew that this section could perpetuate the stereotypical pity representation for disabled people. To make sure we did not fall into this, we decided to focus on what Max learnt from seeing his mother battle society on her own and how this influenced his character and his approach to tackling Everest, keeping the solution authentic to Max as a character.”
Everest is available to rent and buy on digital platforms now.
Thanks to EE and BT Sport’s New Signing initiative, UK TV viewers were able to watch a dedicated, British Sign Language broadcast for this year’s UEFA Champions League Final, including a pre-match preview show and highlights of the showpiece occasion.
New Signing is the latest initiative of an extensive body of disability football work from EE since EE became a lead partner of the Home Nations Football Associations. One of their main focuses has been to grow the disability game on and off the pitch so that football is accessible for everyone, and New Signing is an example of how EE is looking to extend this ambition beyond the players and facilitate a new level of accessibility for football fans at home.
After a nationwide search for talent that started back in October, with a BSL led call for entries led by England players Jack Grealish, Marc Guehi and Ben Chilwell, alongside Joe Dixon and Will Palmer from the England Men’s Deaf squad, EE and BT Sport
selected their brilliant and charismatic pair. Since then, Rolf Choutan and Damaris Cooke have been put through extensive training with the support of BT Sport, and their journey is being aired as a six-part documentary which is available on EE’s YouTube channel, and broadcast at half time of BT Sport’s flagship results show, BT Sport Score.
As part of their experience, the duo have blazed a trail for deaf visibility in mainstream sports broadcasting, interviewing Lionesses Head Coach, Sarina Weigman and hosting their first BSL broadcast (Sign Up) at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, alongside record England caps holder and Lionesses legend, Fara Williams MBE.
This project is full of firsts, for EE, for BT Sport and for Rolf and Damaris. In attempting to change the landscape and accessibility potential
of sports broadcasting, New Signing has demonstrated the incredible knowledge and passion of the deaf community, whilst highlighting the need for accessibility to consistently be considered from the outset of any work, as part of business as usual, rather than accessibility being treated as a feature, an add-on, or ‘patched-in’ retrospectively.
iWatch highlights of Damaris and Rolf’s broadcast debut for the Deaf Cup Final on Channel 4available for streaming from July 1st.
New Signing is available to watch on EE’s YouTube channel
In the first of a multi-part series, Carole Edrich explores how Unlimited, an arts initiative to commission work from disabled artists, is reflecting accessible goals in the workplace and beyond.
Now into their second year as an independent entity, Unlimited’s mission is to “commission extraordinary work from disabled artists until the whole of the cultural sector does”. This work will change and challenge the world. It’s a tall order, one compounded by their determination to lead through example. As a trustee of Unlimited I believe that the commitment towards them shines through every action, communication, and process that the team undertakes.
With that in mind, Jo Verrent, Emily Simmons and I had a conversation about what it’s like being in an organisation led by disabled people
where the majority of the staff have disabilities. As Director and Leader of Unlimited and Senior Producer of the project from which the organisation has grown, Jo is the oldest member of the team, while Emily – Unlimited’s Communications Officer – is the most recent recruit.
Emily: “It’s nice to not feel pressured to keep working through a flare-up. Just knowing I can come back to it later means I can work better and do more”.
Jo: “It’s a very, very flexible response to what people really need, rather than a sense of presenteeism which I don’t think works for disabled people at all.”
Different people have different needs, so what is more natural than providing a flexible working day arrangement!
Unlimited’s core hours are 11 to 3 and staff can work around these however they want. However, even those core hours can be adapted. Recently, one member of the team had to spend a fortnight caring for a parent. Since this parent spent most of the morning sleeping, the core hours were temporarily shifted to mornings for the duration of the caring responsibilities.
Jo: “ I think the geographical [idea], the fact that people don’t have to waste energy on commuting and travelling, is great. Potentially it can lead to isolation. I think that some people would struggle hugely if they didn’t have physical contact with others, so we must be careful when we recruit…” The Unlimited staff love working from home. It saves time and energy (one person says their social life benefits because there’s no energy drain from daily travel) and means that the best person for the job can be hired irrespective of where in the UK they live.
It’s nice to not feel pressured to keep working through a flare-up. Just knowing I can come back to it later means I can work better and do more.
To provide a balance, reduce potential feelings of isolation, to enhance teambuilding and direct exchanges, each department is encouraged to arrange face-to-face away-days and there are regular full-organisation away-days which can be extended through Zoom to those team members who can’t make it.
The flexible approach extends to how a team member works from home. Being able to work from – and Zoom in from - the bed or the sofa enables staff members with flare-ups related to energy, or with chronic fatigue, to continue doing their best work. This approach extends to Board meetings and it’s as it should be. The rest is just window-dressing. My own delight in seeing that different Board members are comfortable to show themselves resting in bed, in a darkened room or however else they might feel comfortable has slowly segued into not noticing how people present. It’s our minds, personalities, perspectives, and contributions that matter, and until the rest of the world understand this they are going to miss out.
Emily: “The away days are really nice. We have time to talk about things that aren’t work related and just build relationships in person, and I think different things come up when you’re in the same room with someone that maybe wouldn’t come up on Zoom.”
I’m told that there’s a kind of shorthand used within the staff and freelance team, because people don’t have to explain things in the way that they’d need to in a less disability-aware environment. This means conversations can be deeper and people can be
more open and honest about their real requirements, beyond the tick-box standard compliance requirements. With better support and understanding, people can do their jobs better. This same support – along with the flexible hours – gives people more energy for their personal lives and the enhanced quality of life naturally feeds back into energy for work. This from Emily; “I feel so much healthier! I’ve been able to live my life outside of work more fully as well, which is lovely. And I feel that I get more work done as well, being able to walk from that door to the sofa and not waste time and energy commuting”.
Jo: “There is so much we want to improve. There’s a balance between
keeping the organisation fluid and vital and vibrant, and meeting the needs of staff and we have to strike that balance, somehow.”
So, if you’re interested in reading about other benefits of being in a disabledmajority disabled-led organisation including use of freelancers, learning pacing, continuous learning, strength from perspectives, untapped talent, staff retention, productivity, and more, I’ll be covering them next.
AUTHOR: Carole Edrich, photographer, journalist and board member for UnlimitedFACEBOOK:
CaroleEdrichPhotography
My own delight in seeing that different Board members are comfortable to show themselves resting in bed, in a darkened room or however else they might feel comfortable has slowly segued into not noticing how people present. It’s our minds, personalities, perspectives, and contributions that matter, and until the rest of the world understand this they are going to miss out.
At BT, we believe that everyone deserves to communicate. Many of our customers rely on their landlines to connect with loved ones and complete important everyday tasks. However, when problems arise, not all methods of communication may be easily accessible to all, leading to frustration and unneeded stress. This
is why at BT we focus on personalised one-to-one service. Viewing accessibility as a fluid, ongoing process is not just a facet of our business, it is our business, from the ground up. With our “Here For You” campaign we’re putting technology and compassion hand in hand to foster a more supportive environment for those with hearing loss, communication needs, different financial circumstances and more.
We’re constantly trying to revolutionise our approach to inclusivity, from adaptive devices and teaching new digital skills to helping you get the best value for your budget. We want you to get the best out of your services with us, so knowing about your circumstances helps us work with and for you. Here’s just a few examples of what you can expect from us:
Personalised suggestions for new technology, products, and services to help you with everyday communication
At BT, we believe that everyone deserves to be heard, understood, and valued. We want to empower everyone to lead independent, fulfilling lives. Let us know if you have any additional needs that we should be aware of so we can provide you with the support you need. We can help you with communication needs and support you with account management if you experience a significant life event, such as losing a loved one, or living with an illness. Share your circumstances via your online MyBT account or let one of our service agents know the next time you call us. You can also visit the Here For You website to find out more information on what we can do for you, one connection at a time.
12,000 staff trained in empathy, compassion, and access needs ready to help you both in store and online
Financial support such as BT Home Essentials for lowcost broadband and phone plans
Relay UK, a unique app that allows those who are deaf, hard-of-hearing and speech-impaired to relay information on phone calls using the national relay service, as well as send free SMS texts to connect with emergency services if needed
Support with digital skills in partnership with AbilityNet, so everyone can get to grips with the increasingly important online world
A British Sign Language (BSL) video calling service with fully registered BSL interpreters that have at least five years of community interpreting experience
For more information, visit bt.com/help/ here-for-you/
At BT, we believe that everyone deserves to communicate. Many of our customers rely on their landlines to connect with loved ones and complete important everyday tasks.
So, you’re planning a wedding. What is meant to be one of the happiest days of your life can end up one to dread, mainly due to pressure. For those with energy limiting conditions, added stress can cause relapses and crashes, so what should you consider when planning a wedding? DRM speaks to wedding planner Beckie
MelvinFinances, venues, pleasing all guests…the intricacies of wedding planning can make this particular group project for you and your partner difficult. A wedding planner may be a luxury for some, but Beckie Melvin explains how, for those with energy limiting conditions and chronic illnesses such as herself, there’s a huge benefit to having somebody else on your team.
1What is a typical day like for you as a wedding planner?
There’s no typical day - but they all start the same way. Slowly! With tea
and a chill, to give my body a chance to get going. I got into yoga over lockdown, and I love nothing more than starting with some stretches too, although it doesn’t happen as often as I like. My days are very structured, with lots of rest stops scheduled along the way. I live by short & powerful lists, not overloading myself, and making use of my fabulous VA & support network of family & friends. If I’m onsite coordinating a wedding day, I make sure I get good rest leading up to it, then head to the site with more tight, easy to follow lists that ensure everything goes to plan. If it doesn’t? I’ve already created a plan B and C! I have it all under calm control.
ill for eight years, and it’s taken me a long time to find peace with my illnesses, but now I have. I’m still amazing at what I do, I just have to consult my lists a bit more than I used to!
3
How do you approach clients about your access needs?
I generally don’t. However now I use a stick all the time, the subject does come up - because my stick is turquoise, it’s not easy to miss!
2
Are there any coping mechanisms that you use to work with your chronic illness?
Acceptance is important. I don’t want to wallow in self-pity, however tempting it is! I try to have acceptance for my current path, as well as positivity about the future. Nothing lasts forever, and even if you’re having a relapse or “crash” today, that doesn’t mean tomorrow is going to be the same. Maybe it will, or maybe it won’t. For today, just be kind to yourself & be gentle to your soul and see how tomorrow looks then. I’ve been
So, when I start chatting to people online, doing Zoom calls and so on, I don’t mention it. However, from our first meetings, generally the subject will come up. All my couples are understanding though, none ever think I’m incapable of my job, and when it gets to wedding day fun I get so distracted by all the fabulousness that me being ill isn’t an issue. The next week is when I have the fallout! So, I’m very careful to only book a certain number of jobs a year.
4
What’s a favourite moment of your career?
Oh wow, that’s an awesome question! I love every wedding that I have the honour of planning, each couple is so much fun to work with.
Nothing lasts forever, and even if you’re having a relapse or “crash” today, that doesn’t mean tomorrow is going to be the same.
But the best moment is each time I have a couple tell me how much they’re finally enjoying their engagement, instead of being overwhelmed & frustrated at the process, and how much easier I’m making it, how glad they are that they picked me…It gives me a lush warm feeling and goosebumps, knowing that I’m helping stressed out couples create wedding days as exceptional as they are. It’s between those moments…and winning multiple awards for what I do. That’s nice too.
