THE DISABILITY MOVEMENT CALLS FOR SOCIAL INVESTMENTS TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES FROM THE CRISIS

THE DISABILITY MOVEMENT CALLS FOR SOCIAL INVESTMENTS TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES FROM THE CRISIS 

 

Cyprus, 18 November 2012 /// On 17-18 November 2012, the European disability movement gathered at Ayia Napa, Cyprus, for EDF’s Board meeting thanks to the support of Cyprus EU Presidency. Representatives of its member organisations all around Europe, as well as representatives of the Cyprus Republic and the European Parliament discussed the steps to be taken towards a more inclusive and accessible Europe. During the meeting, EDF adopted a Statement on the crisis in view of the upcoming European Council on 22-23 November 2012.

 

WE WANT EU MONEY INVESTED ON ACCESSIBILITY & SOCIAL INCLUSION

Acknowledging that persons with disabilities and their families have been hit disproportionately hard by the crisis leading to the worsening of their living conditions and endangering their social rights, during its Board meeting in Cyprus, EDF adopted a Statement on the crisis calling for social investments to protect and respect the rights of persons with disabilities. The Statement will be sent to the European Council, the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Central Bank and all the heads of State and Government in view of the upcoming European Council on 22-23 November 2012.

Read more at:-  http://www.edf-feph.org/Page_Generale.asp?DocID=13855&thebloc=31409

Paralympic Fact - Did you know....

Team GB won ....................................

Pralympic Fact - Did you know....

London 2012 will be the most compact Games ever. Around half of the 20 sports will be held in the Olympic Park and the majority of the remainder in the River Zone. These two zones are just 15 minutes apart.

The River Zone features five venues in the Thames Gateway area which straddle the River Thames. They are: North Greenwich Arena 1, Greenwich Park, North Greenwich Arena 2, ExCeL and the Royal Artillery Barracks.

Events held outside these two zones include Paralympic Rowing (which is being held at Eton Dorney, 25 miles west of London), Paralympic Sailing which is at Weymouth and Portland and Paralympic Road Cycling which will be held in central London.

London 2012 will be the most accessible Games ever for athletes and spectators. Train platforms have been widened, buses will be low-floored and are wheelchair accessible and all river piers have ramps.

More than 8,250 London buses have been fitted with the new iBus system an automatic radio and on bus passenger display announcement system which helps the visually and hearing impaired and those unfamiliar with London.

Paralympic Fact - Did you know.....

Tanni Grey-Thompson and David Roberts are Britain’s most successful Paralympians. Both have won 11 gold medals each. Grey-Thompson won hers on the track and Roberts in the pool.

Swimmer Chris Holmes won nine gold medals including six in one Games (Barcelona 1992), the largest medal haul at a single Paralympic Games by a British Paralympian ever.

Quote of the Week

"You can't base your life on other people's expectations".

Stevie Wonder, Musician

Paralympic Fact - Did you know......

In the last three Paralympic Games (Beijing 2008, Athens 2004 and Sydney 2000) Paralympics GB has never finished lower than second in the medal table.

 Beijing 2008 was the most successful Paralympic Games ever for Paralympics GB with a final tally of 42 gold medals.

More than half, 58 per cent, of the British Paralympic team in Beijing in 2008 were at their first Games making London 2012 a fantastic prospect for more medals.

Quote of the Week

"People get so caught up in trying to fix the person that they don't see the great diversity and benefits that the person has to bring to the rest of the world".

Alison Seylor, Mother of Alex who has autism

Paralympic Fact - Did you know.....

The classification of athletes based on their disabilities is key to the Paralympic Games. In each event athletes are classified by officials appointed by the international federation for their particular sport.

The classification system works in the same way as different weight categories for boxing, and is in place to ensure fair competition in events from athletes with different abilities.

In athletics there are five main groups of classes:

* Classes 11, 12 and 13 cover the different levels of visual impairment.

* Class 20 covers athletes with a learning disability.

