# data[].attributes.headline
Euan's Guide: Disabled Access Reviewsby disabled people for disabled people

# data[].attributes.subject
Euan's Guide: Disabled Access Reviewsby disabled people for disabled people

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Euan's Guide features disabled access reviews by disabled people and their families and friends. We feature hotels, restaurants, cinemas, theatres and more.

# data[].attributes.body
Prezi - Accessibility Toolkit for Open Educational Resources (OER) - LibGuides at CUNY Office of Library Services

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to Main Content

It looks like you're using Internet Explorer 11 or older. This website works best with modern browsers such as the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. If you continue with this browser, you may see unexpected results.

Prezi

Prezi Design, a cloud-based graphic design tool used to create and share dynamic designs and data visualizations.You pick a template, add your content or data, and share your creation.

There are various opinions on whether Prezi is accessible. In 2018 Prezi Support wrote a blog post about how Prezi Design was accessible and WCAG compliant. Within the blog post they posted how-to tips, which I've included. However, several other sources (Universities and businesses) have written about how Prezi is not ADA compliant.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
LibGuides: Accessibility Toolkit for Open Educational Resources (OER): Prezi

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Skip to Main Content It looks like you're using Internet Explorer 11 or older. This website works best with modern browsers such as the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. If you continue with this browser, you may see unexpected results.

# data[].attributes.headline
Sing your heart out ABBA: Thank you for your data - for more equality

# data[].attributes.subject
Sing your heart out ABBA: Thank you for your data - for more equality

# data[].attributes.body
Our parody of the ABBA song 'Thank You for the Music' for the education and training sector created by the national network of (sector) equalities networks for the Education and Training Foundation to support its work to increase workforce diversity and social mobility.
Plus, check out our playlist containing:

raw footage, outtakes,

3-verse versions

a British Sign Language-only musical interpretation which includes a specially developed new BSL sign for 'Superdiversity'.

Let us know if you make your own version to this tune or another. This version has a single verse and 2 choruses.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Thank you for your data - 1 verse final version

# data[].attributes.headline
Choosing wisely - Parody age and disability

# data[].attributes.subject
Choosing wisely - Parody age and disability

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Choosing Wisely - a parody of the infectious Pharrell Williams song "Happy" - choose wisely when it comes to making health care decisions and if you choose wisely it will make you happy.

# data[].attributes.headline
A Different Narrative: Text within Disability Art

# data[].attributes.subject
A Different Narrative: Text within Disability Art

# data[].attributes.body
"...  text in Disability Art is very raw and direct and usually about the artist’s personal experience and identity. It signifies an urgency to be heard, often becoming a polemic for change even as it recognises an ‘us and them’ dualism."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Last year saw the death of American Artist Lawrence Weiner whose highly regarded work is well known for being text-based and conceptual. An acknowledged influence on many contemporary artists, Angela Edmonds felt that his passing suggested an appropriate time to reconsider art and text and particularly the use of text within Disability Art.
Text has been an integral or accompanying part of art since time immemorial but it's only in recent history that text has become ubiquitous within Western Contemporary Art. The use of text creates an immediate dialogue with the audience and it's no surprise that it has been adopted by Disability Art Practitioners as a direct way to connect with their audiences. Furthermore, it reproduces very clearly online which is all for the good.

Conceptual Artist Weiner used topographical text not in didactic sentences but as an invitation to explore meaning. He understood the fluidity and instability of language and the way that the audience's interpretation changes according to who is viewing it and the context in which it is viewed. In 1969 Weiner wrote a short but influential manifesto titled Statements concerning the making of Art. If Disability Art had a manifesto what would it look like? What is different about the use of text in Disability Arts? What is it saying, where does it come from and where is it going?

The text in Disability Art is very raw and direct and usually about the artist's personal experience and identity. It signifies an urgency to be heard, often becoming a polemic for change even as it recognises an 'us and them' dualism. The New York Artist Shannon Finnegan incorporates text into her sculptural installations of cushions, benches, and chairs in order to reference the absence of seating provision in galleries and other public and private spaces. One of the exhibitions of this work was titled Do You Want Us Here Or Not? Her text on seating is written in her own irregular typeface and "based on handwritten text to give it a human touch".

Her message is direct, clear, and heartfelt in addressing curators and galleries where seating is conspicuously lacking for those that desperately need it. One bench states This Exhibition Has Asked Me To Stand For Too Long Sit If You Agree, knowingly making this work less didactic and less 'other' by encouraging audience participation. As Finnegan stated in an online zoom event:

"my work is part of an ecosystem of Disability Arts."

Her work is gaining traction and is well documented online resulting in the issues she deals with being brought into consciousness and beginning to be addressed. For example, the American Art Critic Jerry Saltz has recently championed the need for seating in galleries on his Instagram account and galleries are sitting up and taking notice. Finnegan explains her motivation as being:

"How can I communicate my experiences in ways that create points of connection?"

To this end she has also translated her text work into other languages, such as German in order to reach wider audiences and is now extending her research into investigating the content and use of Alt Text as poetry.

Nevertheless, for Disability Art to reach those audiences it needs to be visible beyond gallery exhibitions on the theme of disability so as to become part of the wider canon of the art world and art history without becoming ghettoised. As a Crie de Coeur or protestation Disability Art can seem relentless and thankfully the work is sometimes imbued with a redeeming irony and dark sense of humour. An example of this is the work by Dolly Sen titled Help The Normals, a charity collection box to which she has added a playful but serious label.

Three simple words challenge representations of the disabled as being vulnerable helpless 'charity cases'. The work is both political and personal whilst retaining an element of sardonic humour. No longer internalizing her frustrations Sen describes her subversive work as:

"Turning what's hurting you against itself".

The language used in Disability Art isn't obscure or random, it's highly focused and often highly charged in challenging restrictive normative practices and constraints. Challenging a status quo that is already structured in language can only be done by using the language which is already there. The work seems to say:

"I am here. Get me out of here".

Artist Oliver Hemsley has gained respect from artists including Gilbert and George and Tracey Emin. His expressive work includes figure drawing and painting and stand-alone text. Quoting him from his public instagram account Oliver said:

"I am an artist who is disabled I am not a disabled artist ... my writing is my Art."

Hemsley makes powerful work around issues of identity, and often painful sense of self, and a raw self-awareness, but with a determination to make it powerful and real. The language and perceptions of disability are slowly changing and Disability Art forms part of that change through its harnessing and subversion of language. It calls for changes in society; changes to lack of seating in public places, changes to inaccessible buildings, changes to condescending attitudes, and to a general lack of awareness and understanding. These artists are finding their voice.

Sociologist Bill Hughes has compared the construction of disability as a process of 'invalidation'. He acknowledges how the naming and labelling in language connect our sense of self with society's definition. Saussure argued that language is socially constructed and that things can only be understood by contrasting them with what they are not. He called it La Langue: the language system. In addition, and more optimistically he spoke about 'Parole'; individual speech which expresses itself through this system. I believe that text in Disability Art is doing just that by turning an already encoded system on its head to create new possibilities and improved awareness.

As Oliver Hemsley himself has observed:

"Invalid - what a fucking word".

The term 'Invalid' seems archaic and unacceptable now but its a clear reminder of how disability has been structured in language and that old habits die hard.

In its early days Disability Art was made by disabled artists for other disabled people as a shared visual language and sense of solidarity. Things are very different now with work generally made for the non-disabled viewer as a way of personal expression and highlighting a need for societal change. By using written language and reaching wider audiences the work can act as a wake up call about unheralded injustices and experiences. These artists are using language in a very direct way to make issues visible. Nothing can be addressed until it is visible; until it exists in consciousness.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Different Narrative: Text within Disability Art - Disability Arts Online

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Last year saw the death of American Artist Lawrence Weiner whose highly regarded work is well known for being text-based and conceptual. An acknowledged influence on many contemporary artists, Angela Edmonds felt that his passing suggests an appropriate time to reconsider art and text and particularly the use of text within Disability Art.

# data[].attributes.headline
Coronation Street and its changing approach to disability

# data[].attributes.subject
Coronation Street and its changing approach to disability

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Alison Wilde takes a glance across two decades of Coronation Street in an analysis of the ITV soap's representation of Disability, highlighting characters whose storylines portray an understanding of the social model of disability.

I am a long-time fan of Corrie, despite some occasional despair at over-extended storylines that sometimes stretched the credulity as well as patience of the audience (e.g. the Phelan killing spree of 2017). As a northerner, a soap opera scholar (my PhD in Disability Studies) and a fan of comedy, they don't come much better than Coronation Street for pantomime moments (apart from Victoria Wood's Acorn Antiques, perhaps); these are what make it the best contemporary soap for me. As I now have to limit my soap opera diet, taking the temperature of representational change in soap opera portrayals is entirely reliant on Corrie.

Recent Corrie stories made have me realise how far we have travelled from the pathological forms of imagery which dominated in the 1990s, e.g. the oedipal trajectories of Don Brennan and Jim McDonald, and the portrayal of disabled women as burdens on the rare occasions they appeared (e.g. Maud Grimes).

Coronation Street now demonstrates more awareness of disabling barriers, and has shown considerable commitment in employing disabled actors recently, with two regular disabled actors (below), and two recent irregular characters, Emily Bishop's niece Freda (played by Ali Briggs), and Imogen (played by Melissa Johns). It feels like we are really getting somewhere when we can even see incidental characters featured, e.g. a Deaf couple using sign language as they dined in the Bistro, in May 2018. We may soon look forward to a third regular character, with one of Gemma and Chesney's quadruplets (Aled) born deaf in 2020.

Sadly, there has been a noticeable absence, or only scant appearances, of the two regular disabled adult actors during the pandemic, Izzy Armstrong (played by Cherylee Houston), and Alex Warner (played by Liam Bairstow). Well before 2020, both characters were welcome additions to the soap, ushering in new types of disability representation.

Cherylee Houston was the first disabled actress on Corrie, as Izzy Armstrong, and one of the first disabled actresses in a UK soap. I am assuming these absences may be due to the pandemic; although she's not mentioned as a character who is shielding there have been efforts to include other actors who have to shield, i.e. showing them on online calls. Izzy is occasionally mentioned in people's conversations but has not made recent appearances, an absence which could have been utilised to bring viewers attention to the extraordinary weight of issues disabled people have faced during the pandemic, e.g. the fact that many disabled people have not been able to leave their homes for ten months.

It would be easy, now, to forget how radical it was to employ a disabled actor on television in 2010, with only very few representations of disabled women, or characters, on British television before 2008 (for example, Lisa Hammond and Cerrie Burnell on Grange Hill).

Thankfully, Izzy has largely avoided the kind of stereotyping we saw with Maud Grimes, even providing one of the earliest representations of successful disabled and interdependent parenthood. Similarly, in 2015 Liam Bairstow was the first actor with Down Syndrome (DS) to appear on Corrie and his storylines have steered well away from the usual tropes afforded to people with DS, refusing stories of infantalisation and stigma, instead emphasising agency, whilst remaining honest about barriers and needs.

Despite the relative absence of Izzy and Alex during the pandemic, there have been many impairment-related storylines throughout the last year, many pre-dating this period. I even began to question whether there are too many impairment-related storylines on the street, when it became very noticeable that two different characters were admitted to hospital in the same week as part of two different storylines.

One of these was the story of Oliver, Leanne Battersby and Steve McDonald's son, who was three years old when he was diagnosed with mitochondrial disease; his eventual hospitalisation and worsening condition resulted in a court case when the hospital decided to withdraw his treatment. With Oliver constantly unconscious or sedated, the focus was on the agonising experiences of his parents and family; as well-acted as this was, this heart-rending story of life and death decision-making is typical of issue-based soap drama (and, sadly, a potential candidate for soap awards).

However, the development I think breaks new ground is the story around the character of Shona Platt. She is not the first person to have an accident which results in brain injury (in 2020) but the trajectory of her rehabilitation makes many departures from the storylines of the past. Not only do we have her devoted, if troubled, husband David showing a deep commitment to her, but the potential rejection of her old life (as unwanted) comes from her, and leads to a situation where he declares his greater love for her (disabled) self; a bit schmaltzy perhaps, but it probably spoke volumes to many of us with acquired impairments.

We were also given insights into some of the difficulties that brain injury might bring in her reintegration into family life, alongside gentle and respectful comedy incidents which have largely been built on the lack of communication filters resulting from her injury. These have been used to good effect to question what passes as normality in social situations, a facet of disability representation I have rarely seen outside Disability Arts. Although I am not a big fan of slushy moments, the scenes of David's re-enactment of their wedding to aid her memory, and his declaration that he was more in love with the 'new' Shona were delightful, taking a progressive step in disability representations, where the new disabled person asserts their right to be loved as they are, not for who they were.

There have been several disabled narratives in the last few years, some featuring children. In 2018 Jack Webster had his foot amputated after he was diagnosed with sepsis (due to a sporting injury); Jack is played by a non-disabled actor Kyran Bowes, who had worked on the soap since 2016.

Max Turner (played by Harry McDermott,) the adopted son of David Platt, was diagnosed with ADHD in 2014, aged eight. Other recent additions include the later diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (LOMS) for Johnny Connor, also in 2018, at the age of 64. Disability-wise, I am glad to have seen that this depiction has avoided common associations of MS with sour personalities and the positioning of an MS diagnosis as a tragedy; it is neither ignored nor central to Johnny's life. As good as this is, if I am being picky, I wish they'd go a few steps further and confront issues such as the bladder and bowel difficulties (very common for people with MS), and could easily fit well within both dramatic and comedic elements of the show.

Overall, although the majority of impairment and disability storylines have been played by non-disabled actors, it is worth noting that another character who has an impairment which matches with his own is Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson); the character was diagnosed with clinical depression in 2015, close to experiences Simon Gregson has in his own life.

Much progress has been made, I think, but there are some caveats. First, all the characters I have discussed so far are white. We rarely see Black disabled characters in film and television, and, given the large amount of people with impairments currently on the street, this absence is becoming noticeable - notwithstanding the newish character of Grace Vickers (played by Kate Spencer), former girlfriend of Michael Bailey. It is implied that her mental health problems are linked to the loss of a baby, but the storylines so far have encouraged us to take a side between characters, dependent in part on our fondness for the Bailey family, and our position on the old 'mad' or 'bad' binary. Whilst the same could be said to be true of several white people on the street, including the current difficulties Peter Barlow is having with alcoholism, this is the second time we have had a Black mixed-race woman with mental health problems set against 'good families, i.e. Kirsty Dobbs as an abusive partner (played by Natalie Gumede) in 2013.

Nonetheless, this is offset, to an extent, to the casting of Alexandra Mardell as Emma Brooker, an immensely likeable empathetic character, and daughter of Fiona Middleton (Angela Griffin), another well-liked character from the early 1990s. Nonetheless, in terms of equity it would perhaps be prudent for the producers of the show to think a little more specifically about the intersectionality of impairment and ethnicity portrayals.

In contrast to the high number of white people with impairments there are now several other long-running characters who are either Black or people of colour such as Yasmeen (Shelley King), Dev (Jimmi Harkishin), Imran (Charlie de Melo) and Alya (Sair Khan), as well as the Bailey family all of whom are non-disabled characters. Given this disparity and the dearth of Black disabled women on our screens, it would seem wise to start employing disabled Black actresses and to strenuously avoid endowing them with angry/deviant mental health-related impairments for the foreseeable future, especially if we are to avoid the re-creation of old tropes of angry/hysterical Black women as the deviation from 'the norm'.

Second, I was quite dismayed when I saw a recent storyline featuring Maureen Lipman as Evelyn Plummer. It may seem picky but some of the most insidious disabling portrayals can often be found in the fine detail, without a disabled character being present. Evelyn was put into a potentially romantic situation with a character named Arthur where the eventual drama is caused by the existence of Arthur's unmentioned and unseen wife who is very ill.

