It is good practise, when serving a disabled customer, NOT to do what my optician did yesterday by asking how long I had needed a wheelchair and why. I explained I had MD and he said 'oh yes just like Stephen Hawkins'. Shame he was totally wrong and was only comparing our bodies rather than our minds - I wish!

Disability Equality applies to how you address a disabled person and you can be in breach of the DDA because you wouldn't ask a none disabled person such personal questions that have no significance to providing a service. It brings undue attention to a person's impairment where it isn't needed. I personally find it frustrating and annoying.

Tags:disabled | optician

Yesterday a new way of making an emergency call was launched - by Text Message. I have worked with a number of disabled people within the first aid and emergency services where this would have been a life-saver for people who can't hold a phone, have a speech impairment or are Deaf. I taught a Deaf lady on a first-aid course one year where making the 999/112 call was very difficult for her to be understood.

My texting life saver.

As a person who finds it impossible to hold a mobile phone, I found myself in a predicament where a care worker was becoming drunk and about to physically abuse me - or worse. I had employed a live-in, male care worker and all was going well until I started smelling alcohol on his breath. His references had all checked out and a CRB was being carried out. I then heard that he had been dismissed because of alcohol and related problems from a previous care worker job and should not be working in this field.

I discussed my findings and he was due to leave the next day. However, by the evening he was intoxicated through consoling himself because he had lost himself another job - and things took a sudden turn for the worse. Every indication was that there was a high risk of an abusive situation but then things got even worse.

My electric wheelchair went from having a slow puncture to being being completely flat in a few seconds. I was stuck in the middle of the room with a care worker who was making advances. I also knew that he had taken a knife into his room for some unknown reason. I couldn't make a 999 call as it was too difficult and it could have pushed him over the edge. He wanted to kill himself and now there were two lives in danger.

I had, however, told a friend what was happening and if I texted a code word the police would be called. I did this silently and effectively. Thank goodness I did, just as the care worker touched my face the door went - it was the police who removed the man from my property calmly and effectively and I live to tell the tale.


PRESS RELEASE SUMMARY: 26th February 2008

Emergency SMS texting service for deaf and speech-impaired people launched

From: Kent Fire and Rescue Service and Kent County Council

A new SMS service for Deaf and speech-impaired people was launched at Kent Police Headquarters today (26 February 2008).

The launch of this partnership project coincided with a visit from Anne McGuire, Minister for Disabled People, who was visiting Kent Police Headquarters to attend a disability action group meeting.

The initiative is a joint venture between Kent Police, Kent County Council (KCC) and Kent Fire and Rescue (KFRS), and will allow those with hearing and speech problems to 'text' the emergency services when they require help.

Those using the SMS system, will have to start their text with the word 'police', 'medic' or 'rescue' depending on which service they need, followed by the rest of their message. The text will then be channelled to the relevant organisation and dealt with immediately.

Kent Police Assistant Chief Constable Steve Harris said: 'This new service means that deaf and speech impaired people will be able to alert emergency services of concerns they have quickly and effectively, without having to face problems that could be linked to conventional methods.
'With technology moving forward all the time, it's vital that we use the latest and most efficient means of communication for everybody in our local communities.'

Minister for Disabled People, Anne McGuire said: 'I am delighted to see the launch of this invaluable text messaging service. It will empower deaf and speech impaired people to gain quick and easy access to emergency services where and when they need to. I would like to express my thanks and congratulations to all the organisations which have put in such hard work and dedication to make this happen. This project is a great example for the rest of the country.'

KCC Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services, Kevin Lynes said: 'I am delighted that Our Deaf Forum and staff in Deaf Services have played such an important role in the setting up of this vital system. This is an excellent example of pooling resources and together with Kent Police and Kent Fire and Rescue; this new initiative can quite literally save lives.'

Assistant Director of Kent Fire and Rescue, Steve Griffiths, said: 'We are delighted to be teaming up with our emergency services colleagues to launch this new service. It is really important to us that deaf people are able to contact us quickly and easily if they need our help- and this new service is a great solution.'

Posters and leaflets advertising the initiative are currently being distributed in key locations around the county.

Tags:disabled | independent living | wheelchair

PRESS RELEASE SUMMARY: Harrow Council found guilty in acting unlawfully.

From: Public Law Project. A small section is show below and the full press release is available from: Public Law Project

"20 December 2007

High Court finds that Council acted unlawfully and ignored rights of disabled people

Harrow Council forced to reconsider new policy withdrawing care services from 100s of residents

In a key case about disability rights and the provision of care services for 100s of people, a judge found a local council had acted unlawfully when introducing its new policy because it had breached its duties under the Disability Discrimination Act.


The case, brought by the Public Law Project (PLP) on behalf of three service-users in Harrow, was a challenge to Harrow Council’s decision in July this year to restrict the care services it currently provides to people with critical needs only, withdrawing care from those who had substantial needs. "

Tags:disabled | discrimination

As a dedicated family historian researching my ancestry, I purchase a popular magazine called 'Your Family Tree'.

In the last issue, they accidentally printed some of their articles in a pale font on a pale background and made it difficult for vision impaired people to read or 'those with poor eyesight' as they described.

Nice to see that not only have they apologized publicly but they have made an accessible downloadable version in a pdf for people who can access the Internet.

Congratulations to the Editor for apologizing and avoiding a potential DDA claim from it's readers. Perhaps others publications could take note... I''m off to have a read.

Read what the company said by clicking here.

I posted a comment on their website and added this note in reference to their SPAM detection:

(Apart from to publish this I had to answer a maths question which many disabled people would find difficult should they have a cognitive impairment)

Tags:disabled | discrimination | business | visually impaired | alternative formats