Cardiff & Vale Coalition of Disabled People

Coalition News
June - July 2006

Disabled People

www.cvcdp.org

info@cvcdp.org

Betrayed
Andrew Davies Sue Essex Brian Gibbons

Rhodri Morgan

Jane Hutt

by

Welsh Labour
See Pages 3 & 4
Also in this addition....... Transport Direct Payments Race and Disability Stonewall Conference Youth Forum Competition

Carwyn Jones Edwina Hart

Alun Pugh Jane Davidson

Who We are
Jon Luxton Gerri Allen-Manson Yvonne Farmer Charles Willie Annie Hall
How to contact us (Registered office) Cowbridge Court 60 Cowbridge Road West Ely Cardiff CF5 5BS Tel/minicom: 029 20 255 611 Fax: 029 20 255621 email: info@cvcdp.org How we funded The Coalition acknowledges the financial support received from Cardiff County Council and The Vale of Glamorgan Council What we do The organisations aims are to:

Editorial Team

Contents
Editorial - Jon Luxton P3 Charging, Labours Betrayed P4 Jon Luxton 60 second interview P5 Charles Willie Stonewall Cymru P6 Gerri Allen-Manson Definitions of Disability P7 Yvonne Farmer Development Team Reports P8 Direct Payments - Annie Hall P10 Go Green P12 Gerri Allen-Manson On the Buses P13 Steve Sweetman A Real Life Story P14 Whats On P15 Computer Help Doctor P16 Letters P16 Consultancy & Training P17 Services Crossword P18 Membership Form P19 Formats Copies of this Newsletter are available on Disk, Tape, and in Braille. Please contact the office to request your preferred format.

1. Challenge discrimination in all its forms. 2. Work to establish the equal rights of disabled people. 3. Campaign for the full participation and inclusion of disabled people within society. 4. Promote the independent lifestyle of disabled people and secure the necessary resources to achieve it.
Cardiff and Vale Coalition is a company limited by guarantee. Registration number: 3167723.

The views expressed in this Newsletter are not necessarily those of Cardiff and Vale Coalition of Disabled People.

The disabled peoples movement has for far too long been content to be right, with winning the arguments. We have become too comfortable, too satisfied and smug in the correctness of our polemic. Our leaders and organisations have been drawn closer and closer to the intoxicating flame that is the political process and some have been burnt. Our leaders have become too The front cover of this issue contains the names and pictures comfortable, lost their passion of the Labour Cabinet who are and have forgotten the real daily responsible for the decision experiences of most disabled people. We need to reconnect with to renege on their pledge. We know that several of them the life of the people we claim to were opposed to this decision. represent. We are in the business We know that several were of commitment politics. Not many embarrassed by it, but we also of us will get famous or wield real know that none had the political power. As committed people, we courage to stand publicly against can make a difference, but we it. need to get angry. We need to feel outrage when faced with disabled We long ago moved away peoples poverty and feel repulsion from the politics of principle. when politicians lie to us and Many politicians hide behind renege on their promises. notions that politics is the art of the possible, or hide behind So why did Labour break their collective responsibility, manifesto pledge? They did and some see principles as it because they could. When useless baggage of a long gone calculating public reaction, they era. Welsh Labour has tried to assumed there would be a few separate itself from New Labour. bad news days and then it It has seen the mistakes of the would be forgotten by all but a UK Government, and has tried to few political disabled people who distance itself from a party whose would complain but, ultimately, political pillars appear to be made would return to their former status quo with the Assembly. The money of sand. Welsh Labours decision to break their pledge would bring saved could then be spent where a blush, even to New Labour. the political pressures are greater. There is an old political saying: you get the leaders you deserve. Well, disabled people deserve more, much more, both from their leaders and Welsh Labour. Mistakes must be corrected. The disabled peoples movement must re-connect with the grass roots and be driven by their needs. At the same time we must offer real leadership, educating disabled people to find their own voice. Welsh Labour must recognise its mistake and properly engage with the barriers that disabled people face. It must remove them, becoming part of the eradication of disability, and not of its perpetuation.
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Editorial

Jon Luxton

Welsh Labours Broken Promises Disabled peoples broken dreams

The above headline looks a bit cheesy, a bit over the top, but the reality of charging for care is that many people cannot have the support necessary to live with dignity. Independence is just a dream, a hope, something that is unobtainable, simply because it has a price, a price they cannot afford. On the 15th of February this year, Brian Gibbons, the Labour Minister for Health and Social Services, announced the reversal of their policy to scrap Home Care charges for disabled people in Wales. This decision betrays the promises made both in their 2003 Assembly Election Manifesto, as well as their Welsh Labours 2005 General Election Manifesto. CVCDP will continue to campaign for the scrapping of this charge. Check out our web site for the latest news.

