Archive for the News Category

Coffe and cake anyone?

Coffe and cake anyone?

Coffe and cake anyone?

On Friday we hosted a MacMillan Coffee morning to raise funds for such an important charity.  We were joined by lots of friends old and new as we tucked in to some fantastic home-made treats from our very own Gemma Price, Accessible Wales’s answer to Mary Berry.  One in two of us will face cancer in our lifetimes. If you are able to, please consider making a one-off donation to Macmillan here: https://donation.macmillan.org.uk/wbcm/one-off

We were pleased to have raised £153 on the day, which will be donated to MacMillan to carry on their excellent work.

At the event we also celebrated the first stage of our Community Inclusion Project, the project aims at improving the accessibility of community buildings in the project areas.  It also aims to raise awareness of difficulties disabled people use when accessing these vital community resources.

Community Inclusion Project Logo

You can find out more about our new project by visiting the Community Inclusion Project page on our website. If you run a community building or are part of a group that works out of a community building in Cynon Valley please drop us an email on rjones@accessible.wales as you may be able to take part.

Thanks to all those who attended, representatives from Rhondda Cynon Taff, Tracey from Accessible Caring Transport, Emma from Hirwaun Village Hall, Beth Winter MP, Vikki Howells MS, PC Nick James, Tracey from New Horizons, Rhys from Hirwaun FC, Cllr Adam Fox and friends and family, Margaret, Owen, Jack, Richard, Mary, Julia, Lucy, Darren, Theo and Louise.

Thursday Thoughts

Thursday Thoughts

#ThursdayThoughts

#ThursdayThoughts - Implement and enforce the Equality Act 2010, which prohibits discrimination against disabled people in various areas, including access to goods, services, and public spaces.

Today’s is Thursday and that means it’s the start of our #ThursdayThoughts series where we share a thought on disability, equality or accessibility.

Today’s thought focusses on the need to implement and enforce the Equality Act 2010.  This Act makes it unlawful to discriminate against people because of their protected characteristics.  If you’d like to know more about the Equality Act, get in touch either by emailing us on info@accessible.wales or give us a call 01685 810432Telephone Icon.

Out-of-town Developments: Are they a more accessible option for disabled people?

Out-of-town Developments: Are they a more accessible option for disabled people?

Out-of-town Developments: Are they a more accessible option for disabled people?

Having read with interest a recent report on BBC News about Out-of-town developments affecting town centre trade we write today with some
thoughts on the debate between out-of-town shopping developments versus the traditional town centres. An aspect of this debate that is
often overlooked is access for disabled people.

Aberdare Town Centre
Aberdare Town Centre

Accessible Wales are big supporters of the traditional town centre, with many friends owning or working in businesses on the high-street. They can be the heart of a community, bustling with shops, cafes, and other amenities. However, they can pose significant challenges for disabled people.

Principal Consultant, Richard Jones believe that out-of-town developments have huge benefits for disabled people, but also makes the following comment:

I am a big supporter of the town centre and would strongly urge decision makers to invest more time and money in improving access. If thought was put in to the access and provision in a town centre and disabled people were engaged with a big difference could be achieved.

Accessible Wales is willing to work with any business or town planner to help improve access as are many other access consultants and access groups, it’s just a case of reaching out and engaging. Download a fully copy of our statement here , for more information contact us using the contact us page.

Disability Simulation – An insight into disability or a patronising activity?

Disability Simulation – An insight into disability or a patronising activity?

Disability Simulation – An insight into disability or a patronising activity?

A disability simulation is any activity designed to give participants a sense of what it is like to experience the issues someone with a health conditions encounter. Common disability simulations include:

  • spending time in a wheelchair,
  • going into the community blindfolded,
  • or playing sports with one arm tied behind your back.

During our face-to-face Disability Awareness training courses, we have regularly undertaken these types of activities, we do this to provide delegates with an insight into accessibility.  For example, it allows course delegates the experience of guiding someone who may have sight loss or the issue of a high reception desk for a person who is seated in a wheelchair and the impact that has on not only the person in the wheelchair but on our client’s service delivery.

Training Delegates carrying out our Disability Perception activity
Training Delegates carrying out our Disability Perception activity

We always state that this activity is not meant to be condescending and that people are more than welcome to opt out.  It can be one thing to look at access and recognise the changes that need to be made but sometimes even the smallest exposure to the difficulties faced can generate so much more understanding, and understanding and education can be so powerful, this is surely the way to start change?

Disability Perception stand at Naidex
Disability Perception stand at Naidex

Earlier in the year Richard attended the annual Naidex exhibition and while he was there saw a van called the Autism Reality Experience, and the Virtual Dementia Tour.  You can find out more about them here https://www.training2care.com/autism-reality-experience.htm,  This is another form of disability perception but to a higher level, what would your thoughts be on this?  Sadly Richard wasn’t able to try it but intends to if they are there next year.  We’ve tried all our activities… even Richard!

