Cycling is for everyone

London Mayor Ken Livingstone launched the London Cycling Campaign’s All Ability Cycling Group in March with the message “Cycling is for everyone”. The
Mayor rode a side-by-side bike with the group’s chair, Debbie Allaire, to show how easy cycling can be.
Scores of disabled people joined the Mayor to ride two dozen specially adapted or recumbent cycles. The cycles included hand-cranked cycles, tricycles,
tandems, the Duet wheelchair cycle and side-by-side cycles.
Debbie Allaire said “We want London to be a world class cycling city: that means working with all sections of the community. Cycling is fun, it’s good exercise and provides convenient transport. Some disabled people cycle already, and we hope that this event will encourage many others.”
The All Ability Cycling Group, with support from Transport for London, is publicising a range of activities for people with disabilities this summer, including
several events during Bike Week (14-22 June).
Further information is available from Debbie Allaire, AACG, E-mail:
debbieallaire @ onetel.com Tom Bogdanowicz, Campaigns Manager, LCC Tel: 020 7928 6112 E-mail: tom@lcc.org.uk www.lcc.org.uk

Steering Developments
Steering Developments’ Lifestyle powered wheelchair is a versatile wheelchair, with either front or rear wheel drive, power rise and fall, (making it particularly suitable for accessing vehicles) and manual/powered recline.
The Lifestyle uses the Recaro N-Joy seat which makes it suitable not only for everyday use but also for using as a wheelchair from which to be a passenger or driver of a vehicle. This facility is helped by reinforced tie-down points built into the frame of the chair. Other Recaro seats can be used to suit customer requirements and pressure relief cushions can be built into the seat to suit individual needs.
The Lifestyle has been crash-tested and EMC tested, resulting in a CE marked product complying with European
approval standards.
For further information about the Lifestyle powered wheelchair, contact Steering Developments on Tel: 01442 212918, E-mail: enquiries @ steeringdevelopments.co.uk, www.steeringdevelopments.co.uk

Invalid care allowance renamed
Invalid Care Allowance has been renamed Carer’s
Allowance, with effect from 1 April 2003.
The name change makes it clear that the benefit is for carers and their needs and removes the negative connotations associated with the word “invalid”.
Carers currently entitled to Invalid Care Allowance need not reclaim.
This is the final stage in a package of changes
benefiting carers.
Changes to the qualifying rules came into effect in October 2002 when the opportunity to claim Carer’s Allowance was extended to carers aged 65 and over.
In addition, from October 2002 for carers aged 16 and over, if the person being cared for dies, entitlement to Carer’s Allowance was extended by up to 8 weeks, allowing carers time to adjust and make plans for their future.
From April 2003 the weekly rate of Carer’s Allowance is £43.15.

Keep Able online
Keep Able’s new website is linked to a catalogue and a network of stores under a single brand.
Alan Lambert, Managing Director of Keep Able Ltd. explained: “The majority of people now shop on line for all sorts of products, but in this marketplace, where customers may have limited mobility, it is even more important that a customer can have the facility to buy a wide range of independent living products and consumables on line, which can then be delivered to the door for a hassle free service. We are delighted to be leading the way with this new technology.”
Alan added “The new shop on line website has been under development for 18 months to ensure it is the best site out there and with over 1000 products available to buy on line visitors need look no further for all their product needs.
“The site hosts great features that consumers expect these days, such as several ways to find products, a customer memory facility to remember your favourite items which is especially useful for those customers who order essential monthly supplies of incontinence products for example.”
Other features of the website include direct access to a call centre for service requirements, secure payment protection and the facility to book a home demonstration.
www.keepable.co.uk

Gowrings’ swivel seats
Gowrings Mobility has introduced a range of car swivel seats. They can be fitted to the front seats of a wide variety of cars, to make entering and leaving a car much easier. The range of seats, comprising the Standard, Compact and Maxi models, swing round outside the car door.
Installation, at no extra cost, will be part of a comprehensive service, including a free, no obligation home demonstration service, full three-year warranty, and servicing.
All enquiries into a Gowrings Mobility swivel seat will be entered into a prize draw to win £2,000 holiday vouchers to be spent with Accessible Travel & Leisure, the specialist holiday company.
Call 0845 608 8070 to find out more or to request a home demonstration. Terms and conditions are available from Gowrings Mobility.