I trained after I got married; I really wanted to support couples in their wedding planning regardless of how their perfect day looked. I show my couples how to have the confidence to pursue their ideas & to make themselves happy, instead of doing what they feel they should do to make other people happy. When you’re engaged, friends and family feel they have the right to give you their unwanted opinions & expect you to do things the “right” way but what if that’s not right for you as a couple? Who do you turn to to have support through the wedding planning process? Well, you have me, who’s walked that exact walk back in 2004
and has the way to find peace & enjoyment in your engagement.
Be as organised as possible, with spreadsheets or clear checklists of what you need to do.
Break everything down into small tasks, rather than trying to do everything at once.
Start planning as soon as you can, to give yourself as long as possible. Take regular breaks! It’ll still be there when you come back with a fresh head.
Hire a wedding planner! That way you’re not wearing yourself out trying to balance wedding planning, work life, home life, social life, sourcing suppliers, attending meetings etc. Leave it to me!
AUTHOR: DRM Beckie Melvin, wedding planner, tea drinker and collector of shoes INSTAGRAM: @emeraldorchidweddingsWhen you’re engaged, friends and family feel they have the right to give you their unwanted opinions & expect you to do things the “right” way but what if that’s not right for you as a couple?”.
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Discover the me+™ support platform from Convatec, designed specifically for those living with an intermittent catheter. With lots of helpful information, guides, personalised training videos, myth-busting and more.
Best known for making us laugh on The Last Leg,
DRM interviews Alex Brooker on living with
Alex Brooker appears on my screen, his background festooned with Arsenal memorabilia. Known for his selfdeprecating takes on his disability during the chat show The Last Leg, I’m unsurprised to find him cracking a joke from the first moment. When the topic turns to advice for fellow disabled journalists: stay the fuck away from comedy - me and Rosie [Jones] have that covered. When discussing his first day on set for the pilot of The Last
Leg: I’d never met anybody else who had a similar leg like mine. It was like comparing cars. When chatting about highlights of his career: I got to do the CBeebies bedtime story, which my kids were buzzing about. Out of all the cool things I’ve done...It’s like as a parent you just want your kids to be proud of you. But there’s a more vulnerable side to Brooker that become increasingly apparent. It showed on his documentary, Disability and Me, released during the pandemic, and it shows in his candour now, as DRM deep-dives into his career.
I have a lot of fun. It’s the most fun.
It’s stressful doing live television, there’s a lot at stake…but I spend my Friday sitting there and I laugh for an hour, and it’s a privilege to do that.
What was the process like of filming Disability And Me, so different from something like The Last Leg?
I was proud of it; I still am. It was tough to do…We wrapped filming not long before Covid. I think that it was difficult for me emotionally. It was different to explore my own attitudes and these deepest feelings on camera, it was very raw; what you saw was as it happened. My dad had passed away in the May, and then I did [Sink or Swim], and then I did Disability and Me - it was a lot emotionally and tough. There was a lot of questions I wish dad had been there for, there were also questions I had pushed to the back of my mind that I then had to deal with. It gave me a different outlook on disability and in general. The difficulty was that it was a one-hour show, and we could’ve done hundreds, which was my big regret, we should’ve concentrated on one aspect of it. It’s hard to represent everything. Disability is such a broad church. For example, you’ve got physical disabilities, hidden disabilities, learning disabilities…
even within my area of amputees you have people who have had amputations a lot later in life than me. I laugh about it, but I don’t know anything else - maybe it’s different for people who have just come into this world. I wish I could have represented everybody. And, just from a telly point of view, when you do Last Leg or a comedy show, if there’s bits that don’t work, I’ll joke ‘well it wasn’t my idea’ but with Disability and Me, it was about me. You’re showing yourself emotionally for people at home.
Can you talk us through your experience joining The Last Leg, how did you get involved and what’s been your favourite part so far?
So, back in 2010, when I was a sports journalist for the Press Association in East Yorkshire, I was just…looking for another job. I saw Channel 4 were looking for a
disabled journalist interested in Paralympic sport, and the category seemed so niche I thought ‘you know what, I’m in for a decent shot here’... but I’d never thought about telly. I applied and you had to upload a YouTube video, showing what you would do with three minutes of Channel 4 airtime. I wrote a script, but I was so blasé about it.
It was the day of the deadline, and my mate Russ had a production company in Leeds, I remember ringing him that morning about going to film my audition, but he was so busy, so I just wasn’t going to apply. I thought no more of it. But I’d sent him through the script, and he thought it was funny, so he managed to give me around 15 minutes. If he’d never called me back I never would have applied. People talk about sliding door moments and that was one of them for me.
Luckily for me, Channel 4 liked it, but I didn’t go straight into The Last Leg. I was actually going to be a reporter, and we were learning the trade for three or four months. Funnily enough, I was seen as the proper journalist of the lot, I spent hours on research, and I co-wrote the official guide for the Paralympics. It just so happened that with The Last Leg, it was May 2012 and a producer I’d met while on placement at ITV Sport called Pete Thomas thought I’d be quite good on it.
I keep thinking it’ll stop soon; I didn’t even think we’d go to Rio. But now, I fancy a bit of LA, maybe even Australia – although I’ll be knocking on fifty.
I met Adam, we had dinner, and during the pilot I went in, and Adam and I just started chatting. I’d never met anybody else who had a similar leg to mine. It was like comparing cars. And it feels like somehow we’ve built eleven years on that one chat! I also started the Paralympics reporting; I even interviewed the prime minister at the time in front of eleven million people - we were new trainees, and it was a lot of pressure. Really, Channel 4 rolled the dice. This hadn’t been done before. I’m telling you now, it was a really big roll of the dice to give us a chance and I’ve got a lot of respect for that.
I was on the first Last Leg at London 2012 so people would know me as their reporter for later in the week. But the morning after the first show I got called in and they said I’d now be on the sofa every night and no longer a reporter. I thought I’d done something wrong!…So I got really lucky there, to be honest with you. The story is surreal, but that is how it really happened; the last show we did was our 300th. Now that I’ve been in television long enough I know that you never would have been able to create the chemistry we ended up with. I keep thinking it’ll stop soon; I didn’t even think we’d go to Rio. But now, I fancy a bit of LA, maybe even Australia - although I’ll be knocking on fifty.
I have a lot of fun. It’s the most fun. It’s stressful doing live television, there’s a lot at stake…but I spend my Friday sitting there and I laugh for an hour, and it’s a privilege to do that.
The other part is I’ve never talked about my disability as much as I do now, for a living, it’s like a form of therapy for me! It’s a way of celebrating myself and becoming more comfortable. It goes beyond a job, that feeling, you can’t put a price on that. I’m aware that when I was younger, there were barely any disabled people on telly. I used to think there was a negative reason for that. I take a lot of pride that disabled people say seeing us have the conversations we’ve had on screen - they feel seen. You can’t ask for any more than that.
What advice would you give to fellow disabled journalists looking to get into TV or presenting?
I think it’s really difficult, I think things are improving, but slowly…The one thing is when you’re disabled, you usually have a lot of resilience. I’m under no impression that I had an element of luck - it was like the stars aligned - but going into the Paralympics, I worked my ass off; you’ll need that resilience. I researched, I made sure out of all the other trainees…I knew everything.
When you get your chance, you make the most of it and then that’s the most you can do. You’ve done your bit. It sounds cliche but it’s true. There are more opportunities now which is great. Now, do I think there’s as many as there should be, in terms of representation? We’re getting better, but there’s a long way to go. The other thing I’d say is stay off Twitter. The hardest part of being in the public eye was that. I think it was Danny Dyer who said Twitter is like looking into the asshole of the devil and I’ve never heard a better description! People spout stuff and it doesn’t take them any effort, so don’t pay attention.
And, also, our lived experience makes us unique. It makes you different. So, hone that.
What would you say has been the highlight of your career so far?
There’s been loads! I’m so lucky. Getting to meet the Backstreet Boys?! There are the aspects of working with people that I admire that I watched on television; James Corden, Ricky Gervais, Frankie Boyle…I had to remember that I was actually there for a job. I just wanted to watch it like I was a fan at home. Soccer Aid has been incredible and for The Last Leg to have gone on for 300 episodes when I think a lot of people expected it wouldn’t. There are lots of little moments like that. People have messaged me [to say they loved it], and it sounds cheesy to highlight that, but it can’t get better. Awards are pretty mint - we’d love a load of BAFTAS! But there’s also these moments such as Soccer Aid where
you just can’t believe the reaction. Those are always my highlights.
There’s an element with anything where…when you’re comfortable enough to be able to laugh about it, you own it. I think a lot of people assume I was always making self-deprecating jokes before I went on TV, but I wasn’t. It’s something that’s emerged as I’ve become more comfortable. That’s why a lot of comedians and a lot of jokes are self-deprecating, because then you take ownership and you’re taking control of the narrative. Two things can be true at once. There are sometimes parts [of my disability] that can be tough, and it doesn’t feel very funny that day. But at the same time, there is stuff that happens that’s just inherently funny and it’s a quirk! And it is who I am. Comedy has definitely helped me, and
I think that’s a really big thing; I don’t think the audience is laughing at me, but with me. That’s how I approach it.
What’s next?
I’d love to do more stand up. I think there’s a big self-doubt thing there. I’ve talked myself into it…and then out of it again! Gigs have gone well, and some haven’t. If I want to do more, then I have to make that commitment. I look at somebody like Rosie [Jones], who is out gigging all the time. She’s learned her craft and she’s become very good at it. Josh [Widdicombe], Rob [Beckett], Romesh [Ranganathan] are people I look up to and I love their comedy...it’s something I want to do more of. And I’m back at Soccer Aid, which is an amazing event to be part of. Of course, there’s also The Last Leg back in June too! Besides that, there’s a lot of things I’m hopeful for but none I can share right now…
People talk about sliding door moments and auditioning for Channel 4 was one of them for me.
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where partial recovery has resulted in reduced lump sum. Our knowledgeable team provides an end-to-end service from obtaining assessment through to an award of statutory support. Get in touch to see how we can help.
The impact of this is, unsurprisingly, that the claimant does not have sufficient funds to meet their needs either in the short or long term or both.
The good news is that partial recovery should mean there is no restriction on the claimant making a claim for funds from the statutory bodies: the local authority and/or the NHS. In many cases we find claimants with partial recovery are able to obtain either all of the funds or a contribution to the funds they require to pay the balance necessary to meet their care needs.
will be ringfenced and are disregarded by the local authority when carrying out a financial assessment.
If as part of the assessment by the local authority it is felt that in fact the claimant’s needs are primarily healthbased needs as opposed to social care needs, then the local authority should complete the necessary paperwork to ask the health authority to assess the claimant to see if they should receive continuing health care funding. If the claimant is entitled to this no financial assessment is necessary as continuing healthcare is provided regardless of the claimant’s financial situation.
Wrigleys has a wealth of experience in navigating the complexities of life after settlement in personal injury cases and has specific expertise in handling cases
If your loved one requires care that is unsuitable for agency provision but which they lack the capacity to arrange for themselves, there is an option to deliver this through a special type of trust. Independent User Trusts enable an adult who lacks capacity to receive the benefit of individualised care from staff who are handpicked to meet their needs. In cases where the disabled or injured person’s condition is best managed through familiarity with their care team, this approach offers a solution which ensures that all involved comply with the regulatory aspects of providing care and those of being an employer. An Independent User Trust can be particularly helpful for parents who currently employ carers for children whose complex needs will last into adulthood. They may also be appropriate in cases where a person retains capacity but does not want the burden of arranging and managing a complex care package.
iWrigleys has a wealth of experience in setting up Independent User Trusts and can help to guide you through the process of identifying whether this is the right option for you or your loved one. wrigleys.co.uk
To make such a claim, the claimant will need to contact the local authority where they live to ask for an assessment of their needs to be carried out. If they are found to have eligible needs the local authority will complete a financial assessment and, subject to this, the claimant should be entitled to funding from the local authority. Most personal injury damages
If the claimant is entitled to this no financial assessment is necessary as continuing healthcare is provided regardless of the claimant’s financial situation.
