1voice.org.uk

Co-op travel leads the way

// February 18th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // access, equality, inclusive, information, life, transport

Co-op travel have broken ahead of the field of travel companys by being the first high street travel firm to provide a custom service for disabled people.

Co-op Travel have trained staff from 40 branches on the access needs of disabled people who want to go on holiday, so that they can give accurate and relevant access information. Their travelshops will have specialist guides on airport access and facilities also. The aim is to roll out this expertise to all their branches.

You can find out whether a branch near you has this new service by contacting Co-op Travel:

0845 266 9228 or visit online: www.co-operativetravel.co.uk/specialist-travel.

Find out about health plans for Wolverhampton

// February 16th, 2010 // No Comments » // Wolverhampton, access, health

If you want to know what’s happening with health and social care developments in your area, there are open days around Wolverhampton:

South West Area    Wednesday 24 February 2010    2 pm to 7 pm

Bantock Park, Finchfield Road, Wolverhampton

North East    Thursday 25 February 2010     2 pm to 7 pm

The Church of Good Shepherd, Second Avenue, Lowhill

South East    Friday 26 February 2010        2 pm to 7 pm

The Bilston Town Hall, Bilston

City Centre    Saturday 27 February 2010     10 am to 3 pm

Mander Centre, City Centre, Wolverhampton

For more details contact Cath Cunningham on 01902 444757 or e-mail Cath.Cunningham@wolvespct.nhs.uk or Heather Mytton-Sanneh on 01902 551461 or e-mail Heather.Mytton-Sanneh@wolverhampton.gov.uk

One organisation for older people

// February 8th, 2010 // No Comments » // Wolverhampton

In Spring of this year, Age Concern and Help the Aged will become one organisation, called Age UK.

You can have a look at their webiste here>>>

Incapacity Benefit to end in 2014

// January 26th, 2010 // No Comments » // benefits, information, legal

The Government has some draft regulations out to consultation.
these regulations will decide when people will be moved from Incapacity Benefit to Employment Support Allowance.

These regulations allow for the transition to begin in October 2010. It will start with a small test to make sure it works administratively, as the plans mean that in full swing up to 10,000 people per week will be transferred.
Most people will be transferred from February 2011 and all people who were on Incapacity Benefit will be on Employment Support Allowance, or off benefits and in work by the end of March 2014 according to the Governemtn plans.

you cannot appeal your transfer.

You can have a say about the transfer rules in the Government’s consultation, up to February 8th.
You can get the consultation papers and have a say by visiting the social security website>>>

Action for Access

// January 25th, 2010 // No Comments » // access, arts, campaigns, creative

Leonard Cheshire Campaigns team are launching an access campaign and want disabled people’s help.

They are calling on disabled people who take photos or do designs or artwork to produce some images that help show the access problems disabled people face every day, and they will judge the best entry.

If you want to send in an entry go here>>>>

If you want to fill out some access surveys, go here>>>

If you want to do some access work with One Voice, contact us

More Info online

// January 21st, 2010 // No Comments » // Wolverhampton, access, information

A new Government website data.gov is available from today.

It aims to get more information and data held by the Government online.

You can go to the site and suggest ideas for how information could be presented.

So if, for example, you wanted to know how many disabled pupils were in each mainstream school in your area, you could suggest this as an app.

The site has only been live for a few hours, and already the following apps have come from ideas suggested by the public:

House price trends

Where your taxes etc go

Alerts for planning applications in your area

reporting potholes in your area

Finding postboxes near you

Why not visit the site and suggest an idea?

Spanish Police put disabled people first!!

// December 11th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // creative, culture

Okay, my friend who lives in Spain told me about this, so I had to tell you:

A man who we assume is disabled had been warned by his doctor that it was “psychologically inadvisable” for him to listen to anything that wasnt traditional jazz - and especially not any of that mdern discordant stuff. El País - my freind’s source for some of the story - isn’t all that clear on what “psychologically inadvisable” means, but lets move on with the story.

The man - as befitted his condition, went to the Siguenza Jazz Festival. While there, a band came on who were drumming, and doing other kinds of things that jazz musicians like doing. The guy in question felt this was not jazz, but contemporary music, and called the police.

This kind of stuff happens, and we have no problem when a person because of their mental health problems, acts in a stronger way than most would.

The thing that makes the story interesting is that the police came, listened to the music for a while, agreed with our guy that it was contemporary music and not jazz, and that our guy had a case for getting his money back.

Does that mean the next time the England cricket team have one of their famous Englandbatting collapses, if I call the police, can I get my money back?

Castoffs drops anchor

// November 24th, 2009 // No Comments » // arts

The new Channel 4 sitcom featuring a largely disabled cast has its first episode tonight.

Taking a sideswipe at programmes like castaway - castoffs is a pretent reality tv show which strands a bunch of disabled people on a desert island for three months, so i expect there will be a lot of sex, and a lot of the kind of humour about us that only we can get away from.

The programme carries a lot of weight on its shoulders, because there is so little on tv featuring real disabled actors playing real disabled people with real lives, that whenever something does bob to the surface, we all have ridiculously high hopes for it.

I just hope its not all worthy and preachy, and that it is funny - it’s written by some of the people who wrote shamless and skins, so it has every chance.

You can see episode 1 on Tuesday 24th November, at 11.05pm on Channel 4

RBS Discrimination case

// November 23rd, 2009 // No Comments » // access, discrimination, justice, legal

Regular visitors to the site may remember our report about  a Sheffield wheelchair user who too the (Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) to Court because he could not get into his local branch. The Bank argued that he could access 3 other branches in the area, and that it would be unreasonable for them to make counter facilities accesible, because they would lose the use of an interview room. The Court disagreed and instructed RBS to pay £6,500 in damages and install a platform lift.

RBS appealed, but the Appeal Court has agreed with the original judge.

This is a step forward in case law, as the bank argued that he could use internet banking, or use other branches (DDA provisons on providing a service in an alternative  way to obviate a barrier), but the Law Lords agreed with Counsel for the disabled man, that the case was about the fact that the student wanted to have banking facilities as close as possible, like anyone else .

Job Advert - Health Authority

// November 12th, 2009 // No Comments » // Wolverhampton

We have been sent details of these jobs, you can find out more on the PCT site:

Job Reference:  799-3088

Job Title:  Health Trainer

Area of Work:  Health Promotion

Employer:  Wolverhampton City PCT

Department:  Healthy Life Styles Department

Location:  Wolverhampton

Salary:  Band 3 £15,190 - £18,157

Job Type: Fixed Term Temporary

Staff Group: Administrative & Clerical

Pay Scheme: Agenda for change

Pay Band: 3

Working pattern: 37.5

Health Trainer. Salary Band 3 £15190 - £18,157
Hours of Work: 37.5
Job Type: Fixed Term for 3 years
Job Ref: 799-3088

We are seeking to recruit to 9 new Health Trainer within Wolverhampton City Primary Care Trust. Health trainers help people in Wolverhampton City to develop healthier behaviour and lifestyles in their own local communities. They offer practical support to clients to change their behaviour to achieve their own choices and goals. The ability to motivate people is therefore a key part of the work of a health trainer.
Applicants must have a good general education and an understanding of the basic principles of health improvement.