OpenDoor
DisabilityNewsandViewsforDisabledPeopleacrossScotland
WelcometotheScottishDisabilityEquality Forum(SDEF)SpringNewsletter!
Thisnewsletterbringsyou the latestnewsand informationfromSDEF,AccessPanelsandgroups acrossScotland.
SDEFNews NewsandPolicy
AccessPanels Members’News
NewsfromOtherGroups
AccesstotheArts
“HaveYourSay”
SDEFisamemberledorganisationsoweneedtohear fromyou,ourvalued members!
Ifyouhave astoryyou thinkwouldbe ofinterestto others,orsome disabilityrelated news youwould like to share, then getin touch withusby by callingon 01259 272064.
DisabilityHateCrime
WelfareReform DisabilityHateCrime
MyLifeandM3
Page
2
Contents
Contents
3Convenor’sWelcome
SDEFNews
4
5
6-10
WhoWeAre
HowWeCommunicate WhatWe’reDoing
NewsandPolicy
11GoOnGold
12BenefitsforDisabledPeople-thefacts
13YouthAccessProject
14“Iamme”Project
14Accesstowork
AccessPanels
15AccessPanelFundingfromSDEF
16ClackmannanshireDisabilityAwarenessGroup
17EastRenfrewshireAccessPanel
17FalkirkDisabilityAccessandAssessmentGroup
18GlasgowAccessPanel
19KilmarnockandDistrictAccessPanel
19RenfrewshireAccessPanel
20StirlingAccessPanel
Members’News
21DisabilityHate Crime -a member’s experience
22STOPDisabilityHateCrime
23Questions?Comments?Concerns?
NewsfromOtherGroups
24Inspiringpeople
25ADreamFinallyRealised
AccesstotheArts
26AbruptEncounters
27MyLife and M3
Convenor'sWelcome
Dear Members
WelcometoourWinter/SpringeditionofOpenDoor.
Ithas beena verybusy yearso farforstaffand Directorsalike atSDEFand this looks settocontinue asweembarkon anumber ofnewprojects,suchasourAccess PanelSustainabilityProject(seepages9 and10)and ourYouth Access Project(seepage 13).
However,we are awareofso many more things which you,our membersareundertaking,whetherasvolunteersfororganisations,AccessPanel membersor individuals.OpenDoor isa greatway ofsharing yourthoughts, ideas and accomplishmentswith others,and we encourageyou to sendus any news items you mayhave on disabilityrelated areas.The more we canshare ourgood ideasand experiences thebetterforallofus!
Wearealso looking to improveyourexperienceas membersofSDEF:we really appreciateyoursupport,yearon year,as wework towards removingbarriers to equality fordisabled peopleacross Scotland.Ifyou have thoughtsand ideasonwhatyouasa memberwould like to seehappening foryou through SDEF, thenpleasegetintouch.
Ihope you enjoyreading this issueofOpen Dooras much as wehave enjoyed compiling it,and look forward toseeing youatsome ofthe eventswe willbeholding overthe courseof theyear forour members.
Iwasalsodelighted to seeso many Access Panel membersatourfirstPartnership Meeting;SDEFstaffdidagreatjobon thedayand feedbackwasreallypositive.The purposeofthese meetings is to informpanelsofthesupportSDEFisoffering,and to provideaplatform forsharing ideasbetween panels.However,these meetingsare alsoa greatway ofenabling potentialmembers to find outmore abouttheir local Access Panelsand toget toknowyou witha viewto joining.Ifyou knowofanyone whoyou think maybe interested inbecoming involved,dogetin touchwith SDEFstaffso thatwecan add themto ourattendee list.
JackieMaceira Convenor
WhoWeAre
Ourstaffteam ishighlyskilled andexperienced in allaspectsofdisability,equalityand policy.
SusanGrasekamp,Manager
Hi-I'mSusan,ManagerofSDEF,andIamdelighted tobeworking withsuchagreatteamandmembershipinachievingourcharity’s aims.
KeithRobertson,DisabilityAccessOfficer
IamtheDisability AccessOfficerandIsupportover50Access Panels in Scotland.IamaRoyalNavy VeteranbutIwas invalidedoutof the force in1973 afteran accidentthat leftmedisabled anda
paraplegicwheelchairuser.