* Classes 32-38 cover athletes with different levels of cerebral palsy - both wheelchair users (32-34) and those who are ambulant/do not use wheelchairs (35-38).

* Classes 40-46 cover ambulant athletes with different levels of amputations and other impairments, including les Autres – the term for a range of conditions, such as dwarfism, which result in locomotive disorders.

* Classes 51-58 cover athletes with different levels of spinal injuries and amputations who compete in wheelchairs

Quote of the Week

"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see".

Mark Twain, Writer.

Paralympic Fact - Did you know......

The 2012 Summer Games feature events in 20 sports, 16 of which are also Olympic sports: Archery, Athletics (Track and Field), Wheelchair Basketball, Cycling, Equestrian, Wheelchair Fencing, soccer 5-a-side, soccer 7-a-side, Judo, Sailing, Shooting, Swimming, Table Tennis, Wheelchair Tennis, Volleyball, and Rowing. The other four are Boccia, Goalball, Powerlifting, and Wheelchair Rugby.

Quote of the Week

"One's dignity may be assaulted, vandalized and cruelly mocked, but cannot be taken away unless it is surrendered".  

Michael J. Fox, Actor

Paralympic Fact - Did you know...........

The first Paralympic Games took place in Rome, a week after the 1960 Summer Olympic Games were held there.

400 athletes with spinal cord injuries from 23 countries competed in eight sports, including snooker, fencing, field events, basketball, swimming, table tennis, archery, and the pentathlon.

In 1964, they were again held in the same venue as the Olympics, in Tokyo.

In 1968, Mexico City (home of that year's Olympics) declined to host the Paralympics, so they moved to Tel Aviv instead.

From then until 1988, the Paralympics continued to be held in locations other than the Olympics.

The 1972 Paralympics included the first competition for quadraplegics, and demonstration events for the visually impaired.

In 1976, the visually impaired, amputees, and "les autres"—a catchall term embracing many sorts of motor disabilities—were fully included for the first time.

1976 also brought the first Paralympic Winter Games, featuring events in Alpine and Nordic skiing for visually impaired athletes and amputees.

Paralympic Athlete Highlight

Simon Munn was introduced to Wheelchair Basketball shortly after a train accident which resulted in the loss of his leg. He immediately feel in love with the game and began competing in 1991.

To date, he has represented Great Britain in five Paralympics winning Bronze in Beijing, Bronze in Athens and Silver in Atlanta as well as numerous European and World Championship accolades.

Over more than two decades of playing Wheelchair Basketball Simon has played for a number of clubs including Super League Club MK Aces, Tameside Owls and London Club Capital City.

Simon has already announced that this will be his last Paralympics before retiring and his intention is to go out on a high – a Gold medal in his hand.

Quote of the Week

"Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn't mean he lacks vision".

StevieWonder, Muscian

Paralympic Fact - Did you know......

The story of the Paralympics began with Dr. Ludwig Guttman of Stoke Mandeville Hospital in England.

In 1944, he began using sports as a form of recreation and physical therapy for veterans of World War II with spinal cord injuries.

In 1948, on the day that the Olympic Summer Games opened in London, he organized the Stoke Mandeville Games, a competition for wheelchair athletes. This became an annual event, and, in 1952, it achieved international standing, as athletes from the Netherlands joined the competition.

This competition—now known as the World Wheelchair Games—is still held annually, except in years with Paralympic Summer Games.

Paralympic Athlete Highlight

Ben Quilter (Great Britain)

Sport: Judo

Paralympian Ben Quilter boasts an impressive Judo career – a sport he started as a seven year old. Undeterred when he began to lose his sight at 10 years of age, because of the degenerative condition Stargardt's Disease, he continued within the sport he loves.

Ben missed out on selection for the Athens Games but was selected for the 2008 Beijing Games, where he finished fifth.

He has continued to progress and won the world title in 2010 and added the 2011 European title to his tally.

Ben Quilter comes to the London Paralympic Games 2012 as the world number one and World and European champion in his -60kg category.