Partial recovery occurs when a claimant in personal injury proceedings does not recover the full amount of their claim. This may be for different reasons, the most common being some element of contributory negligence (i.e. part responsibility).
With purse strings tightening all around, those in need of care and support need to be ever more watchful to ensure they take full advantage of any potential entitlement to statutory funding or free support which flows from an assessment process carried out by the NHS or social services.
Wrigleys offers a highly specialised bespoke service for those facing the complexities of the health and social care system who are struggling to be heard. For those who are seeking or already in receipt of statutory support, we can help navigate the often-complex assessment and care planning process to secure financial support or get this re-instated if it has been reduced or cut back.
If you or a loved one feel that professionals are not listening and are looking for a professional who is on your side, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
JANICE JEFFERIES FCILEx (Lawyer)
On an e-bike trail, it’s steep already as we pass out-ofbreath walkers with alpine sticks, under a cloudless azure sky. Subtle green lichens adorn the trees here and a bitter-sweet herbal tang is in the air. The route, lined with dandelion, clover and wild lavender takes us by a bubbling white waterfall. Ivy-clad beech trees surround us, then hedgerows of green blackberries, rose-hips of russet-red and bright purple, huge pile of pine needles. Up we go, by the occasional vertiginous drop and solid stone rise, then a lookingpoint and bench facing Lake Geneva and the Swiss mountains in the distance. Further on, our way is lined with purple dew-laden harebells, sorrel, and hemp, alongside lily of the valley and wild strawberry, each has a promise of different scents in the seasons that are to come.
It’s quiet when we stop at the summit. All I can hear are the bees and occasional birds. The world looks enormous from this high up. I see long rolling pastures, plunging green slopes and a lone town, sparkling in the sunlight. We’re off again, passing hikers who are smiling because they’ve done the hard bit now and only have downhill to go. Descending switchbacks are scarier for me cycling than the walkers, and I ride the brakes
downwards, feeling a bit of a coward for not free-wheeling down at speed. The views and the freedom, and the fact that I’m actually cycling, make me forget that soon. With these electric hire-bikes (with trikes and scooters available) I can do as much – or as little – as I’m able. No need to worry about fatigue levels, I work as hard as I feel able, while the nature around me helps extend it. Slowly - by tiny increments - I can build back my fitness in a no-risk easy progression, in a way I hadn’t dared to even dream about.
This is France. I’ve just described a slither of my experiences in one of the many accessible cycling routes around Crozet, the Pays de Gex and the Monts Jura region. It’s easy to get to by train or, if you walk just round the corner, it’s ten minutes’ drive from Geneva Airport. When I say round the corner, that’s literal. Turn a sharp left out of customs, take the lift and turn right and you’ve left the Swiss airport through its French exit.
It’s quiet when we stop at the summit. All I can hear are the bees and occasional birds.
I stay in the charming Gite La Michaille with clean, bright shared rooms and quiet, verdant valley. On learning that I can’t eat sugar, the hostess makes a light, sugar-free chocolate mousse that melts in my mouth. The next night I’m at the Domaine de Divonne hotel, with its stately-home old-money high-end feel. Then to the subtly elegant Jiva Hill. Don’t be misled by the hotels slightlyless-than-friendly website. This place is modern, beautifully designed, restrained, and high-end, with a bookable family-sized cinema, private parkland, golf course, comprehensive spa, helicopter landing pad, excellent restaurants and more.
My time in this area is as packed as I can make it. I’m off up a funicular to the largest salsa festival in Europe where I watch, and listen, and dance in the sun with views of Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc in the distance. (While a wheelchair might fit in the funicular to get there, it’s a ten-minute walk over rough ground from it to the venue, so you’d need a strong friend).
I visit and cycle the Joli point de Vue loop from Croset along the gravel voie verte (which I’ve partly described above), the Petit Mont Rond and Mont Mussy-Mont Mourex hiking routes, then pop over to the Bike Museum in Switzerland. I visit Fort L’Ecluse, but the ME puts a stop to my railtoboggan adrenaline fix at Col de la Faucille.
We dine al fresco at Refuge
Florimont and La Gare (yes, that is a restaurant in a station, and it has a safe children’s play area) and at Yéti with its authentic French-mountain-culture vibe. I wander from the base of the Fierney funicular through fields and along roads in the sunlight, and marvel at views from my room in the Jiva Hill resort.
I love cycling. The satisfaction of selfmade speed, the caress of the breeze I create as I move through warm sunny air, the sights scents and sounds on my route, and the glow of accomplishment at the end. Chemo and the resulting chronic fatigue killed it all for me. I’ve run on empty for so long, and while building back some cycling fitness was theoretically possible, the jump between what-passes-for-my-normal and cycling any distance was too great to cross. I tried so many times over years, and looking back, that justbeyond-reach feeling - so desperately frustrating - had me close to giving up. The e-bikes, sights and sounds of Pays de Gex and Monts Jura have changed that, and I can’t wait to go back.
Monts Jura Handisport: https://bit.ly/3pikgCV
Giroud Sport: https://bit.ly/44gYOgR
Lélex-Crozet Resort: bit.ly/44mN7oh
La Faucille: https://bit.ly/46tEp9N and the rail-sled ride: https:// bit.ly/3CMpry1
Divonne Les Bains: https://bit.ly/3JAdTSm
Bike Museum: https://bit.ly/438olah
Cycling routes: https://bit.ly/3NS6vUX
Brewery: brasseriegessienne.fr
Accommodation: gite-lamichaille.fr/ ($) domainedivonne.com/en ($$) jivahill.com/ ($$$$)
AUTHOR: Carole Edrich, photographer, journalist and board member for UnlimitedFACEBOOK: CaroleEdrichPhotography
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Emily Pye from Listening Books, a national charity focused on lending audiobooks to those who need them, discusses the importance of audiobooks and their place in society.
If you examine the argument of audiobooks versus printed books from an accessibility perspective, you quickly see that defining audiobooks as anything but “real” books is an entirely arbitrary, unnecessarily restrictive, and a frankly ableist view.
Due to print impairments, audiobooks are the most accessible way - and sometimes the only way - that many of Listening Books’ members can enjoy literature. The idea that our members are somehow “cheating” at reading for using audiobooks is therefore very invalidating - especially to those for whom reading a physical book is a distressing, painful or impossible activity.
However, non-Disabled people have access needs and preferences too, so it’s also perfectly acceptable to use audiobooks even if you don’t have a specific impairment! After all, stories were passed on through oral tradition for thousands of years before reading and writing became available to the general population in most cultures.
Humans have a primal inclination towards spoken storytelling; it soothes us and helps us feel more connected to the world around us. It’s really no wonder studies have shown that over 95% of
children aged 5 to 8 enjoy being read to, and that 70% of UK adults find audiobooks help to ease feelings of anxiety. Audiobooks are a wonderful tool that make reading more accessible for people with a vast range of print impairments, and they’re also very popular among non-Disabled folk - but if they’re not your personal preference, that’s fine too! Just remember that all book formats are valid, and that people should be able to read in the way that suits them best without fear of judgement.
iListening Books is a national charity offering an audiobook lending service for people of all ages whose illness, mental health condition, disability or learning difficulty affects being able to read or hold a book. Access to their collection of over 10,000 professionally recorded audiobooks costs just £20 - £45 a year, with free memberships also available to those who would find this fee a barrier to joining the service. To learn more, please visit listening-books.org.uk.
Humans have a primal inclination towards spoken storytelling; it soothes us and helps us feel more connected to the world around us.
Due to print impairments, audiobooks are the most accessible way - and sometimes the only way - that many of Listening Books’ members can enjoy literature.
Mainstream holidays do not cater for those with more complex care needs, and with very little specialist options available, most disabled people end up in a respite bed in a care home. We help disabled people and their carers enjoy a proper holiday, but something needs to be urgently done so this can continue to be accessible for all.
Revitalise has launched its ‘Give me a break’ appeal, a major fundraising campaign to ensure people do not face barriers to getting the breaks they urgently need. The campaign has so far received widespread press, radio and TV coverage.
Revitalise, which has holiday centres in Southport and Essex, is a lifeline for disabled people and carers needing respite breaks, but its guests are facing an acute affordability crisis, which is leaving some at breaking point.
The charity’s vision is to ensure that every disabled person and carer can enjoy a holiday while getting the support they need, but this is becoming increasingly difficult for people to access.
Lynda and her daughter, Susan, have been visiting Revitalise for more than 10 years, taking a break together whenever they can get funding to do so. Susan has spoken of the difficulties of accessing funding and the impact that has. She said:
When you do eventually get some funding, they just pull the rug from under you anyway. This time round, it left me at breaking point. We’ve been put through the mill so much, through COVID and all the pressures of caring with
minimal support from social services and we just needed a break.
The ONS’s UK wide research has shown that 36% of all disabled people have also been prevented from going on holiday because of issues with accessibility.
Janine Tregelles CBE, Chief Executive of Revitalise, said:
For disabled people and carers, taking a break is fraught with difficulty.
Revitalise is the leading UK provider of breaks and holidays for disabled people and carers. They are the only provider of accessible respite holidays for people needing 24-hour care in the UK, working to improve the wellbeing of disabled people and carers so they do not reach breaking point.
Revitalise caters to a huge range of over 150 disabilities, to give disabled people and their carers a genuinely relaxing stress-free holiday designed around their needs.
iIf you, or someone you know needs a vital break, please get in touch with the Revitalise team on 0303 303 0145 or at revitalise.org.uk.
A leading UK charity that provides respite holidays for disabled people and their carers is calling for action as their guests reach breaking point due to a lack of funding
Avery frail, elderly man lived with his son, daughter-inlaw, and grandchildren. The son spent most of the day labouring in the familyowned farm and came home each day to his wife’s rants and complaints about the growing care needs of the old man.
‘I have to cook for him, clean after him, and listen to his stupid and out-of-date opinions about how I should raise the kids,’ she often wailed.
Once, after a particularly hard long, hot day, his wife continued giving him the same grief. Tired and at his wit’s end, the son decided he could not cope anymore and would take action the next day. The following morning, he grabbed hold of his weak, old father and slung him over his shoulder. After walking for miles, he came across a watering-well. With his eyes full, he turned to his father and cried, “I’m so sorry father, we can no longer cope with your care needs and I must therefore throw you down this watering-well.”
The old man cried, falling to his knees and said, “Please son, I beg you, don’t do this.” The son replied, “I have no choice, you must understand that we need to devote our energy to the children.”
After a lot of pleading, the old man accepted his fate but said, “I under-stand but please, I beg you, please, not this watering-well—any other but not this one!” Very confused, the son asked, ”Why?”
The old man looked down to the floor and said, “This is where I threw my father.”
Have you finished processing that last line? Yes? Good. My late grandfather told me this story thirty years ago whilst totally reliant on my father for all his social care needs. It had a profound effect on me and no matter how many times I recite it to others, the hairs on the back of my neck continue to stand to attention.