We wouldn’t ask anyone to do anything we wouldn’t do ourselves, could the Autism Reality Experience make us feel different about this type of activity?

However, some feel that a snap shot into someone’s abilities may make a person more aware of another person’s experiences, but it doesn’t dig deep to the root of discrimination against people with minority identities. Instead, it’s more likely to evoke empathy or pity than true acceptance.  They also state that if it does make such a huge impact on people why hasn’t it sparked change? Both in accessibility and behaviours?

I’m inclined to state that there just aren’t enough people who have been educated.  While I completely understand that it’s never going to be as easy as sitting in a wheelchair for half an hour and then understanding all the difficulties someone encounters in their everyday life.  I use crutches because of knee and hip conditions and trying to get around a car park for 10 minutes as opposed to trying to carry a loaf of bread and pint of milk home from the shop while navigating cars and opening doors etc. is not the same.

I understand that it’s not a real life situation but in my opinion it is a tiny insight and a tiny insight is better than no insight at all.

What are your thoughts? Eye opening or patronising?

Thanks for reading

Gemma Price

Gemma Price, Operations Manager - Accessible Wales

Gemma Price
Operations Manager
Accessible Wales

Accessible Wales hosting a virtual conference on post COVID and the effects on Disabled People

Accessible Wales hosting a virtual conference on post COVID and the effects on Disabled People

International Day of Disabled Persons

A Virtual Conference on Post COVID and the effects on Disabled People

Impact of COVID on the Mental Health of Disabled People Event Logo

In 1992 the United Nations convened the annual International Day of Disabled People to be held annually on 3rd December.  This year’s day has a goal of spreading the awareness of invisible disabilities as well as the impact that COVID-19 has had on mental health.

Accessible Wales will be hosting a virtual conference looking at post COVID and the effects on Disabled People, the event is free, tickets can be obtained from our Eventbrite page.

As well as this we were thinking that maybe we could help a little in everyone’s lives. So #HelpForHealth is encouraging people to just look out for each other a little bit more.  These small gestures could be a FaceTime call to a family member or sending a letter to a friend.  We’ve all been through a rough couple of years and its made an impact on our mental health, lets pull together, share our ideas, spread the hashtag and make a difference.

#HelpForHealth Logo

Keep a watch out as we publish our list of guest speakers and an order of events for the day.

If you would like more information about this event, or find out about the services we offer at Accessible Wales give us a call on 01685 810432Telephone Icon or email info@accessible.wales

#HelpForHealth

Anti–Bullying Week, Monday 15th – Friday 19th November

Anti–Bullying Week, Monday 15th – Friday 19th November

Anti–Bullying Week

Monday 15th – Friday 19th November

Anti–Bullying week is a week that most primary schools take part in, bullying strategies and education should be done as part of the curriculum.

Accessible Wales’ has been delivering Disability Awareness Training for over 10 years and primarily our hope is that people are kind to each other!

Differences should be celebrated, it’s what makes us unique!  Everyone should be there to help and support each other.  We can help with this, whether it is young people taking part in our Percy Pickdon Anti–Bullying Courses or adults participating in any of our awareness training courses.

Bullying is never okay in any circumstance and whether its Anti–Bullying week or the rest of the year we’ll be here hoping we make a difference!

Percy Pickdon
Percy Pickdon

You can find out more about Anti-Bullying week here https://anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/anti-bullying-week

Purple Tuesday – How could it help your business?

Purple Tuesday – How could it help your business?

Purple Tuesday – How could it help your business?

We think it is important to make you aware of the initiative, Purple Tuesday, which will be taking place on 2nd November 2021.  The initiative is free for all organisations to take part and is focused around promoting the importance of the customer experience for 14.1 million disabled people in the UK.

Purple Tuesday 2021 is a programme for organisations and businesses of all sizes from all sectors to get involved in, with the common goal of improving the customer experience for disabled people 365 days a year.

Accessible Wales version of the Purple Pound

There is huge commercial value to be gained from taking part in this initiative. It is estimated that the purple pound – the collective spending power of disabled people and their families – is worth £6 trillion (approx.) worldwide, yet on average, it is estimated that only 10% of organisations have a plan in place to access this market. Which provides a huge opportunity for us to grow our customer base of disabled people and their families.

Disabled people make up 20% of the global population, which makes them the world’s largest minority group and 80% of disabled people have a hidden or invisible disability. This means that 1 in 5 people who enter our premises may have additional needs that may not be easily identifiable.