Quote of the Week

We know that equality of individual ability has never existed and never will, but we do insist that equality of opportunity still must be sought.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Paralympic Facts - Did you know.............

The name "Paralympics" comes from the Greek prefix "para-" (in this context, "beside" or "alongside") and "Olympics." "Parallel Olympics" approximates the intended meaning.

It has nothing to do with "paralysis" or "paraplegia."

Its motto was "Mind, Body, Spirit" from 1994 through 2003, and is now "Spirit in Motion."

Paralympic Athlete Highlight

Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell (Great Britain)

Sport: Sailing

Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell joined forces in 2007 competing in the two-handed Skud category and have gone from strength to strength ever since. At the Beijing Paralympics they secured fifth place in a very competitive field.

Success has continued as this year they have secured their fourth World Title in a row and Silver medals at events in Hyeres and Miami.

Niki Birrell comes from a family of keen sailors while Rickham came in to the sport following a diving accident in her native Jamaica.

They will be competing in Weymouth as the favourites and are hoping to win Team GB their first medal in the sport.

Quote of the Week

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.  

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Paralympic Athlete Highlight

Jon-Allan Butterworth (Great Britain)

 Sport: Cycling

Jon-Allan Butterworth joined the RAF in 2002 and served in Afghanistan in 2005 and Iraq in 2007 as a SAC(T) Weapons technician. During this tour of Iraq, he was involved in a rocket attack and was operated on by doctors in a battlefield hospital who carried out an above the elbow amputation of his left arm.

During 2008 he became involved with the Help for Heroes Big Battlefield Bike Ride, a 350 mile cycling challenge around the battlefields of Northern France to help raise funds to benefit other injured servicemen and women.

Following  this experience and watching British cyclists in the Beijing Olympic Games 2008 Jon-Allan attended a British Cycling Development Programme and was accepted onto the British Paracycling Programme in January 2009.

Aged 26-year-old from Sutton Coldfield,Jon-Allan made his international debut at the 2011 World Championships in Italy, winning gold in a world record time in the kilo event in his C5 category.

He retained his title at this year's World Championship in Los Angeles, again setting a world record.

At London Paralympic Games 2012, Jon-Allan will see his kilo event being factored. This means he will be going head-to-head for a Gold medal against his fellow GB team-mate Jody Cundy who will be competing in the C4 category. Only one of them can take the Gold medal - determined by which rider is closest to the world record for their class.

Quote of the Week

“The most important thing in life is to stop saying 'I wish' and start saying 'I will.'
Consider nothing impossible, then treat possiblities as probabilities.”  

Charles Dickens, David Copperfield

Armed Forces Day 2012

Paralympic Athlete Highlight

Hannah Russell (Great Britain)

Sport: Swimming

At 15 years, turning 16 years in August, Hannah Russell’s Paralympic debut will see her as one of the youngest member of the GB Paralympic Team. Her selection was a surprise to her as she was originally focused on training for the 2016 Games in Brazil.

Following on from last year’s European Championships in Berlin where she won silver in the 100m backstroke and bronze in the 100m butterfly, she has continued to shine in the recent British Paralympic trials. At these trials she amassed five qualifying times including setting a European record in the 100m backstroke.

Quote of the Week

“Know me for my abilities, not my disability.”

Robert M Hensel

Guinness World Record Holder for the longest non-stop wheelie in a wheelchair, covering a total distance of 6.178 miles.

Paralympic Athlete Highlight

Will Bayley (Great Britain)

Sport: Table tennis

Currently ranked Number 1, Will Bayley is a definite contender for a Gold Medal in the London Paralympic Games 2012.

He made his debut aged 20 years in Beijing and narrowly missed out on a medal position.

Will Bayley was born in Poole, Doreset and was born with a condition called Arthrogryposis affecting all of his limbs. When he was 7, he was diagnosed with cancer and underwent chemotherapy at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London.

In 2009, Will was ranked 3^rd in the world and has steadily moved up in the rankings through wins in the European Championships in Croatia last year. He is now top of his class seven rankings.