MartaMore,AccessPanelWorker
Hi,I’mMartaandIamSDEF’s Access Worker,andIworkveryclosely withthe Access Panels throughoutScotland,assisting theminbuilding theircapacityand workingon theirsustainabilityand taking them
forward.
MaiveBain,OfficeAdministrator
Hi,I’mMaeve,I’mtheSDEFOfficeAdministrator!Iworkthreedaysa weekcovering telephoneenquiriesand SDEFadmin.
VickyInnes,AdministrationAssistant
I’mVickyIjoinedthe SDEFteamin August2012.Iprovide administrativesupportforthe team.
MorvenBrooks,InformationandCommunicationsOfficer
Hi,I’mMorvenand I’mthe InformationandCommunicationsOfficer hereatSDEF.Myrole involvespolicy,communicationsand
engagementwithourmembers.
How WeCommunicate
theworkplace orforbusinesspurposes.
Howmany ofyouhave an accountwith Facebook,Twitter,Linkedinorevenhaveyour own blog?
Themajorityofyouwillprobablybeusingatleastoneof these tools forsocialreasons,and noteven thoughtofhowthey canbe used in
Sohowcanwebestuse these tools forScottishDisability Equality Forum?You maynotrealise this,butwehavealready startedusing such tools.
Wehavea Facebookaccount
Followusat
Wehavea Twitteraccount
Followusat
Wehave aLinkedin account– Followusat
Thebenefitofusing these tools inourworkplace is thatitoffersallofus theopportunity to improve howwe communicateand share ideas.Alsocommunication isspread beyond Scotland,enabling us to link with many individuals andorganisations throughouttheworld whoallhavean interestin Disability.
Ofcourse,changingthewaywecommunicateandinteractwitheachothertakestime andwon’thappenovernight.
Butwithopen mindsandpositiveattitudesaboutthesedevelopments,wecouldcatapultinto the21stcentury.Thinkoftwitter like the town gossip-only saywhatyou wouldn’tmindbeing shared witheveryone else!
Wewantto hearyour thoughtsand opinionson usingsocial media tools.PleasecontactMorvenBrookswithyourthoughts–
SDEFcontinues towork towards theremovalofbarriers to independentliving for disabledpeople.The followingpages outlineourprogressso farwithouroutcomes.Asummaryofouroutcomes can be found on ourwebsite
IncreaseawarenessoftheIndependentLivingMovement
The IndependentLiving Programmeseeks towork towardsa fully inclusive societywhere theprinciples ofindependentlivingunderpinhowoursociety worksandgrows.Butwhatis IndependentLiving? Inourlastnewsletter,wediscussed whatdisabled peoplesaidaboutIndependentLiving,whatitmeantto them.The IndependentLiving Movementis informedby theseopinions andseeks tohighlights theneeds,rightsand wishesofdisabledpeople into everyaspectofsociety.
IndependentLiving means'disabled peopleofallages having thesame freedom,choice anddignityand controlasothercitizensathome,atwork,and in thecommunity'. Itdoes notmean livingby yourself,orfending foryourself.Itmeansrights topracticalassistance andsupportto participate in societyand livean ordinary life.
Sowhatdoesthatmeantoyou?
Itmeans fullaccess toourenvironment,with fullyaccessible transport.Itmeansaccess to technicalaidsand equipment,personalassistance.Housing shouldbe accessible and adaptedwhere necessary,and education and lifelong learningshould be inclusive,developed to beaccessible inwhatever formats areneeded by the individual.
Beingable to fullyparticipate insociety means makingsure thatpeople can make informedchoicesaboutwhattheydo,andbeabletodoitinawaywhichsuitstheir needs.
Organisationsacross Scotlandarepromoting thevaluesofIndependentLiving,butit'sa jointeffort.
IndependentLivinginScotland(IliS)havedevelopedanumberofinsightfulbooklets whichyou candownload fromourwebsiteon topicssuch asdisability equality,petition- ing,humanrights,promotionand co-production.Ifyouwould likesome printedcopies to distributetoyourlocallibrary,surgeryorgroup,pleasegetintouchwith .