Welsh Labour 2003 Manifesto

In their 2003 manifesto, Welsh Labour highlighted their commitment to scrap the home care charges not once but 4 times in just 22 pages, placing this commitment squarely at the top of their agenda, clearly understanding its vote winning potential.

In their general election manifesto, released in April 2005, Welsh Labour highlighted their commitment to scrap the home care charges and even gave us a date, September 2005. In March 2005 Brian Gibbons commissioned David Bell from Stirling University to evaluate this pledge, to see if it was attainable within the priorities of Welsh Labour. So then, we have a very specific dated commitment which, in reality, is not a commitment at all, for prior to the Manifestos publication, the Minister had commissioned a report which may have produced evidence leading them to scrap their pledge. The promise in the manifesto was at best a mistake, while many people feel Labour were being disingenuous.
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Welsh Labour 2005 General Election Manifesto

Charles Willie

60ish second interview

Chief Executive of CVCDP

Tell me a little about yourself I was born in the lovely island of St. Lucia in the West Indies, grew up in London but have lived for the past 21 years in Cardiff with my wife, Geraldine, and twin daughters, Tamla and Tara, who have just had their 21st birthday. What are your passions? I love sports, any kind of sport; both watching and playing, although these days it is much more watching than playing. I am totally committed to equality, and as part of that, the rights of individuals. I am passionate about this and believe that as part of these rights, everyone should have equality of opportunity and a right to be treated with respect, free from bullying, harassment, or, as is close to my heart, free from the abuse of power by those in authority. Tell me about your time at CVCDP I joined in January 2006, having had a very productive spell as a self-employed freelance equality consultant, following 4 years as the Equality Advisor to the National Assembly for Wales. As most people who I spoke to before taking the job had suggested, it would be, the past 4 months has been a challenge, but I must say, in the main, an enjoyable one. CVCDP having been without a Chief Executive for some three years, there was obviously a lot to do, and indeed, there is still a lot to do, but things are very much moving positively forward. The speed of progress was helped immensely by the work done by the CVCDP Board of Directors and Richard Wood, the consultant, in holding things together, whilst there was not a Chief Executive in place. This has continued, and with the help of the Board and Staff members in the past 4 months, there are a number of important and significant initiatives that have been put in place, or are in the process of being put in place, this new revamped bimonthly newsletter being one of them! What about the Future?
Theres much I could say about the future and the plans we have but a few highlights are: A new Website (to be launched on 1 June 2006) The establishment of a Training and Consultancy arm The in-depth research work on race and disability that has started The taking forward of the work on youth and disability that has started The active promotion and participation in a new disability forum established to ensure that the DED is properly implemented in Wales Developing the work of CVCDP beyond Cardiff and the Vale

Taking note of the above, I do firmly believe that, with the clear vision set out in our Development Plan, based on the ethos that CVCDP was founded upon (active campaigning for civil rights and support for disabled people in Cardiff and the Vale), a strong active board, a professional approach to our work from staff and above all a renewed willingness to do as with the ORANGE saying, I believe that the future is bright the future is CVCDP!

Annual Conference
Stonewall works for equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, and bisexual people (LGB). The conference was held at Cardiff County Hall, on April 8th, and two of us from the Coalition attended. Stonewall was founded in 1989 in response to Section 28 of the Local Government Act, an offensive piece of legislation designed to prevent the so-called promotion of homosexuality in schools, which stigmatised gay people and galvanised LGB groups. Now repealed, teachers & students can discuss issues relating to sexual identity & orientation. Stonewall has lobbied for equality on mainstream political agendas, has won support in all parties, and now has offices around the UK. Its main successes have been helping to achieve the equalisation of the age of consent, securing legislation allowing same-sex couples to adopt, the repeal of Section 28, the lifting of the ban on gay people in the military, and recently, helping to secure civil partnerships and the Equality Act. was established in 2002 through joint support and funding by the Assembly and Stonewall UK. Stonewall Cymru, the All Wales Ethnic Minorities Association, Wales Womens National Coalition, and Disability Wales, have been working to ensure the Assembly works to the principles of equality of opportunity for all people. A Standing Committee on Equality of Opportunity was set up, including members from the various equality bodies, recognising equality by language, disability, sexual orientation, age, and religious beliefs. The Conference focused on how to achieve fair treatment and equality in education, housing, employment and health. Rodney Berman, Leader of Cardiff County Council, welcomed delegates. Jane Hutt, Assembly Minister for Equality, gave an excellent speech, celebrating the last four years of legislative changes for LGB people in
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Gerri Allen-Manson