Quote of the Week

"Disability is not a ‘brave struggle’ or ‘courage in the face of adversity.’ Disability is an art…It’s an ingenious way to live."

Neil Marcus, playwright

Paralympic Athlete Highlight

Aaron Phipps (Great Britain)

Sport: Wheelchair Rugby

Aaron competes for Team GB and Cardiff Pirates.

Aaron initially competed in Wheelchair Racing from 2007 onwards, was introducted to Wheelchair Rugby in 2009. He made his debut at the 2009 European Championships in Hillerod, Denmark, where the team achieved a 4th place finish.

Phipps lost both his lower legs and his finger tips after contracting meningitis as a teenager.

He is a real advantage to the team and he is a key offensive threat due to his speed and power around the court.

In a recent interview with Channel 4, Aaron was asked about representing Team GB at the Paralympics and said "It is the highest level an athlete can compete at and it would be amazing to represent your country."

Quote of the Week

"The only one who can tell you 'you can't ' is you. And you don't have to listen."
Nike

Paralympic Athlete Highlight

David Weir (Great Britain)

Sport: Athletics

After winning Gold medals in the 800m and 1500m in the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games, Britain's top wheelchair racer and track athlete will be aiming to add to his medal collection.

Weir made his debut in 1996 at the Atlanta Paralympic Games and London 2012 will be his fourth Games appearance (he did not compete in the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games).

This year has already been a highly successful year for Weir as he collected his sixth London Marathon victory, equalling the record of Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson.

He is competing in four events in London; the 800m, 1500m, 5,000m and the marathon.

Quote of the Week

"ONLY POSSIBILITIES".

John Maclean
Paraplegic Athlete

Paralympic Athlete Highlight

Oscar Pistorius (South Africa)

Sport: Athletics

Oscar Pistorius is probably one of the most instantly recognisable Paralympians today. Often referred to as Blade Runner, he debuted at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens winning Bronze in the T44 (one leg amputated below the knee) 100-metre event. Whilst competing in the preliminary round of the 200 metres event he fell but still managed to qualify for the final where he went on to win Gold in a world record time of 21.97 seconds.

Pistorius fought a highly publicised battle with the governing body the IAAF over his prosthetic limbs and he was eventually cleared to run against able-bodied competitors in 2008.

At the Beijing Paralympics in 2008, he won three Golds and at last year's able-bodied World Championships in Daegu, he reached the semi-finals.

He is hoping to make history by qualifying for the London 2012 Olympics before competing in the 2012 Paralympic Games.

Quote of the Week

"You are not disabled by your disabilities but abled by your abilities."

Oscar Pistorius

Athlete, South Africa

London 2012 Paralympic Games

The London 2012 Paralympics will commence on 29^th August and run through until the 9^th September.

Over 4000 athletes representing more than 150 countries will be vying for medals!

Xavier Gonzalez, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) chief executive, commented to the BBC that he believes the Games will inspire people from around the globe.

"Beijing was a magnificent Games which impacted the lives of almost 100 million people in China. But we really believe that London can bring that impact across the world."  He believes that the London 2012 Paralympics "can probably be what we call the first truly global Paralympics", and added that the event "coming home" to the UK is an important step.

"Since Sydney 2000 there has been a movement across the world and globalisation, we have gone from a few countries really taking Paralympic sport seriously to now a large number," he said.

"The Paralympic ticket sales, one million sold a year out - this is unprecedented and I think there is a special relationship between the British public and the Paralympic movement."

In my opinion it is great to see that people are truly supportive of the London 2012 Paralympic Games and I am looking forward to the dramas unfolding as athletes compete to claim the medals.

Over the coming weeks, I will be commenting regularly on the run up to the Paralympic Games and possible winners to look out....................

Paralympic Flame Torch Relay

As the torch relay for the London 2012 Olympic Games continues, we turn our attention to the journey of the Paralympic Flame for the ParalympicGames 2012.


It has been announced that Paralympic Flame lighting events will take place across the UK’s capital cities and events will be held on consecutive days.