The older I become (yes, I know I still look so youthful), the more I wonder about social care and whether there will be any state funded social care at all, if and when I need it.
I often sit in on meetings and presentations by senior social care professionals who in their naivety believe that all those with care needs can confidently call on friends, family and neighbours as regular ‘circles of support’. And while this may be the case for a few, it is not for the majority.
resident columnist Dr Amo Raju shares his thoughts on social responsibility.
For decades, the rat race has forced people to live busier lives, often a distance away from their loved ones.
For decades, the rat race has forced people to lives busier lives, often a distance away from their loved ones. But one positive outcome post pandemic is the ability for many to work remotely. You know where I’m going with this, don’t you? Move back, people. If you can move closer to your family. Today, our egos may divert our thoughts from such an eventual fate but at some stage we will all be affected by disability. It will happen to nearly every person on the planet. No one is exempt from disability or ill health. The unfortunate thing is that most will only assess their view on care when they are indeed in need themselves and not before.
People, we can change that. We need to look at our family and social circles and seek who may need an hour or two per week of our time. If you can honestly say there is no such need, then look at your streets and neighbourhoods. You will see people from all walks of life who may just need a chat, help with shopping or a lift to the GP (if they can get an appointment –that’s another article for another day).
The reason for me writing this article isn’t to give you or any politicians the solution to the social care deficit in society, although I do have one (again, another time), but more of a case to remind us if we want people to care for us in our time of need, we must socially invest in care for others now, not next week, or when we have spare time, or even retire, but now.
In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, we may not have money to donate to a good cause, but we do have something which has much more impact – time. Start with thirty minutes a week. It’s not much of a commitment at all. Remember, it’s been proven by many researchers and scientists across the world that helping others releases endorphins into your system which are good for your health. Fact. And if you’re in need of help –please know you’re deserving of such social care, just by being.
Go on, look out of the window. It’s a beautiful summers day (maybe) and it might be your chance to mow the lawn… and maybe Mrs. Brown’s up the road too?
iDr Amo Raju is the CEO of Disability Direct, MD of Amo Raju & Associates and author of ‘Walk Like A Man’ –available on Amazon
AUTHOR: Dr. Amo Raju
TWITTER: @AmoSinghRaju
INSTAGRAM: @amorajuofficial
TIKTOK: @amorajuofficial
People, we can change that. We need to look at our family and social circles and seek who may need an hour or two per week of our time.
When walking, a large percentage of the ground reaction force or vibration is lost or absorbed before it can be transmitted beyond the thighs. When using a wheelchair, being in a seated position to move can mean increased vibration through the legs and upper body, and often for a prolonged period of time.
RESNA describes wheelchair users as “particularly at risk from whole body vibration”. From a biomechanics perspective, it is ideal for vibration to be redirected at the earliest stage, or as distally as possible.
Increased exposure to whole body vibration has been shown to induce or exaggerate back pain, neck pain, fatigue, spasticity, and pressure injuries. The consequences of these for daily life as a wheelchair user are a serious issue.
Previously the industry has looked to reduce the vibration that reaches a wheelchair user’s body with cushions or in the material of the chair, favouring titanium and carbon over aluminium frames. As healthcare equipment becomes more sophisticated, solutions have come to market that redirect vibration earlier in transmission which results in reduced end transmission to the wheelchair user.
Ki Mobility released an active chair called the Ethos which has an interesting two-part frame that shows substantial reduction in vibration transmission to the occupant. The
top part of the frame is in contact with the wheelchair user (backrest, seat, footplate) and the subframe houses the propulsion and caster wheels. The design of most active chairs links the casters to the footplates resulting in undesirable vibration transmission. Isolating the top frame means there is no transmission directly up through the feet and legs. This design also allows for the inclusion of shock
absorbers at the connection between the top frame and subframe.
Another noteworthy innovation in this area is the Loopwheel. Loopwheels chose to move away from the traditional central axle with spokes, instead crafting a trio of carbon loops with a moving hub that houses the axle pin. The elliptical carbon loops work in unison with the “floating” hub, allowing the wheels to act as springs and resulting in significantly reduced vibration transmission to the wheelchair user.
Reducing vibration transmission is not just about short-term benefits such as reducing pain and fatigue. Technology now allows us to record real time numerical data so we can observe the true impact of improved designs. There is real potential for measurable long-term benefit in protection of both skin and muscle integrity.
At Wheelfreedom, our accredited CPD course provides Occupational Therapists and other interested healthcare professionals a chance to learn about exciting new developments across the mobility and seating industry. It’s a great opportunity to get hands on with a diverse range of equipment whilst receiving expert and impartial advice from our specialist team.
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Reducing vibration transmission lowers pain and fatigue, whilst protecting skin and muscle tissue integrity.
JORDAN DAVIES (BSC IPEM), REHABILITATION ENGINEER AT WHEELFREEDOM
Mobility specialists, Wheelfreedom, have been supplying prescriptive equipment for over 15 years. Products include:
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Hydrotherapy, also known as aquatic therapy, is a type of physical therapy that involves exercising in water. It has become increasingly popular for people with reduced mobility, as it provides a low-impact exercise environment. EA Mobility explores…
It is widely known that regular exercise is crucial for healthy living, but traditional routines can be challenging and even painful. Water provides buoyancy, which can reduce the impact on the body while still allowing for resistance training. This means that disabled people can work on building strength without putting too much strain on their bodies.
Furthermore, hydrotherapy can help to reduce pain and inflammation. Warm water can be very soothing and can help to increase blood flow to the injured area. This increased blood flow can help to promote healing and reduce pain and inflammation. Additionally, the pressure of the water can function as a natural massage, helping to release tension in the muscles and promoting relaxation.
Hydrotherapy can be beneficial for a wide range of disabilities and conditions, such as mobility impairments and injuries, chronic pain, neurological conditions such as MS, sports injuries, and post-surgical rehabilitation.
Another benefit of hydrotherapy is improved balance and coordination. Water provides a unique environment where individuals must use their muscles differently to maintain balance and stability. Improved coordination can help to prevent falls and other accidents, which can be particularly dangerous for individuals with already limited mobility or existing health conditions.
Finally, hydrotherapy can be a wonderful way to improve mental health. It provides a unique supportive environment where individuals can exercise and socialise with others. This can help to improve mood and reduce feelings of isolation, which can be particularly important for those who are unable to participate in traditional forms of exercise or socialising.
Hydrotherapy can be beneficial for a wide range of disabilities and conditions, such as mobility impairments and injuries, chronic pain, neurological conditions such as MS, sports injuries, and postsurgical rehabilitation.
For legal and medical professionals, there is evidence to
suggest that hydrotherapy can be a cost-effective and beneficial treatment for clients and patients with certain injuries or conditions. For example, a study published in the Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine found that hydrotherapy was a cost-effective treatment for individuals with spinal cord injuries. The study compared the cost of hydrotherapy to the cost of traditional physical therapy and found that hydrotherapy was more cost-effective, with lower total costs and better outcomes. There have been cases where hydrotherapy has been considered a necessary and reasonable treatment for personal injury clients. For example, in the case of Thompson v. Everett (2002), the plaintiff was awarded damages to cover the cost of hydrotherapy after a motor vehicle accident left her with chronic pain and reduced mobility. The court found that hydrotherapy was a reasonable and necessary treatment for the plaintiff’s injuries, and that the cost of hydrotherapy should be covered by the defendant.
In terms of timescales, hydrotherapy may be able to speed up the recovery process for certain injuries or conditions. For example, a study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy found that hydrotherapy was more effective than landbased therapy for individuals with knee osteoarthritis, with faster improvements in pain, function, and quality of life.
Home bathing carries with it similar benefits as part of a hydrotherapy recovery plan. There are a variety of home adaptation products available to aid with hydrotherapy, including products designed to make bathing safer and more accessible.
Walk-in baths are designed to make bathing safer and more accessible for individuals with mobility issues. These baths have a low stepin height or a door that opens, allowing individuals to enter and exit the bath safely and easily. Walkin baths can also include features such as built-in seats, grab bars, hydromassage jets, LED lights, and non-slip surfaces for added safety.
Bath lifts are designed to aid individuals with getting in and out of the existing standard bath safely. These lifts are placed inside the bath and can be raised and lowered using a remote control.
Non-slip flooring can be placed inside the bathroom to reduce the risk of slips and falls. The non-slip surface provides added grip and stability even when wet, thus reducing the risk of accidents.
Assisted baths can help improve the work environment for carers in more complex cases. They include height adjustable, tilting, dementiafriendly baths, and baths with inbuilt changing tables. Assisted baths can be used with hoists to facilitate a safer transfer into the bath, for both the user and carer.
In conclusion, hydrotherapy can be a cost-effective and beneficial treatment for certain injuries and conditions and may be deemed a reasonable and necessary treatment in some cases. To consider the potential benefits and risks of this treatment, and to select the best possible options to support your wellbeing in the comfort of your home, speak to an occupational therapist or a specialist bathroom adaptations company like EA Mobility.
AUTHOR: EA Mobility
FACEBOOK: easternadaptations
WEB: eamobility.com
Ihave high hopes of my week-long stay at the Park Igls Medical Spa Resort in Austria. I have been here before, for two four-day intensive breaks spaced about two years apart. Both drastically reduced my symptoms and have helped me manage my ME and undiagnosed extras
more than anything else. By now, I know I won’t stick to all the resolutions I make, and that my fatigue, mad hot sweats, and more will return as a result, but they’re never as bad as originally. That is fine because every time I come back here, I realise just how many habits I have learned and kept from this place, and that I’ll take on a few more. I don’t need to tell you that’s a Big Thing in my life. While I may not have achieved the radical lifestyle change that Dr Franz Xaver Mayr envisioned when he created this practice, the habits I’ve taken on have certainly been a help.
It’s difficult to describe the Park Igls Hotel without running out of superlatives, although it isn’t perfect. It’s comfortable, quiet, friendly, spotless, and perfectly run. There’s a panoramic gym - though it’s not wheelchair-accessible - and a swimming-and-sunbathing room, gymnastics/climbing/exercise room, beauty section and massage therapy section. Quiet areas are not a problem (the hotel’s full as I write this, and doesn’t feel it, and rooms on the sunny side are noisier) and doctors are on site 24-7. On-site medical facilities are impressive, and they work with Innsbruck Hospital which is less than 30 minutes away if more is needed.
The rooms are modern, spacious and with free wifi, each with a view that must be seen to be believed. At
least six are wheelchairaccessible and two have wheelchair-accessible showers and toilets too. Dogs are allowed in five special rooms, but not in the rest of the hotel and are not catered for. The hotel hasn’t had completely blind guests, but - as with anything else - if they are informed in advance, they can arrange anything (local carers and dog walkers included). Igls, which is close to Innsbruck in Austria, is an ideal location for a reset. The elevation (900m), charming namesake village, location at the foot of the Patscherkofel mountain, wooded forest and rolling valley meadows heal the spirit in themselves. I spend my first evening just watching the interplay of light and shade on the sparsely clouded Tyrolean Mountains.
I had planned to hang around the shared areas and start making new friends but the beauty I see from the comfort of my room and the gentle waves of birdsong melodies makes me decide it can wait.
I had planned to hang around the shared areas and start making new friends but the beauty I see from the comfort of my room and the gentle waves of birdsong melodies makes me decide it can wait.