I have seen too many repeats of this storyline in films over the last few years, where we are invariably encouraged to empathise with the husband who is cheating on his wife, by pitying his 'burden of care' and understanding his need for affection. Although this would be an entirely different tale if these people were in polyamorous relationships (none of them were), I always find them chilling in the blatant disregard for the value of the life of the disabled 'other', especially as the happy ending is only made possible by the spousal death (e.g. the 2020 film 23 walks). Arthur's wife has now died, and he has gone to Canada; I hope there is no reunion.

Well, that's my two-penneth, as Evelyn might say. All in all, I think Corrie has achieved much over the last twenty years, especially in the last ten, but inclusion is always a work in progress where we learn from our mistakes and strengths. I don't know how I'd have got through the pandemic, so far, without Coronation Street, but a commitment to inclusion means that there is always room for improvement.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Coronation Street and its changing approach to disability - Disability Arts Online

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Alison Wilde takes a glance across two decades of Coronation Street in an analysis of the ITV soap's representation of Disability, highlighting characters whose storylines portray an understanding of the social model of disability. I am a long-time fan of Corrie, despite some occasional despair at over-extended storylines that sometimes stretched the credulity as well as patience of the audience (e.g.

# data[].attributes.headline
7 hilarious comedians who happen to be disabled

# data[].attributes.subject
7 hilarious comedians who happen to be disabled

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
7 hilarious comedians who happen to be disabled

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These funny people all have disabilities, but none of them let their respective condition affect their ability to make people laugh.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Disability and comedy: a personal perspective | Ted Shiress

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ted Shiress: Being an aspiring comedian with cerebral palsy has some interesting consequences

# data[].attributes.headline
Micro-credential course (£75) Online Teaching: Accessibility and Inclusive Learning: Make your online teaching accessible and learn how to plan, design, and deliver inclusive learning and teaching online.

# data[].attributes.subject
Micro-credential course (£75) Online Teaching: Accessibility and Inclusive Learning: Make your online teaching accessible and learn how to plan, design, and deliver inclusive learning and teaching online.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This microcredential provides teachers and professionals working in education with the skills to understand, design, and deliver online learning that is accessible and inclusive.

Under the guidance of online teaching experts at The Open University, you'll develop the pedagogical, technological, procedural, and legal knowledge you need to enhance the accessibility of your online courses.

Discover the benefits of a blended learning approach

Although online teaching presents new challenges, online learning can provide a truly accessible and flexible mode of study with proper insight and planning.

This course will provide you with blended teaching strategies that combine the benefits of online study with face to face teaching.

You'll explore how current technologies and emerging innovations are improving study for millions of learners with disabilities such as hearing impairments, visual impairments, speech, language and communication needs, and physical disabilities.

By supporting all students to study effectively using technology at a distance, you'll learn how to mitigate the major challenges to teaching in an unpredictable world and create a more inclusive environment in your online classroom.

Improve your practice for teaching students with disabilities

From evaluating good examples of online learning practice to responding to feedback that learners have found elements of teaching inaccessible, you'll explore inaccessible teaching examples from across all forms of education and discuss scenarios with broad applications.

The final assessment offers you the chance to improve the accessibility of materials or activities that you've created or that are relevant to your practice.

How do The OU champion improvements in equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI)?

Education should be about creating opportunities for everyone.

According to HESA, 331,170 students (14%) declared a disability to a UK Higher Education Institution in 2018/19. Given these figures, almost all educators will engage with disabled students as a regular part of their work.

For over 20 years, The Open University has been teaching wholly online courses and supports over 20,000 students with declared disabilities every year.

You'll benefit from the OU's world-leading expertise in accessibility practice and research that underpins all of the principles and content covered in this course.
For learners based in Northern Ireland, fully funded (free) places are available for those whose employment has been impacted by COVID-19. Applications for funded places close on 9 March 2021 at 13:00. Places are limited so we recommend you apply as soon as possible. More information: http://www.open.ac.uk/northern-ireland/fully-funded-microcredentials

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Accessibility and Inclusive Learning - Teaching Online Course - FutureLearn

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This microcredential provides teachers and professionals working in education with the skills to understand, design, and deliver online learning that is accessible and inclusive. Under the guidance of online teaching experts at The Open University, you'll develop the pedagogical, technological, procedural, and legal knowledge you need to enhance the accessibility of your online courses.

# data[].attributes.headline
Education for All: Disability, Diversity and Inclusion

# data[].attributes.subject
Education for All: Disability, Diversity and Inclusion

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When we think about education for all. What is inclusion? Why discuss it? Inclusion is important because it implies an acceptance and a celebration of human diversity. It is about all of us. We need to contribute and participate and know that we're making a difference in our communities and in the lives of others. It is through inclusion that we achieve education for all children in all their diversity. In this course we'll focus on a particular aspect of diversity which is disability. We'll learn more about how our educational systems can adjust to welcome children with disabilities into schools and we'll also look at how the student can be supported to be, to participate, and to belong.

When my son was born we were told that he had a genetic syndrome, and words like 'mental retardation', 'developmental delay' were thrown at us. And this meant all our dreams for his future were shattered. And we had no idea what education would look like for him. But as he started growing and as we started hearing about what the options were, this idea of inclusion really appeal to us. The idea that Matt could be accepted for who he was in a every day government school where he could learn alongside the children from the community, and not segregated to a school for children with special needs. You do not have to be a well resourced school to make inclusion happen.

The three main resources you actually need are passion, commitment, and cooperation. What is amazing about inclusion is that when it is successful, it is beneficial to everyone who participated in making it happen. So this is what the course is about. We come together to engage and to explore proven ways of making inclusion happen, and in this way we further the goal of education for all.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Making Education Inclusive - Online Course

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When we think about education for all. What is inclusion? Why discuss it? Inclusion is important because it implies an acceptance and a celebration of human diversity. It is about all of us. We need to contribute and participate and know that we're making a difference in our communities and in the lives of others.

# data[].attributes.headline
Global Disability: Research and Evidence: how to conduct and interpret findings from global disability research

# data[].attributes.subject
Global Disability: Research and Evidence: how to conduct and interpret findings from global disability research

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Understand why and how to do research in the field of global disability

Around 15% of the world's population, or one billion people, live with some form of disability. With ageing populations, the global number of people with disabilities will continue to grow over the coming decades. Disability often affects vulnerable groups, and is more common among women, older people, and households that are poor. People with disabilities often have higher health care needs, but may find it difficult to access services. They face a range of exclusions, from employment, education or other aspects of society.

These exclusions are contrary to the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) which calls upon all countries to respect and ensure the equal rights and participation of all persons with disabilities to education, health care, employment and inclusion in all aspects of society.

Evidence on disability is needed for a range of reasons - to measure the magnitude, highlight inequalities in access, and evaluate interventions that aim to improve the lives of people with disabilities. This evidence can be used to advocate, inform policy, plan services, and address the exclusions that people with disabilities face.

In this course you will learn from researchers, persons with disabilities and policy makers as we look to enhance our understanding of the importance of evidence, and how research can be conducted, interpreted and used to inform policy and practice.

What topics will you cover?

What is disability and why is it important

Why we need evidence about global disability

Identification/measurement of disability in surveys

Measuring the impact of disability

Data disaggregation

Analysing qualitative and quantitative data

Interpreting findings of research studies

Assessing the quality of research studies

Including people with disabilities in research

Decolonizing global health

Disseminating data

Using evidence to inform practice

Learning on this course

You can take this self-guided course and learn at your own pace. On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

Who is the course for?

The target audience are researchers, NGO workers, disability advocates, and health professionals across a range of sectors who have an interest in gathering or interpreting evidence on disability.

No prior experience or qualifications are required; however, we will encourage people with some research experience who want to learn about disability, or people who work in NGOs focussed on disability or DPOs who want to learn about research. We will focus predominantly on research from low and middle income country contexts, however the themes are also applicable to learners from high income countries.

Endorsers and supporters

funded by

funded by

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps, but you can complete them as quickly or slowly as you like

Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities

Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners

Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course

Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning

Whenever you're ready, mark each step as complete, you're in control

Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

Learner reviews

Learner reviews cannot be loaded due to your cookie settings. Please activate all cookies and refresh the page to view this content.

Do you know someone who'd love this course? Tell them about it...

More courses you might like

Learners who joined this course have also enjoyed these courses.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Global Disability: Research and Evidence - FutureLearn

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Around 15% of the world's population, or one billion people, live with some form of disability. With ageing populations, the global number of people with disabilities will continue to grow over the coming decades. Disability often affects vulnerable groups, and is more common among women, older people, and households that are poor.

# data[].attributes.body
Faculty, You Have Power! Use It! | ACADEME BLOG

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
BY JENNIFER RUTH AND ELLEN SCHRECKER

We're used to hearing that American higher education is in serious danger. Many of us have developed a kind of learned helplessness in response to the regularity with which we hear about the crises of the academy. But we are not powerless. Although the current educational gag orders targeting universities are the most serious threat to academic freedom in more than a generation, they can be resisted. As Ellen's recent book, The Lost Promise: American Universities in the 1960s, shows, faculties that come together can change the direction of history-or at least that of their university.

They did it at Berkeley in the fall of 1964, when in the midst of the Free Speech Movement's sometimes disruptive protests against the administration's repressive behavior, the Academic Senate voted overwhelmingly to support the students' right to participate in off-campus political activities without being punished by the university. Though the faculty was still recovering from the McCarthy era trauma of a divisive loyalty oath, its collective action to support the students' reasonable demand for political freedom forced the University of California's regents and administrators to reverse their ban on political speech-thereby facilitating the free expression that we now take for granted as vital to the fabric of campus life-at Berkeley and elsewhere.

Today, however, under very different circumstances, this new threat to academic freedom requires faculties to raise our collective voice again. This time in support of an equally fundamental principle of higher education and one that directly impacts teaching and research. We must protect our autonomy over the curriculum. As a prerogative faculty members have held for decades, that autonomy enables the university to function free from external political interference. It distinguishes academic institutions in democratic societies from those in authoritarian ones and explains why American higher education still enjoys such a positive reputation around the world. At most schools, professors control the content of the education they offer. They do so because a near-universal consensus within every constituency of the academic community agrees that, as the AAUP explains, faculty members "are distinctly qualified to exercise decision-making in their areas of expertise" and should have "the chief competence for judging the work of their colleagues."

But as a wave of right-wing populism contests scientific knowledge and professional expertise, the faculty's role in shaping the curriculum has come under attack. Opportunistic politicians and libertarian operatives tied to the Republican party seek to rouse voters in 2022 with a dog-whistle backlash demonizing efforts to teach about the racial, sexual, and other forms of oppression in the American past. They single out Critical Race Theory and claim it is a malignant force that makes white students feel bad about themselves and Black ones turn against their white classmates. In dozens of states, they have passed or are considering laws that ban teaching about racism, sexism, and other "divisive concepts." As the president of Ohio State's AAUP chapter explains, these laws seek to turn earlier legislation against its original purpose of supporting minority groups: often citing the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection clause, they mount the absurd argument that anti-racist educators are themselves somehow racist.

If we don't oppose these measures, will someone like Marjorie Taylor Greene, and not our departmental and disciplinary peers, evaluate our teaching and research? Will state attorney generals, to whom these bills grant incredible power, determine curricula? Will Montana's Attorney General Austin Knutsen, who issued a formal " Opinion" that using Critical Race Theory and similar materials in the schools is against the law, take action against an instructor if a white student feels bad reading Toni Morrison's Beloved or seek to defund a university where sociologists assign Richard Rothstein's The Color of Law? These are not idle speculations. Even before Idaho's education gag law was enacted and the legislature cut Boise State's budget, the university canceled all fifty-two sections of a required course on ethics and diversity.

To stop the gag rules from spreading and destroying the integrity of American higher education, the academic community must act now. Lobbying, sending emails to politicians, and writing op-eds and letters to the editors, of course. But it is even more important to take collective action. As faculty members, we need to mobilize the colleagues on our campuses to do something that will show the rest of the country that the entire academic community is united in opposition to these cynical efforts to interfere with our freedom to teach.

Currently the most effective way to assert that solidarity may well be for academics to encourage their university senates, councils, or other such official bodies as unions and AAUP chapters, to pass resolutions denouncing the right-wing attack on their teaching and research and asking their administrators and trustees to join them in upholding academic freedom. This past summer, as reactionary state legislators and other officials began implementing the far right's educational agenda, activists under the aegis of the African American Policy Forum (AAPF) pushed back. They wrote up and then circulated a draft resolution entitled "Defending Academic Freedom to Teach About Race and Gender Justice and Critical Race Theory" that they hoped faculty bodies throughout the country would customize to their institutions.

Taking a stand against the attack on teaching CRT or other "divisive concepts" should not be a hard sell. These educational gag rules are such a blatant violation of the academy's values that a resolution enabling the academic community to express its widespread disapproval of them should gain considerable traction. Even if your university or college is not under attack from its administrators, trustees, or state legislature, it is essential for faculty members everywhere to participate in the academic community's common defense of the right to teach and do research without political restrictions-as well as provide support for the K-12 educators now on the front lines.

Besides ramping up the academy's general opposition to the current attack on academic freedom, passing these resolutions will enhance faculty governance by showing administrators and trustees that their faculties are willing to act collectively to protect their autonomy. They should make an institution's leaders think twice about responding to outside pressure before taking a repressive action that could trigger a strong faculty pushback. This is what happened at the University of Florida where the administration was forced to reverse its attempt to keep several professors from testifying before official bodies-and its once successful president decided to resign.

The AAPF's campaign is already gaining support, as a recent article from Inside Higher Ed reveals. The faculty senates of more than a dozen universities-DePaul, Michigan State, Ohio State, Portland State, Washington College, Molloy College, Penn State, Virginia Commonwealth and the universities of Colorado, Delaware, Minnesota, Oregon, and Wisconsin-have passed the resolutions. As the chair of the Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee at the University of Minnesota told The Minnesota Daily, "Sometimes you have to remind [people] of basic principles." Consulting the AAPF template, faculty senate leaders at the University of Alabama, the flagship in a state with two bills under consideration in the legislature, developed their own unique Defense of Academic Freedom Resolution and it passed on December 14 th. Faculty groups at a half-dozen other institutions have developed resolutions that are expected to be acted on in the spring. These measures work. Once the Faculty Senate of the entire University of Colorado system adopted its resolution, the Board of Regents dropped its consideration of an anti-CRT measure.

Most of the campuses involved at this point have been state flagships. But the voices of faculty members from all types of institutions need to be heard. It's not hard to organize your campus. Contact as many friends and sympathetic colleagues as possible in your department, union local, AAUP chapter, or other faculty group and ask them to urge your Faculty Senate or other official body to pass such a resolution. Reach out as well to your networks of colleagues at other colleges and universities. You do not have to reinvent the wheel. There's plenty of material that you can copy or alter to fit the needs of your own institution. The AAPF website has a useful tool kit for this campaign, with documents and templates from which to borrow. It also includes a list of institutions that have passed the resolution and, where available, the resolutions themselves. In fact, two of the original drafters of the template are holding a webinar with AAUP this Thursday at 1 p.m. EST to assist people in proposing a resolution on their campus. Please register here.

We need to act now. There is no guarantee that the national campaign to mobilize faculty senates will succeed in turning back the forces of willful ignorance. But a refusal to act will definitely doom the campaign. We have found that the history of academic freedom during moments of political repression like the McCarthy era is all too replete with fine words and passive complicity. We cannot let that happen again, especially when today's university may well be too enfeebled by decades of under-funding, right-wing propaganda, and now COVID-19, to preserve its own autonomy. We have no alternative but to stand up for ourselves-and for the rest of the country as well. As one University of Colorado philosopher explained, "All of us should be prepared to die on this hill."
Historian Ellen Schrecker has written extensively about McCarthyism, higher education, and academic freedom. Her most recent book is The Lost Promise: American Universities in the 1960s Jennifer Ruth is a professor in the School of Film at Portland State University. She serves on the AAUP's Committee A for Academic Freedom and is a contributing editor of the Academe blog. Her most recent book, co-authored with Michael Bérubé, is It's Not Free Speech: Race, Democracy, and Academic Freedom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
BY JENNIFER RUTH AND ELLEN SCHRECKER We're used to hearing that American higher education is in serious danger. Many of us have developed a kind of learned helplessness in response to the regularity with which we hear about the crises of the academy. But we are not powerless.

