Autism-Friendly Panto Performance Confirmed

April 4, 2013 — Wendy

Theatregoers with special needs and their families are getting the chance to attend a special performance of the pantomime.
 
Producers of this year’s Norwich Theatre Royal festive spectacular Cinderella have given the green light to a relaxed performance at 5.30pm on Wednesday January 15 next year.
 
While the show itself will be the same as the rest of the performances, there will be a number of special facilities specifically for theatre-goers with autism, their families and friends, and anyone else who prefers to attend a more relaxed show.
 
These include:

  • A more relaxed atmosphere meaning patrons can move around, and enter and leave as they wish through the show.
  • A break-out room where patrons can take a break from the show.
  • The auditorium lights will remain on a low-level throughout the performance
  • A specially-extended interval of 30 minutes

(more…)

Posted in autism, Carers, Norfolk, special needs. Tags: , , . No Comments »

My fight to save my son’s care

April 4, 2013 — Maureen

My fight to save my son’s care

 

2:00pm Thursday 4th April 2013 in News By Melanie Vass

 

BRAVE: Lorraine Zavadil from Throop with her severely disabled son Tarik BRAVE: Lorraine Zavadil from Throop with her severely disabled son Tarik

A BOURNEMOUTH mother, who cares full-time for her severely disabled son, has been invited to the House of Commons to share her experiences with MPs.

Lorraine Zavadil will tell politicians how she was forced to take legal action against Bournemouth council after it tried to slash her son’s care package.

She also hopes to describe the “insurmountable” pressure she and other parents of disabled children are under

The 53-year-old is one of around 50 people invited to the Right to Care? event.

The event will be attended by Esther McVey, Minister for Disabled People, and Edward Timpson, Minister for Chil-dren and Families, and it has been organised by campaigner Rosa Monckton and Irwin Mitchell Solicitors, who help-ed Lorraine win her 18-month battle with Bournemouth council. (more…)

Posted in Blind, Carers, cerebral palsy, learning difficulties, ukcuts. Tags: , , , . No Comments »

The sick and carers fear the benefit changes

April 4, 2013 — Wendy

Change to disability benefits appeals process could leave people penniless

A double whammy of a revised appeals process and the abolition of legal aid threatens to deny benefits to vulnerable claimants

Disability campaigners fear jobcentre staff will be ill-equipped to judge people's work capability.

Disability campaigners fear that jobcentre staff will be ill-equipped to make judgments about people’s work capability. Photograph: Martin Argles for the Guardian

Amid the avalanche of welfare reforms being implemented by a government intent on reducing the benefits bill by £18bn, one controversial measure that seems to have fallen below the radar is a change to the appeals process for welfare benefit claimants.

There are fears that the change, which will deny people the right to appeal decisions about sickness and disability benefits until the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has first reconsidered their case, could leave claimants penniless. Moreover, its introduction, just as legal aid is abolished for many welfare benefit cases, could leave thousands of vulnerable people unable to access the law to secure the income they are entitled to. The double whammy has been attacked as “a disgrace and a scandal”.

The revised appeals process, called “mandatory reconsideration”, will be applied to anyone who, from October, fails the controversial work capability assessment (WCA) and wants to challenge the decision to deny them sickness benefits. (more…)

Posted in Carers, disability, ukcuts. Tags: , , , . No Comments »

Banks offered new guidance on dealing with family carers

April 3, 2013 — Maureen

Banks offered new guidance on dealing with carers

  • By: Joanna Faith
  • 03 Apr 2013
  • All banks and building societies in the UK have today received new guidance to support carers and relatives who manage accounts on behalf of other people.
care-home-web

The framework – and the complementary consumer guide which accompanies it – aims to help these people have a better and more consistent experience, reducing their burden at what can be a very difficult time.

Arranging to run an account on behalf of a loved one is a challenge faced by thousands of people every year. Since 2007, 536,941 Lasting Powers of Attorney have been registered in the UK to manage property and affairs, which includes the management of financial matters. In 2012 there were around 800,000 people in the UK suffering from dementia with this number forecast to rise to more than a million by 2021.

The guidance framework has been jointly developed by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), the British Bankers Association (BBA) and the Building Societies Association (BSA), working in collaboration with the Law Society, Alzheimer’s Society, Solicitors for the Elderly and Age UK. (more…)

Posted in Cancer, Carers, dementia, elderly care, Multiple Sclerosis. Tags: , , , , . No Comments »

‘Equal Lives ‘new name for Norfolk Disability group

April 3, 2013 — Wendy

“This government has torn up the rule book and targeted disabled people” says chief executive of relaunched Norfolk disabled rights group

By DAVID FREEZER Wednesday, April 3, 2013
6:30 AM

 Anna Abraham, who spoke at the Time for Equal Lives event at the Forum, Norwich. Photo: Steve Adams
Anna Abraham, who spoke at the Time for Equal Lives event at the Forum, Norwich. Photo: Steve Adams

Rights for disabled people were the main topic of conversation at the Forum in Norwich as the Norfolk Coalition of Disabled People was relaunched with a new name, Equal Lives.

 

The group’s new identity and services were unveiled yesterday with a presentation of upcoming plans and priorities in The Curve digital theatre, which was attended by around 250 people.

There was also a series of stalls with information, advice and activities from Equal Lives and its member groups.

Chief executive, Mark Harrison, said: “Over the last 25 years consecutive governments of whatever colour talked to people and acted on what was said, or at least tried to.

“The Disability Discrimination Act was brought in under the last Conservative government but this government has torn up the rule book and targeted disabled people in a completely unfair way for some of the sharpest cuts.

“So the demand for our information and welfare rights services are going up as our funding is reducing.” (more…)

Posted in Carers, disability, Norfolk, Uncategorized. Tags: , , . No Comments »
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