The treatments in this hotel are based firmly on Mayr principles. We now know that the majority of the body’s defensive reactions take place or start in our intestines. The Austrian gastroenterologist Frans Xaver Mayer was ahead of his times on this and fashioned a philosophy of diagnosis and therapy to support the gut in the 1920s. The House – as they call the hotel here – and the doctors within it follow the FX Mayr approach with intelligence, humour, and warmth. I’ve taken the immune reset option which is quite intensive. Starting with blood and urine tests and the first of three medical consultations, it includes mindful eating over a tasty-but-light alkaline diet, massages, beeswax compresses, exercise, hydrotherapy, a host of optional talks, walks, other exercises and more.
As part of my first medical consultation Doctor Kogelnig measures my height, bloating level, and diaphragm position. He offers an abdominal massage which, of course, I take. At the end of our session, the bloating is reduced, my diaphragm closer to its optimal position, my waist a centimetre smaller and -because the massage has helped my posture — a whole centimetre higher. On Day 2 it was taking the stairs to my room on the balls of my feet that made me realise my energy
was increasing, since before then my fatigue had me clumping, flat-footed. Day 3’s Feldenkrais session teaches me how to lie down with minimal expended energy and maximum comfort and I’m standing up straighter. By Day 4, I wake up clearheaded. The fuzziness comes back, of course, but much less than ‘normal’. On Day 5, my bloods show seriously low levels of vitamin D (easily remedied with pills) and I start a series of vitamin C infusions to help both fatigue and my strength. I have two days left as I write this and wish I could stay longer. Before my first visit I couldn’t imagine a scenario where I’d choose to take any “cure” at all, let alone stay in a spa for ages and eat such tiny amounts. Now, if had the time and the money, I’d come back for three weeks every year. At an average price of £1,700 for a four-day stay, Park Igls isn’t cheap, but – for me and the people I meet here - it works.
The district of Igls centres on the village, with lifts to ski slopes and hiking trails with Alpine views. The Olympia Eiskanal (ice canal) gives bobsled rides down a chute built for the 1976 Olympics, the Lansersee is a small and popular lake, cosy restaurants serve hearty Tyrolean dishes, there’s a beautiful waterfall, the Zaha Hadid Begisel Ski Jump is a must and is just 15 minutes away by car.
AUTHOR: Carole Edrich, photographer, journalist and board member for Unlimited
FACEBOOK: CaroleEdrichPhotography
On Day 2 it was taking the stairs to my room on the balls of my feet that made me realise my energy was increasing, since before then my fatigue had me clumping, flatfooted.
We might talk about ‘sightseeing’, but travel is about so much more than simply seeing the sights. Especially considering that in the UK around 360,000 people are registered blind and around two million people are living with some form of vision impairment.
Although perhaps less publicised, there are actually dedicated travel agencies who work to support visually-impaired travellers plan their trips. Responsible Travel – based in Brighton –curate travel experiences with ethical responsibility at the core, for the planet and also with each individual’s needs in mind; Traveleyes – soon to relaunch following the pandemic – was created by Amar Latif,
watches and phones locked away at the entrance, there is absolutely no light inside. Temporarily, I am completely bereft of vision, equipped with just a cane and the supportive voice of my blind guide.
The tourism industry can play a huge role in breaking down boundaries and prejudices in society, and – as industry professional, Mandy Jung explains – it’s a key component of professional training these days too:
the self-dubbed “blind guy who wants to show you the world”, and pairs sighted and visually-impaired travellers, opening up new perspectives for both partners and building bridges across communities.
And that got me thinking. Travel is one of the most incredible ways of opening our minds and hearts to new opportunities and ideas. Being in new, unfamiliar spaces forces us to see things differently and embrace alternative ways of approaching the world.
So, in Hamburg I visited Dialogue in the Dark, an immersive experience that guides visitors through common everyday situations… in total darkness. With
Travel is one of the most incredible ways of opening our minds and hearts to new opportunities and ideas. Being in new, unfamiliar spaces forces us to see things differently and embrace alternative ways of approaching the world.
“I had a module called responsible tourism as part of my Tourism and Leisure Management degree,” Mandy tells me, before sharing a story from her training that sounds surprisingly like my recent trip to Hamburg.
“They blindfolded us – literally you couldn’t see a thing - and then they walked us through the town like that. They even walked us up hills and staircases – it was terrifying… but eye opening. It was very interesting to experience how people who cannot see experience a city, because otherwise you don’t think about it. The person next to me was describing all the things they could see, from guiding me up the stairs to the colours of the trees… even pointing out squirrels.”
Taking the time to witness the world through another’s eyes (and other senses, of course) isn’t only educational for those working in the tourism industry but can be an enriching experience for anyone to try.
Dans Le Noir? is a novel chain of pitchblack restaurants where diners are served by blind and partially sighted waiters and experience the fullest sensation of taste, without the interference of sight. With restaurants in several European hotspots including Paris, London and Madrid, this convivial restaurant where the person next to you could be royalty without you ever knowing is both a humbling and very inspiring dining experience. You’ll never look at a plate of food in the same way again. Dialogue in the Dark is a global initiative with interactive exhibitions in every continent. So, on your next visit to Melbourne, Milan or maybe Mumbai, take some time out from seeing the sights and connect with your other senses, as well as enhancing your ability to appreciate life from the perspective of someone living without sight. Of course, we can’t compare one event to a lifetime of experience. But dedicated events and tourism focused on disabled people’s experience can open up the sector to realise that being accessible is not only wanted, but sorely needed.
The world is a big, big place and in so many ways we’ve sought to shrink it and bring it together. Planes can cross continents in a couple of hours, and the internet brings images of other planets to your living room in nanoseconds. But perhaps the most challenging gap to bridge is that of different life experiences within the same community, and initiatives like these within the tourism sector may be just the tool we need
AUTHOR: Daniel Edward, a freelance travel writer and presenter
WEB:
danieledwarduk.comThey blindfolded us – literally you couldn’t see a thingand then they walked us through the town like that.
DRM was invited up to Sykes Lodge in the Yorkshire Dales, to see if this could be your next stay on a big occasion.
Despite only two days on the premises, the owners of Sykes Lodge - Michael and Alexandra - feel like old friends. From pointing out the best shops, to helping decide on the most scenic walk, you get the feeling that if you visit Sykes Lodge, you get more than the building.
But, oh, what a building! There is no need for charms and graces when visiting such a beautiful location - no expense has been spared - but Michael and Alexandra truly want to help you experience it in the best way for you. Although the owners live on
site, privacy is far from a problem as you’re tucked into your own little section - you may occasionally see one or the other, their heads bopping as they go to see the horse, but it almost adds to the charm. It feels as if you’re in a tight-knit community hamlet, birdsong your only friend. Until, that is, you discover that the Bluetooth on the hot tub lets you listen to that latest podcast whilst soaking your wounds from miles of exploring in the countryside.
Popping over to talk about the accessibility of the building, Michael talks about his late mother, and how she inspired much of the building’s accessibility features; they’re clearly rightfully proud of their mono-storey conversion. There’s nothing stuffy, no clinical feel to the place, it’s all rather “basic accommodations”, as he puts it. He doesn’t mean this as laziness; it’s the point. It’s really not that hard to open up a property such as this for disabled users, and Michael’s proud to show us. When speaking, he asks my opinion on a potential hoist for the hot tub, and chats about a deal he’d like to offer smaller parties, to encourage disabled people to visit as the cost-of-living crisis continues to strike disabled people hard, as he knows the inequalities in terms of financial struggles many of us face. He also knows, in depth, that accessibility isn’t a one size fits all category, and is more than open-minded to any suggestions or particular needs I may have myself.
Every room is large, spacious, and opulent, decorated with beams, lavish furniture, and nods to the history of the site and family throughout.
If you’re looking for somewhere that is willing to put in the effort to accommodate unique needs – any needs - this is the place; they really cannot do enough for you.
As for the property itself, there’s a healthy blend of modern and antique styles to suit pretty much anyone. For kids, there’s an appealing set of iron bunk beds tucked away in an annexe that provide enough of a secret hideaway atmosphere for any children to enjoy, and for adults you can’t get much better than a four-poster bed, decorated as if straight out of Versailles. Every room is large, spacious, and opulent, decorated with beams, lavish furniture, and nods to the history of the site and family throughout.
Clearly built for bigger groups and special occasions, you first walk into a kitchen that seems straight out an Arthurian tale, with a huge roundtable, but plenty of modern technology to make cooking (and coffee) far easier. It’s incredibly well stocked, with everything you’d ever need for a self-
catering stay, and little treats of milk and local produce are often left for guests. Even if you visited with a group that takes up the whole lodge, I’m not sure you’d run out of mugs. The living room is cosy with a real fire and plenty of logs to get you started, whilst soft bath robes and slippers are provided for the outdoor hot tub (where we spent most of our time). Ramps are available for the two small steps in the property, every door fits the standard for wheelchairs to get through with ease and grab rails are carefully designed into each bathroom, as opposed to added on top.
The layout of the rooms, designed for sixteen guests, are each individually fitted to a special theme (along with their own Wi-Fi so you’ll never lose connection even in such a big cottage). Some are fun and spritely, whilst others are clearly designed to be cosy; a generational gap is appreciated here. The bathrooms are specifically designed so nobody fights over the claw-tub in the master-suite; each
is more luxurious than the last. It’s hard to fault the splendour, really. Some cupboards may be out of reach depending on stature or mobility aid, and some beds a bit too high up for some to get into easily (mainly because they’re so soft), therefore this may not work for all parties, but there’s certainly been a huge effort made, and there’s more to come. Michael happily chats to me about his plans to install Loop technology, for hearing aids, and mentions how he welcomes visitors who want to check out the property before booking, which can be a helpful accommodation for many. He knows they’re providing a luxury stay, and his customers are paying for one: “I want to help them make sure they’re getting the best out of it.”
With Dolly the sheep just outdoors, the area is close to the small town of Malton, known for food, which isn’t too far from York or the East Coast if you’re wanting a trip out. There are plenty of walks available on your doorstep if you’re a rambler, but if public transport was a route you wanted to take, this is scarce. It feels more as if it is the property itself that is the main draw; your own little oasis away from it all. And whilst the property is more than spectacular, definitely geared towards that next special occasion, it is the owners who impress me more than anything. Accessibility is often practically thought of as ramps and lifts and one level floors, but it goes beyond that. Michael and Alexandra have built Sykes Lodge from the ground up to be as accessible as they believe it can be, without compromising on that luxury feel, and they’re not stopping there. It is in them I see progress more than any ramp; it starts with understanding and awareness but is proven in their actions. Apparently, they speak louder than words!
With Dolly the sheep just outdoors, the area is close to the small town of Malton, known for food, which isn’t too far from York or the East Coast if you’re wanting a trip out.
Michael and Alexandra have built Sykes Lodge from the ground up to be as accessible as they believe it can be, without compromising on that luxury feel, and they’re not stopping there.
Many care companies are struggling to find staff in the UK. We hear weekly about the Care Crisis. This can cause huge problems for those looking for care. To a certain extent, people need to accept whoever is sent to their home – whether they like them or not! We hear stories of strangers turning up for calls, and we cannot understand how this would keep a client ‘safe’ and ‘cared for’.
Happiest at Home work differently, and consequently have many carers on their books ready to provide bespoke care for clients. They like to involve their clients as much as possible in choosing the right carer for them.
The team involve you in choosing the right carer for you or your loved one right from the off-set. They begin by having a very in-depth conversation with you, the more detail you give about needs and preferences, the better the match they can make for you with a fabulous carer. This can be by phone or a video call, whichever you prefer. Their client team is experienced in asking the right questions and guiding the conversation so that they find out the pertinent information.