IncreaseawarenessandpreventionofHateCrimeinScotland
Aspartofourremit,we willbeworking with variousorganisations to helpreduce hatecrime.Inordertoachieve this,we mustensure thatdisabledpeople know:
Whatdisabilityhate crime is
Howtoreporthatecrime
Whotocontact
Weareworking with Access Panels toprovide those affectedbyhate crimewith access tosupportandguidance ondealing with hatecrime.By empoweringdisabled people to come forward andreport these crimes,we can allwork towardssecuring a more tolerantfutureforthoseaffectedbydisability.
PleasegotoourHateCrimepageonourwebsiteforfurtherinformation:
WorkingTowardsRemovingBarrierstoEqualityinEmployment
Aspartofourcommitmenttowardsgrowing AccessPanelmembership,SDEFhavelinked in with Access to Work,aprogramme aimed to help disabledpeople into work.
Access toWorkhas agreed toprovide information toenquirerson howtoconnectwith their localAc- cess Panelatthepointofenquiry.
Weare hopefulthat thiswillhelp to raise nationalawareness oflocalpanels,and to in- creasepanelmembershipacross Scotland.
EncourageEngagementofDisabledPeopleatLocal,RegionalandNationalLevels
SocialMediaandWebsite
Wehave increased our SocialMedia presence and we can nowbefollowedonFacebook,TwitterandLinkedin. We havealso updated the look ofourwebsiteand nowsenda fortnightlye-newslettercalled‘SDEFVoice’toallour membersand AccessPanels.
Pleasego topage5 toread moreabouthowSDEFare communicating.
Consultations/MemberOpinions
Overthe lastyearSDEFhaveconsultedwith membersona rangeofmatters,includingBuilding Standards,LivingWage,RedesigningofCommunityJustice System,TaxiandPrivate CarHire,as wellas otherareassuch as genderand disability,welfarereform,self-directedsupportandother Areas.
Responses to ourconsultations can bedownloaded fromour website:
Many thanks to the Access Panelswho took the time to fillin your auditforms -ithasbeen really helpfulto us in establishing the range ofgreatworkgoing on inour Access Panels,and the typesofsupportneeded to make themeven stronger.
Inresponse to yoursubmissions,we have been busydeveloping a rangeofsupporttoolswhichwe canofferto Access Panels through events,one-to-onesupport,emailand throughourwebsite. Supportspansawide rangeofareas,including training,
promotion,reportingandevaluation,membership,capacitybuilding,sustainability(how tokeepyourAccess Panelgoing!),ITskillsand internalstructure(howyourpanelcan workbestfromthe inside,withorganisationaltools,up todateconstitutions,etc).
PartnershipMeetings
WeheldourfirstPartnership Meeting in InglewoodHouse, Alloaon Thursday21 March 2013. ThisincludedClackmannanshireDisabilityAwarenessGroup,DisabilitiesFife,FalkirkDistrictAccessandAwarenessGroupandStirlingAreaAccessPanel.
AllPanels feltthiswasa success,and thoroughlyenjoyed theirday.Itwasa fantastic opportunity forlocalpanels tonetwork.This isa positivestarttoourAccess Panel SustainabilityProject,andwe look forward tomeeting therestofthe Access Panelsin duecourse.
Belowaresome ofthe key issues identified by Panels in theaudits whichwere submitted.
1.Thegreatestoverallneedidentifiedbythemajorityofpanelswastheneedfor greatermembership.
Wewillbe tackling'increasing membership' asa keypriority for Access Panels,providing practicaltoolsandsupport inpromotion,membership, inclusivecommunication,and onlinepresence(e.g.,websites,socialmedia like Facebookand Twitter).Findoutmore aboutourYouthAccess ProjectOnlineonpage13.
2.Themostcommontypesoftrainingidentifiedasbeingneededwere:
●AccessSurveys
●BuildingStandards
●IT(website)etc.