# data[].attributes.body
Whitworth gallery director Alistair Hudson forced out over Palestinian statement

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Whitworth gallery director Alistair Hudson forced out over Palestinian statement

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Exclusive: Manchester University accused of ‘stifling debate’ in its response to complaints about exhibition

# data[].attributes.body
Schools in England given guidance to avoid biased teaching

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Schools in England given guidance to avoid biased teaching

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The education secretary says no subject should be off limits, but that lessons in England must be impartial.

# data[].attributes.body
'They're teaching children to hate America': the culture war in US schools – video

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Carmel, Indiana, is an affluent suburb just north of Indianapolis known for low crime rates and some of the country's best public schools. But early last year, the school board brought in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, or DEI, which seek to combat structural racism in the education system. Since then, a battle has erupted between those who welcome the changes, and others who see it as leftwing indoctrination

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
'They're teaching children to hate America': the culture war in US schools - video

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In Carmel, Indiana, the school board brought in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, or DEI, to combat structural racism in the education system. Since then, a battle has erupted between those who welcome the changes, and others who see it as leftwing indoctrination

# data[].attributes.body
Attack on ‘woke’ charities has backfired, campaigners say

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A wave of attacks on "woke" charities by rightwing politicians has "backfired", generating an outpouring of public support for the targeted charities and helping drive a surge in social justice activism, say campaigners.

An annual survey of social campaigning suggests many charities feel increasingly emboldened to speak out on contested issues, including race, immigration and the environment, despite attacks they feel are designed to intimidate them into silence.

The findings of the Sheila McKechnie Foundation survey come as charities report huge concern over the "chilling" impact on civil society of a raft of proposed legislation designed to restrict public protest and legal challenge.

Campaigners said they have faced an increasingly hostile political environment - 78% said they felt politicians were hostile to civil society campaigning, up from 63% the previous year. A majority said attacks by politicians and the media were a threat to charities' right to speak out and campaign.

However, the survey also found the attacks persuaded many charities to re-examine their mission and refocus on campaigning, and had revealed heartening public support for social activism. A third of charities said they were now "more likely to speak out".

"The high-profile attacks on charities over the past few years seem to have backfired. Many have responded by asking themselves if they are still honouring their core mission by speaking out and concluded that, in fact, campaigning is not just their right but their duty," said Sue Tibballs, the chief executive of the Sheila McKechnie Foundation.

A number of charities, including the National Trust and Barnardo's, have faced coordinated attacks by backbench Conservative MPs for supposedly "political" or "woke" stances on such as racism and inequality at odds with their core charitable mission, The MPs argued the charities' role was to provide services, not engage in social issues.

The National Trust was called "Marxist" and politically correct for publishing a report highlighting the slave trade links of some of its historical properties, the race equality thinktank Runneymede trust was accused of having a "political agenda," and the children's charity Barnardo's of promoting "ideological dogma".

All three were investigated by the Charity Commission after the backbench "Common Sense" group of Conservative MPs complained they had breached charity laws. In each case they were cleared of wrongdoing. The National Trust subsequently reported record numbers of new members, despite critics' claims it was losing public support.

In another high profile case, the RNLI - the UK's national lifeboat charity - was accused by Nigel Farage, the former leader of the UK Independence party and Brexit party, of running a "migrant taxi service" for rescuing migrants at risk of drowning in the Channel. It robustly defended its work, and received massive public support and a surge in donations as a result.

The failure of those charges had convinced charities they were doing the right thing and the politicians were out of step with public opinion on issues like race equality, one refugee charity leader told the Guardian. "The feeling is, let's stop caveating ourselves all the time, let's be bolder," they said.

Halima Begum, the director of the Runnymede Trust, pointed to the wide public support for the England football team's decision to make the anti-racist gesture of taking the knee. She said: "I feel when we talk about race at the moment we are reflecting public opinion, not attempting to change it."

One survey respondent wrote: "The attacks have made us invest a lot of time in getting our engagement right, we felt like we were on a tightrope and some powerful people were willing us to fall. However, the strategic review that resulted probably made us more focused and stronger," one respondent wrote.

Craig Bennett, the chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts, said: "There has been overreach by interests trying to 'chill' charities. It's been so blatant and so shocking, this assault on civil liberties and campaigning, that people [in charities] are thinking: 'We have to up the ante.'"

The survey found 89% of respondents said they were "very concerned" the police bill going through parliament would "chill" campaigning activity, with 60% saying the same about the judicial review bill. There were 118 respondents to the survey, carried out between October and December last year.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Attack on 'woke' charities has backfired, campaigners say

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A wave of attacks on "woke" charities by rightwing politicians has "backfired", generating an outpouring of public support for the targeted charities and helping drive a surge in social justice activism, say campaigners.

# data[].attributes.body
Schools in England given guidance to avoid biased teaching

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Schools in England given guidance to avoid biased teaching

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The education secretary says no subject should be off limits, but that lessons in England must be impartial.

# data[].attributes.body
The Nigerian artwork challenging British history in St Paul's

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Nigerian artwork challenging British history in St Paul’s

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
St Paul’s Cathedral invites artist Victor Ehikhamenor to respond to the looting of the Benin Bronzes.

# data[].attributes.body
Experts: Be intentional in accommodating workers with disabilities - Business Insider

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Experts: Be intentional in accommodating workers with disabilities - Business Insider

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
About 61 million adults in the US have a disability, according to the CDC. Even before COVID, people with disabilities had lower labor-force participation than those without. The pandemic can help employers understand the accommodations they should offer, like remote work.

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.text
Governments, councils and charities don't get to say what being 'independent' means for us.

*Everyone needs other people *

#NothingAboutUsWithoutUs

4/4

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.original_text
Governments, councils and charities don't get to say what being 'independent' means for us.

*Everyone needs other people *

#NothingAboutUsWithoutUs

4/4

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.referenced_tweets[].text
Living in a way other people have decided without asking us, is not 'independence' 

Cutting support does not make you 'Independent' 3/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.text
Governments, councils and charities don't get to say what being 'independent' means for us.

*Everyone needs other people *

#NothingAboutUsWithoutUs

4/4

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.includes.tweets[].text
Living in a way other people have decided without asking us, is not 'independence' 

Cutting support does not make you 'Independent' 3/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
Governments, councils and charities don't get to say what being 'independent' means for us.

*Everyone needs other people *

#NothingAboutUsWithoutUs

4/4

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
Governments, councils and charities don't get to say what being 'independent' means for us.

*Everyone needs other people *

#NothingAboutUsWithoutUs

4/4

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.referenced_tweets[].text
Living in a way other people have decided without asking us, is not 'independence' 

Cutting support does not make you 'Independent' 3/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Critical Disability Studies is flourishing in Anglo-American academia but it is still an emerging discipline in France. Four years ago I was delighted to speak at a ground-breaking French conference on the subject. Now I'm equally pleased to have my work included in the wonderfully wide-ranging collection of essays from the conference. This collection is an important testimony to the diversity and vibrancy of Critical Disability Studies in France and will prove essential for anyone working on disability in a French context. The book (32 euros), or individual chapters (2-3 euros each) can be ordered here. The bibliography is available free of charge here. Most of the essays are in French with a couple in English.

Below I list the essay titles with their English abstracts. Bonne lecture!

Discours et représentations du handicap. Perspectives culturelles, edited by Céline Roussel and Soline Vennetier (Éditions Classiques Garnier, 2019)

Introduction ( Céline Roussel and Soline Vennetier)

This introduction, which critically examines the development of Disability Studies and draws on the definitions of the notions of discourse and representation related to social and cultural practices, explores links between the contributions by researchers from various backgrounds. Using an terdisciplinary approach, it investigates the methods and tools of analysis from Disability Studies and probes their adaptations and equivalents in the French academic field.

Tammy Berberi - The Role(s) of Art and Literature in (Re)making Disability
These remarks explore the pleasures of the unexpected as they continue to shape the author's experiences as an American traveling in France and a disability studies scholar working in French and English. In literature as in life, the spaces in which people live, work, and imagine shape how they navigate their communities and themselves: barriers that foreclose on some experiences give rise to others, enriching one's identity and disability as lived and studied around the world.

Anne Waldschmidt - Conceptualiser le modèle culturel du handicap comme dis/ability : perspectives interdisciplinaires et internationales / Disability Studies and the Cultural Model of Dis/ability. Interdisciplinary and International Perspectives Drawing on interdisciplinary and international debates, this essay develops a cultural model of disability in order to provide a framework to analyse dis/ability with the help of methodologies and approaches from Cultural Studies. As a necessary supplement to the social model of disability, the cultural model can help to understand better the relationships between society, culture and dis/ability. With it the intersections of 'normality' and 'disability' become the actual object of research.

Pierre Ancet - Handicap et culture. La culture comme travail de réflexion / Disability and Culture: Culture as Reflective Work
Culture fosters encounters - encountering the other and the unknown within oneself. To be cultivated means to cultivate distance from one's own certainties, which may prove salutary when one is different, or when one believes oneself to be "normal compared to others." Disability offers an unusual experience of both the body and the world. Disability will be examined in relation to scientific and artistic culture, the practice of arts, and the mutual discovery of people's humanity.

Michael Schillmeier - Le handicap (visuel) - des perspectives exclusives aux différences inclusives / (Visual) Disability: from Exclusive Perspectives to Inclusive Differences
Drawing on the practices of blind people in a visual culture, this paper introduces the concept "inclusive differences" of disability, suggesting that disability is the outcome of historically specific, embodied human and non-human configurations fabricated within the conduct of everyday life. This concept question the attempt of exclusive perspectives that try to divide analytically "disability" into an individual (natural) bodily impairment or a purely socio-cultural attributed disability.

Sébastien Durand - Parole et musique d'aveugle : la correspondance de Maria-Theresia von Paradis (1759-1824) avec Johann-Ludwig Weissenburg (1752-1800) / Blind People's Words and Music: the Correspondence Between Maria-Theresia von Paradis (1759-1824) and Johann-Ludwig Weissenburg (1752-1800)
In the 18th century, an Austrian young blind woman, Maria-Theresia von Paradis, aroused admiration for both her musical talents and her social adaptability. She started up a regular correspondence with Johann-Ludwig Weissenburg, an erudite blind man, who became her tutor. These texts, partly published in the newspapers of the time, disclose a wealth of information about the lives of blind people from the affluent upper classes of European Enlightenment society.

Flora Amann - Disability Studies, histoire de la littérature française et histoire des représentations : surdité et Révolution dans le roman sentimental français / Disability Studies, Literary History and History of Representations: Deafness and Revolution in the French Sentimental Novel
This study of the figure of the mute aristocrat and his relationship to discourses on deafness in sentimental novels after the French Revolution offers an enriching analysis to the disciplines of Literary History and Disability Studies. It contributes to the history of representations of deafness through time, and it offers a better understanding of the ways that themes and forms in these novels are inflected with their social and political context.

Mathilde Villechevrolle - Donner corps à ses frayeurs. Discours médical sur la surdité et anthropologie de la démocratie / Embodying one's fears. Medical Discourse on Deafness and Anthropology of Democracy
Medical discourses on deafness in the 19th century France have to be analyzed in relation to the development of political post-revolutionary democratic ideals, and to the "passion de l'égalité" it nurtures. The junction between vitalism and empiricism on the one hand, and the political inclination for a non-hierarchical society on the other hand, cristallizes into the figure of the deaf, and reeducating his/her speech becomes an aim where the political and the medical mingle.

Marion Chottin - Les aveugles des philosophes de l'Âge classique aux Lumières : aléas d'une pensée de la cécité entre rationalisme et empirisme / Philosophers' Blind People from the Classic Age to the Enlightenment: Hazards of a Thought on Blindness Between Rationalism and Empiricism.
This paper proposes a solution to a paradox of the Enlightenment, a century when both the French Royal Institute for the Blind was created, and the Empiricist philosophers, including John Locke, argued that ideas came from the sense of sight. Although this philosophy did indeed produce a negative notion of blindness, Empiricism also generated an alternative view, specifically in the work of George Berkeley, Denis Diderot and d'Alembert, that in fact favoured the education of blind people

Barbara Fougère-Danezan - Take Shelter (USA, 2011) : l'implant cochléaire au cœur de la tempête, ou la surdité comme prisme d'analyse cinématographique / Take Shelter (USA, 2011): Cochlear Implant in the Eye of the Storm, Or Deafness as Prism for Cinematographic Analysis
In his ecofiction titled Take shelter (2011), the American director Jeff Nichols sets up a parallel between an ecological disaster and a young deaf girl being fitted with a cochlear implant. By doing so, he sets up a narrative system which plays on the tensions between Nature, Culture and Technology, that will be approached drawing on methodological and conceptual frameworks from Disability studies.

Olivier Schetrit - Le théâtre tremplin des Sourds : enjeux identitaires et esthétiques à travers l'exemple de l'International Visual Theatre / Theatre as a Springboard for Deaf People: Identity and Aesthetic Issues Through the Example of the International Visual Theatre
The Deaf Awakening of the 1970s was a pivotal historical period. The creation of the International Visual Theatre in 1976 offered an important micro-space for the expression of Deaf culture through various ways of staging sign language, and for valuing Deaf identity. The stage remains a privileged space in Deaf art for expressing freely one's art and Deaf culture, beyond normative judgement.

M arie Astier - Mise en scène et mise en jeu du handicap mental sur la scène contemporaine française. L'Empereur c'est moi ! : un spectacle qui invite à un changement de paradigme / Mental Disability on Stage and at Stake in the Contemporary French Drama. L'Empereur c'est moi !: a Stage Adaptation Inviting to a Shift of Paradigm
This paper focuses on the analysis of L'Empereur c'est moi!, a stage adaptation of the autobiographical book written by Hugo Horiot, who defines himself as having Asperger's. Performed by the author himself, and by the deaf actress Clémence Colin, these neurological and sensorial differences move the performance away from dramatic form, as defined by Peter Szondi, to draw closer to what Hans-Thies Lehmann has called "postdramatic theater".

Nidhal Mahmoud - Les Emmurés de Lucien Descaves : un exemple de typhlophilie littéraire / Lucien Descaves' Les Emmurés: An Example of Blind-friendly Literature
Though they appear in some great works of classical literature, blind characters are generally represented as cloaked in misfortune, deprivation and darkness. By associating them with the figure of the beggar, art and literature have often abetted their exclusion from social life. Lucien Descaves rebels against such depictions in Les Emmurés (1894), an engaged, playful and original novel in which he strives to rehabilitate characters whose damnation revolts him.

Hannah Thompson - Reading Blindness in French Fiction through Critical Disability Studies
Critical Disability Studies' desire to celebrate blindness for its own sake finds an echo in fictional representations of visual impairment. Two key French representations of blindness, Lucien Descaves, Les Emmurés (1894) and Romain Villet, Look (2014), show how these writers' positive attitudes to blindness demonstrate the socially, and culturally, constructed nature of disability, offering a useful, and timely, means of disassociating blindness from its hitherto negative connotations.

Bertrand Verine - La nuit et le noir, clichés métaphoriques de la cécité / Night and Darkness: Clichéd Metaphors of Blindness
A survey of discourses and practices in French blind culture reveals the persistence of metaphors of "night" and "darkness" to signify perception of the world without sight. Analysis suggests that these are visual metaphors that convey primarily an obsession with discovering or recovering absent light. Yet this dominant imaginary is subverted by some writers who express the possibility of existing beyond visual perception and the binary opposition of light versus night.