Wales, & considered what still needs to be achieved. Workshops considered how the newly won Equality Act 2006 could prevent discrimination in the provision of goods and services for LGB people, and how homophobia and bullying due to peoples sexual orientation can be eliminated in health, education, housing and policing. Other workshops, led by Dr Alison Parken, Director of Stonewall Cymru, were held on the Commission for Equality and Human Rights & on setting the LGB Agenda for this in Wales. There were 4 poignant glimpses of situations that LGB people can face: at work, as a teacher in a school, as a patient visiting a G.P., and as someone facing discrimination in rented accommodation. Next was a Q & A plenary session, an evaluation of the day, and a survey of those present. Finally, we celebrated the implementation of the legislation on Civil Partnerships. We socialised and looked at the many stands and stalls from various organisations supporting the conference.

Definitions of Disability
Traditionally, disabled people have been seen as a problem, with the answers being cure or care. Over the last thirty years, disabled people have increasingly challenged this approach and we have developed our own theory on why we are systematically excluded from society and its activities. The following aims to introduce an important concept called the Social Model of Disability and explain its importance. So lets look at what a disabled person is. This is a deceptively simple question, usually answered with what appears a common sense answer, like someone who uses a wheelchair or someone who is blind. However, in the early 70s, disabled people developed the concept of separating Impairment and Disability, with impairment being something belonging to the individual, e.g. a medical condition; and disability, being something that is done to an individual who has an impairment. Simply speaking, if a person has an impairment and needs to use a wheelchair, then they are simply a wheelchair user, but what limits their day-to-day activities are things like steps, inaccessible buildings, poor employment practices, blatant discrimination, poor attitudes and the education system etc. The list is very long and includes most areas of life that a lot of non-disabled people take for granted. So it is clear that peoples attitudes and the way society is organised disables people with impairments. This model of disability separates impairment and disability and firmly places responsibility for the problems faced by disabled people externally, that is, within society. It is called the Social Model of Disability. The National Assembly for Wales, along with Cardiff & the Vale Councils, and others, have adopted the Social Model of Disability. The outdated model of disability that identifies disabled peoples problems as caused mainly by their impairments is called the Medical Model of Disability. This model identifies solutions in the realm of medicine and special provision.

Summary
The social model recognises two concepts, Disability & Impairment. Impairments are medical issues belonging to an individual while Disability relates to barriers imposed upon people with impairments. Impairments include mobility, sensory, learning, and mental health issues, while Disability includes physical barriers, discriminatory attitudes and disabling structures.

Yvonne Farmer
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CVCDP Development Officer

Im delighted to be writing for the new look Newsletter. I am sure you are as impressed with it, as I am, although, I must say, I am disappointed that staff are excluded from entering the crossword competition! Anyway, its been all go within the Development Team. Thanks to the Cardiff Young Peoples Project, we are able to employ a part-time Youth Worker, Maxine Perera. Since starting she has worked closely with the young people and Im very pleased to see the group is progressing well and is working to establish their own Development Plan, expertly guided by the irreplaceable Sally Fowler! Over the coming months, we will be working with Cardiff People First on a Joint Youth Project, and in the near future, we will be holding a seminar totally dedicated to the Young People of Cardiff & the Vale. Due to the shocking decision by the Welsh Government to scrap its Free Home Care manifesto pledge, CVCDP will continue to be a member of the Coalition on Charging Cymru where we will work for a more robust campaign. Over the coming months we will be reviewing the transport provisions in our area and will work closely with the transport providers to improve services. In conjunction with this project, we will also be reviewing the access (or lack of it!) at Senydd, the new Assembly debating chamber.

