On Wednesday 27^th July disability rights campaigners from the anti-assisted suicide group Distant Voices, will stage a mock execution of a wheelchair user outside Parliament.

The Distant Voices stunt is aimed at giving greater publicity to a different view on assisted suicide.

A lot has been said in the press over the past through years by disabled people who want the right to die at a time of their choosing, without partners or friends getting punished for it; Distant Voices believes not enough thought is being given to the possibility that this might lead to the involuntary euthanasia of disabled people.

The protest will start at 1pm at Old Palace Yard from where campaigners wearing surgical masks will process by drumbeat to a scaffold where one wheelchair user will be doused in fake blood.

A new poll found 70 per cent of disabled people were concerned that a change of law to allow terminally ill patients to receive help to die would create pressure on vulnerable patients to “end their lives prematurely”.
This probably says more about disabled people’s feelings of not being treated as equal and valued members in society, than it does about assisted suicide.
Any change to the law, proposed by disabled celebrities like writer Terry Pratchet and campaigner Debbie Purdy would need to have strong safegaurds and recourse to independent advocates to protect disabled people’s rights to self-determination.

Activeyes is a group run by and for visually impaired people.
If you have a visual impairment and would you like to share your experiences with other people who have a visual impairment, join Activeyes support group – they meet at The Lock Works Cafe Bar at Light House, Chubb Buildings, Fryer Street, Wolverhampton.
Activeyes also have their own walks for health group. The walks take place on the 3rd Tuesday of every month. They meet outside the Tea Rooms at 11am in West Park, and the walk lasts for approx 45 minutes. It is suitable for all including wheelchair users. After the walk there is normally a break for light refreshments in the Tea Rooms.

The Community gateway are doing a survey on local council websites and their information on telecare services and assistive technology for disabled people and others.

The information will be fed back to the local councils with the aim of improving information and support on telecare.
Wolverhampton runs several telecare services, but can you find information about them on the council website?

If you want to take part in the survey and help to improve the information, you can so here>>>

It only takes a few minutes to complete

As yet another disabled person dies as a result of bullying in their homes, are authorities doing enough?

Quiet enjoyment of property, a right to live free of fear, a right to protection from crime – these seem to be pretty basic human rights that disabled people are not being entitled to.

In the most recent case where a man with a learning disability collapsed and died after continued and sustained harassment at his home from local youths, is yet another case where police have been informed and involved, but the disabled person has died anyway.

Police in this case were keen to point out in interviews that they had “done a lot of work” with the victim, including waiting in his house, installing CCTV cameras etc. The bullies’ response to the CCTV cameras was to wear hoods and balaclavas – we know, because we saw it on tv – so what happened then? What did police do when they saw that footage, surely they could have had regular patrols – arrests under hate crime legislation or public order offences.

I can see how the bullies made it difficult for the police, i can see how the police took positive action like the CCTV cameras, but i cannot see how the man was still allowed to be subject to bullying on a regular basis until he died.

Nobody can be complacent here – the police cannot congratulate themselves on “hard work” when the victim dies, but although the failure to protect the individual and to maintain civil order and neighbourhood safety is a police responsibility, it is also a responsibility for local councils and housing authorities, for local schools and neighbours, and for local communities.

How much damage was done when we all so readily embraced the idea that there is no such thing as communities? Surely as human beings we have a responsibility to our neighbours, but we stopped doing things at community level, stopped knowing who are neighbours are, made it that much more difficult for us to intervene when someone in our street needs help or is being bullied.

Perhaps we need more opportunities to meet and socialise with the people accross the road or corridor, the people down the street or in the next block, because history tells us that when communities band together to let bullies know that an injury to one is an injury to all, they soon stop coming around.

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.