Ella Leith - Performing "Hearing-ness": Representations of the "signing impaired" in Contemporary British Sign Language Storytelling and Signart
This paper focuses on the way "hearing culture" (i.e. non-deaf and non-signing people's ways of being) is represented in British Sign Language (BSL) vernacular performance arts, otherwise called "Signart", through four illustrative examples of BSL performance-texts from the repertoire of an Edinburgh-based performance group, Visual Virus. It considers how cultural hearing-ness is portrayed in a way which contests hearing-centred discourse on deafness.

J ulie Chateauvert - Intermédialité et proxémie : propositions pour une méthodologie d'analyse de la création en langue des signes / Intermediality and Proxemy: Towards a Methodology to Analyze Sign Language Creation
Although currently referred to as "poetry", narrative creation in sign languages draws on aesthetic devices which resonate with art forms other than literature such as bodies in movement, performing arts, and image work. Beginning with an epistemological contextualization, this paper provides a political and aesthetic study of Jolanta Lapiak's work in order to showcase a method of analysis, which is capable of responding to the complexity of works considered as intermedial objects.

Kyra Pollitt - La " langue " et la " poésie " représentent-elles la " poésie en langue des signes " ? / Do Language and Poetry Represent Sign Language Poetry?
What evidence shows that academic discourses can alter perceptions of real-world phenomena? Using the case study of creative language forms in British Sign Language communities, the analysis explores what difference a name makes. What are the real-world implications of using the terms 'sign language poetry' or 'Signart'?

Anne-Lyse Chabert - De la nécessité de changer notre manière de regarder le handicap / How and Why we Need to Consider Disability Differently
Which is the most useful perspective when talking about "disability"? Is an external, internal, or combined point of view enough in itself? The analysis of these three different points of view suggests that one fails to recognize the plenitude of a disabled person's existence. Shouldn'tt we try to reclaim this plenitude by beginning with what he/she has to offer, independent of "disability" and his/her point of view?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This blog maps my place as a partially-blind academic in a resolutely sighted world. It looks at blindness in history, literature, art, film and society through my out-of-focus gaze.

# data[].attributes.body
Radical action needed to tackle racial health inequality in NHS, says damning report

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Radical action is needed urgently to tackle "overwhelming" minority ethnic health inequalities in the NHS, leading experts have said, after a damning study found the "vast" and "widespread" inequity in every aspect of healthcare it reviewed was harming the health of millions of patients.

Racism, racial discrimination, barriers to accessing healthcare and woeful ethnicity data collection have "negatively impacted" the health of black, Asian and minority ethnic people in England for years, according to the review, commissioned by the NHS Race and Health Observatory, which reveals the true scale of health inequalities faced by ethnic minorities for the first time.

"Ethnic inequalities in health outcomes are evident at every stage throughout the life course, from birth to death," says the review, the largest of its kind. Yet despite "clear", "convincing" and "persistent" evidence that ethnic minorities are being failed, and repeated pledges of action, no "significant change" has yet been made in the NHS, it adds.

The 166-page report, seen by the Guardian, is due to be published in full this week.

From mental health to maternity care, the sweeping review led by the University of Manchester paints a devastating picture of a healthcare system still failing minority ethnic patients despite concerns previously raised about the harm being caused.

"By drawing together the evidence, and plugging the gaps where we find them, we have made a clear and overwhelming case for radical action on race inequity in our healthcare system," said Habib Naqvi, the director of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, an independent body established by the NHS in 2020 to investigate health inequalities in England.

The Covid pandemic has taken a disproportionate toll on ethnic minorities, prompting fresh questions about inequalities that permeate the practice of medicine. The observatory ordered the review last year to synthesise the evidence, translate it into "actionable policy" and "challenge leaders to act".

"This report is the first of its kind to analyse the overwhelming evidence of ethnic health inequality through the lens of racism," said Naqvi.

Its findings are shocking. The review concludes that inequalities in access to, experiences of, and outcomes of healthcare in the NHS "are rooted in experiences of structural, institutional and interpersonal racism". For "too many years", it adds, the health of minority ethnic people in England has been "negatively impacted" by a lack of appropriate treatment, poor quality or discriminatory treatment by NHS staff, missing ethnicity data from NHS systems, and delays in seeking help for health issues "due to fear of racist treatment from NHS healthcare professionals".

The coronavirus pandemic has taken a disproportionate toll on ethnic minorities. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Reuters

The year-long review, which examined 13,000 papers and interviewed policy experts, NHS staff and patients, was led by Dharmi Kapadia, an investigator at the Centre on the Dynamics of Ethnicity, the UK's leading research centre into minority ethnic, racial and religious inequalities. Kapadia, a sociology lecturer at the University of Manchester, said she and her co-authors had uncovered "crucial" evidence of persistent health inequalities that were harming the health of patients on a daily basis.

"The evidence on the poor healthcare outcomes for many ethnic minority groups across a range of services is overwhelming, and convincing," she said.

The report is littered with striking examples and evidence of inequity in the NHS. In mental healthcare, for example, the review found minority ethnic patients faced "clear inequalities" in regard to Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT), a flagship NHS programme set up in 2008 to transform the treatment of anxiety and depression in England.

Minority ethnic groups were less likely to be referred to IAPT by GPs than white people, the report said. Minority ethnic patients who do get a referral are less likely than white British patients to receive an assessment. Minority ethnic people with psychosis are also less likely to be referred for cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

The review found "strong evidence" of "clear, very large and persisting ethnic inequalities" in compulsory admission to psychiatric wards, particularly affecting black people. It uncovered evidence of harsher treatment for black patients, who were "more likely to be restrained in the prone position or put into seclusion".

Minority ethnic parents reported their children faced the same barriers to accessing health services as they did. Black children are 10 times more likely to be referred to children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) via social services - rather than through their GP - compared with white children, the report says.

Maternity services were also found lacking. The review found evidence of negative interactions, stereotyping, disrespect, discrimination and cultural insensitivity, leading to some minority ethnic women feeling "othered", unwelcome, and poorly cared for. Some women whose first language was not English were denied access to quality interpreting services, the report adds.

"Our review shows the role of structural barriers - including racism and experiences of racial discrimination - in patterning stark ethnic inequalities in healthcare," said its co-author Laia Bécares, a senior lecturer in applied social science at the University of Sussex.

The review found a lack of research in specific areas. Despite screening 10 years' of research, the review team found only one study that examined health inequalities in the care of newborn babies.

It showed Asian babies are over-represented in admissions to neonatal units from home for jaundice. Visual estimation of jaundice in babies "may be particularly unreliable" for babies with darker skin tones, the review said, raising the possibility that "routine postnatal care practices may systematically disadvantage non-white babies by delaying access to care".

The researchers also said any efforts to improve health outcomes among minority ethnic patients were being thwarted by the shambolic collection of health information by NHS staff and organisations.

Racism within the NHS workforce persisted, they said, and the report found evidence of an pay gap affecting black, Asian, mixed and other groups. The review also uncovered minority ethnic health inequalities in areas as diverse as digital access to healthcare, genetic testing and genomic medicine.

"Persistent inequalities in the healthcare and health outcomes between ethnic groups remain, despite past commitments to address the issue," said its co-author Sarah Salway, a professor of public health at the University of Sheffield.

"As a nation we are proud of our NHS. It is one of the few healthcare services worldwide that enjoys a reputation for quality care that is free at the point of access, so it can be difficult to discuss how things may be failing. This report, however, gives us the opportunity to identify how we can do things better, for a healthier and fairer society."

An NHS spokesperson said:"The pandemic has shone a stark light on health inequalities across the country and the NHS is already taking action to improve the experiences of patients and access to services.

"The NHS has set out what local health services should be focusing on over the next year so they can make these improvements in their local communities and is already working closely with the Race and Health Observatory to drive forward the recommendations set out in this report."

The NHS spokesperson did not say what action the NHS was "already taking" on health inequalities, or explain which recommendations in the report it would "drive forward" or when it would do so.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Radical action needed to tackle racial health inequality in NHS, says damning report

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Radical action is needed urgently to tackle "overwhelming" minority ethnic health inequalities in the NHS, leading experts have said, after a damning study found the "vast" and "widespread" inequity in every aspect of healthcare it reviewed was harming the health of millions of patients.

# data[].attributes.body
Professor who suggested non-white Britons not ‘indigenous’ to advise Gove on levelling-up plan - The Independent

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Professor who suggested non-white Britons not 'indigenous' to advise Gove on levelling-up plan - The Independent

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Exclusive: Appointment of Paul Collier - who claimed immigration has made indigenous British 'a minority' in London - branded 'deplorable' and 'dangerous'

# data[].attributes.body
Here’s how to demolish the most common excuses for climate crisis apathy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
limate change is terrifying, so why don't we do more to stop it? Read any headline on the climate crisis, and it seems unbelievable that we're not all chaining ourselves to the headquarters of oil and gas companies, or at least hammering on MPs' office doors. But we're not. "Of course, I care about climate change," we say. "But ... "

Then they come out, the reasons for apathy. We've all heard them. We've probably all said some of them. But do they really excuse us?

Let's look at some of them, starting with:"It's so far in the future."

It's not. This is already happening: in wildfires, storms and floods in Europe, Australia, the US and the UK, and in decades of devastation in the global south. The victims of climate change include future generations, but they also include the 11-year-old in Bangladesh whose friend drowned, the New Orleans family who lost everything in Hurricane Katrina and the girl forced into child marriage because her parents can no longer feed her.

Even if this were "just" about future generations, they matter too. Because they are our children and grandchildren, and because they are people. Take the least controversial moral rule you're likely to find: don't seriously harm other people. Suppose, says the philosopher Henry Shue, you plant a landmine on a busy path. That's wrong if it will explode tomorrow. It's still wrong if it won't go off for another 150 years. Climate change is that landmine - and a whole lot more of them.

"It's too expensive!"

This is the so-called economic argument against mitigating climate change: that it's cheaper to adjust to a hotter planet. Even if this were factually unassailable ( spoiler alert: it's not), it would be morally flawed. It relies on what philosophers call utilitarianism - the view that we should maximise overall welfare (often, in practice, overall money) even if some people suffer desperately along the way. That's in direct contradiction to the most basic intuition of commonsense morality. It disregards human rights.

Even if we swallowed this pill, it takes another questionable assumption to make the anti-mitigation sums add up. These economic arguments, says the philosopher Simon Caney, assume that future people's pain, even their deaths, count for less in the cost-benefit calculations if these are further in the future. That isn't standard economic discounting; it's discounting the lives of our descendants.

"It's the government's problem."

Climate change is a catastrophic failure by governments. But we are voters, and governments act on our behalf. Many of us are drivers, flyers, meat-eaters. Morally speaking, we can share responsibility for harms we are part of or those we fail to prevent between us. I'm not saying you (or I) should feel guilty about this unfolding global disaster, but we should feel ashamed. We should act.

"I'm already vegan and don't fly."

This one is the flipside to "it's all the government's fault": putting it all on individuals. That's inefficient, unfair, and doesn't work anyway. Going car-free is harder without a good public transport system; leaving mitigation to individuals means putting all the burden on those who happen to make the effort. And individual carbon-cutting, although important, isn't enough. It won't avert this catastrophe without governments on board or fossil fuel giants being held accountable. Faced with institutional failure, we shouldn't feel powerless, but we should all be climate activists, using our own actions to bring about change from above.

"Lying in front of lorries isn't my thing."

So don't do that! But perhaps look past the optics that make you uncomfortable and ask yourself why anyone would feel desperate enough to glue themselves to a road. It's not because they enjoy it. Then ask what it is that you will do. Write to your MP? Wave banners outside parliament? Demand that your bank or pension fund divest from fossil fuels? Donate to climate justice NGOs? Progress takes a combination of tactics, from lobbying politicians to civil disobedience. Do what you're good at, as part of a bigger picture.

"I won't make a difference."

But we could. And that should matter to each of us. Philosophers explain this in various ways. Sure, some say, it probably won't change the world if you turn up to a protest or ditch your car. But you might be a trigger, making the protest big enough for politicians to listen, saving untold lives. In any case, you would have helped - by being part of the group who made a difference. And what's the alternative? Sitting on the sidelines, while others right this collective wrong? That's not fair on them.

"I've got enough to do already!"

I get this. I really do. But climate justice isn't some esoteric goal. It's about living in a way that doesn't kill people: doesn't drown them, burn their homes or give them malaria. So how much money or time or emotional effort should each of us put in for this basic collective morality? I don't have a final answer because the ethical debate is continuing. But I have an answer that will do for now, for those living comfortably in rich countries. However much we should do to avert this tragedy, it's more than most of us do now.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Here's how to demolish the most common excuses for climate crisis apathy | Elizabeth Cripps

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
limate change is terrifying, so why don't we do more to stop it? Read any headline on the climate crisis, and it seems unbelievable that we're not all chaining ourselves to the headquarters of oil and gas companies, or at least hammering on MPs' office doors. But we're not.

# data[].attributes.headline
Accessibility regulations – Understanding accessibility requirements for public sector websites and apps

# data[].attributes.subject
Accessibility regulations – Understanding accessibility requirements for public sector websites and apps

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
New regulations mean public sector organisations will soon have a legal duty to make sure websites and apps meet accessibility requirements.

Public sector websites published on or after 23 September 2018 must be compliant by 23 September 2019. Any websites due to be published after this date must be compliant before going live.

Public sector websites published before 23 September 2018 must be compliant by 23 September 2020.

Apps need to meet the regulations by 23 June 2021.

What public sector bodies need to do

The accessibility regulations aim to help make sure online public services are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.

There are four steps you should take now to make sure your online services are accessible.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Accessibility Regulations for Public Sector Bodies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
New regulations mean public sector organisations will soon have a legal duty to make sure websites and apps meet accessibility requirements. Public sector websites published on or after 23 September 2018 must be compliant by 23 September 2019. Any websites due to be published after this date must be compliant before going live.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A woman who raised funds for an all-terrain wheelchair so she could access the Peak District home she loves so much says it has liberated her.

Naomi Wheeler, 28, from Matlock, Derbyshire, has cerebellar ataxia, which affects her balance, coordination and speech.
This video has been optimised for mobile viewing on the BBC News app. The BBC News app is available from the Apple App Store for iPhone and Google Play Store for Android.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A woman who raised funds for an all-terrain wheelchair so she could access the Peak District home she loves so much says it has liberated her. Naomi Wheeler, 28, from Matlock, Derbyshire, has cerebellar ataxia, which affects her balance, coordination and speech. This video has been optimised for mobile viewing on the BBC News app.

# data[].attributes.body
New rules on lecture transcripts give academics an impossible choice | THE Campus Learn, Share, Connect

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
While the pandemic hit our sector hard, for many there was a silver lining. Remote learning brought huge gains in accessibility - partly driven by the massive increase in recorded content such as lectures.

For deaf students who usually lip-read and listen in class, the acoustic and visual environment for some was better online. The lecturer's face was visible, and usually the sound quality was good for pre-recorded lectures. However, accurate captions were much more difficult for universities to achieve, and across the board staff and students have reported that the standard of transcripts generated by automatic speech recognition (ASR) is poor.

But it's not just deaf students who struggle without accurate captions. Traditional, listening-only approaches present difficulties for students with neurodiverse conditions - approximately one in five - particularly those with dyslexia, auditory processing disorder and attentional difficulties. Students studying in their second language also report finding transcripts hugely beneficial.

More broadly, for technical courses with a high proportion of specialist vocabulary, accuracy is paramount. For medical or veterinary students, misinterpreting what the lecturer has said because of poor quality recordings or transcripts could put lives at risk.

When new legislation crept quietly into force in 2018 requiring public sector organisations to begin making their websites and mobile apps accessible to all, the impact on the higher education sector was minimal given the prevalence of face-to-face teaching at the time.