A family shopping
1 in 5 people who enter our premises may have additional needs that may not be easily identifiable

Purple Tuesday was created and is organised by Purple, a disability organisation which aims to support businesses to develop their products and services for disabled people. Purple Tuesday is a call to action to organisations to better understand the needs of our disabled customers and to put the right solutions in place.

The Purple Tuesday brand has grown significantly, reaching over 13 million on social media, 130+ items of media coverage including national broadcast slots on BBC, ITV News and Radio 5 Live and over 20 local radio stations, as well as trending on twitter in 2019 alone.

In order to participate in Purple Tuesday, they simply ask we as an organisation make at least one new commitment to disabled customers which needs to be relevant 365 days a year. Some ideas include: disability awareness training (click the link to see information on our training), introducing the Sunflower Lanyard scheme, improving the accessibility of a website or physical space (the organisations above are just some of the companies we’ve worked with to improve their access).  Purple also provide many resources for free which we can use to help us identify and fulfil our Purple Tuesday commitment, which you can gain free access to once registered.  More information on the resources they have available can be found here.

We’ve also shared their Quiz for you here and you can have a go at their wordsearch here.  How many can you get right?

Colourful Crossing, what are they?

Colourful Crossing, what are they?

Colourful Crossing, what are they?

Some time ago, we looked in to running a ‘Pretty Pothole’ project through Accessible News, it would involve putting flowers in the potholes around the community.

We were hoping it would have a number of benefits, firstly draw attention to how bad the road surfaces are, potholes, uneven surfaces and loose debris can cause difficulties for disabled people.  Secondly, it was filling in those holes and making them more visible so that people didn’t get stuck or trip.  Thirdly, it would brighten up the community; cheer people up, a bit of colour never hurt anyone, except it can!

There is a new craze spreading through cities, pedestrian crossings painted over with brightly coloured, often abstract, artistic designs, see some examples below:

While some may think they are beautiful, colourful and artistic they pose many problems for a lot of people.  Crossings are a necessity to access one side of the pavement from another, these crossings pose a risk to people with visual impairments, the consistency and predictability of signage is fundamental to being able to navigate safely and independently.

The majority of visually impaired people have some sight. Designs and colours used on pedestrian crossings which are not consistent with traditional designs could cause confusion and risk safety. The use of black and white in traditional pedestrian crossings offer high contrast which is essential for people with low vision to detect them and stay on course when crossing roads.

Traditional zebra crossing

We have also heard accounts from visually impaired people with light sensitivity who find the artwork painful to look at.  It is also a concern for people with dementia who can often experience perceptual problems called ‘misperceptions’ where they view one thing as something completely different such as a dark area on the floor could look like a hole or blue paint could look like water, this can make people disoriented and scared.

Because of the pandemic and the restrictions to travel the streets were transformed; with widened pavements, traffic calming measures, additional space for cycling, and more. Many of these changes were rolled out at pace, and implemented without consultation with disabled people.  We completely understand that there was an urgency to make changes and that consultation and discussions would have been time consuming however, this road art is of no urgency, costs a considerable amount of money and once again leaves disabled people as an afterthought.

Global Accessibility Awareness Day

Global Accessibility Awareness Day

Global Access Awareness Day 2021

Yep, judging by the title of this post today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day and I thought it would be daft for us not to mention it.

I’m not going to bore you with a long article about how important it is for disabled people to be able to access, well everything, like everyone else, because in this day and age everyone should know that!!

Everyone at Accessible Wales shout about equality and kindness and yet venues still have steps so wheelchair users can’t access a take away coffee, or harsh lighting meaning a visually impaired person can’t read a menu.

Principal Consultant Richard Jones
Principal Consultant Richard Jones

Yes, it could be said that they can ring a bell for a coffee or a menu can be read to them etc. but why should that happen? I love my independence (too much as some of my family and friends would say) and I think it’s important that everyone should have the ability to do things for themselves.

Okay rant over (it’s a passionate subject) but please have a think, as its Global Accessibility Awareness Day, is there anything you can do to help?

There’s more information on the Global Access Awareness Day website You can always read about our access consultancy service on this website.  Or call 01685 810432 for more information.

Thanks for stopping by

Disabled lady paying by card
What are your thoughts on access?

COVID-19 National Day of Reflection

COVID-19 National Day of Reflection

COVID-19 National Day of Reflection

On 23rd March we will be turning the Social Media channels for both Accessible Wales and Accessible News yellow to reflect on the year that has passed since the national lockdown.
 
The last year has seen utter devastation unfold in ways that the world was not prepared for. However, it is important to remember that from the darkness comes light; new friendships were born, a respect for our much loved NHS was strengthened and new challenges were met.
 
Join us by lighting a candle, wearing yellow or placing a yellow light on your doorstep, alternatively you can put a yellow heart in your window.
Accessible Wales yellow logo

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