Louise Perrett

The Youth Forum

Maxine Perera CVCDP Youth Development Worker
Our Youth Forum got off to a start this year with our Development Day, which was held in the Chapter Arts Centre in Canton, Cardiff on 22nd April. The day was held as an opportunity for all members of the Youth Forum to take part in some fun activities, to be able to learn something new and also to be able to meet and have fun. Over the course of the day, we learnt about how the Youth Forum started out as a small group of young people who wanted to be given the chance to express themselves and raise awareness of the issues affecting young disabled people. We also learnt about what to expect in the future as the Forum grows, which will hopefully continue to blossom into a larger group of truly formidable
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young people who are out to make a real change for themselves and for all young disabled people living in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. The activities we took part in were a way of training and developing skills so that we can put forward our ideas and begin creating a future for young disabled people. Well done to everyone who attended the Development Day for their contributions towards the Youth Forum! A fun day was had by all and we hope to continue having many more events in the future - we will keep you posted.

Race and Disability an un-charted area

Natasha Smith CVCDP Race Development Worker Race and Disability is an un-charted area. What does it mean to be black and disabled? Is life for black disabled people the same as life for white disabled people? Does being black and disabled construct a double barrier to social equality or is it all merely a perception? Do our communities assist in the discrimination? Is being a disabled person within a minority community a taboo? Does this hinder participation in our communities or families? Do Equality organisations work in partnership at tackling double discrimination? So many questions are conjured up when looking into disability & race. CVCDP, in partnership with EQUAL and Curiad Calon Cymru, are conducting a research project in order to identify findings that may help in addressing and answering these questions, specifically in regard to the areas of accessing employment and sufficient health services, with the research findings being made available to the Assembly. Black disabled people, I have found, to my cost, are a discrete and insular minority within a minority. We have been unfairly and unjustly saddled with restrictions and limitations, subjected to a history of purposeful unequal treatment and relegated to a position of political powerlessness and The few UK studies conducted into the area disenfranchisement in a society of race and disability have occurred almost exclusively within England. Due to location and where even the label second class numbers, Wales has constantly been overlooked citizen seems wholly inadequate and so the marginalisation continues to multiply. to identify our social status. With Cardiff being constantly Cardiff was a main coal and shipping port for excluded from research, how do we over 100 years. It has also, in more recent know if we as black disabled people times, become a dispersal area for asylum seeker communities and hence a community for are receiving adequate services or contributing to policy to ensure refugees. So, as a rich source of BME people, its effective? How do we know if to continue to ignore and discard Cardiff and theres a black disabled community the Vale from research into disability and race in our area if we are never given the presents an unacceptable void. As one Black chance to stand up and be counted? disabled individual stated:This research project is about us, about our lives, about who we are, where we live, our communities, our families, our wants, our needs, our aspirations, our contributions, our successes and our achievements.

If you would like to be part of the project, be it providing an opinion, being part of a capacity-building group or an organisation interested in taking part, contact me at natasha@cvcdp.org or on 029 20255611.
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Direct Payments,
So, you want to Talk Direct Payments? Problem - not sure who to talk to or what you really want to talk about? Solution - CVCDPs Independent Living Scheme (ILS). Advisors, Kay Jenkins, Jennie Perera and me, Annie Hall, are here to answer all your questions to assist you to towards independence.
Get a Referral Once a Social Worker has referred you, we will contact you, generally within two working days, and then the fun begins! Your designated ILS Advisor will visit and initially make you aware of your responsibilities, the responsibilities of the ILS Advisor and the Social Worker. This is an important stage; we all need to know where the boundaries are, to avoid misunderstandings further along the line. You will be given a Starter Pack containing information and forms to use when starting Direct Payments. Get a Bank Account and all that other money stuff Should you decide to take up Direct Payments, you must open a separate chequebook account with any of the high street banks. Your Social Worker will then ask you to complete a bank mandate to allow Cardiff County City Council (CCCC) to deposit your Direct Payments each four week-period. Also for audit purposes, CCCC can access the account details. Job Descriptions During the following visits, we discuss Job Descriptions. These form the basis of the Contract of Employment for your Personal Assistant (PA). Attention must be paid to the Care Plan drawn up by your Social Worker. This will identify the core areas and assistance you will require to help you lead an independent life. The rate of pay your PA will receive is worked out by the Advisor, following a formula that takes into account what is called on costs or deductions such as sickness, redundancy, holidays, Employers National Insurance (NI) and a percentage that forms the contingency fund. This fund builds up to allow for emergencies. The term deduction has caused confusion in the past. Deductions are taken from the Direct Payments at 8.44 p/h not the PAs NI and Income Tax. An Advisor cannot know what the NI and Tax deductions should be; this is shown once the Inland Revenue has processed a P46 for the Payroll.
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whats that then?