Fast-forward to summer term 2020, and the stark reality of remote learning induced by the pandemic had drastically changed the landscape. The 23 September 2020 deadline specified by the legislation was the date when all public sector websites needed to be fully accessible. This included the requirement for all video and audio content produced by universities to include 99 per cent accurate transcripts or captioning (or both, for video). Automatic subtitling tools have proven not to be up to the task, but more concerningly, the impact on staff has highlighted systemic inequalities.

Voice recognition technologies typically do not perform well with accents that deviate from the "standard" speech they have been trained on. At the same time, the number of staff members who speak English as a second language and/or are likely to speak in a "non-standard" accent is high - in 2019-20, 31 per cent of UK HE academic staff were not UK citizens. Further, considering the regional and social variation in accents within the UK, it is inevitable that automatic transcriptions are not equally accurate for all staff members.

Of course, no academic would question the need for accessibility, but transcription has become a heavy burden. Perfect transcription can take up to three hours for every hour of recorded content, and lecturers cannot carry this extra work, especially with the volume of recorded content now being produced.

In some institutions, such as the University of Edinburgh, subtitling units are in place to provide accurate transcripts for deaf students; even then, however, there can often be a time delay on receiving accurate transcripts, which can impact students' ability to keep up with the course. Better software with fast editing functionality is essential, but we also need an honest, open dialogue in universities and colleges.

The accessibility legislation was designed pre-Covid, in a world with much less video content, and this may help to explain findings that a majority of European institutions are struggling to comply with the legislation. It's an interesting thought experiment to consider whether the legislation would still have been published in its current form if we had known what was coming. So what can we do to work towards meeting the requirements of this legislation and ensuring that students have timely access to transcripts while not adding to staff workloads?

1. Maximise the acoustic

Staff should be provided with access to high-quality recording equipment. When recording, use a good quality microphone and place it near your mouth, but not so close that it brushes against clothing. Record away from windows or draw the curtains for sound absorption. Place rugs, beanbags or other soft furnishings in the room to reduce reverberation. And don't forget to protect against interruptions.

2. Slower and shorter

Avoid rushing your speech, and use sensible transition speeds between slides to allow short processing breaks; this will help dyslexic students and those with auditory processing difficulties, as well as increasing automatic speech recognition accuracy. Think of each session as 10- to 15-minute segments for an audience sitting at their computer.

3. Enable easy editing

Use software that allows fast automatic transcription of video plus editing access for multiple users; this means that lecturers can get help with transcript editing from (appropriately compensated!) graduate teaching assistants, PhD students and other colleagues. This has encouraged staff in the School of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Glasgow to use our video-learning and live-streaming platform Echo360 alongside other systems to make recorded content more accessible with transcripts.

4. Be transparent

As a sector, we should communicate with students clearly about when and why transcripts may not always be 100 per cent accurate, including highlighting the systemic biases and additional workload that can be placed on particular groups of staff. Guidance for staff should be honest about the time required to produce 100 per cent accurate transcripts and provide clear, concrete recommendations for how long they should spend on editing transcripts. While universities may employ a flexible approach to accuracy, it should still be acknowledged that staff members with "non-standard" accents will be disproportionately left with the choice of providing an inaccurate transcript or spending non-allocated time on editing their transcripts.

5. Engage on workload

Leaders must engage transparently on workload. We can't keep up a system where lecturers have the choice between adding to already breaking workloads and allowing all students to meaningfully engage with their education. It's time to be honest about the impact on workload and fund a solution.
Emily Nordmann is senior lecturer in the School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Glasgow. Wilhelmiina Toivo is a lecturer in the School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Glasgow. Rachel O'Neill is a senior lecturer in deaf education at the University of Edinburgh. If you found this interesting and want advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered direct to your inbox each week, sign up for the THE Campus newsletter.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
New rules on lecture transcripts give academics an impossible choice

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
While the pandemic hit our sector hard, for many there was a silver lining. Remote learning brought huge gains in accessibility - partly driven by the massive increase in recorded content such as lectures. For deaf students who usually lip-read and listen in class, the acoustic and visual environment for some was better online.

# data[].attributes.body
Tea, syphilis and going global: My quest to uncover why so many Black people mistrust medicine - Metro

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tea, syphilis and going global: My quest to uncover why so many Black people mistrust medicine — Metro

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
©AbilityNet 2020. AbilityNet is a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales No: 3469653. AbilityNet is a Charity, registered in England and Wales, registration number 1067673, and in Scotland registration number SC039866. Registered Office: Acre House, 11/15 William Road, London NW1 3ER. VAT No. 380597914.

# data[].attributes.headline
Disabled people's rights: UK Government 2021 follow-up report to UNCRPD 2016 inquiry

# data[].attributes.subject
Disabled people's rights: UK Government 2021 follow-up report to UNCRPD 2016 inquiry

# data[].attributes.body
This is the government’s latest response to the recommendations made by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2016. It covers both 2020 and 2021.

Reports and different formats - large print and BSL films on this page.

Personally, I'm struggling a bit with the claims in this and the reality of enacted government policies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Disabled people’s rights: UK 2021 follow-up report to UNCRPD 2016 inquiry

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This report responds to the recommendations issued to the UK by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I built this to communicate with my 89 year old aunt who lost her hearing after a shell fell a few blocks from her house during WW2. Hopefully this is useful to others.

This app uses speech-to-text and streams the text instantly to a unique URL. This allows you to have communication with a deaf person in a much simpler way than using notes, or other speech-to-text apps that are not specifically designed for this purpose. Text automatically clears after a short pause in speech, resulting in almost natural conversations. Font size can be adjusted to be really large if needed (designed for older users). The app can also translate on-the-fly to communicate with one or several people speaking different languages.

This app REQUIRES a second device and internet access on BOTH. Can be a computer, smartphone, smartTV or tablet.

Support the development by sending your feedback/appreciation to etienne@spottyegg.com

Version 2.1.0

Bizarre and nonfunctional

This app is disappointing, bizarre, and nonfunctional. When you start it up it gives a web address to give to other people. When they enter it on their browser they should be able to see what you say when you have the app open.

Nothing. The app flashes and jumps and shows red at the top of the screen. Nothing is transmitted. I checked my iOS settings to to make sure the mic was enabled. I tried entering text directly. Nothing is transmitted.

There is no help, no settings, no clues what you need to do to make it work. Just a nonfunctional mystery.

Also it seems bizarre that if two people had the app installed that one would have to use a web browser.

I would really like it to work but for now it's a total waste of time and memory.

Amazing app

This is a must for anyone with a family member, relative or friend who has a hearing disability. Setting up the app is super simple and is only required on the input device. An iPad in landscape mode seems like the perfect display and larger fonts are a point-and-click away! Using an iPhone for input is perfect as you could use a hands-free device with the phone in your pocket. This is a life-saver!

Worked Temporarily (One day)

Tuesday worked fine at home. Took it next day to work and speech (microphone issue probably) not transformed/tranlated into text. The typed text goes thru, and the "Sorry....." icon sends the message, to the website. Tried iPhone 6, iPad same problem. Concept wonderful. Would use for patients with hearing impairment. Will try and use periodically hoping the bug gets fixed. Would pay too, assuming functionality. (Ignore uncivilized comments, your work is commendable).

The developer, Spotty Egg Ltd., has not provided details about its privacy practices and handling of data to Apple. For more information, see the developer's privacy policy.

No Details Provided

The developer will be required to provide privacy details when they submit their next app update.

Information

Compatibility

iPhone

Requires iOS 10.0 or later.

iPad

Requires iPadOS 10.0 or later.

iPod touch

Requires iOS 10.0 or later.

Family Sharing

With Family Sharing set up, up to six family members can use this app.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
‎This app uses speech-to-text and streams the text instantly to a unique URL. This allows you to have communication with a deaf person in a much simpler way than using notes, or other speech-to-text apps that are not specifically designed for this purpose. Text automatically clears after a short paus...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Too busy to read articles from your favorite websites? Sit back, relax, and listen up as news from any website is magically read back at you with adjustable speeds and multiple accents.

How does it work? Give the link of your article to Speaky and that's it. It will extract the main content, detect the language, and read it out loud to you. You can retrieve content from your favorite websites (RSS feeds supported), import files from the cloud (txt, doc, pdf, jpeg, png, and more), or scan existing documents with your camera.

"Articles in your Speaky queue play without an internet connection, so you can breeze through a New Yorker treatise as you ride the subway or catch up on world news on your next international flight." - New York Magazine

"Speaky is a handy tool that helps you multitask by listening instead of reading. Whether it's an entertaining article on the Web or an important PDF for work, you can give your eyes a rest or just get more done with this intuitive voice reader." - AppAdvice

"The Pocket integration really makes it a lot easier to catch up on those articles you put off on reading." - Lifehacker

This update includes bug fixes.

The developer, Sandratra Razafindralambo, indicated that the app's privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer's privacy policy.

Data Not Collected

The developer does not collect any data from this app.

Privacy practices may vary based on, for example, the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

Provider

Sandratra Razafindralambo

Compatibility

iPhone

Requires iOS 11.0 or later.

iPad

Requires iPadOS 11.0 or later.

iPod touch

Requires iOS 11.0 or later.

Languages

English, French, Portuguese, Spanish

In-App Purchases

Generous Tip USD 4.99

Massive Tip USD 9.99

Amazing Tip USD 14.99

Family Sharing

Up to six family members will be able to use this app with Family Sharing enabled.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
‎Too busy to read articles from your favorite websites? Sit back, relax, and listen up as news from any website is magically read back at you with adjustable speeds and multiple accents. How does it work? Give the link of your article to Speaky and that's it.

# data[].attributes.body
A free app connecting blind and partially-sighted people with sighted volunteers and company representatives for visual assistance through a live video call.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Blind or low-vision person requests assistance

As a blind or low-vision person, whenever you need visual assistance, our volunteers are happy to help. Through the live video call, you and a volunteer can communicate directly and solve a problem. The volunteer will help guide which direction to point your camera, what to focus on or when to turn on your torch.

Sighted volunteer receives video call

As a sighted volunteer you can help just by installing the Be My Eyes app. A blind or a low-vision user may need help with anything from checking expiry dates, distinguishing colors, reading instructions or navigating new surroundings.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
blind association; association for the blind

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As a blind or low-vision person, whenever you need visual assistance, our volunteers are happy to help. Through the live video call, you and a volunteer can communicate directly and solve a problem. The volunteer will help guide which direction to point your camera, what to focus on or when to turn on your torch.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
iPhone Screenshots

The fastest way to email a voice memo to yourself or to someone else and optionally include a photo, movie and map location.

No in-app purchases.

Don't type it!
Just Say it & Mail it.
The fastest way to email a voice memo to yourself or to someone else and optionally include a photo, movie and map location.

You can optionally turn on Auto Email.
(Then you can Say it and Mail it with no need to tap the Send button)

No In-App purchases.

"Say it & Mail it" has been designed with simplicity and speed in mind. It remembers your name and an email address, which makes it very fast and easy to send yourself an email memo.

Four methods of recording to fit your style:

* Method 1: Tap 'Say it' then tap 'Mail it'

* Method 2: Hold the iPhone to your ear and speak. When you move the iPhone away, recording stops and the email window opens

* Method 3: Shake it to start recording and shake it to stop

* Method 4: Tap on the microphone to start recording and tap it again to stop

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE :-)

EMAIL TO GROUPS
Uses the groups you already have set up in your Contacts

INCLUDE A PICTURE OR MOVIE IN YOUR EMAIL
Take a photo or movie or select from the album.
Pictures are full resolution compressed jpg format
and the picture size can be adjusted.

INCLUDE YOUR MAP LOCATION IN YOUR EMAIL
When someone receives your email with an iPhone,
they will be able to click on the link to launch the map application, see your location and get directions.
When someone receives your email with a Mac or PC,
they will be able to click on the link to launch their browser to see your location
and get directions.

So, what else can you do with 'Say it & Mail it'? Lots of things!

*Recommend a good restaurant, including location map and photo

*Email a reminder to yourself, a friend or preset groups

*Document when, why and where you took a great photo

*Update your blog via email

*Track a real estate tour with info about each home (agent or buyer)

*Send a customer the location and details of a house for sale

*Record scientific notes with map location and photo of findings

*Add content to your podcast

*Communicate with elderly relatives who have difficulty typing

*Send product information or newsflashes to clients

*Email great vacation photos, footage, maps and commentary

*Let people know where you are when you need help

*Email your messages in any language (no QWERTY keyboard limits)

*Document where you park your car so you can easily find it again

*And a whole lot more!

Emailed voice memos are compatible with Mac, PC and any other computer O/S (uses compressed wave format).

No file maintenance on your iPhone/iPod Touch, since audio files are not stored there.

NO ADVERTISING in your emails.
Just a 'Say it Mail it' signature, which you can optionally remove in the 'Info' setup.

Send yourself reminders when you are away from your computer. No typing required. Your email address and subject are autofilled.

If you are using an iPhone, your message is sent off immediately, thanks to cell towers. iPod Touch devices store the email and send as soon as they are able to make a Wi-Fi connection.

Great way to send anyone a detailed email without using the keyboard.

Send an MMS Instant Message

So many uses, we can't imagine them all. You will think of many more

NOTES: iPod Touch requires headphones with microphone and a Wi-Fi connection.
The iPhone has a microphone built-in.
Camera may only be available on iPhone.
Not all devices can take movies.

Version 1.0.1

App icon updated to show plus version

The developer, Carnation Software, indicated that the app's privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer's privacy policy.

Data Not Collected

The developer does not collect any data from this app.

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

Seller

Carnation Software

Compatibility

iPhone

Requires iOS 15.0 or later.

iPod touch

Requires iOS 15.0 or later.

Mac

Requires macOS 12.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip.

Family Sharing

With Family Sharing set up, up to six family members can use this app.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
‎Don't type it! Just Say it & Mail it. The fastest way to email a voice memo to yourself or to someone else and optionally include a photo, movie and map location. You can optionally turn on Auto Email. (Then you can Say it and Mail it with no need to tap the Send button) No In-App purchases.

# data[].attributes.headline
Mural brings disabled people and asylum-seekers together (16.12.21)

# data[].attributes.subject
Mural brings disabled people and asylum-seekers together (16.12.21)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Disabled people and asylum-seekers have worked together on a mural that illustrates some of the barriers they face in society, and which acts as a tribute to a disabled asylum-seeker who was murdered in 2016.
The mural, on the side of a community centre in Easton, Bristol, is the latest to be produced over the last decade through the Disability Murals project, originally run by the UK Disabled People's Council.

Progress on the Easton mural ( pictured) was unveiled on Friday to mark Human Rights Day.

Among the designs featured on the walls of the community centre is an idea that was originally contributed by Kamil Ahmad, who had worked on another mural in Bristol before he was murdered by a racist neighbour in July 2016.

It shows him holding his head in his hands in despair.

Researcher-activist Rebecca Yeo, who has been working on the project since it began, said she had been involved with the disabled people's movement for many years but had become aware when she started working with asylum-seekers of how the UK asylum system was "actively and deliberately disabling".

She said at the launch that the mural "includes messages and images from Deaf and disabled activists, from disabled students and academics, from refugees, from homeless asylum-seekers and from people with many of those experiences combined".

She said there was a lot of overlap between disabled people and people with experience of the asylum system, although some of those they worked with do not identify as disabled.

She said: "We bring people together, to learn from each other and to build understanding of the similarities and differences in our experiences."

One of the asylum-seekers who has worked on the mural describes in a video that is being produced as part of the project that he has experienced mental distress due to living on the streets for more than three years with no food and no place to live.

His experience is illustrated in the mural through an image of a politician who ignores a homeless asylum-seeker sitting next to him in despair under a bush.

He says: "We've learned a lot about the politician man. But they know you live in this [situation]... they didn't care."

Another of those who have contributed to the mural is Lynn Stewart-Taylor, founder of the #WhereIsTheInterpreter campaign.