The events will commence on 24^th August in London with the four Paralympic Flames uniting at a ceremony in Stoke Mandeville on 28^th August. Stoke Mandeville is, of course, the birthplace of the Paralympic Games.


From this ceremony, the Paralympic Flame will begin is journey to the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. This relay, involving 580 torchbearers working in teams of five, will culminate in the cauldron being lit within the Olympic Stadium to indicate the start of the Paralympic Games on 29^th August 2012.


At this stage only 332 torchbearers have been announced with 36 communities around the UK staging flame celebrations during the relay journey.


Locog Chairman Seb Coe said of those selected: "Whether they have been together for years or have been brought together around a common story, they have all demonstrated how they are living the Paralympic values of courage, determination, inspiration and equality."

Quote of the Week

“Being disabled should not mean being disqualified from having access to every aspect of life"

Emma Thompson, Actress

The FA are holding England Talent Days across the country this summer to find the next potential England disability star.

The Central London event is due to take place on:

Sunday 3rd June at 12noon –3pm

Paddington Rec Ground, Randolph Ave, W9 1PD

Boys and girls in school years 7 - 11 are eligible for the day.

The day will provide the opportunity to find out more about the FA Disability Squads.

To find out more please contact:

Darren Smith. London FA, Unit 11, Hurlingham Business Park, Sulivan Road, Fulham, SW6 3DU

And the Winner is...........................

So the winner was not me but I did receive a "Commendation" which I was extremely pleased with. There are a lot of people who call themselves entrepreneurs – you only have to watch The Apprentice to see the evidence of that. However, for the Winner, Paul Clark, Penta Consulting, myself and the fellow finalists, we are the real proof of what is truly meant by the term “entrepreneurial spirit” and each and every one of us would have been worthy of this award. I started my company more than ten years ago to increase the inclusion of disabled people within mainstream activities. Since then my company has grown somewhat - from my bedroom at home to our offices based in Cheam and from me wearing many different hats to employing a number of quality staff! Our services have grown and it is still a fact that many businesses do not understand their legal obligations towards accessibility and diversity. My company continues to evolve and as with all businesses, I face daily demands and challenges, particularly in these difficult economic times, but the joy and satisfaction of seeing my company flourish is still as strong today as it was back on my first day. This "commendation" gives recognition to all the hard work, drive and commitment that myself and my team put in to making DP Consulting (Disability Equality Services) Ltd the successful business it is today. Long may it continue......

Sutton Business Awards 2012

Tonight, Thursday 10th May 2012, is the Gala Dinner and Presentation of the Sutton Business Awards 2012, of which I am a finalist. Whilst it would be lovely to hear my name announced, all the finalists are worthy of the win and the competition is therefore high. I am not feeling too nervous but I am sure that as the moment approaches the nerves may start to jiggle! I am sure that whatever the outcome the evening will be an enjoyable one and I will let you all know the result tomorrow...........................

Quote of the Week

Disability is a matter of perception. If you can do just one thing well, you're needed by someone.

Martina Navratilova

Quote of the Week

It's important to have something you can focus on or have a plan to work towards.

Dame Tanni Grey Thompson, Wheelchair Athlete - Spina Bifida

Quote of the Week

Disablism. Handicaphobia. Smuggery. The English language has no good word for the prejudice.

Christopher Stevens - Author of A Real Boy, a family memoir about bringing up his autistic son.