●OpenSpaces
InourPartnershipMeetings,wewillbeaskingyoutoregisterforarangeoftraining whichwewillbemakingavailabletoyourAccessPaneloverthecourseofthisyear.Courseswillinclude the above,butalsoDisability Equality,HumanRights,and other areas.We willalsoupdate you with courses in yourarea which maybecome available,and forwhichyou can applyusing yourdiscretionary funding.
cont…
3.Panelsalsoidentifiedtheneedforbettersupportinpromotionandonline training
ItiscriticalthatAccess Panelsare contactablebyphone,byemailandby website.Our aimis to ensure thatallAccess Panelswho wish to developorrenewtheirwebsitesover thecoming yearhave theopportunity todo so,eitherbyworking withpanels tobuild their ownsimple websitewhich they canupdate by themselvesorby getting localschool studentsinvolved.
4.Panelsneedtobeinvolvedindecision-makingprocessesfromtheoutset
Wewould like to workwith Panels to helpgrowpublicbody andorganisationalnetworks,promoting thevaluableservice theyprovideso thatLocalAuthorities andotherbodies knowtoengagewith Access Panels fromthevery beginningoftheirprocesses.
5.Panelsneedtobeincludedinwideraccessissues,suchassocialjustice,mentalhealth,etc
Accessnowhas a farwiderremitthan just thephysicalenvironment,and it is importantforpanels to educateand inform thewidercommunity aboutthe type ofinvolvementthey have insuch areasashate crime,publicservices and mentalhealth.SDEFarekeen to workwithpanels tohelp promote the valuablework theydo, toensure that
decision-makingprocesses across the wideraccess remitare guided by theirexperience andopinion.
Afullreportwillbe made availableonourwebsite togive anoverviewofAccess Panels,theiractivities,goalsandneeds.
IfyourAccessPanelstillhasn’tcompletedtheirAudit,pleasegetintouchwithMarta .
OnlineYouthProject
We aredelightedthat FalkirkDisabilityAccessandAssessmentGroupandCaithness AccessPanelhasagreedtopilotour'YouthAccessProject'. SDEFareworkingwith schoolsandcolleges in the area,to gettogetherasmallgroup offifth andsixth yearstu- dentswho willhelp tobuild asimple website for the panels.The website willuse 'Word- press'-a verysimple and easy touse toolwhich means thatpanels can easilykeep their websiteup-to-dateby themselves.
Theprojectshould takebetween4 -6 weeks,and the hope is thatsomeof thestudents maygo on to join the access panel,perhaps inan advisory capacity for thewebsite!
Itisa greatidea whichbenefits everyone involved: thestudentlearns newskills, including IT,teamworkandprojectmanagement,theschoolcanpromote its involvementwith the localcommunity and thepanelwillhave ashiny newwebsite,and perhaps some greatnewmembers too!
Ifyou would like toknow moreabout this,orwant tosetupa similarproject inyourarea,
10
GoOnGold
SDEFhavebecomeapartnerofGoONGold,a projectdesigned to helpdisabled people participate fully inan increasingly digitalsociety.
GoONGoldnowhopesotherScottishcommunity organisationswill followtheir leadby joining the campaign to capitalise on the newawarenessand
understandingofequality issuesgeneratedby thesuccessofthe Paralympics.
TeamingupwithGoONGold meansthatSDEF,which isalso theumbrellabody for50 volunteerled Access Panelsacross the country,willactively helpdisabled peopleaccess the internetand enable them to themuseon line tools to improve theirweb experience.
SDEFmanagerSusanGrasekampadded:“Weworkwithmanyorganisations to influence ScottishGovernmentpolicieswhichaffecthowwe live.Wealsoworkwith AccessPanelsacrossScotlandwhoprovideadviceandsupporttodisabledpeoplein theirlocalcommunities.Access Panelsdealwithallareas ofaccess including thebuiltenvironment,countryside,access to localandnationalservicesand education including inhousetraining.BasicallyifyouhaveaproblemaccessinganythingwithinScotland,yourlocalaccess panelcould help.
“Mostpeople are wellaware of the physicalchallenges faced bydisabled people,such as lackofwheelchairaccessandrampsforexample –butthelesstangiblebarriers,like havingdifficultyusing keyboardsorreading text,is less obvious forthose notaffectedby it.Forexample formany people,even finding outabout trainingcourses isachallenge iftheydon’tknowhowbest toaccess the internet ifthey havea motororvisual impairmentforexample.