Advertise! The next step along the Direct Payments journey is to advertise for your PA. Adverts can be placed in local newspapers, local shops & even the Job Centre. All advertising costs are met by your Direct Payments. Those who respond to your advertisement will be sent an application pack. Each pack contains and application form, job description and letter explaining how to complete the form. The ILS team will forward all completed application forms for you to look at. Please take care of these application forms. If you decide to interview any of the prospective PAs, you can ask your Advisor to arrange the interview, or you may decide to do this yourself. The choice is yours. You will be offered the use of CVCDPs Meeting Room for interviews. An Advisor, family member or friend can sit in with you for the interviews. However, we cannot choose your PA - thats up to you! PA Starts! Next, you have to decide a start date. Once this has been decided, your Advisor will construct a Contract of Employment. This details your PAs hours, hourly pay rate and details of holidays and sickness, along with misconduct and grievance procedures. There are two copies, one for you and one for your PA. Keep that paperwork up to date! Once the PA has started, you will have to keep up to date with time and accounts sheets. If your PA or PAs work irregular hours, an Advisor will contact you every four weeks. PAs who work regular hours, do not need to notify Payroll unless there are changes such as public holiday pay, sickness or holiday. Once all the details have been passed to Payroll, salaries are calculated and pay-slips printed. These are then posted to you. You can receive accounts training to help you maintain your account sheet records ready for auditing. Training CCCC aim to audit Direct Payments accounts after the first six weeks, and then quarterly. Along with training, you will be invited to Peer Support Workshops that are run to deal with specific areas of being an employer. These are popular and spaces are limited. We can only offer a space on a first come, first served basis. Risk free! If, at any time, you change your mind and do not want Direct Payments, you can revert to other support packages your Social Worker can identify for you. To many of you reading this, some of the information is old hat. You may have used Direct Payments for some time and are well versed in all things Direct Payments! However, even to veteran users of Direct Payments, you may have noticed some subtle changes. For all of you who are happy with Direct Payments, why not pass the word around?
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Go Green - Part 1

Gerri Allen-Manson

Carbon dioxide (CO2) from burning fossil fuels - petrol, diesel, oil, natural gas and coal - makes up 80% of carbon emissions from industrialised countries. (The Carbon Trust). The burning of these fossil fuels creates greenhouse gasses which cause global warming. Scientists know beyond any doubt that climate change is caused almost entirely by human activity rather than by natural causes, as CO2 in the atmosphere has been building up at an everincreasing rate since the Industrial Revolution (c.1750), & this rate correlates exactly with the burning of fossil fuels worldwide. Its been rising at alarmingly ever-increasing rates since the 1950s, especially since car and plane travel soared. The 1990s are estimated to have been the warmest decade in the Northern Hemisphere in the past 1,000 years. (Met Office). Temperatures world-wide are likely to rise a further 6C this century, causing ecological devastation and threatening the survival of all life. Time is running out for us to halt this crisis. We could become as extinct as the dinosaurs & as dead as the dodo soon if we dont mend our ways. None of us wants to contribute to threatening our planets very existence but what we do makes a huge difference. It is the most serious situation of our age, in fact, of any age, and it is vital that we all do all we can to be as Environmentally Friendly as possible, starting NOW. Because our planet is in such a grave and critical state, instead of me going into more detail about that in this issue, its best that we first all do our utmost to put into action as many of the following Green Tips as we can. Most of these are cost-effective and will actually save you money! There will be more tips in the next issue. Gerris Go Green Tips - Car Use - Kerb Your Car! Drive in the highest gear practicable and avoid using air conditioning to help save on fuel. Plan your journeys to avoid extra trips and unnecessary mileage. Try to reduce your mileage in some way. The average car commuter drives 19 miles a day! This needs to be dramatically decreased. When buying a new car, buy the most fuel-efficient you can. Keep tyres inflated to correct pressures and keep your car well maintained and tuned as this reduces fuel consumption. Car sharing with 1 other person can save 640 kilos of CO2 from polluting the atmosphere every year. If you can walk / use a bike, its quicker over short distances. Use a bus - its quicker (due to bus lanes), and much cheaper than fuel & parking. Remember, fewer cars = less pollution!
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On the buses, then and now!