New DRC Commissioner
Susan Daniels, Chief Executive of the National Deaf Childrens’ Association, has been appointed to the Disability Rights Commission for a three year term of office.

Help for blind people
Regulations which came into force on 14 April 2003 make it clear that people who are certified as blind or partially sighted will be deemed as disabled for the purposes of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). In the past, blind or partially sighted people have had difficulty proving in a tribunal or county court that they meet the DDA’s definition
of disability. Clarifying the existing legislation strengthens the ability of blind and partially sighted people to tackle discrimination.

Gowrings website
Gowrings Mobility has launched an updated, newlook website. Customers can view detailed images and descriptions of new and used vehicles, as well as current special discounts and competitions, which Gowrings Mobility regularly
offers.
The website guides the customer, step-by-step, through processes on choosing a suitable vehicle and gives information on Gowrings’ services, delivery and after-sales service.
www.gowringsmobiity.co.uk

Cameras wanted
The Disabled Photographers’ Society is in urgent need of working, auto-focus compact or SLR cameras to give to members who find it difficult to use manual focus systems because of their disability.
If you’ve recently been given, or bought, a new camera, the DPS would welcome your old one.
Contact the DPS, 29 Lavender Road, Kempshott, Basingstoke RG22 5NN, for further information

Breakthrough in eye medication delivery
Contact lenses could be used to deliver drugs to treat eye diseases like glaucoma, according to a team of researchers from the University of Florida who say they have been able to make soft contact lenses which can slowly release drugs directly into the eye.
It is hoped the lenses could replace eye drops, which are often difficult to use, mixing with tears and running down the face instead of going into the eye. If drugs drain into the nasal cavity and then into the bloodstream and to
other organs, they can cause serious side effects such as heart problems.
Drugs in a contact lens could be released slowly enough to stay in the eye, the researchers say. Even antibiotics could be delivered through the lenses, making wearers less vulnerable to bacterial infections than they are with normal lenses.
Eye experts estimate around a quarter of a million people in the UK have glaucoma, but only half are diagnosed.
The researchers have been able to encapsulate drugs in nanoparticles, tiny particles which cannot be seen by the naked eye. The nanoparticles can be mixed into the contact lens matrix during manufacture. The lenses could be worn for up to two weeks, delivering the right amount of drug at the right time direct to the eyes.
The researchers say when the contact lenses are placed on the eye, the drug diffuses from the particles, travelling through the lens matrix, and into the thin film present between the film between the cornea and the lens.
The drugs remain in the film for much longer than drugs delivered via drops, which remain there for about two minutes. Being present for longer means drugs are delivered directly into the eyes and do not go into the bloodstream.
A spokesman for the Royal National Institute for the Blind said: This type of direct delivery system is already used in the treatment of conditions, such as nicotine replacement patches. If harmacologists and researchers are able to devise a way for this to be used successfully in the treatment of glaucoma, then that is good.”
He added: “The RNIB welcomes all scientific advances that lead to improvements in the treatment of eye conditions, but we do stress that this research is currently at a very early stage.’

Care home compensation
Solicitors have warned that the NHS may face a compensation bill running into millions of pounds. This is because hundreds of elderly people have been forced by local health authorities to pay for care that should have been provided free of charge.
The law was clarified in 1999, when it was decided
that whilst nursing care for a chronically sick person could be provided by a local authority, if the needs of the individual were primarily health needs, the health authority was responsible.
A report by the Health Service Ombudsman has revealed that four health authorities have refused to provide free care.