“Asan organisationdedicated tohelping disabledpeople accessboth physicalspaces andopportunities to improve theireducationand careers it makesperfectsense forus to spread the message aboutwaysof increasingaccessibility toallparts ofmodern life. The internetreally isa gateway to fantasticopportunities –and onewhich shouldbe available toeveryone.”
TheGoONGoldwebsiteactsas focus forkeyresourcesandexpertise tohelp people getonline and also features a numberofvideos by high profiledisabled people such as leading Paralympianpeeranddisabilityrightscampaigner,Baroness Tanni
Grey-Thompson.
To findoutaboutGo ONGoldandbecome aDigitalChampionand helpadisabled persontogetonline,visit
BenefitsforDisabledPeople–thefacts
HereatSDEFwewant toensureourmembers arereceiving thecorrectinformation and adviceon thecurrentchanges tobenefits paid to disabledpeople.Below isa summaryofthechangesand supportavailable.
TheWelfareReformAct
TheWelfareReformActwillintroduce theUniversalCreditinOctober2013whichwill replace:
Income-basedjobseeker’sallowance(JSA)
Income-relatedemploymentandsupportallowance(ESA)
Incomesupport(IS)
HousingBenefit(HB)
ChildTaxCredit(CTC)
WorkingTaxCredit(WTC)
TheWelfareReformActisalso introducinganewbenefitcalled ‘PersonalIndependence Payment.Thiswillreplace thecurrentDisabilityLiving Allowance for thoseofworkingage.
Belowisa summaryof thebenefitswhich willhave aneffectondisabledpeople:
UniversalCredit
UniversalCreditwillprovide anewsinglesystemofmeans-tested support forworking-age people inand outofwork.Support forhousing costs,children andchildcare costswillbe joined in thenewbenefit.Itwillalso provideelements fordisabled peopleand
carers.
EmploymentSupportAllowance(ESA)
From1June2011,theEmploymentandSupportAllowance(Work-Related Activity) Regulations introducedanewrequirementforcertainrecipientsofEmploymentand SupportAllowance(ESA)toundertakework-relatedactivity.Thisisanyactivitywhich helps the claimantto obtain work,remain in workor to be more likely toobtain orremain in work.
PersonalIndependencePayment(PIP)
TheGovernmentplans toreplaceDisabilityLiving Allowance(DLA)with anewcash benefit,calledPersonalIndependencePayment(PIP)from2013-14.
PIPisbasedon anassessmentof individualneed.The newassessmentwill focusonan individual’sability to carryoutarange ofkey activitiesnecessary toeveryday life.
FurtherinformationabouttheWelfareReform Act2012anddisabledpeople canbe downloadedfrom
Wewould like to hearfromyouon howany ofthe above benefitchanges willaffectyou.PleasecontactMorven BrooksTel:thyour comments.
YouthAccessProject
YouthAccessProject
YourlocalYouth Access Projectis looking foryoungvolunteers(16-21)towork with its Access Panel tohelp build their onlinepresence (or maybe ‘build awebsite andsocial media’)Itwilltake place over4-6 weeks,one evening perweek,and each person willbe awardeda certificate for theirinvolvementaswellas learning some coolskills!
WhatwillYoulearn?
Youwillbepartofa6 weekprogramme, in whichyou will learnhow to:
Buya domainname ( setup abasic website
Createwording andsource images for thewebsite
Connectwithsocial media
What’sinitforYOU?Students
learn a newskill
meetnewpeople
makea difference in your community!
addyourinvolvementto yourCV
AccessPanel
Improve membership through online presence
Improvecommunicationand engagement
Connectwith localschoolsand young people
Improveyourvisibility inyour local community
Howtogetinvolved
Schools
Involvestudents in sociallyresponsible activity
Createconnectionswith localdisability groups
RaiseawarenessofDisability Equality
Andformembersofyour community…
Betteraccess tosupportand guidance in yourarea
Involvementwithdisabilitygroups and individualsaffectedbydisability
Have theirvoiceheard through the workofAccessPanelsandSDEF
Ifyouare interestedplease fill inouronlineapplication form:
“Iamme”project
Anewprojectcalled “Iam me”has beensetup to workwith partners toseek funding for the designand delivery ofa bespoke drama productionaimed atsecondary schools,disability groupsand communitygroupswithinRenfrewshire.