Steve Sweetman
Two years ago I decided to take trip to town using a bus. As I live in Canton, I thought that this was the obvious choice. Off I went to the bus stop full of hopeful expectations. The first bus came quickly, Oh good, I thought. How wrong was I. The driver flatly refused to get out and deploy the manual ramps that were fitted to his bus. I thought Oh well, just a glitch, so I waited for another. 5 buses came along with similar results and excuses. I decided to return home, my hopes now forgotten, replaced with a feeling of total exasperation. Recently, I decided to repeat the experiment; I had little hope of a better outcome. I arrived at the bus stop and waited, noticing the new raised bus kerb that protruded from the pavement out into the road, a good sign, I thought. A bus came and swerved into the bus stop, so the platform of the bus overlapped the raised pavement. The bus then lowered and I got on without assistance, parking in the space provided. I did think this is too easy, something must go wrong, but no, I arrived at the bus station getting off as I got on. On the return journey, I noticed a call button right by the wheelchair space. It sounds a different note than the standard call button so the driver knows that a wheelchair user wishes to get off at the next stop and so parks accordingly. I was so impressed, I got back on the bus, went to town and got a travel pass, so I now use the buses for free. Two things: one, is that if a car is parked on the bus stop, the bus will not be able to get close enough to board it; two, if you use a PA to travel, your PA will pay the full fare unless you have a pass plus companion. To obtain a pass, you need a note from your GP stating that you cannot use public transport unaided. The pass is valid for anyone accompanying you. Once an attendant pass plus companion has been issued, you cannot use the pass without a companion accompanying you. This might raise a laugh in your newsletter. My transportation 1959/60 invalid tricycle was issued by the Ministry of Health when Id just turned 17. One wheel was driven by a chain with a 197cc motorbike engine, but it was always breaking down & had plastic side windows & no heater! Then the ministry decided they would install a heater which nearly poisoned us - Happy days of motoring! In 67 I had my first hand controlled car, a Morris 1000. A few years, ago the Mayor of London Office sent me documentation explaining that as I had a blue badge, if I wished, I could have a fast-track card. This would enable me to go in and out of the zone without any congestion charges, but you must inform them when you change your vehicle, otherwise you will be liable to the charges. Safe and happy travelling! Howard Badham.
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Alice began to wonder whether this interview for a carers post was such a good idea after all each of her prospective employees seemed a little. unusual.

A REAL LIFE STORY

Although Id been disabled for many years, it was only about five years ago that my health deteriorated to the point where I was forced to take a (very) early retirement. My marriage had disappeared about a year earlier and I now found myself living alone with my world becoming smaller and smaller as I gradually became weaker and weaker, to the point where, for 50% of my time, I could do little more than lie in bed or sit in a chair, if I was lucky enough to get from one to the other without collecting any further fractures along the way! Naturally, I found coping very difficult on my own, and often felt totally isolated to the point of despair. Fortunately, before I could quite decide which method of suicide would me best, an enlightened Social Worker assessed my needs, referred me to the Cardiff and Vale Coalition of Disabled People and I was given a place on the Independent Living Scheme. It took a little while before I was able to recruit someone that I thought I would be able to get on with my Carer 1. I also felt more than a little awkward about a young woman being fully conversant with every detail of my dirty washing etc., but I quickly found that this sort of thing was not a problem at all. Not only would I have clean clothing whenever I wanted, but there was always hot food on the table and cold in the fridge, my home was always spotless, a fire was always laid, my bed made, etc. etc. But possibly the most startling change for me was that I suddenly found that every other day or so, someone I really liked was coming round to ensure that I was ok, and I began to feel happy a curious psychiatric condition that the Doctors had assured me had gone away for good. I began to take an interest in the outside world again and tentatively suggested that perhaps on one of my good days, we might go out somewhere. My Carer was more than happy to oblige and we started off with a modest trip to Roath Park Lake to feed the ducks its quite extraordinary how much fun you can have with only half a loaf! One thing led to another and before I knew it I was actually riding, albeit rather gingerly, a horse on Caerphilly Mountain something I had never done before, even when in much better health. Sadly, Carer 1 and later Carer 2 eventually left for better things. Happily, my Carer 3 has been with me for over a year now and we have even more fun as well as the odd daytime trip, we also go out to the cinema and a restaurant occasionally, and I cannot exaggerate how wonderful it feels to be able to do these previously impossible things, particularly in the company of such a delightful companion. We have long given up trying to convince people we meet that our relationship is strictly Employer/Carer although, come to think of it, this isnt true at all we have become very good friends!
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issue, we will hats On In each that may be ofbe highlighting various events, interest to you. If you have any events that you want publicising, please send in the details to the office, and we will endeavour to print them.
Special Cinema Concessions for Carers / PAs Cinema Exhibitors Association (CEA) Concessionary Card The CEA aims to help carers / PAs get concessionary cinema tickets at all major cinema chains in the UK & have introduced an ID card. This entitles the holder to one free ticket for an accompanying person. It is accepted by all major UK Cinema chains. CEA application forms are available from most cinema Box Offices. To apply for the card you will need to meet one or more of the following criteria: be in receipt of disability living allowance, be a registered blind or have a disabled persons rail card. For further information please contact The Card Network on 0151 348 8020 minicom / textphone 0151 356 7113 or visit http://www.ceacard.co.uk/. Daytime talkshow ITV is looking for disabled people who are raising children for a new daytime talkshow, which will discuss the achievements of disabled parents and explore the prejudice they face in society. Initially, there will be a pilot, which will not be aired on TV. Tel: 0208 222 4589, email: chaire. morrison@endemoluk.com