She describes in the video how Deaf people felt "stuck", "left out" and "marginalised" by the government's failure to provide a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter at coronavirus television briefings.

Her part of the mural shows a Deaf person signing from within a cage, with a hand outside asking: "Where is the interpreter?"

Stewart-Taylor says: "It's really, really impactful and demonstrates these barriers, that the cage is restricting.

"You can't get out. You can't see what else is around. You can't be part of helping other people.

"I think that one day we will see that cage removed, but the fight continues until we've got equality."

Janet, an asylum-seeker, describes on the video being refused a bus ticket because she only has cash and no bank card.

She says: "I would like people to understand the struggles that we have in this country... so it was very embarrassing, very shameful for everybody to be looking at you in the bus and you pretended that you were checking that your card is in the pocket, but you don't have."

Lizzy Horn, a young disabled woman who contributed an image of a dead flower in front of a window to the mural, describes how "you can kind of watch the world going on around you but not access it".

She says the lockdown allowed non-disabled people to experience a little of what her life had been like for the last 13 years.

Another of the ideas represented in the mural - through a chain with broken links - is that the COVID-19 pandemic has broken many of the links that previously helped support disabled people and asylum-seekers.

Mike Steel, from Bristol Reclaiming Independent Living (BRIL), said: "One of the ideas behind the whole mural is that COVID has exposed or magnified what's been going on anyway... the exclusion that disabled people, people with chronic illness, feel."

He said the project had "brought together Deaf campaigners, people from disabled people's organisations, refugee organisations, but basically just people from Bristol, ordinary people" to both represent through the mural what has happened and "how awful it's been, but also that things can be really different".

The artwork was led by mural artist Andrew Bolton, with the project supported by the Thinking Futures social sciences festival, Quartet Community Foundation, BRIL, Eastside Community Trust, The University of Bath's public engagement unit, the University of Bristol's public engagement team, Bristol City of Sanctuary and Bristol Hospitality Network.
Picture by Mark Simmons A note from the editor: Please consider making a voluntary financial contribution to support the work of DNS and allow it to continue producing independent, carefully-researched news stories that focus on the lives and rights of disabled people and their user-led organisations. Please do not contribute if you cannot afford to do so, and please note that DNS is not a charity. It is run and owned by disabled journalist John Pring and has been from its launch in April 2009. Thank you for anything you can do to support the work of DNS...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mural brings disabled people and asylum-seekers together

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Disabled people and asylum-seekers have worked together on a mural that illustrates some of the barriers they face in society, and which acts as a tribute to a disabled asylum-seeker who was murdered in 2016.

# data[].attributes.headline
Disabled activist’s ‘hate speech’ campaign has sweet success with retailers (13.1.22)

# data[].attributes.subject
Disabled activist’s ‘hate speech’ campaign has sweet success with retailers (13.1.22)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
At least three major retailers appear to have taken action over their own brands of a top-selling type of sweet after pressure from a disabled activist who has linked its name to disability hate speech.
Dr Erin Pritchard, a lecturer in disability and education at Liverpool Hope University, has already persuaded M&S to rename its own line of "midget gems" - a chewy sweet similar to wine gums - after pointing out how offensive the word "midget" is to her and other people with dwarfism.

M&S said this week that it had changed the name of its own-brand version of the sweet to "mini gems" after "suggestions from our colleagues and the insights shared by Dr Erin Pritchard".

Now Tesco has also taken action, while Morrisons appears to have followed suit.

Tesco said it was reviewing the name of its own-brand version - and is already describing the sweets on its website as " Tesco Mini Gems" - while the Morrisons website has removed its own brand "midget gems" from its website.

Pritchard ( pictured) said: "The word 'midget' is a form of hate speech and contributes to the prejudice that people with dwarfism experience on a daily basis.

"Having spoken with various firms about the use of the word 'midget', it's clear that many companies are simply unaware of just how offensive the term is, and I've had to explain to them why it's such an issue.

"We need better awareness about this particular word so that things can change for the better.

"And I'm grateful that M&S has been willing to listen to the concerns of people with dwarfism and has gone ahead with the rebranding."

She said the vegan-friendly Free From Fellows brand had also agreed to rename its gems sweets, although bags of sweets carrying the offensive name were yesterday (Wednesday) still available on its website.

Pritchard added: "It is truly baffling that, in this day and age, a number of British retailers are still able to use this disablist hate speech to market their products."

Writing in August 2020 in Big Issue North, she said the word "midget" originally came from the word "midge", a type of small gnat-like insect.

She wrote: "Its origin automatically dehumanises people like me.

"It was a term popularised during the Victorian freak show, where many disabled people, including people with dwarfism, were oppressed and exploited."

An M&S spokesperson said: "We are committed to being an inclusive retailer - from how we support our colleagues, through to the products we offer and the way we market them to our 32 million customers.

"Following suggestions from our colleagues and the insights shared by Dr Erin Pritchard, we introduced new mini gem packaging last year, which has since been rolled out to all of our stores."

A Tesco spokesperson said: "Everyone is welcome at Tesco and we would not want any of our products to cause offence.

"We are grateful to Dr Pritchard for bringing this to our attention and we will be reviewing the name of this product."

Morrisons had not responded to requests to comment by noon today (Thursday).

A spokesperson for Bravura Foods, which owns the Free From Fellows brand, said: "Free From Fellows would like to confirm they are planning on making these changes as soon as possible, once existing stock has run out.

"They would also like to thank Erin for bringing this issue to their attention so they can act accordingly."
A note from the editor: Please consider making a voluntary financial contribution to support the work of DNS and allow it to continue producing independent, carefully-researched news stories that focus on the lives and rights of disabled people and their user-led organisations. Please do not contribute if you cannot afford to do so, and please note that DNS is not a charity. It is run and owned by disabled journalist John Pring and has been from its launch in April 2009. Thank you for anything you can do to support the work of DNS...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Disabled activist's 'hate speech' campaign has sweet success with retailers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
At least three major retailers appear to have taken action over their own brands of a top-selling type of sweet after pressure from a disabled activist who has linked its name to disability hate speech.

# data[].attributes.headline
Ministers have already broken six Disability Strategy pledges, just months after launch (13.1.22)

# data[].attributes.subject
Ministers have already broken six Disability Strategy pledges, just months after launch (13.1.22)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The government has already broken at least six promises it made in last summer's much-criticised National Disability Strategy, responses by various departments this week have confirmed.
Analysis of the strategy, published last July, shows that at least six of the actions it promised would be carried out by the end of 2021 have not been completed.

This includes action on tackling disability hate crime, the accessible housing crisis, disability employment and how the government engages with disabled people.

When the strategy was published, the prime minister, Boris Johnson, described it as the "down payment" on his promise to "build back better and fairer, for all our disabled people".

But the strategy has been described as "just cynical repackaging", with analysis by Disability News Service last August exposing its lack of bold initiatives and new funding, and how ministers had padded it out with scores of consultations, reviews and vague pledges.

Fresh analysis of the strategy now shows that at least six of the "commitments" made in the document have already been broken.

One of the pledges was to act on disability hate crime, as part of a new government crime and disorder strategy that would be published in 2021. That document has yet to appear.

The disability strategy also promised action by the end of 2021 on how the government would deliver more accessible new homes, through its long-awaited response to a consultation on raising accessibility standards in England, which ended in December 2020. That response has yet to be published.

The government committed to publish new guidance for local authorities in England on "effective delivery" of the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) scheme. Again, this was promised "during 2021", but has yet to appear.

The strategy also promised updated guidance for employers who have joined the government's much-criticised Disability Confident scheme. Again, that updated guidance has not yet been published.

And the strategy promised that the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) would publish proposals "by the end of 2021" to "ensure that every disabled person who wants to start a business has the opportunity to do so". Again, these proposals have not yet been published.

Finally, there was a pledge to review the government's engagement with disabled people, an area in which ministers have faced repeated criticism, by December 2021.

In a blog posted on 29 December, the minister for disabled people, Chloe Smith, said that this review had now been extended until the spring of 2022 so as to provide "a full opportunity for meaningful engagement with our stakeholders".

Kamran Mallick, chief executive of Disability Rights UK, who raised some of these delays in a new year message, said: "With a number of actions in the disability strategy not being delivered to time, we need more transparency and communication from government as to the reasons for delay, and information on revised timescales and consultation arrangements.

"We also need consultation with DPOs [disabled people's organisations] and disabled people prior to actions being implemented.

"We are the ones affected by the actions, yet we are often not part of the process.

"The disability strategy must be treated seriously and disabled people need regular reports on its implementation.

"Whilst it is far from a transformational agenda for change, there are actions which could improve the lives of disabled people and failing to involve us or not delivering the actions set out is not acceptable."

The minister for disabled people, Chloe Smith, declined to explain this week why so many of the government's "commitments" had already been broken.

And she declined to say if this showed that the government was not treating disabled people as a priority, and if the prime minister's statement that the strategy was the "down payment" on his promise to "build back better and fairer, for all our disabled people" had now been exposed as empty rhetoric.

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson said the Disability Confident review was "well underway", with an update to guidance for employers expected in the spring.

A Home Office spokesperson said it was "working with disabled people and other disability stakeholders to develop a new strategy for tackling hate crime which will be published shortly".

The Home Office said the delay in publishing the hate crime strategy was due to competing priorities.

A spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities declined to explain why the DFG guidance and the accessible homes consultation response had not been published, but the department said they were expected to be delivered this spring.

BEIS said its self-employment proposals were part of a wider enterprise strategy, which had been delayed and would be published later this year.

A BEIS spokesperson said: "We are committed to making the world of work more inclusive and accessible for disabled people.

"We have been talking to disabled business leaders and stakeholders and charities to ensure disabled people are given the opportunities and support they need to start their own businesses, and this will form part of our enterprise strategy due to be published this year."
Picture: Chloe Smith (second from right) at last year's Conservative party conference A note from the editor: Please consider making a voluntary financial contribution to support the work of DNS and allow it to continue producing independent, carefully-researched news stories that focus on the lives and rights of disabled people and their user-led organisations. Please do not contribute if you cannot afford to do so, and please note that DNS is not a charity. It is run and owned by disabled journalist John Pring and has been from its launch in April 2009. Thank you for anything you can do to support the work of DNS...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ministers have already broken six Disability Strategy pledges, just months after launch

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The government has already broken at least six promises it made in last summer's much-criticised National Disability Strategy, responses by various departments this week have confirmed. Analysis of the strategy, published last July, shows that at least six of the actions it promised would be carried out by the end of 2021 have not been completed.

# data[].attributes.headline
Baby vouchers scheme ‘blackmails’ disabled parents onto universal credit (20.1.22)

# data[].attributes.subject
Baby vouchers scheme ‘blackmails’ disabled parents onto universal credit (20.1.22)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A disabled mother-of-two has accused the government of "financial blackmail" and discriminating against claimants of legacy benefits*, after she was told she could only claim vital financial support for her baby's nutrition if she agreed to transfer onto universal credit.
Allie Bennett-Cox, from Winchester, said this week that no parent should be left fearing that they will not be able to feed their baby.

The Healthy Start scheme provides vouchers for milk, fruit, vegetables, pulses and vitamins for pregnant women and those with children aged up to four if they are claiming certain income-related benefits.

But the scheme only applies to pregnant mums receiving income-related employment and support allowance (ESA) until the moment they give birth, at which point they are no longer eligible for the vouchers.

Disabled mums then have to migrate onto universal credit if they want to continue to receive financial support with their baby's nutrition, a policy described by Labour's shadow minister for disabled people, Vicky Foxcroft, as "immoral" and "deeply problematic".

It appears to be part of the government's continued push to force disabled people off legacy benefits such as ESA and onto universal credit, which could lead to them receiving a lower rate of benefits.

It follows the ongoing controversy over the government's refusal to provide recipients of legacy benefits with the same £20-a-week uplift given to those on universal credit during the pandemic.

Four benefit claimants are waiting for the high court to rule on whether this policy was discriminatory under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Because of the Healthy Start rules, Bennett-Cox and her husband, her full-time carer, have now missed out on nearly four years-worth of vouchers for their first child, Elizabeth, and they have been told that the same rules apply to their newborn son, Oscar.

NHS Business Services Authority, which runs the scheme on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), has confirmed in a letter that she is not eligible for the vouchers, even though the Healthy Start website mistakenly states that she is.

Bennett-Cox, who also had to take the Department for Work and Pensions to a tribunal to establish her eligibility for personal independence payment, said she believes the Healthy Start policy is "very discriminatory" and "would especially affect parents like me who are also disabled and therefore struggling anyway".

She said: "With the high court considering if it was unlawful discrimination to give the £20 pandemic uplift to those on universal credit but not to ESA claimants, it seems this situation is almost identical in nature.

"My financial situation is exactly the same and it amounts to financial blackmail to try and force people to switch over to universal credit."

The letter from the Healthy Start scheme to Bennett-Cox's MP, Steve Brine, who raised the concerns on her behalf, confirms that the vouchers are not payable after the child has been born if the claimant receives income-related ESA, but that they could start receiving them again if they move onto universal credit.

Those receiving income-based jobseeker's allowance and income support, as well as some recipients of child tax credit, pension credit and working tax credit, are also eligible to receive the vouchers after their child is born.

The letter says that work is now "ongoing" to change the wording on the government website to ensure it is clear that if someone "receives income-related ESA and is no longer pregnant, they are not eligible for the Healthy Start scheme".

Foxcroft said: "Once again, the government is showing complete contempt for people on legacy benefits, creating a two-tier system of support which disproportionately negatively impacts disabled people on legacy benefits.

"The Healthy Start scheme is purposely set up to provide new and expecting parents help in buying food, milk and vitamins.

"Crafting a policy where disabled parents on legacy benefits lose out on this support is immoral.

"This Tory government is now actively forcing new parents into a situation where they are having to move to universal credit, without knowing if they will be negatively financially impacted or not.

"Ministers need to correct this deeply problematic policy urgently. All parents deserve proper support, regardless of which benefit they are on."

Bennett-Cox said: "The government and the NHS offer these vouchers for a reason, they know it is a massively vulnerable time for parent and child, with the financial struggle for the parents of raising young children and the emotional anxiety that is inherent in trying to give your baby the best start in life possible, but mostly of course in regards to the tangible health of young infants and their complex needs.

"Children have their own individual nutritional needs and many mothers have to rely on expensive formulas when breastfeeding does not work for their baby.

"Also, with energy costs soaring and grocery bills seemingly climbing higher each week, this lifeline is needed now more than ever.

"No parent should ever be made to fear that they cannot feed their baby."

She said that not all disabled parents are as lucky as she is.

She said: "I have family that would never let my babies go hungry if it came to it and my parents will sometimes bring us baby formula, but it is still hard to manage a very stringent budget and there are more and more things we have to do without, shop around for or sacrifice nutritional quality on, as prices go up consistently.

"At a time when some families are forced to choose between heating or food, these things are very worrying to us all.

"I have often seen people online comment that poor or disabled people shouldn't have children.

"This suggestion is patently disgusting but I have concerns that it is echoed in the ethos of many members of parliament, that poor people should be somehow punished for being in need."

The Department of Health and Social Care had failed to comment by noon today (Thursday), despite being approached for a comment three days earlier.
*Picture: Allie Bennett-Cox and her son Oscar A note from the editor: Please consider making a voluntary financial contribution to support the work of DNS and allow it to continue producing independent, carefully-researched news stories that focus on the lives and rights of disabled people and their user-led organisations. Please do not contribute if you cannot afford to do so, and please note that DNS is not a charity. It is run and owned by disabled journalist John Pring and has been from its launch in April 2009. Thank you for anything you can do to support the work of DNS... Legacy benefits are those that are gradually being replaced by the new universal credit system

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Baby vouchers scheme 'blackmails' disabled parents onto universal credit

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A disabled mother-of-two has accused the government of "financial blackmail" and discriminating against claimants of legacy benefits*, after she was told she could only claim vital financial support for her baby's nutrition if she agreed to transfer onto universal credit.