Thegroupaims toseek funding toraise awarenessofdisabilityhate crime,reduceincidents,and,increasereporting. Theproject/groupwillalsoseek funding to workwith youngpeople in Renfrewshire to designa DisabilityHate Crime pack forschools.This packwillbebased on thepack alreadyproduced by the CPSforEnglandand Wales.Thedesign anddistributionof thepack willhelpensure thattheawareness campaigncan beongoing forfuture young people.
Inaddition,theprojectwillalso workwith Strathclyde Police toraise awarenessofa "KeepSafe"initiativethatthe Policearecurrentlydesigning.Thisinitiativewilltrain localbusinesseshowtobecomeasafeareafordisabledandvulnerablepeopleto seekrefuge iftheyare feeling threatenedorunsafe.
Theprojectwillbepartneringwith PACE,StrathclydePoliceandRenfrewshire Council.
Ifyouwouldlikefurtherinformation,pleasecontactCarolat
AccesstoWork
ACCESSTOWORKprovidesadditionalsupportforindividualswhosehealthor disabilityaffects theway theydo theirjob.
Access toWorkcan providediscretionarygrants towards:
Specialistaidsandequipment;
SupportWorkers;
Supportfortransporttowork;
An interpreterorothersupportata job interviewifyouhave difficultycommuni- cating;
Supportforthosewith mentalhealthconditions,through the MentalHealthSup- portService.
Thesupporttheprogrammeoffersispersonalisedandwilldependonaperson’s needs.Access to Workadvisers canofferanassessmentofan individual’sworkplace to learn moreabout thesupport theyneed and offera grant on theinformation and recommendationsfromtheassessment.
Findoutmoreat 3110 to make an
AccessPanelFundingfromSDEF
As theend ofthe financialyear2012/2013 isalmostuponus, forthose ofyouwho have notreturnedyourinvoicesforlastyear's£750,itwouldbemuchappreciateditifyou couldget theminto us assoon as possibleplease!
ThiswillmeanSDEFcanissueyouwiththisyear'sGovernmentGrant.Unfortunately,ifweare leftwith any money wewillhave to return it to the
ScottishGovernmentand thatsituationwouldhaveadverseeffectforany fundingfor futureyears.
Also,ifyouhave ideason howyou cangrowanddevelop yourAccess Panel,could you getthese intous quicklyplease?This funding isa greatopportunity toraise awareness andpromoteyourAccessPanel.
Ifyouhaveany questions,pleasedo nothesitate tocontactour AccessWorkerMarta,.
AccessPanelAudits
SDEFwould like tosayahuge thankyou to the Access Panelswho havecompletedandsubmittedtheAccessPanelAuditthatwas sentouttoyou in September2012.Yourcooperation in this matter isgreatlyappreciated.
IfyourAccess Panelisyettosubmitthe Audit,canyouplease ensurethisiscompletedassoonaspossible. Wecannotstress
enoughhowimportant the Audit isand needyourcontribution to ensureourplans foran AccessPanelSupportPackagereflectyourneeds.
TheSkills Auditthatyouwerealsosentis forthe Access Panel’s internaluseonly.However,completing this mayassistwiththecompletionofthe Access PanelAudit.Theoriginaldeadline for thesubmissionof the Auditwas 30November2012.
Ifpreferred,theAuditisavailableonline takeno more than20 –30 minutes to complete.
Ifyouhave anyquestions,orwould likesome help incompleting the Audit,pleasedo nothesitate tocallMartaon
ClackmannanshireDisabilityAwarenessGroupTel:01259272018 Email:
TheClackmannanshire Access PanelnowfunctionsaspartoftheDAGgroupandhas regulartwicemonthlymeetingsattheAlloaBusinessCentreusuallyintheBenLedi room.