Show Boat The Royal Albert Hall (RAH) is offering disabled people two tickets for the price of one for the audio-described performance of Showboat on 20 June. Showboat explores the Deep South from Mississippi to Chicago, spanning fifty years dealing with many social issues. It is the first fully staged musical at the RAH. Tel: 020 7838 3110 and quote audio description offer. There will also be a free touch tour at 5pm. To book, tel: 020 7589 3202, or email: access@ royalalberthall.com. Showboat runs from 10-25 June. There will be limited twofor-one tickets available on other days throughout the run, subject to availability. There will be a sign language interpreted guided tour of the RAH on 23 June. 7.50. Concessions available. Volunteers for documentary Channel 4 is looking for people who have panic disorder with agoraphobia for a documentary series. The programme will follow volunteers taking part in an intensive treatment programme. The series follows on from The House of Obsessive Compulsives last year, which followed a similar treatment programme with people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Tel: 0207 749 3169, or email: zoe@ monkeykingdom.com

A great source of information is www.dacymru.com/e/whatson.html

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Letters to the Editor

In each issue, we will be printing your letters, so please send them in. They can be on any topic that is relevant to disabled people. The new City ground Hi there, I was impressed by the hard work that disabled people put into trying to ensure that the Millennium Stadium was as accessible as possible. While it is in no way perfect, I understand it would have been much less accessible without that effort. I am a little concerned with what will happen regarding accessibility at the new proposed Cardiff City ground. Can you please do some work in this area to ensure that us football fans will have a real opportunity to see The Blues. Jon Penarth.

The Computer Help Doctor, hes here to help

Hi there, my name is William Rendle, and I own All-I.T., an IT firm that seeks to bring to people all the advantages of new technology, with none of the headaches. In the following issues, I will seek to answer all your IT questions, so please, write, call, or email CVCDP, with your computer questions or problems and I will do my best to answer them. In February this year, I met up with CVCDP to look at ways of improving their computer systems. Much work has been done since, the network is in good shape and many people can work / log-on from home. When I mentioned that I was going to have a help column, people started to bombard me with their questions, so I have included a couple in this issues.

Question 1

My ink jet printer cost so much to run, those cartridges are so expensive and they dont seem to last very long, what can I do?

Question 2

Answer 1

I have recently seen computers advertise as Dual Core, does that mean they go twice as fast as single core, at the same clock speed.

Well, you can get your cartridges refilled at far lower prises than new ones, or you could invest in a laser printer, for when you just print in black and white. A word of warning, if you have a photo printer and you are creating photos, using cheaper or refilled cartridges, may affect the quality and longevity of you pictures.
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Answer 2

In a word no. The computer will run much faster than a single core system, especially when running more than one programme, at the same time. The new Dual Core machines, are very good, offering real-life increases in performance, but twice as fast at the same clock speed? Sadly no.