# data[].attributes.headline
Government’s easing of COVID rules ‘is populist, dangerous and irresponsible’ (27.1.22)

# data[].attributes.subject
Government’s easing of COVID rules ‘is populist, dangerous and irresponsible’ (27.1.22)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The government's decision to ease COVID regulations is dangerous, populist and irresponsible, while ministers have forgotten those people who have spent much of the pandemic shielding from the virus, say disabled campaigners.
There has been widespread alarm this week after the prime minister and the health and social care secretary announced that the so-called "Plan B" protective measures in England* - introduced last month to slow the spread of the Omicron variant - would end today (Thursday).

This means an end to criminal sanctions for those who fail to wear masks in public places, while the government is no longer asking people to work from home if they can.

Ministers have also ended the requirement for face coverings to be worn in classrooms.

As well as concern at the easing of the restrictions, there was anger and frustration at the confusion over guidance for those seen as clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) to coronavirus.

Many of those who have been told they are CEV have now spent nearly two years taking careful precautions to protect themselves, but say they were not told about new advice published on 24 December, or that that guidance remains in place despite the latest announcement.

Disability News Service has seen an email to the disabled Liberal Democrat peer Baroness [Sal] Brinton from the office of the junior health and social care minister Lord Kamall, which confirms that the 24 December guidance remains in place.

Baroness Brinton, who herself is CEV, has raised concerns about the failure to publicise the guidance, and even had to correct the Conservative leader of the House of Lords, Baroness Evans, after she claimed last week that there was now no such guidance in place.

Among those speaking out this week was disabled campaigner Doug Paulley, who is CEV and has been seriously ill with COVID-19 over the last 10 days.

The virus outbreak has infected 11 of the residents and many of the staff in the Leonard Cheshire care home where he lives in Yorkshire.

He says there are already severe pressures on public services, including delays with providing results of PCR tests, and three GPs off sick at his local surgery.

Although he has not had to be admitted to hospital and intensive care, he has been "proper ill, gasping for breath", although he is now recovering.

He said: "I don't have a choice of saying I want everybody else to wear masks so I can go out, I can only choose whether I wear one or not."

Paulley said the government's decision to ease the rules was "bloody dangerous and irresponsible and populist, and people will suffer and die because of it, and disabled people disproportionately so in my opinion".

Even so, he said, it was "nothing compared to the way they just openly threw disabled people, and especially care home residents, to the dogs back when this all started.

"It's a remnant of that same attitude, and it's not just disabled people in care homes either.

"Nobody wants to have restrictions, it is an imposition on our rights, but it's a bloody necessary one for the sake of people's suffering and life."

Another prominent disabled campaigner, Fleur Perry, who has had to shield through the pandemic, said it was "pointless" to ask those who were CEV to socially distance if the government was not asking other people to do so.

She said: "Asking one person to social distance is like asking one hand to clap - it doesn't work.

"You need everyone around you in a public space to co-operate in order to successfully social distance.

"I don't understand why we're also expected to know that we need to follow Plan B without being informed."

She added: "I've heard from many other shielders that they have felt 'forgotten' at various points during the pandemic.

"This time, there is no sign that we were remembered at all until after [last week's] announcement was made.

"We need clear, workable guidance from the government, and we need our safety to be considered.

"Removing layers of protection when there's more than 80,000 cases per day is gutting.

"I was looking forward to being able to go to visit friends and family as soon as the weather warms slightly.

"Each time a layer of protection is removed, the things I want to safely do move further away.

"The government needs to consult with disabled people and consider our needs when thinking about policy changes that affect our safety and way of life, not remember us after-the-fact. They also have a legal duty to do so: the public sector equality duty."

Among issues being raised by Perry and some of her CEV friends are the failure to send them priority PCR tests, which they need to access anti-viral medication; problems with accessing the anti-virals; CEV people being forced back into unsafe workplaces; the risks being faced by CEV children, parents and teachers; and concerns over access to lateral flow tests and personal protective equipment for personal assistants.

Fazilet Hadi, head of policy at Disability Rights UK (DR UK), said the government's announcement would be seen by those who are CEV or cannot have the vaccination as "another sign that the government has abandoned them".

She said: "Despite disabled people accounting for at least 60 per cent of all COVID-related death so far, the government is doing nothing to protect and support people at greater risk of serious illness.

"We are particularly concerned that these rule changes will negatively affect working-age people who will be forced to return to work."

DR UK's policy and campaigns officer, Dan White, added: "The government needs to stop washing their hands of people who are still at severe risk from COVID.

"It must recognise that there are still disabled people who are clinically extremely vulnerable or who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons who still need a strong ring of protection.

"It must reinstate employment protections, financial support, and provision for essential supplies such as food and medicine.

"The current guidance changes too often, is causing constant confusion and is adding un-needed stress to individuals' lives."

Dr Sarabajaya Kumar, co-founder of the disability caucus of the Women's Equality Party, who has been shielding for the last two years, said CEV people were now "expected to take individual responsibility to protect ourselves, without a policy in place to support our actions".

She said: "Rather than keeping the work from home advice in place, we are expected to speak to our employers 'about what temporary arrangements they can make to reduce your risk'.

"I understand that we need to open up the economy, and I too very much look forward to the day I can return to working with colleagues in person and get out and about to shop, visit the theatre, art galleries, museums, etc, and socialise safely, but I do not understand why the government is not continuing to protect those of us who are most at risk in the meantime.

"Even if we are able to negotiate with our employers to continue to work from home, my family members (who also have underlying conditions) are not allowed to do so, putting me at huge risk each day they go to work or university, as protective measures are no longer required in public places, workplaces or on public transport.

"As we live together, we are wondering how to best to continue to protect me."

She pointed out that about 60 per cent of deaths from COVID-19 are of disabled people, many of whom were CEV, while working-age disabled women with higher support needs, like her, were 91 per cent more likely to have died from COVID-19 than non-disabled women of the same age, even after allowing for factors such as underlying health conditions, and whether they lived in poverty, or in a care home.

She said: "I would like government to review policy in relation to this group of people, as the current policy position puts us at even greater risk.

"We are not, nor should we be, collateral damage."

Meanwhile, the government this morning released new guidance that further eases COVID restrictions in adult social care.
Picture: Dr Sarabajaya Kumar and fellow disabled activists from the Women's Equality Party protesting about the government's pandemic failings in Parliament Square last summer A note from the editor: Please consider making a voluntary financial contribution to support the work of DNS and allow it to continue producing independent, carefully-researched news stories that focus on the lives and rights of disabled people and their user-led organisations. Please do not contribute if you cannot afford to do so, and please note that DNS is not a charity. It is run and owned by disabled journalist John Pring and has been from its launch in April 2009. Thank you for anything you can do to support the work of DNS...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Government's easing of COVID rules 'is populist, dangerous and irresponsible'

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The government's decision to ease COVID regulations is dangerous, populist and irresponsible, while ministers have forgotten those people who have spent much of the pandemic shielding from the virus, say disabled campaigners.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
the country's only news agency specialising in disability issues

# data[].attributes.headline
Government ‘must tear up national disability strategy’ after high court defeat (27.1.22)

# data[].attributes.subject
Government ‘must tear up national disability strategy’ after high court defeat (27.1.22)

# data[].attributes.body
"Mr Justice Griffiths found this week (PDF) that the consultation, launched early last year through a national survey, was unlawful because the thousands of disabled people who took part were not given enough information about the government’s proposed strategy to allow them “intelligent consideration and response”.

The government had argued that the survey was just an information-gathering exercise, but the court had heard how the Disability Unit’s own website listed the survey at the time as an “Open Consultation”, while it was hosted on the unit’s “Consultation Hub”, with the promise that responses would inform the strategy’s development.

The court also found that the survey’s multiple-choice format, and the word limit on the small number of questions that allowed free-form responses, “did not allow for a proper response even to the issues canvassed in the Survey”.

Because the court has found that the consultation was unlawful, so is the strategy, which was published last July.

It is not yet clear what action the government will take following the ruling, although a spokesperson said it was considering its next steps."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Disabled campaigners have called on the government to tear up its "fundamentally broken" National Disability Strategy, after the high court ruled that the much-criticised document was unlawful.
The high court found that a botched consultation had made it "impossible" for disabled people to "shape" the content of the strategy.

Mr Justice Griffiths found this week (PDF) that the consultation, launched early last year through a national survey, was unlawful because the thousands of disabled people who took part were not given enough information about the government's proposed strategy to allow them "intelligent consideration and response".

The government had argued that the survey was just an information-gathering exercise, but the court had heard how the Disability Unit's own website listed the survey at the time as an "Open Consultation", while it was hosted on the unit's "Consultation Hub", with the promise that responses would inform the strategy's development.

The court also found that the survey's multiple-choice format, and the word limit on the small number of questions that allowed free-form responses, "did not allow for a proper response even to the issues canvassed in the Survey".

Because the court has found that the consultation was unlawful, so is the strategy, which was published last July.

It is not yet clear what action the government will take following the ruling, although a spokesperson said it was considering its next steps.

Doug Paulley (pictured, above, left), one of the four disabled campaigners who took the judicial review* against work and pensions secretary Therese Coffey, said it was "entirely clear" that the consultation had not been "fit for purpose".

He called on the government to withdraw its "fundamentally broken" national strategy and "start afresh with disabled people's organisations (DPOs) and disabled people at the heart of it, as they always should have done".

He said: "What I would hope for is they would actually go to DPOs and disabled people and do a proper consultation and focus on what disabled people actually want, which is enforceable and genuine rights.

"What I think they will actually do is appeal the judgement."

But he said the judgement meant there was "a very clear ruling that the strategy is now unlawful and will remain so until something is done".

One of the four claimants, disabled activist Miriam Binder ( pictured, above, right), died last month, and her family said today (Thursday) that they were "incredibly proud" of the part she had played in the legal victory.

Her daughters said in a statement: "It is a bittersweet moment for us as a family that our mum is not here to see this, but mum didn't do this for just herself, she took on this fight for every disabled person in the UK.

"We are so incredibly proud of her and her courage.

"She has always been a stalwart campaigner for justice, particularly for disability rights and equality.

"We are elated with the judgement and hope this makes a difference to the lives of those living with a disability.

"This is an extremely fitting bequest and we take comfort in the knowledge that she made a difference."

In-depth analysis of the government's strategy by Disability News Service after it was published last summer showed it had been padded out with scores of pledges to "discuss" or "consider" further action, to commission lengthy research, and to carry out reviews of existing policies.

At the time, Inclusion London called it "a cynical re-packaging of current polices and current budgets", while the DPO Forum England, a network of many of the country's leading DPOs, said it had ignored bold action on increasing benefit levels, supporting inclusive education, combating the disability employment gap, increasing accessible housing, and reforming social care.

This week, Inclusion London said it was "shocking" that disabled people "have to go to court to force the government to properly and meaningfully engage with us on a central disability strategy which is meant to improve our lives".

Svetlana Kotova, Inclusion London's director of campaigns and justice, said the "damning" ruling was a "wakeup call to the government" that it can "no longer get away with [its] unlawful, dismissive, patronising and discriminatory approach to engaging with disabled people and DPOs".

Kamran Mallick, chief executive of Disability Rights UK, said that a "disability strategy formulated without deep listening to the voices of disabled people is doomed to failure.

"The government must now go back and do what it should have done the first time round: dedicate time and resources to enable disabled people to speak freely and fully on our lived experience, demonstrate we have been fully heard, and share draft strategy proposals with us for discussion and comment."

Another of the four claimants, Jean Eveleigh, said: "If the secretary of state genuinely wishes to place disabled people's lived experiences at the heart of the strategy, then she must do so through proper and lawful consultation that provides a meaningful opportunity for disabled people and their organisations to contribute their views."

The fourth claimant, Victoria Hon, added: "For too long disabled individuals have been infantilised and our views ignored.

"This judgment sends a clear message that the government cannot claim to consult with disabled people if in practice we are not given the proper opportunity to share our views.

"It is time the government listened and learned from what disabled people have to say about our own experiences and lives."

Vicky Foxcroft, Labour's shadow minister for disabled people, said: "Once again, the government has been forced into a humiliating defeat, even though disabled people raised their concerns numerous times.

"They shouldn't have had to be taken to court for them to have corrected the failings from their shoddy consultation process.

"Ministers need to urgently clarify how they will correct these failings and ensure disabled people are consulted properly."

A government spokesperson said: "We engaged with disabled people, disabled people's organisations, carers and others as part of the National Disability Strategy.

"We remain committed to improving the everyday lives of disabled people, and the National Disability Strategy has already made significant inroads.

"We are disappointed with today's judgment and we will consider our next steps carefully."
*The four claimants were represented by Jamie Potter, Shirin Marker and Amy O'Shea of solicitors A note from the editor: Please consider making a voluntary financial contribution to support the work of DNS and allow it to continue producing independent, carefully-researched news stories that focus on the lives and rights of disabled people and their user-led organisations. Please do not contribute if you cannot afford to do so, and please note that DNS is not a charity. It is run and owned by disabled journalist John Pring and has been from its launch in April 2009. Thank you for anything you can do to support the work of DNS... , and barristers Steve Broach and Katherine Barnes, of 39 Essex Street chambers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Government 'must tear up national disability strategy' after high court defeat

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Disabled campaigners have called on the government to tear up its "fundamentally broken" National Disability Strategy, after the high court ruled that the much-criticised document was unlawful. The...

# data[].attributes.headline
Strictly winner Rose Ayling-Ellis urges MPs to make British Sign Language official ahead of debate (27.1.22)

# data[].attributes.subject
Strictly winner Rose Ayling-Ellis urges MPs to make British Sign Language official ahead of debate (27.1.22)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Strictly's Rose Ayling-Ellis urges MPs to make BSL official ahead of debate | ITV News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Strictly Come Dancing champion Rose Ayling-Ellis has renewed her call for British Sign Language to be given legal status in the UK. Ayling-Ellis, an EastEnders actress and Strictly's first contestant, made a fresh appeal ahead of a parliamentary debate on Friday. "Parliament will be debating whether or not to make BSL a legally recognised language.

# data[].attributes.headline
British Sign Language to become recognised language in the UK (27.1.22)

# data[].attributes.subject
British Sign Language to become recognised language in the UK (27.1.22)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
British Sign Language (BSL) is on course to become a recognised language, after the government backed a proposal by a Labour MP.

The private member's bill, introduced by Rosie Cooper, aims to improve accessibility for deaf people and would see the promotion of BSL when making public service announcements.

It would also see the launch of an advisory board of BSL users to offer guidance to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on how and when to use it and look at increasing the number of BSL interpreters.

It will encourage government departments and public bodies to follow the guidance, giving deaf people "equal access to education, employment, public services such as the NHS", according to the British Deaf Association (BDA).

DWP minister Chloe Smith said: "Effective communication is vital to creating a more inclusive and accessible society, and legally recognising British Sign Language in Great Britain is a significant step towards ensuring that deaf people are not excluded from reaching their potential.

"Passing the bill will see [the] government commit to improving the lives of deaf people, and will encourage organisations across the nation to take up the BSL mantle, benefiting both themselves and the deaf community."

If the bill passes its reading on Friday, 28 January, it will have two more stages to pass before becoming law. The final reading is expected to take place in March.

Rosie Cooper, the MP who proposed the bill and whose parents were both born deaf, said: "The deaf community have constantly had to fight to be heard. This bill sends a clear message that they deserve equal access and will be treated as equal."

Although BSL was recognised as an 'official' language by the UK government in 2003, it does not have the same legal protections as Welsh or Gaelic, for example.

EastEnders actor Rose Ayling-Ellis made history as the first deaf contestant on BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing and has urged people to back the bill.

Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice. Photograph: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images

She told BBC News: "Why doesn't this country legally recognise BSL? It's our language. It feels wrong, it isn't right, it should be accepted."