Accessible environments guide

The built environment should be accessible to all, according to a new good practice guide published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
The guide shows how the planning system can help bring about accessible environments in which nobody is disadvantaged. These not only benefit disabled people, they also help elderly people, parents with young children in pushchairs and people with heavy shopping.
“Planning and Access for Disabled People: A Good Practice Guide” stems from a recommendation by the Disability Rights Task Force (DRTF) that Central Government should offer guidance to local authorities and developers on how to tackle the issue of access for disabled people through the planning system in a more consistent way.
Emphasis is placed on early and effective consultation between those involved in the development control process and disability organisations. The guide explains the respective roles of the planning system, Building Regulations, and the DDA. The aim is to produce inclusive environments for those with disabilities.
Copies of the Guide, priced £15, are available from: ODPM Publications, P0 Box 236, Wetherby, West
Yorkshire LS23 7NB Tel: 0870 1226 236. Fax: 0870 1226 237. Textphone: 0870 120 7405
The guide is also available on the ODPM website at:
www.odpm.gsi.gov.uk

Algarve adventures
David Player, who set up Around The Algarve, has
linked up with Mark Higgons and his business, Team Hybrid, which designs and manufactures hand cycles and power assisted cycles, as well as looking at new and innovative ways to tackle other wheelchair related design and construction issues.
Team Hybrid launched the Coyote and Viper, which are kits designed as add-ons to everyday wheelchairs to turn them into hand cycles or power assisted trikes.
David says, “These kits are ideal for holiday makers looking to add a bit of adventure to their holidays, allowing them to explore new activities and areas they’d not normally even consider checking out. Pushing a manual wheelchair around some of the typically picturesque little Algarvean villages with their old cobble streets, or taking a leisurely push around country lanes, is not something that
can be considered as easy or fun, so having the option of renting these items of equipment has proved very popular with my clients.”
Anyone interested in enjoying the use of one of these kits to make their holiday that much more interesting can Contact Dave Player at Wheeling Around The Algarve, Rua Casa do Povo 1, Apartado 3421, 8135-905 Almancil, Algarve, Portugal.
Tel: 00 351 289 393636, Fax: 00351 289 397448 Email: dave@player.pt www.player.pt

Code of practice for disabled air travellers
The UK aviation industry must focus on the needs of disabled people and work to achieve access for all, said Transport Minister John Spellar, lauching the voluntary code of practice “Access to Air Travel for Disabled People”.
The code targets the needs of individuals with a disability from the moment they book their flight to their return journey home. Recommendations in the Code concentrate on meeting the needs of disabled people when booking their flight, travelling to the airport, using facilities within the terminal building and aircraft and provide a comprehensive resource for the travel industry to follow.
Accompanying the industry code is a guide for disabled passengers produced by the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC).
The Code was developed in association with the Airport Operators Association, the Association of British Travel Agents, British Air Transport Association and DPTAC. it is hoped that all involved in the UK air industry travel agents, tour operators, airlines, airports, ground handling companies and retailers will adopt the standards set out in
the Code and work to exceed them.
The Government intends to monitor implementation of the code and to take powers to confirm it in law if good results are not achieved through voluntary implementation.
A copy of Access to Air Travel for Disabled People can be found on the DfT website at www.dft.gov.uk or by contacting the Department for Transport at Disability Policy Branch, DtT Mobility and Inclusion Unit, Zone 1/18, Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DR.
Tel: 020 7944 2914. Fax: 020 7944 6102 E-mail: miu @dft.gov.uk
The guidance for disabled travellers can be obtained at www.dptac.gov.uk or by writing to the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee, c/o Secretariat, Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DR.
Tel 020 7944 8011. Fax 020 7944 6102. Minicom 020 7944 6100.

DRC investigates web access
The first formal investigation to be undertaken by the Disability Rights Commission is to focus on access to websites.
A key aim of the investigation is to identify recurrent barriers to web access and help site owners and developers avoid them.
One thousand websites, spanning the public and private sectors will be tested for basic compliance with recognised industry accessibility standards. Fifty disabled people will be involved in the in-depth testing of a representative sample of these sites. This work will help clarify the relationship between a site’s compliance with standards and its practical usability for disabled people.
The findings are expected to be published by the end of this year.