Recently theyhad avery informativepresentationand discussionwith Ninian Somerville ofClackmannanshire Councilon thedesigns forthe newlibrary and the refurbishmentoftheSpiersCentre.
AlisterScott(DAG)andKeithRobertson(SDEF)volunteered tovisitAlloa TownHallto checkoutthenewstair liftwhich providesaccess for thosewith some levelofdisability to the upperfloor.Keith commented that“due to theconstraintson listedbuildingswe cannotexpect toaccess everywhere”.
Alistercommented thathewasnothappywith theaccess to toilets in thenewCommunityHospital,this hasbeenbroughttotheattentionoftheHospitalataPPFmeetingandthey were looking into it.Sheila McGheesaid thatshewouldreportbackonany developments.
DAGhasbeenoutonseveralvisits toassesswalks for inclusion in the ‘Walks forAll inClackmannanshire’project.Thisproject isaboutcreating aseriesofwalking/accessmaps.Thesemapswillenablepeopletomakeinformed choicesaboutwhere they cango,howthey can getthere andwhat theywill find when theygetthere,notjustthefloraandfaunabutfacilitiessuchastoilets,seatsenroute,goodviewpoints,nearby cafesand such like.
TheDisabilityAwarenessGroupiscommittedtoraisingawarenessoftheissuesthatpeople living withdisabilities face in theireveryday livesand its membersare passionate aboutmaking Clackmannanshire a placewhere people with disabilitiescan live a fulland participatory life. Ifyou are living witha disabilityorsupportingsomeone whohas a disabilitypleaseconsider joining theDisability AwarenessGroup.2012willsee many fun activitiesbothoutsideand indoors.
EastRenfrewshireAccessPanel
Tel:01355302533Email:
Ithasbeen aquiet fewmonths upuntilnowbutwehave hada few"goings on".
BoththeWebMasterandmyselfhaveenrolledona course lookingatourWeb Site
regardingWeb Essentials ascovered inWebContentAccessibilityGuidelines'(WAG)2.0guidelines.Hopefully wewilllearnenoughtomakesureourWebSiteis accessible toall.
Wealso havebeen involved in EastRenfrewshire's newproposed HealthCentre in Williamwood.Afteran initialpublic meeting in a localhotelwe metwith the ERPlanning peopleaswellasoneofthechosenArchitectsregardingtheirproposalsforDisabled AccessandourthoughtsonwhatfittingsetcshouldbeincludedinalltheToilets,Lifts ,Stairsandgeneralrequirementsofflooring,ceilings,stairwayanddoors.The Disabled Parkingseems tobe veryadequatebutwebroughtup theeternal ERproblem ofunsuitableHearing AidLoopsand Signageandawaitwith interestthe finalised Drawingsand plans.
FalkirkDisabilityAccessandAssessmentGroupTel:07730447212 Email:
The FalkirkDisability Accessand Assessmentgrouparecurrentlyworkingon the followingprojects:
Developinga“GuidetoAccessibleToiletsintheFalkirkArea”.
Workingwith the Falkirk TaxiForum,SDEFandothers tobuildourcapacityand informlocalinitiatives.
Workingwith CallendarHouse toenable themto evaluateandupdate theiremergency evacuationprocedures forpeople withspecial needs.
Linkingwith otheraccess groups in thearea.
Wealsohopetoworkwithothergroupsand statutorybodies/projects in the future,thiscould beyou!
GlasgowAccessPanel
Tel:0141 9468488Email:
GlasgowAccess Panelhavebeenworking on the followingoverthe lastyear:
●Glasgowaccesspanel(GAP)has recentlyhelda membersevent(1 March2013) todiscuss the bluebadge consultation.Thiswaswellattendedand everyonewas abletogivetheiropiniononthequestions. Theresultwassubmittedthrough SDEFsurveymonkey.
●GAPhasbeenapproachedbyastudentofarchitecture,she is doingher
dissertationon theRiverside transport museum inGlasgow.She is interested Inhearingabouttheexperiences ofdisabled people on the museumand any
difficultiesencountered.Avisithasbeen arranged to the museumwithher accompaniedby some members of thepanel.