She added: "If I go to the doctor and there is no interpreter, it means I have to bring a family member with me - but I don't want that, I want privacy."

In the wake of her celebrated Strictly win, research revealed more than three-quarters of deaf children thought the show has given the public a better understanding of deafness. There are an estimated 87,000 BSL users in the UK.

David Buxton, chairman of the BDA, said: "Deaf people still do not have access to the same essential information and services that are available to the hearing population.

"The Equality Act does not cover linguistic rights. We are forced to rely on inadequate disability discrimination legislation to access information in our own language.

"British Sign Language is an indigenous language of the UK and should be accorded the same legal protection as Welsh and Scottish Gaelic."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
British Sign Language to become recognised language in the UK

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
British Sign Language (BSL) is on course to become a recognised language, after the government backed a proposal by a Labour MP. The private member's bill, introduced by Rosie Cooper, aims to improve accessibility for deaf people and would see the promotion of BSL when making public service announcements.

# data[].attributes.headline
You Kind of Have to Prove It: Gender Micro aggressions within the Lived Experiences of Women in Engineering

# data[].attributes.subject
You Kind of Have to Prove It: Gender Micro aggressions within the Lived Experiences of Women in Engineering

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In 2019-20, we launched our flagship Centres for Excellence in SEND offer and by March 2020, over 700 of you had joined the Centres to access support. We're delighted to announce that the Centres for Excellence in SEND will continue in 2020-21.
Centres for Excellence in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
Our three national Centres for Excellence in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) offer expert support for leaders, managers and practitioners who wish to put learners with SEND at the centre of their organisation.

Corrienne Peasgood, City College Norwich, Mandie Stravino, Derby College and Dr Paul Phillips, Weston College offer free confidential, one-to-one support to leaders who are striving to make their own organisations more inclusive and successful. Managers and practitioners should tap into the support offered by each Centre's communities of practice.
SEND area on the Excellence Gateway
By March 2020, almost 70,000 people had accessed the SEND area on the Excellence Gateway. The SEND area is the one stop shop for all the resources we've produced together or you've told us are useful since the inception of the ETF's offer for Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) in 2015. If you haven't already, please do take a look. The site is updated regularly with new resources, news and events and training opportunities.

We are continuing with our Essential SEND Managers and specific needs programmes as inhouse offers and are currently working on developing online versions of these programmes so that you can access learning at your desks.

Further support and free toolkits can be also accessed on Foundation Online Learning, including a self-assessment tool for practitioners and organisations, guidance regarding best practices for supporting dyslexic learners and The Right Place toolkit developed in partnership with Royal Mencap Society to help learners secure the most meaningful work placements. So that you can support your learners to achieve their career aspirations you should check out IAG Skills which brings together into one place the information that career practitioners need to offer support to learners with SEND. The Sources of Support toolkit provides further information on helping SEND learners achieve their aspirations, including information on access to work, traineeships, supported internships, etc.

And don't forget that many of our courses offered via other programmes might benefit you so do keep an eye on our booking system for new dates.
Download the SEND brochure.
If you have any questions or there is something you would like us to offer, please contact Teresa Carroll.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In 2019-20, we launched our flagship Centres for Excellence in SEND offer and by March 2020, over 700 of you had joined the Centres to access support. We're delighted to announce that the Centres for Excellence in SEND will continue in 2020-21.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Janelle Monáe - Say Her Name (Hell You Talmbout) (feat. Various Artists) [Official Lyric Video]

# data[].attributes.headline
The Runnymede Trust  Messaging Checklist to Build Solidarity Across Difference

# data[].attributes.subject
The Runnymede Trust  Messaging Checklist to Build Solidarity Across Difference

# data[].attributes.body
Usually I try to add links to documents so that you will have access to any updates and so that  you visit the author's website. However, the link to this publication on the Runnymede Trust website no longer works. An active link as at 18.3.22 is http://classonline.org.uk/docs/Solidarity_Across_Difference_Messaging_Checklist_2019.pdf but I have attached a PDF in case this link closes.

# data[].attributes.body
Re: GYPSY WOMAN – Crystal Waters
"At the heart of intersectionality – our capacity to consider how different identities create different modes of discrimination and privilege – is empathy with other women’s stories. This is why this song, which makes a point of dignifying another woman’s experience, is perhaps the perfect feminist anthem."

Behind the 1991 dance hit ‘Gypsy Woman’ is the story of a struggling homeless woman singing gospel songs on the streets, who Crystal Waters used to encounter every week. The American musician was inspired to write about her after seeing her story on the paper. “She’d just lost her job in retail, and she said that she thought if she was going to ask people for money, then she should at least look presentable,” Waters said.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Defining what turns a good song into a feminist anthem is impossible - and there are countless life-saving candidates to choose from. Here's a list of songs that have made it their business to joyfully and defiantly amplify certain aspects of women's experiences.

Regardless of the artist's intention, thousands - perhaps millions - of women have found something to identify with in these lyrics, and in turn found an outlet for their own experiences. Equally remarkable: hearing these lyrics might have been the first time that others, regardless of gender, could walk for a few minutes in other women's shoes.
UN VIOLADOR EN TU CAMINO (A Rapist in Your Path) - Las Tesis Collective
One of the most widespread of feminist anthems in modern history took root this year. When Las Tesis, a small, little-known feminist collective from Chile, set out to capture the unseen violence of their government's inaction against widespread rape, little did they know how well they had captured a sentiment that was to resonate globally.

As videos of the group's performance started going viral at the end of 2019, thousands of women gathered in cities across the globe to sing and dance, denouncing the same set of circumstances in their home countries; some were met with police force while performing the song.

The song's title is a play on an old Chilean slogan portraying the police as "the friend in your path", but instead, the song describes police officers as themselves being violent, and even enabling sexual violence by failing to act against it.

Lyrics highlight: "And the fault wasn't mine, or where I was or what I wore - the rapist is you."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Defining what turns a good song into a feminist anthem is impossible - and there are countless life-saving candidates to choose from. Here's a list of songs that have made it their business to joyfully and defiantly amplify certain aspects of women's experiences.

# data[].attributes.headline
Intersectionality: Kimberlé Crenshaw first used the term "intersectionality" 33 years ago.  In this TEDtalk, she calls on every one of us to bear witness to this reality and speak up for victims of prejudice.

# data[].attributes.subject
Intersectionality: Kimberlé Crenshaw first used the term "intersectionality" 33 years ago.  In this TEDtalk, she calls on every one of us to bear witness to this reality and speak up for victims of prejudice.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Get a daily email featuring the latest talk, plus a quick mix of trending content.

By subscribing, you understand and agree that we will store, process and manage your personal information according to our Privacy Policy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Kimberlé Crenshaw: The urgency of intersectionality

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Now more than ever, it's important to look boldly at the reality of race and gender bias -- and understand how the two can combine to create even more harm. Kimberlé Crenshaw uses the term "intersectionality" to describe this phenomenon; as she says, if you're standing in the path of multiple forms of exclusion, you're likely to get hit by both.

# data[].attributes.headline
NADSN: National Association of Disabled Staff Networks

# data[].attributes.subject
NADSN: National Association of Disabled Staff Networks

# data[].attributes.body
Is:

A super-network that connects and represents disabled staff networks.

A collective platform to share experiences and good practice, and to examine challenges and opportunities.

Focussed on the tertiary education sector (i.e. universities, colleges, etc).

Open to any individual and organisation (public, private, social or voluntary) interested in the equality of disabled staff.

Interesting fact: only 1 FE college is part of NADSN

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
PRESS RELEASE The National Association of Disabled Staff Networks (NADSN) is a super-network that connects and represents disabled staff networks at organisations across the United Kingdom. NADSN exists as a collective platform to share experiences, develop good...

# data[].attributes.body
"Resources and networks to enhance opportunities for employment in the UK for people with a disability"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Disability Jobsite - Official Site for UK Disability Employment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Disability Jobsite assists people with a disability to participate actively in employment and plays a critical role in supporting people with a disability on the pathway to work.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Our Disability Smart Suite (generously sponsored by Unilever) is designed to help your organisation know how well it is doing in being disability smart

View our Disability Smart Suite!

Join us

Become a Business Disability Forum member to access a wealth of advice and guidance to help you support your disabled staff and customers as well as helping us promote best practice and influence policy to benefit both organisations and disabled people.

Stay up to date, sign up for our newsletter

Sign up

© Business Disability Forum 2013. Business Disability Forum is a registered charity in England and Wales (no 1018463). Our company is registered in England (no 2603700).

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Close

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Disability inclusion in your organisation in 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Skip to main content Our Disability Smart Suite (generously sponsored by Unilever) is designed to help your organisation know how well it is doing in being disability smart View our Disability Smart Suite!

# data[].attributes.headline
My current favourite is in the free Future Learn course 'CreatingAudio Description" 

# data[].attributes.subject
My current favourite is in the free Future Learn course 'CreatingAudio Description" 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Or register here.

Why FutureLearn?

Learn anything

Whether you want to develop as a professional or discover a new hobby, there's an online course for that. You can even take your learning further with online programs and degrees.

Learn together

Join millions of people from around the world learning together. Online learning is as easy and natural as chatting with a group of friends.

Learn with experts

Meet educators from top universities and cultural institutions, who'll share their experience through videos, articles, quizzes and discussions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Page from Creating Audio Description - Royal Holloway, University of London

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Or register here. Why FutureLearn? Learn anything Whether you want to develop as a professional or discover a new hobby, there's an online course for that. You can even take your learning further with online programs and degrees. Learn together Join millions of people from around the world learning together.

# data[].attributes.headline
The storyboard from our session on 10.2.22

# data[].attributes.subject
The storyboard from our session on 10.2.22

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/dec/29/fatigue-is-an-oppressive-cocoon-it-has-made-me-seek-joy-wherever-i-can

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.waterstones.com/book/crippled/frances-ryan/9781788739566

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Scotland, UK
Simply Emma - one of the leading disability bloggers providing comprehensive reviews & advice on accessible travel. The blog was created to encourage others, with or without a disability, to travel more and make new discoveries, whether that's abroad or in your own hometown. It covers personal stories with accessible travel guides, accommodation reviews, live event reviews, travel tips, and resources.
Also in Disability Travel Blogs
simplyemma.co.uk
2.6K ⋅ 2.8K ⋅ 3.3K ⋅ 1 post / week ⋅ Oct 2014

England, UK
Disabled Motoring UK is a campaigning charity for disabled drivers, passengers and Blue Badge holders. The magazine will keep you updated on the latest news along with many interesting features, access to our information and advice service, and recieve member concessions on various goods and services.
Also in UK Disability Magazines
disabledmotoring.org
2.4K ⋅ 2.6K ⋅ 7 posts / month

Follow this blog where Elaine shares her journey of disability issues and her view at life from a wheelchair.
wheellife.co.uk/blog
3.1K ⋅ 1 post / month ⋅ Feb 2018

London, England, UK
Applying for disability benefits in Maryland can be difficult & stressful. London disability lawyers & advocates are here to help guide you through the entire process. Read the trending updates, news and blog posts about SSDI, SSD benefits and SSI.
Also in Disability Blogs, Social Security Disability Blogs
londondisability.com/blog
147 ⋅ 1 post / month

UK
Shona started her blog back in 2011 and writes about her experience with Marfan Syndrome as well as other conditions, including chronic pain. Having started blogging at an early age, Shona has grown up in the blogging community and has recently spoken about the effectiveness of single-use plastic for those with disabilities. She raises awareness in ways that able-bodied people may not have seen before, making her blog unique and helpful for those in all walks of life.
shonalouise.com
927 ⋅ 10.4K ⋅ 1 post / month ⋅ Nov 2011

London, England, UK
My name is Hannah and I am 30 years old. I suffer from several illnesses and as a result, I am disabled and use a powerchair. I am very determined. I hope to get myself as independent and 'well' as possible. Hope keeps me going hence why 'Hannah's Hope' seemed an appropriate title for my blog!
hannahshope.co.uk
200 ⋅ 1.2K ⋅ 1 post / day ⋅ Jan 2018

Kendal, England, UK
Carrie-Ann Lightley is a disabled travel expert, blogger and writer. Get Accessible tourism advice, expertise and inspiration from Carrie-Ann Lightley. Disabled travel expert, blogger and writer since 2005.
carrieannlightley.com
926 ⋅ 5.4K ⋅ 2 posts / year ⋅ Feb 2017

London, England, UK
Talking about disability and all that comes with it. My life with a disability, trials & tribulations I encounter along the way.
cazbarr.co.uk/blog
106 ⋅ 68 ⋅ 8 posts / year

York, England, UK
Hear about my experiences as an above knee amputee and how designing and making walking sticks is so fulfilling and challenging.
neo-walk.com/blog
1.6K ⋅ 9 ⋅ 1.8K ⋅ 1 post / quarter

UK
Scope exists to make this country a place where disabled people have the same opportunities as everyone else. Until then, we'll be here.
blog.scope.org.uk
113.3K ⋅ 106K

Manchester, England, UK
Disabled Living is a charity which provides impartial information and advice about products, equipment (assistive technology) and services for disabled adults, children, older people, carers and the professionals who support them.
disabledliving.co.uk/blog
1.5K ⋅ 5.3K ⋅ 18 posts / year ⋅ Feb 2016

UK
The Bimblers is one of the UK's best chronic illness and disability blog. Rob and Bridget are a UK-based couple who travel extensively throughout the UK and Ireland in a wheelchair. We share tips for living with a chronic illness and traveling in a wheelchair.
thebimblers.com
568 ⋅ 2.5K ⋅ 337 ⋅ 3 posts / year

Left Brain/Right Brain first came into existence in 2003. Over the years it has changed its basic form a few times but its core content and interest has always been autism and the news, science - and bad science associated with it.
leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk
2.6K ⋅ 807 ⋅ 6 posts / year ⋅ Jun 2003

London, England, UK
Jayonlife focuses on the different countries and cities Jay has visited, and the different attractions available to travellers. It features her thoughts on how other place compare to her home of London. Both in terms of accessibility and the attitudes of the people towards disability as a whole. It also includes her thoughts on topics that affect disabled people at home and abroad.
jayonlife.com
641 ⋅ 1.3K ⋅ 1.6K

Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Disability Sports Writer & Motivational Speaker. I was born with Cerebral Palsy but never let my disability prevent me from participating in outdoor pursuits, achieving my goals and fulfilling my potential. And now through writing, motivational speaking and mentoring I share my experience that thoughts that can't help but motivate and inspire others.
davidventures.co.uk
1K ⋅ 15.1K ⋅ 419 ⋅ Jun 2014

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Top 15 UK Disability Blogs and Websites To Follow in 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Scotland, UK Simply Emma - one of the leading disability bloggers providing comprehensive reviews & advice on accessible travel. The blog was created to encourage others, with or without a disability, to travel more and make new discoveries, whether that's abroad or in your own hometown.

# data[].attributes.headline
The disabled influencers making their mark on social media

# data[].attributes.subject
The disabled influencers making their mark on social media

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The disabled influencers making their mark on social media

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Brands are starting to embrace social media influencers with disabilities to target the “purple pound”.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
BBC Sounds - Access All: Disability News and Mental Health

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Weekly podcast about mental health, wellbeing and disabled people.

# data[].attributes.body
Disabled artists’ view of disability and deaf arts culture

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
For a disabled artists' view of disability and deaf arts culture

The blog section of the DAO website provides disabled artists and writers with a space to give our readers an inside view of their art practice, share thoughts and receive comments and feedback.

These blogs provide an informative and entertaining insight into how disability and impairment are experienced from a disability perspective.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in these pages are not necessarily those of DAO.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The blog section of the DAO website provides disabled artists and writers with a space to give our readers an inside view of their art practice, share thoughts and receive comments and feedback. These blogs provide an informative and entertaining insight into how disability and impairment are experienced from a disability perspective.