In the next step they send you a profile of a suggested carer. They match them based on their experience, personality, hobbies, availability and location, trying to find someone who you will gel with straight
away, someone who will fit around your life. The profile has a photograph of them, some information about their life, circumstances and hobbies, as well as their relevant experience.
If you wish, Happiest at Home then arrange a meet and greet, so you can meet the carer, have a cuppa with them and discuss face to face exactly what you would like from them in terms of care, companionship, household help and anything else you require. This is either at your home, or a mutually convenient location such as a coffee shop. You can spend time chatting and getting to know each other.
If you get along well, and this is often the case, then they arrange a start date. You have at that point got a regular, dedicated carer, someone who will be around to help you out, to monitor your welfare and health, and to make sure you get the most enjoyment out of your life as possible. Happiest at Home then ensure all paperwork is in place (including DBS and insurance), and schedule all the care calls. They even provide an app which the carers use to tag in and out of all calls which allows them to accurately invoice for the care given based on GPS tracking.
Happiest at Home work with private clients, case managers, local authorities and CHC, accepting funding from all.
Sam Hackett from Happiest at Home looks at empowering clients with choice to achieve better outcomes from care provision.
It can be daunting trying to find reliable home care providers for your loved ones. However, you can count on Happiest at Home to provide you with exceptional care services. They take pride in matching you to the perfect carer who meets your exact requirements and ensures that you receive prompt and reliable care every time. Their great value services – where you pay less, and their carers receive more – add to the reasons why they are the best choice for home care. Let them help you and your loved ones today.
Workers) Fully Online Training
This training course aims to support community workers in their vital work, with both cutting edge therapeutic skills and knowledge of trauma informed care. Research shows that where community workers are trained in therapeutic skills they have achieved “statistically significant reductions in psychological distress and clinical outcomes comparable to those reported in UK statutory mental health services”. (Duncan et al 2018)
• Understand the psychology/neuroscience of trauma, its impact on physical and mental health and quality of life.
• Learn how to implement trauma informed care in a community.
• Understand the benefit of helping people to stand together and feel they belong to a really special group of people
• Learn the power of being in a group that makes good things happen.
• Learn how to run therapeutic groups where people feel truly heard and understood in talking about their life experiences.
• Understand how to meet the key relational needs of members of a community to ensure wellbeing.
• Gain vital psychological knowledge on the alleviation of emotional pain relevant to community settings
• Develop key therapeutic skills in active listening, empathy, mentalisation, narrative competence to empower and inspire people to enrich their lives.
Time commitment: Start date 6th Sept 2023
• 7 three-hour modules (A weekday morning once every two weeks)
• Work based learning (current community work)
• An assessment day. Presentation of your trauma informed and/or therapeutic skills work in the community
Fees £542
To apply and for more information
www.traumainformedschools.co.uk info@traumainformedschools.co.uk
Brighten your bucket list with an inclusive, intersectional, and entertaining arts festival. Here are nine from Carole Edrich each of which are unique and focussed on accessibility.
Sommerblut Festival
Cologne, Germany | May
With a tagline ‘festival of multipolar culture’, the Summerblood Festival deliberately takes the broadest possible interpretation of inclusion. Physical or cognitive, ways of life, value systems, traditions, belief…you name it, they’re looking to provide access. This year the theme is ‘fear’ and how it can be overcome through art. sommerblut.de
Biennale des Arts inclusifs. Geneva, Switzerland | May-June
This biennial event showcases artistic productions by artists with and without disabilities. It’s a huge event, featuring dance, exhibitions, performances, concerts, workshops, exhibitions, sound-scapes and what they call conferences and I believe are talks. There’s even a presentation by an author on cochlear implants and a reflective dialogue (whatever that is) on beauty in the context of disability and ageng. biennaleoutofthebox.ch
L’Altre Festival
Barcelona, Spain in June and Rosario, Argentina | October
With over 30 performances by local, national, and international artists, L’Altre has three objectives: performing arts to help people with mental illness, the fight against the stigma associated
with mental health and the enrichment of popular culture (which I’d have thought was a given). It won’t surprise you to know that all works either have people with mental health within them or are related to mental health. laltrefestival. cat
The Wickham Festival, Hampshire, England. | August
Headlined by The Proclaimers, this massive musical line-up is said to be fully accessible for people with disabilities. You might not mind being side-lined (typical of accessible accommodations) here as there’s a covered side-of-stage viewing area, away from potential rain, and nearby wheelchairaccessible toilet and washing facilities. Simple family friendly fun. wickhamfestival. co.uk
Arts festivals enhance local image and identity; attendees in many festival towns said they felt more positive about the place where the festival was held.
This is a high-quality high-art (potentially highbrow) event with an exciting programme of pieces examining hard subjects on disability and intersectionality with great audience support. Includes audio introductions, descriptions for the visually impaired and tactile systems to feel the music. Expect artist residencies, seminars, lectures, workshops, and performances at the cutting edge of the art form. This year the theme is ‘Mediterranean’s’ which ‘is written in the plural to highlight the fragmentation of mare nostrum and its nature as a melting pot of diversity’
that means - high art, remember). orienteoccidente.it
Madrid, Spain | SeptemberOctober
IDEM’s objective is to bring audiences to ‘resist the false appearances of illusory evidence’ (I think this means confront their cognitive biases) and “create spaces for listening and caregiving, promoting reflection between ‘citizens, audiences and artists.” They look for artivists (yes, that’s a word) who share through performances, installations, workshops, videos, documentary films, dance, and object theatre (theatre using puppetry). Try not to judge the festival by the condescending language of the website, because their international line-up is awesome. And yes, full of artivists. lacasaencendida.es
Now in its 17th year, SMHAF features hundreds of events in different artforms. Combining artistic quality with grassroots support, community engagement and social activism, this year explores the theme of ‘Revolution’. An exercise in ‘art as activism’ (sometimes I wonder if there’s any other type) its creative programme aims to serve as both collective statement and manifesto for social change. Great stuff. mhfestival.com/
Spread over 16 days and held in Graz and rural Styria, InTaKT comprises a mixture of national and international disabled artists, both individuals and companies in a programme that spans dance, music, opera, visual arts, theatre and include film, workshops,
From modest beginnings as part of the Cultural Olympiad, Bounce had grown from strength to strength, drawing the most exceptional artists from Ireland and beyond and expanding geographically. Bounce presents new work by deaf and disabled writers, actors, dancers, musicians, directors, playwrights, and poets, and hosts participatory workshops and masterclasses across a range of art forms. Accessibility is integral to the festival and requirements such as captions, audio description, British and Irish Sign Language can be booked in advance. universityofatypical.org
Margaret River Region Open Studios is the country’s largest open studios visual arts event with immersive experiences including kilns, lathes, oil paints, fabric stretching glass blowing and more. September.
The Mayor of London’s Liberty festival, London’s disability arts showcase, is not yet confirmed. July. Come On Down is a festival of performance and creativity by and for learning disabled people in Blyth. March.
Rockin’ Roadrunner Festival, a music festival run by and for people with learning difficulties in Northampton. September.
Out There Festival of Street Arts and Circus, Great Yarmouth, September.
Festival Internacional Paladio Arte is a theatre and diversity festival with talks, audio-visual experiences, workshops and performances. Segovia. November.
Wildwuchs (Wild Growth) Festival in Basel is a cross arts festival promoting new artistic encounters. May to June.
ORME, the International Festival of Inclusive Arts (mainly theatre and dance) in the Italian speaking part of Switzerland. Lugano, May.
If she’s feeling anxious, needs to concentrate, or pain begins to flare up in her lower back and legs, Gabrielle Striker reaches for her knitting needles. “When I started knitting, I found that it helped with my anxiety a fair amount. In fact, [it was] to the point that I wouldn’t have to have anxiety medication, like, [for example], to get on an airplane,” she says. “And for my ADHD that I deal with, it’s almost like the ultimate fidget toy, right?”
Striker isn’t the only one experiencing these benefits: in a 2013 survey of 3,545 knitters, a majority of respondents said that knitting helps them unwind from everyday stress, as well as cope with anxiety, pain, and depression. Adaptations of the craft – such as loom knitting, which can be done by blind knitters,
or lever knitting, which allows crafters to knit with one hand – ensure that it can be enjoyed by a variety of people, each with their own needs and preferences. But despite the widely acknowledged health benefits and the versatility of the craft, there are still a number of accessibility barriers within the knitting community.
For one thing, size inclusivity is lacking. Victoria Marchant, a UK-based knitwear designer, says that frustration with the lack of larger sizes is what led her to reflect on other accessibility barriers in knitting patterns. While she was writing her first original design, she realized that typical size charts – which knitters consult to determine which size garment they should knit based on their waist, bust, and arm measurements – don’t suit her proportions.
The internet is full of communities that work to address the lack of accessibility in the fibre arts; Abigail Popple investigates who is working to make knitting more accessible, and why.
Ironically, Ravelry itself is screen-reader inaccessible due to a 2020 update that rendered the site unusable for a number of people.
Her solution was to let knitters mix and match arm and bust measurements, so they could optimize the pattern based on their proportions rather than be constrained to one size.
“When I started doing that, I started realizing that actually there are a lot of problems in the way knitting patterns are written from a size inclusivity and shape inclusivity perspective,” she remarks. “I was like: well, if I have needs that have to be accommodated, and other people do, then I should be meeting all of them as best I can..” Now, Marchant approaches every step of pattern writing and marketing with accessibility and inclusivity in mind. She ensures her patterns include a wide range of sizes, and writes a low-vision, screen-reader-accessible format of every pattern. When her patterns are published, she includes photos of models sitting down so wheelchair users know how a garment will look on them; she tries to photograph her garments from unusual angles, so that anyone of any body type can get an idea of how a garment will fit them.
Marchant credits activists in the community with raising awareness of accessibility barriers in fibre crafts but worries that information on accessibility can be hard to come across. “There’s no one central place you can go to learn to be an inclusive designer,” she says. “The big issue is communicating this information, and without any kind of standards or regulatory bodies, you’re kind of relying on the community.”
One of the people working to change this is Renee Van Hoy, a loom knitting designer, accessibility expert, and founder of the Accessible Patterns Index. Along with a group of other low-vision knitters, Van Hoy has created a list of 10 criteria for a pattern to be considered low-vision-accessible. Ravelry, the most popular site for finding knit and crochet patterns, adopted five of these criteria
designers must meet for their pattern to be tagged as “low vision” in the site’s search function.
Ironically, Ravelry itself is screen-reader inaccessible due to a 2020 update that rendered the site unusable for a number of people. Many blind and low-vision crafters who had relied on Ravelry to easily find screen-reader-accessible patterns were left stranded – this motivated Van Hoy to create the aforementioned Index, where she catalogues patterns formatted for blind or print-challenged crafters. The Index website includes the minimum requirements for a pattern to be considered accessible. Van Hoy also offers a $20 online course on accessible designing, which she uses to fund the site.
Van Hoy notes that awareness of accessibility needs is increasing, but many mainstream designers and crafting publications still don’t offer low-vision patterns. Her clients are often new designers, rather than more established, popular designers.
Van Hoy notes that awareness of accessibility needs is increasing, but many mainstream designers and crafting publications still don’t offer lowvision patterns.
“I would love to see more happening. I’ve kind of been a one-woman bandwagon on this,” she says.