●GlasgowCityCouncilarebuilding fivenewcarehomes in Glasgowto replace the currenthomes.GAPvisitedthe mockuproomsattheSkills Academy inGlasgow.Itisclearagreatdealof thoughtand efforthas gone into ensuring thehomes are accessible.
●GAPcontinues toprovideaninformationstandatthePatientInformationcentre in the Victoria Infirmary,this isheldon the firstMondayof the month.Thestand is mannedby board membersand volunteers.
●Wealsoheld ourAGM inDecember,this was followed byspeaker
-PresentationbyIanMcKenzie;CommonwealthGamesonthe progress todate.Thiswas
followedbyaworkshopwithClare FraserandJohn Binning,fromSPTtheywere keen to getadviceand suggestions from members on meetingtheirPublicSectorDuties.
KilmarnockandDistrictAccessPanelEmail:
KilmarnockandDistrictAccess Panelhavebeenonsitevisits to twoorthreenewbuilds,forexample,twonewschools,anewAthletics Park in the town.
ThePanelisconsideringan Awards SchemeCertificate tobe presented anderected in buildingswe have visited whichare considered to be finished toa high standard.
Wehavechanged thename ofthe Panelto Kilmarnock andDistrictAccessPanel.
Wearealsopreparingaleaflettobedisplayedatall EastAyrshireCouncilOfficesandDoctorsandDentists
Surgeries.The leafletwillcontainourMission Statement,someartwork andaplea for newmembers. We arestillin theprocess ofputting this together.
RenfrewshireAccessPanel
Tel:07747036028Email:
Renfrewshire Access Panelhasbeenworking onvarious projectsandcontinues todevelop ourinvolvementwith RenfrewshireCouncilwithregardstohatecrime. We havealso been working on ournetworking and have had variousvisitors toourmeetingsuch as Strathclyde Police’sEqualityOfficer,wealsohave thecontinuedhelp
andsupportofourlocalCouncillor,both guestshave advisedus that theywant to continuallyattendourmeetingsandhelpinanywaytheycan. Thelistcontinuesas RenfrewshireCouncilhavenowsetupahitsquadtodealwithbenefitissuesforthe changesinbenefitsthatarecurrentlyhappeningandwehaveamemberoftheteam coming toournextmeeting to doapresentation and take questions.
Wednesday20thFebruary2013marksahistoricdayforRenfrewshireAccessPanel (RAP),wehada meetingwith PeterMcLeod,theheadofSocialWork inRenfrewshire andhe hasagreed to look at taking the idea forward ofacentre forindependent living in Renfrewshirewhich meansRAPwillbeworking inco-productionwith SocialWork.The CentrewillbecalledRenfrewshireCentreforIndependentLiving(RENCIL)andnow there isa greatdealofwork andprogress being made forRAPand it isa challenge thatweare looking forward toand this includes making the wonderful improvements for Renfrewshire with themany newand innovative servicesthatweintend to provide. In futurewearehopingthatRENCILwillnotonlyserviceRenfrewshirebutwillhavea greaterimpacton thesurrounding areaandhopefully country-wide in future toofferhelp andsupporttoeveryone.
StirlingAccessPanel
Tel:01786469916Email:
BannockburnBattlefieldCentre
ThisnewCentrewillbe open forearly2014,and Stirling Area AccessPanel(SAAP)withtheexcellentsupportofKeith Robertson.We havehad lengthy meetingswith the
architectandprojectteamfromHistoric Scotlandandthe NationalTrust,on the detaileddesignof thebuildingandon externalfeatures.The PanelhasalsoworkedwithStirling
CouncilRoads Depton the immediate publicaccess to the Centre to make it inclusive for allpedestrianvisitors to theCentre.Throughourefforts,we feel thatthe Panelhasbeen successfulinmakingkeychangestoaccessibilityinmanyvitalareas.Therewillbea testdayprior to the Centre’sopening,wheredisabled groupswillhave theopportunity to trialallthe facilities,and,wehope,give it their
approval!
Waitrose,Stirling
Anew40,000sqftStoreopenedinStirlinglastmonth.Our Panelhadmeetingswiththeprojectmanagerandarchitect.
Again,with thehelpofKeithRobertson,wehoped to make