Combatting badge fraud

Tower Hamlets Council has teamed up with the local police to implement a scheme designed to end blue badge fraud.
All registered disabled drivers in the borough are being invited to join the scheme by registering their vehicle with the council. Once the vehicle is registered, the blue badge holder will receive a special parking permit showing the vehicle registration, a serial number and the expiry date of the badge. The details will be programmed into a database which can be accessed by parking attendants’ hand-held computers. A quick check into the system will reveal that the registered vehicle, provided it is parked in accordance with disabled badge parking conditions, will not be issued with a parking ticket.
By providing the blue badge holder with a permit that is of no value to anyone else, the council aims to reduce the number of blue badge thefts in the borough. Around 30% of vehicle-related crimes reported in Tower Hamlets each year involve blue badges.
The scheme will cost an initial one-off £5 fee. Further information for people living in the area is available by phoning 020 7364 5843.

Cheaper Internet access?

Prices for unmetered Internet aécess for consumers could fall under proposals from Oftel to require BT to cut its wholesale unmetered Internet access pnces.
Oftel believes that BT should cut its wholesale charges by 17 per cent because it is charging operators for call routing and management measures that Oftel believes are no longer technically necessary.
If implemented, BT would have to backdate the refund to December 2001, the date from when the additional call routing and call management measures were no longer needed.
David Edmonds, Director General of Telecommunications, said: “When Oftel required BT to introduce wholesale unmetered Internet access, BT introduced a number of additional measures to support the new service
which were included in the charge to other operators.
‘These covered procedures to route Internet calls through to the appropriate service provider and call management measures to protect BT’s network from being overloaded.
“BT has since made a number of improvements to its network, which means the Internet call traffic can be processed without the additional measures.
“I propose to order BT to reduce its wholesale unmetered Internet access prices by 17 per cent, which represents the costs of the now unnecessary measures . These savings could be passed on by other operators to their customers.
“Because BT made improvements to its network by December 2001, I intend to require BT to backdate the refund to other operators to this date.
“This will ensure that operators and consumers pay a fair price for unmetered Internet access from BT, and reflects the relevant costs that BT incurs to provide this service.”

European disability rights law

A draft European Union law which for the first time prohibits discrimination against disabled people in housing, education, transport and all its other forms, has been unveiled at the European Parliament.
The “shadow” comprehensive disability discrimination directive was launched by Richard Howitt MEP, President of the European Parliament’s Disability Rights Group. He claims it would extend the UK’s existing Disability Discrimination Act to include the introduction of rights to social security, the design of manufactured goods and enforcement in public contracts.
Mr Howitt said: “When we passed the EU’s Race Discrimination directive in 1997, there was a promise that other forms of discrimination would not be forgotten. The European Year of Disabled People marks the time to honour that promise.”
He went on to say: “The comprehensive American law passed in 1990 has transformed society for disabled people with now nearly every public bus having a lift or ramp, many hundreds of cinemas and theatres being made fully accessible, and a landmark court decision against large, segregated institutions. If Disneyworld Florida has to provide sign language for deaf visitors by law, why not Disneyland Paris?”

Coach travel discounts

From 1 May, older and disabled people will be able to benefit from half price coach fares.
The concessions are open to everyone aged over 60 and those who has a local authority concessionary travel pass because they are disabled. Coach companies offering half fare concessions will receive a government grant to cover the costs of the scheme.
The news follows the announcement that from 1 April men over 60 will be entitled to local authority travel concessions, including the guaranteed half fares on local bus services. Previously men had to wait until they were 65 while women qualified at 60. Concessionary fares will operate in the whole of the country. Participation by coach operators in the scheme will be voluntary, however the major operator of scheduled services in this country, National Express, is definitely participating, as are smaller companies such as Berrys and Baker Dolphin.
Coach companies have reserved the right to not offer half fare concessions during some peak periods and on Apex tickets.
The scheme covers journeys across England and Wales following a decision by the Welsh National Assembly to join the scheme. The Scottish Executive has deferred a decision on joining the scheme until May. However Scotland will benefit immediately as National Express will offer half fares to eligible passengers on journeys between England and Scotland.