Accessible online resources are crucial for many knitters. “I never would have started knitting if it hadn’t been for the internet,” said Striker, who appreciates that she can learn at her own pace by watching YouTube tutorials and reading blogs. So, when sites like Ravelry suddenly exclude large amounts of people, the effects on small communities of disabled knitters can be devastat-ing. “We lost so many of our members [after the update],” recalls Van Hoy, speaking about a group of blind and low-vision knitters on Ravelry. “It was very sad, and it’s just not the same feeling.”
The physical spaces where knitters congregate can also be inaccessible. Amanda Vaughn, a knitter who uses a wheelchair, says that she often encounters yarn shops and craft festivals which are not wheelchair accessible. “I send my husband into a yarn store before I go in, just to make sure that I can get through it,” she says. When stores are too small to accommodate her wheelchair, her husband video calls her to show her their yarn selection. While smaller stores may not have the resources to make themselves wheelchair-
accessible, Vaughn notes a few practices that any store could implement to be more inclusive. Holding sidewalk sales, keeping walkways in the store clear, and offering online classes would make it possible for wheelchair users to participate more, she says.
Yarn festivals are also often inaccessible to Vaughn. “I watched everybody talk about [the Rhinebeck Sheep & Wool Festival] the previous October, and I would have loved to go,” she says, but the outdoor festival was too crowded and grassy to accommodate wheelchairs. “I would love to see a fibre festival with sidewalks.”
Vaughn has also turned to the internet to raise awareness of accessibility needs. On her Instagram account, @ mandyvaughnknits, she models her finished projects in her wheelchair to show that all sorts of people knit – not just those who are non-disabled or able-bodied. “Social media is great. You can talk to everyone, and if you get a conversation started, it can take off like wildfire,” she says.
In any case, reducing accessibility barriers has benefits for everyone, not just disabled knitters. Marchant likens the success of her accessible patternwriting to the curb cut effect, a term used by disability activists to describe how disability accommodations benefit society as a whole, not just disabled people. Because she writes her patterns to be more consistent and linear – which caters to neurodivergent people like herself, as well as blind knitters – Marchant says that her patterns have gotten appreciative feedback from beginning knitters and exhausted parents who also benefit from her straightforward writing.
Van Hoy agrees that accessible pattern writing is undeniably helpful. “I just know from my own needs and those of my [dyslexic] daughter that it has to be helping people,” she says. “Disabled crafters are really good crafters. People sometimes say, Oh, blind people can’t knit. And I’m like, Oh, no, we can do everything. Just give us the patterns.”
Abigail Popple is a Montreal-based freelance journalist. She covers equity issues, animal welfare, and whatever else piques her interest at the moment. You can find her on Twitter @abigail_popple
Accessible online resources are crucial for many knitters. I never would have started knitting if it hadn’t been for the internet.
Chris and Louise Hunt Skelley are a couple with different disabilities who met through their love of elite sport and the fact that they are both successful Paralympians. They married in the autumn of 2022 and live in Wiltshire, where Louise was born and brought up.
As DRM gets to know Chris, we discover that he once had dreams of being a mechanic. However, he found that he increasingly had trouble with his vision which deteriorated significantly in his teens. He found it difficult to convince anyone that he was having trouble seeing anything. He was finally diagnosed with ocular albinism, a rare condition which means he is blinded by light, and he is now registered blind. This meant he had to give up all team sport and his apprenticeship as a mechanic for safety reasons. Judo saved him at an exceedingly difficult period of his life. He realised he loved the sport, trained relentlessly, and represented Team GB in Rio and in Tokyo 2020 where he won a gold medal. He was awarded the MBE in 2022 and he’s currently in training to qualify to compete again in Paris 2024.
Chris, what has your journey been like with having a hidden disability? Do you consider your disability hidden, or, as some people with an “invisible” disability do, that people are sometimes naive to the signs?
Chris
Winning gold in Tokyo was absolutely amazing. As I stood on that podium, I thought of everything that I went through in my life, and it was the cherry on top.
Chris: It has been very tough having a hidden disability. A lot of people are very naive to what visual impairment is – I don’t necessarily ‘look’ blind to others. I get a lot of comments when I wear my glasses and my hat particularly in scenarios where people think it’s odd to wear them. I get a lot of comments when I put stuff close to my face. I think my job is to educate people and to help people understand that these disabilities are hidden and not to judge people too quickly when you see someone with a hat and sunglasses on or when something is very close to their face.
Disability is not always obvious, and it should never be mocked, even inadvertently.
How was your experience winning Gold in Tokyo during a global pandemic? What did that mean to you?
Winning gold in Tokyo was absolutely amazing. As I stood on that podium, I thought of everything that I went through in my life, and it was the cherry on top. To achieve this in a global pandemic and to manage to keep training and to keep myself in the best physical shape for the Paralympic Games, I think it was a very special medal. To get there and to have that opportunity meant I had to train a lot from home, I had to stay away from my family because I was trying to keep Covid away from me when I was trying to compete and pick up points to compete in the Games. It was wonderful to give that back to my family and friends who supported me and believed in me on that journey.
Louise is a former wheelchair tennis player, winning multiple singles and doubles titles and reaching the world ranking of no. 10 at the height of her career. She was born with spina bifida, and she didn’t even know what the word ‘disabled’ meant until she went into secondary school. Her parents always empowered her to do whatever she wanted. Today, Louise is a commentator at Wimbledon, a tennis tournament director, a motivational speaker, and an expert on inclusion – helping organisations and businesses to be more inclusive in their language, policies and even in their premises.
And what about you, Louise, what has your journey been like as a disabled person in the sporting world? What is it that you love about Tennis?
Louise: What I love about tennis the most is that the challenge is never over. Every day is different and the different aspects and things you need to learn are endless. I really liked how I could see progress everyday across different areas and I never found a single training session or match boring. My journey as a disabled athlete has been a really varied one. I had the privilege that London 2012 was my first Paralympics, and it did feel like the perspectives and knowledge people had about disability sport almost changed overnight. The big challenges however always remained, from the struggles of travelling (for example, hoping my wheelchair would arrive in one piece, if at all, never changed) to the lack of funding and sponsorship, which our non-disabled competitors did not struggle with as much. However, none of these barriers were ever enough to stop my drive to become the best athlete I could be.
It has been very tough having a hidden disability. A lot of people are very naive to what visual impairment is.
What are you dreams for the future of disabled people in sport, and what about Wimbledon specifically? Is there a lack of diversity in Wimbledon?
Louise: Wimbledon has come a long way and continues to do so in terms of including additional draws, such as the wheelchair tournament draws expanding year on year. I feel confident they are going to continue to move in the right direction, and they do demonstrate this each year by making changes and steps for a more inclusive event, from both the competitors, staff, and spectators’ side. My dream is that disability sport over time has an equal playing field, audience, and opportunities to nondisabled sports. We are athletes who work just as hard as non-disabled athletes and that’s how I hope we’ll be viewed one day, just as elite athletes!
What do you wish that people were doing right now to impact disabled people in sport?
The big challenges however always remained, from the struggles of travelling (for example, hoping my wheelchair would arrive in one piece, if at all, never changed) to the lack of funding and sponsorship.
Chris: The way I think sport can impact people with disabilities is it gives people a chance to show their ability and how great sport can be for people. I think it’s a fantastic chance for people to show off their ability and show that anything is possible, that even though you’ve got a disability it doesn’t matter, you can still achieve your dreams and take part in a sport that you love to the highest possible level. I would appeal to people and organisations to support more athletes like me with sponsorship so that we can take our talent to the highest level – it’s very difficult to fund a full-time sporting career. Yet we can give back so much in terms of PR, promotion, motivation of staff and brand awareness.
Louise: I wish that more places thought more inclusively and outside the box. What I mean by this, is that a sports centre doesn’t necessarily need a disability specific session to accommodate a disabled person, why can’t they join in the with the sessions that already exist, and the person running that session just make adaptions so they can take part? That is what inclusive means! I wish more brands would take an interest in disability sport too, and understand the impact they could have sponsorship wise, and what they can gain in return.
Are there patterns of ableism that you see outside of sport?
Chris: Of course, however getting angry all the time is not always helpful. For me, it’s lovely that people think I’m inspirational however please don’t assume that I’m not happy, and I’m not leading a fulfilling life – I absolutely am. People with disabilities are, in my experience, among the most determined, resilient, and dedicated people. Sometimes we may need a few ‘tools’ to help us along the way and we should not feel embarrassed or humiliated in asking for those tools. Too often, even today, those tools are not available and that needs to change. I see one of my roles as educating others around that.
Louise: I do see this a lot, especially in terms of physical accessibility, transport and in employment. I work hard every day to try and educate and change old fashioned perspectives and assumptions, to show that having a disability can be someone’s biggest strength and that this can bring skills, qualities, experiences, and a unique positive attitude, which are a true asset to any environment.
What advice would you give to a young, disabled person trying to get into sport?
Chris: My advice is don’t be put off. Be brave and take that first step and understand that it is going to be hard but don’t give up. Keep coming back, getting up and moving forward
and just enjoy it. Enjoy the moment, enjoy the sport, make as many friends as possible and just be relaxed and open to learning.
Louise: Try it! Simply give it a go. The best thing, if you don’t like the first sport you try, try another. Half the fun is trying multiple sports until you find the one or two you love the most. I loved the part of my life when I had the time to just throw myself into any opportunity. I wouldn’t have believed anyone if they told me I’d be successful in wheelchair tennis the way I was, but by giving it a go and being willing to work hard, it turned my hobby and passion into a career. You just never know where it may lead.
Finally, what’s one thing you wish people would ask you about outside of your career?
Chris: That’s really hard because I’ve been very lucky as I’m asked questions a lot! I think it would be around what inspires and motivates me as a person.
Louise: I love being asked about my motivations, interests and what drives me to work hard every day. I take inspiration from many things, such as animals and music, and that’s something I’d love more opportunities to chat about.
If you’d like to find out more about Chris or Louise you can do so here:
WEB: chrisskelley.co.uk and louisehunt.co.uk
If you’d like to book them for an event to talk – singly or as a couple – or you are interested in sponsoring Chris –please contact their representative Fiona Scott at fiona@fionascott.co.uk
What I love about tennis the most is that the challenge is never over. Every day is different and the different aspects and things you need to learn are endless.
Donna Noble, a body-positive yoga teacher, is on a mission to make yoga more inclusive and diverse, including all types of bodies and abilities.
My yoga journey began in the late 90s when a colleague saw an image of Madonna with one leg behind her head in a pose called the Eka Pada Sirasana. Much to my surprise, she suggested that we give yoga a try and the rest, as they say, is history. I never expected to end up like Madonna, working in the corporate world as I was, but then again a lot of things have changed since then – so maybe it’s still possible.
At the time, I didn’t realise that yoga would play such a significant part in my life. It was only after becoming ill with Bell’s Palsy, causing the right side of my face to become paralysed, and then being made redundant, that I decided to leave behind the stress of the corporate world after approximately 20 years. Yoga and acupuncture played an unexpectedly major part in my recovery. Eventually, yoga allowed me to cultivate selfacceptance and appreciate my body for all it can do for me without wanting anything in return.
A negative by-product of yoga’s popularity is that it seems to have become saturated in unconscious
ableism – resulting in some groups within society being absent within the yoga space. It’s not a fix all to disability, as is often discussed, and is not a cure. Representation is so important. How can anyone be something they cannot see?