St Georges Day

April brings us many things – April showers, the flowers start to appear, the birds start singing and it smells like summer outside again. There are also some notable days: - April Fool’s Day (did you get caught out by the practical jokers?), Good Friday and Easter Sunday (hope the Easter Bunny delivered some yummy chocolate) and St Georges Day, the national day of England. Oh, and so you don’t forget St Georges Day is tomorrow, Monday April 23rd! St Georges Day always seems to pass by with little pomp and ceremony and, for large sections of the population, with little recognition. Whilst others of the home nations - the Scots, Irish and Welsh - actively celebrate their National Days, us English tend to just get on with our regular days. My own ethnic background is Mauritian which I cherish fully but I am English born and bred and embrace my Englishness but what does it mean to be English in the 21st Century? The English were once renowned for their cold politeness; their displays of courteousness; the stiff upper lip and their quirky way of standing in queues graciously waiting their turn. However, if foreigners were asked today they would properly describe us as rude, drunk, self-centred and lacking respect. But can this really be true? Most definitely not.......... I believe that the increasing ethnic diversity in England means that it is often difficult to define what makes someone English. However, there are many shared characteristics within this diversity that should be acknowledged, celebrated and even cheered about. So let’s start waving the flag for all that is good about being English:- * A get-on-with-it nation who does not shy away from hardship (many of us are weathering the current economic climate); * A giving nation who does not back away when charity comes calling (record amounts given to causes such as Sport Relief when our own personal finances are being squeezed); * A working nation of shopkeepers which has evolved to that of a nation of true entrepreneurial spirit (think Lord Sugar, Phillip Green, James Dyson, Simon Cowell); * A get-up and get-on-with it nation (think of the many people who cleared our communities after the minority took to the streets in the riots); * An unusual nation of eccentricity (think of all the people who readily jump in baths of beans, walk backwards for miles or someone closer to home who beats to the sound of their own drum); and * A just nation which works on principles, freedom, diversity and fairness. So may I suggest on Monday we celebrate St George’s Day and own unique Englishness! Happy St. George’s Day one and all..........

Quote of the Week

“If you can dream it, you can do it.”

Walt Disney – Learning Difficulties

Sutton Business Awards 2012

I am proud to announce that I have been shortlisted as a finalist in the Sutton Business Awards 2012 in the category of Best Entrepreneur.

Being shortlisted for this prestigious award highlights the current success of my business and I am sure will help promote DP Consulting (Disability Equality Services) Ltd to further success as we go from strength to strength.

I would like to congratulate all the other finalists and look forward to the Presentation Gala on 10th May 2012.

I will, of course, keep you updated on the final result!

Quote of the Week

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.”

Winston Churchill – Learning Difficulties

Quote of the Week

“Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them.”

Albert Einstein – Learning Difficulties

Violent Assaults on Disabled Children

I was horrified to read recently that disabled children are more than twice as likely to be beaten up by yobs than other children within their age group.

This is an outrage and those responsible must be reprimanded accordingly. Soft penalties will not stop this behaviour and it is only by enforcing a fair but tough justice system that such behaviour can be curbed.

We all feel the shock when stories such as Fiona Pilkington killing herself and her disabled daughter after enduring years of a hate campaign hit the headlines but how many of us think about these types of violent assaults long after the newspapers have hit the bottom on the recycling bin?

Shock statistics released this week reveal that:

1 in every 6 disabled children aged between 10 years and 15 years suffered a violent attack last year.

3 of every 4 cases resulted injury often involving knives, bricks, sticks or other weapons.

1 in 5 disabled or long-term sick children are crime victims.

9 out of 10 victims know their attacker/s

Worryingly 7 in every 10 victims did not think the attacks were crimes.

As a responsible society we can no longer allow this type of hate crime to continue unchecked.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 1 states that: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” To uphold this declaration we need a justice system that is tough on the bullies that perpetrate this type of crime. Soft penalties will only allow these thugs to continue with their outrageous behaviour. It is time for our law makers and law enforcers to act accordingly to protect not only the rights of our vulnerable children but all children in general.

The cowards that act in this manner should be made to realise that this behaviour will no longer be tolerated by society and each and every community should take responsibility in ensuring the safety and care of all its citizens.

Quote of the Week

"It is a waste of time to be angry about my disability. One has to get on with life and I haven't done badly. People won't have time for you if you are always angry or complaining."

Stephen Hawking - Motor Neurone Disease

Quote of the Week

‘Disability is an open club. Hang around for long enough and you’ll become a member.’

Bert Massie, Former Chair of the UK’s Disability Rights Commission

Quote of the Week

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 1