Cardiff And Vale Coalition Of Disabled People

CONSULTANCY & TRAINING SERVICES

Section 2.63 of the new Disability Equality Duty (DED) Code of Practice recommends that public sector organisations must provide Disability Equality Training (DET) to Staff With regard to the DED, we Provide Training and Consultancy to organisations including: Consultancy on effective involvement of disabled people in policy development Practical implementation of the Disability Equality Duty Design and Development of Disability Equality Schemes Delivery of comprehensive Disability Equality Training courses Full Disability Access Audits and implementation guidance

Our consultants are all disabled individuals who are renowned as experts in their field. All our disability training courses are designed and delivered by disabled individuals who have all completed full DET trainers courses. All our training events are based on interactive self-reflection and practical outcomes. Our training and consultancy rates are very competitive and will provide a cost-effective solution for your organisation. In short, the Cardiff and Vale Coalition of Disabled People has all the necessary skills to help your organisation meet the requirements of the DED and much more. If You Feel That Your Organisation Could Benefit, Please Do Not Hesitate To Contact Us At: Cardiff & Vale Coalition of Disabled People Cowbridge Court 60 Cowbridge Road West Ely, Cardiff, CF5 5BS Tel/minicom: 02920 255 611 Fax: 02920 255 621 We look forward to your call. Email: info@cvcdp.org
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Prize Draw Crossword

Prize Draw Crossword

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18 19 20 23 24 25 26 27 30 21

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Across 1 Tiled word game (8) 5 Disabled rights legislation?(abbreviation) (3) 7 Recently acknowledged as a disability in Disability Discrimination Act (7:10) 10 Hazardous, perilous (9) 13 Heart, lung, Wurlitzer etc. (5) 14 Arches & angels can be this (6) 16 Consequently, therefore, as a result (2) 17 Apex, incline, landfill site (3) 18 Oven and combination separate ways to burn your food (3) 19 Cargo (7) 22 Not unoccupied (9) 23 Eastenders Little Maureen (2) 24 Acronym - Cardiff and Vale Coalition of Disabled People (5) 26 Acronym - Crown Prosecution Service(3) 28 Planes, trains and automobiles all should be accessible (9) 29 1st on a ladder? (4) 30 Acronym Information Technology (2)

Its prize draw time!

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Down 1 Sounds like snake dance! (5) 2 Health Assembly Minister recently withdrew Labour Manifesto. Promised free home care (5: 7) 3 Adams partner, before Christmas (3) 4 Partnered with Hobs (4) 6 The Swiss love to do this from a mountain top! (5) 8 Board game (4) 9 One of the leftovers from bread (5) 11 Tate has a lot of this. Children use it as an excuse to get creatively mucky! (3) 12 High Street Designer label space; Tarbuck and Madonna have famous toothy ones! (3) 14 Christmas trees are generally this variety (3) 15 Symbol, sign, emblem (4) 16 Ghostly drink! (6) 18 Foot part, (4) 19 High temperature (5) 20 Pixie, fairy (3) 21 Heated bread, breakfast snack (5) 25 Mafia boss, University fellow (3) 27 Greek mathematics ratio (2)

The first to correctly complete and send into the office the above crosswords will win a copy of Disabling Barriers, Enabling Environments, featuring seminal writers such as Mike Oliver, David Hevey and Jenny Morris. This book employs the social model of disability to address issues of inequality and is edited by Colin Barnes.

Prize Draw Crossword

JOIN THE COALITION MEMBERSHIP IS FREE

How to become a member - Its as easy as 1-2-3 Either 1. 2. 3. Ring - 02920 255 611 Email info@cvcdp.org providing your name, address, and telephone number, Or Complete the initial contact form below, and return it to: Cardiff & Vale Coalition of Disabled People Cowbridge Court, 60 Cowbridge Road West Ely, Cardiff, CF5 5BS Address Telephone Number Home Email Address

Persons Name or Organisation First Name: Last Name: Organisation & Position: (if an org)

Mobile

CATEGORIES OF MEMBERSHIP Full membership - for disabled people who live or work in Cardiff or the Vale. Associate membership for non-disabled people, organisations or disabled people living outside Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. THE BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP CVCDP arranges various events which are open to members including lobbies of Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales, conferences, information days, workshops, training sessions and also social events. CVCDP produces a free regular newsletter every 2 months, helping to keep members informed about new activities and developments. All members are encouraged to write articles for the newsletter. Your views matter to us. Members have exclusive access to the CVCDP members forum on the CVCDP website (www.cvcdp.org) Full members can also be invited to join the CVCDP Board.

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Equality in our Lifetimes

Not Affraid to Speak Out Supporting & Empowering Disabled People In Cardiff & the Vale