When the focus is on how the yoga makes you look, whether that’s with how you execute the poses, how you look in the yoga necessary Instagram clothing (hint: you can wear whatever you’d like!), or how it can help you towards your fitness goals, rather than how it feels, you lose a lot of the benefits, especially the cultivation of the mental, spiritual and physical that allows us to attain enlightenment or, as I like to say, allows you to come home to yourself.
Moving away from all societal
expectations and external noise about what you can or can’t do was the best way, for me, to see what yoga could really do. Let your body be your best guide. With disability, the mind-body connection can often be hard to reconnect with, but yoga can allow you to get back in touch with that link.
Body Positive and Accessible Yoga classes, like the ones I create, are designed to make yoga accessible for everyone regardless of age, disability, size, shape, ethnicity, or gender. The yoga poses are adapted to accommodate all unique bodies, using props like a chair, the wall, or yoga blocks and belts. If these aren’t available, then household items make suitable substitutes. It can also be described
as a form of yoga that teaches the integration of mind and body. Yoga postures can be performed while seated in a chair, wheelchair, bed, or in water. There’s really no right way to take part in the class, and that’s a huge emphasis I try and place.
I have had the honour of teaching with Matthew Sanford, an author, yoga teacher, and pioneer in adapting yoga for people with disabilities. He is also a quadriplegic wheelchair user who realised the importance of waking up the mind and body through yoga.
Practising yoga is empowering. You can do as little or as much as you want. Yoga starts wherever you are. Every yoga pose can be adapted to meet your current level of functioning. The benefits are tenfold; increased strength, flexibility and balance, deeper sleep, improved breathing, improved posture…the list goes on. Yoga is something that everyone should consider because it can often be beneficial for everybody.
AUTHOR: Donna Noble
WEB: thenobleartofyoga. co.uk
INSTAGRAM: @donnanobleyoga & @curvesomeyoga
Yoga starts wherever you are. Every yoga pose can be adapted to meet your current level of functioning.
We all live on a continuum of abilities and disabilities, the principle of yoga applies to all people, to all bodies.
A negative by-product of yoga’s popularity is that it seems to have become saturated in unconscious ableism –resulting in some groups within society being absent within the yoga space.
The We Love Cake journey began in 2002 when second-generation family business owner, Michael Bell, tried to live as a coeliac for a week. Unsatisfied with anything he ate, not least the free-from cakes he reluctantly attempted, on day two of the week-long trial he decided to try to build a dedicated Gluten, wheat, and milk free bakery. After years of honing gluten free bakery, he introduced We Love Cake to the UK in 2012.
The market for a flexi-diet that still includes all our favourite treats and snacks is huge; whilst the goal can often be to eat more nutritious plant foods and less meat, many also switch to flexi diets to maintain a health condition, avoid exasperating current illnesses such as energy-limiting conditions, or due to intolerances. In fact, the gluten-free snacks segment is projected to reach $7.2 billion in 2023.
wheat, and milk free products that taste as good as their conventional competitor. Our bakers and innovation team are always re-visiting recipes, to ensure our products taste as good, if not better, than the non-free from alternative. With many shoppers wanting to flex their diets on a regular basis, dessert should be a simple place to start.”
Consumers are beginning to stray away from feeling that flexi-treats are ‘other’ and are now seen as more of a conventional buy, which has seen We Love Cake shoot up the supermarket listings, now being seen in both Morrison’s and Waitrose stores nationwide this Spring with its new free-from puddings and desserts range.
Cumbrian bakery’s ‘Choc-a-lot’ Chocolate Pudding, ‘Super Sticky’ Toffee Pudding, and awardwinning ‘Caramelicious’ Salted Caramel and Chocolate tarts will hit Morrison’s stores in April and ‘When life gives you lemons’ and the ‘Caramelicious’ Tarts will be listed in Waitrose in May.
WEB: we-love-cake.co.uk
INSTAGRAM: @welovecakeuk
Made on the edge of the Lake District by renowned family bakers since 1946, We Love Cake’s delicious desserts are baked for just this market in mind, in small batches by skilled bakers. They promise to taste-match favourite household flavours and iconic desserts without compromising on dietary needs.
Head of Marketing for Bells of Lazonby, Josh Boydell-Smith, believes with most British household’s regularly flexing their diet preferences, it’s time to target all consumers with free-from goods and break down supermarket aisle boundaries.
“We Love Cake pioneer creating vegan, gluten,
With free-from foods seeping into the mainstream diet, many are choosing to operate a flexible way of life – adding free-from food as, and when, it suits them. We Love Cake addresses how to actually make freefrom food tasty, and still remind you of your favourite treat.
Made on the edge of the Lake District by renowned family bakers since 1946, We Love Cake’s delicious desserts are baked for just this market in mind.
Amathus Drinks has proudly been supplying a comprehensive range of wines, spirits, and beers, meticulously sourced from around the globe. The familyowned specialist drinks business rounds up their best rosé wines to drink during the warmer months, from fresh and fruity to complex and floral.
Pur Azur, from talented Florian Mathieu, is a fine, dry Provencal rosé made from Grenache & Cinsault grown near St. Tropez. Creamy, crisp, and fresh, with apricot, wild strawberry, grape-fruit, white flowers & sea air.
Vigneron Florian Matthieu crafts this wine from top quality Grenache and Cinsault grown on the Plaine des Maures, a nature reserve close to the Riviera coast. The sea breeze cuts through the creamy fruit in this wine, making a really refreshing rosé for all occasions.
Markou Euphoria is a superb dry rosé from the dynamic Vasilis Markou. Single-vineyard Agiorgitiko from Nemea, it has vibrant, fresh, wild strawberry and white flower notes, with an intense, mineral finish.
The Markou family have been growing grapes on the Greek Peloponnese since 1928 - though the current winemaker, the hugely talented Vasilis Markou, is dedicated to creating exciting wines in a fresh, modern style. Euphoria is made from 20-yearold vines of Agiorgitiko, a popular indige-nous red grape variety, giving intense yet refined notes of wild strawberries and white flowers, and a spicy, dry finish.
The Champault family has produced wines for three generations. Frederic Champault, the current owner of the winery, follows the tradition of his father, Roland Champault and his grandfather, Louis Champault, who were also winegrowers. Since moving to the Barbotaine in 1994, Frederic has worked in the vineyard together with his parents.
This is an 100% Pinot Noir from an estate in South-West Sancerre. The wine is half pressing and half bleeding (after 8-12 hours on skin). Ferments for 3 weeks in stainless steel, 2 months on lees. Salmon pink, red fruits.
The delicious Tavel Rosé Tete de Cuvée is the first wine ever made by historic Rhone Valley winery Chateau de Manissy. It’s a biodynamic barrel-aged dry French rosé made from Grenache, Clairette and Cinsault grapes. Rich and complex with aromas of ripe quince, dried orange, hints of almond and exotic spice.
Dating as far back as the 17th century, Château de Manissy was once the property of the Lafarge family before they donated it to the local church. The Holy family’s missionaries acquired the castle at the beginning of the 20th century and began growing their own vines to produce their first Cuvée of Tavel wine. Some of these early plantings are still in production, with vines dating back to 1914.
Château Héritage Rosé d’Une Nuit is a Cabernet-dominant bled made in a dry, refreshing Pro-vencal style with juicy, crisp, raspberry and satsuma notes.
Château Héritage is a leading, family-owned winery in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley.
In 1888, the Touma Family established one of the first wineries and distilleries in Lebanon in the small town of Kab-elias of the Bekaa Valley, to produce wine and Arak Touma. The Héritage winery was established and released its first modern wines in
1997. The majority of Château Hé-ritage’s vines are on the lower south-east facing slopes of Mt Lebanon, just above the winery, which ensures they’re well drained with great exposure to sunlight, while being slightly cooler than the valley floor vineyards.
AUTHOR: Amathus Drinks
WEB: amathusdrinks.com
Since 1978, Amathus Drinks has proudly been supplying a comprehensive range of wines, spirits, and beers, meticulously sourced from around the globe.
Now that summer is on the way, it’s time to swap heavy red wines for lighter, breezier options. Drinks you’ll want to enjoy during outdoor lunches or warmer evenings. Here’s our selection of the best rosé wines to soak in the sun with.
My journey into IBD and Ostomy life went from 0-100 very quickly. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease during an emergency hospital admission after years of feeling too embarrassed to talk about my symptoms. Three days later, I was being told I’d need stoma surgery to save my life. I took to stoma life very quickly. It saved my life and I had to embrace that.
Almost six years down the line, I have gone from being an extremely unwell 20-yearold to a 26-year-old who uses that pain as a reminder to make each day count. One of the questions I had asked before my ostomy surgery is if I’d be able to dance again. Amateur Theatre has been part of my life for 20 years and I didn’t want this to stop that passion. The good news is that I was back on-stage dancing almost a year later and haven’t stopped since. One thing I had on my post-surgery bucket list was to be in another show at the Minack Theatre. I had been in four productions at this venue prior to surgery and I sadly missed out on what would have been my fifth show there due to the timing of my diagnosis and surgery. I am so proud to say that I got to go back there last year with Redruth Amateur Operatic Society Trust performing Carousel. A Minack week has its challenges, but I listened to my body when I needed to and took time out when I needed to which meant I had the most amazing week with everyone. I’d love to know if any other ostomates have performed at the
Minack. This year, I will be performing Kinky Boots with RAOST, back at our home theatre in Redruth, Cornwall. This show is all about being who you want to be, believing in who you are, and celebrating differences. As someone who is living with IBD and a stoma, I want to make a difference and show that life isn’t over by believing in myself and celebrating being different!
I am so grateful that I have safe spaces to celebrate still being here. Living life to the fullest is my biggest goal as I could have missed all of this if it wasn’t for my ostomy surgery. I am here proving that life isn’t over when you have a stoma.
Could your organisation be doing more to help everyone to live, learn, work and thrive?
Through our unique partnership, we can help you create places, spaces and practices that welcome, enable and empower disabled people from diverse backgrounds.
And we can help you to build confidence in creating inclusive cultures and connect you with life-changing Assistive Technology solutions. We are here to support you every step of the way.
For an informal chat about collaborating to improve access and inclusion for disabled people in life, education and work please contact us.
info@embed.org.uk
www.embed.org.uk
1 THE
Road Meets Rail - 21-22 May
& 13-29 Oct.
real ice against locomotives
Apr. & 30 Ju collectors, & sellers
10-11 June
eam this Summer
Dates in Summer also have plenty at our stations!
Our annual steam festival includes road, rail & miniature
RAILWAY
Toy & Collectors Fair - 30 Apr. & 30 Ju
A popular event for toy & rail collectors, & sellers
Teddy Bear’s Picnic - 5-6August
Model Rail Event - 1-2 July
Stea
Layouts in
We all know that teddies love adventures, so pack a picnic and your teddy for a steam train ride
Flying Scotsman Visit - 23 Aug. - 3 Sept.
The worlds most famous steam locomotive visits Sussex during its Centenary celebrations, a guaranteed sell-out
Bluebell Beer Festival -
Looking days of December? Join us for a VISI TW WW.BLUEBELL-RAI LWAY.COM TOV
22-24 Sept.
Come to a beer festival with a difference at the Bluebell Railway! Imagine sipping a brew, listening to great bands, and watching steam trains puff up and down the line.
SteamLights - November - January
Looking forsomething magicaltodoin the dark days of December? Join us for a unique experience
Santa Specials - Various Dates Nov. & Dec. Santa, Mince Pies and a Victorian fairground make this family favourite, truly unmissable
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