Call for submissions on Accessible Toilets

Inclusion London’s guide to voting

Inclusion London have put together a very useful guide for voting

What are the parties saying about Deaf and Disability issues?

Picture of a rosette and ballot box with the words ‘General Election 2017, Why GE2017 matters to Disabled people, ROFA’s Snap Guide’ http://inclusionlondon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click…

LGBTQ session with GMCDP

Do You Identify As a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and/or Queer Disabled Person?

Do you live in Manchester?

Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People is hosting a 2nd safe space for LGBTQ disabled people to share issues that are important to us and talk about setting up regular meetings.

General Election 2017 – calling all our members and allies

As we all know, a General Election will be held on Thursday 8 June 2017. GMCDP would like to see MP’s elected that take disability equality issues seriously.

We have drafted a sample letter that we invite you to send to your local candidates, to ask whether they will support:

1. The full incorporation into UK law of The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
2. Repeal of punitive welfare reform measures, specifically to scrap the Bedroom Tax and the existing Work Capability Assessment system.
3. An introduction of ambitious, but achievable quotas and targets in relation to accessible housing and housing that is capable of adaptation
4. Introduction of an Impact Assessment for disabled people who have lost support under the former Independent Living Fund
5. Commit to increasing the Access to Work Programme and provide adequate support for disabled people in work

You can find the letter below. You could add additional questions of your own if there’s something specific you want to ask.

Find out who is standing for MP in your area by visiting the BBC News website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies

Please send any responses you receive to us and, with your permission, we will share them with others on our website.

(Sample letter to your candidate)

Dear (add in your candidates name)

The upcoming General Election takes place just months after a United Nations Committee on the Rights of Disabled Persons enquiry found that UK welfare reforms have led to “grave and systematic violations” of disabled people’s rights. Moreover, a recent report from the Equality and Human Rights Commission ‘Being Disabled in Britain’ finds that disabled people are experiencing disadvantages in many areas of everyday life. It asserts that ‘despite significant progress in the laws protecting disabled people’s rights, they are still not being treated as equal citizens and continue to be denied the opportunities and outcomes non-disabled people take for granted’.

As a disabled person myself, your views on disability equality issues will be one of the key subjects on which I will be basing my vote on 8 June.

Should you enter the House of Commons will you support:

1. The full incorporation into UK law of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
2. Repeal of punitive welfare reform measures, specifically to scrap the Bedroom Tax and the existing Work Capability Assessment system.
3. An introduction of ambitious, but achievable quotas and targets in relation to accessible housing and housing that is capable of adaptation
4. Introduction of an Impact Assessment for disabled people who have lost support under the former Independent Living Fund
5. Commit to increasing the Access to Work Programme and provide adequate support for disabled people in work

I would be grateful if you can let me know which of these you are able to support; and share your views on these and other disability-related issues.

Kind Regards

Booster – sessions for young disabled people

Are you a young disabled person aged 15-25?

Do you live in Manchester?

Then Come Along to Booster to look at:

Register to vote in the 2017 General Election

The 2017 UK General Election.

Dont miss out.

Ensure youre registered to to vote by 22 May

Over 20 Countries Celebrate the 4th European Independent Living Day

From ENIL (European Network on Independent Living)

May 5^th 2017 is the fourth European Independent Living Day to be celebrated around Europe, by Centers for Independent Living and other members of the European Independent Living Movement. ENIL, the European Network on Independent Living, is expecting at least 20 countries to stage events on the theme “Things I Can Do Thanks to Independent Living”.

Jamie Bolling, ENIL’s Executive Director explained what Independent Living means to her: “Without Independent Living, my life as the ENIL Director would not be possible.  Without personal assistance, I would be dependent on family and friends. Many friends of mine do not access Independent Living; some live in institutions, some live imprisoned in their own home. Today’s campaign is to raise awareness on Independent Living. We hope many will join us in our cause to allow disabled people to live ordinary lives.”

Belgium, Croatia, Greece, Lithuania and Sweden will promote Personal Assistance as a pillar of Independent Living. Hungary will publish a position paper, while in Portugal, a photography contest focusing on disabled people will be organised. Other cultural events are planned in Azerbaijan and Bulgaria. The hashtag #ILDay17 will be used to share photos and videos, making this year’s European Independent Living Day a day to remember.

ENIL will mark the day by publishing the first in a series of articles on the effect of cuts on Independent Living. The article, focusing on Sweden, calls on the European institutions to do more to prevent Member States from implementing regressive measures, in violation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

ENIL established May 5th as the European Independent Living Day in 2014, to give disability activists in Europe and beyond a chance to raise awareness about the right to Independent Living, and the barriers they face. Independent Living is about the opportunity to have an ordinary life. An ordinary life is, however, not possible for many disabled people who still live in institutions, or lack access to proper social services and mainstream society, which would enable them to live full lives and be active citizens.

Follow ENIL’s campaign and our other activities on www.enil.eu and on ENIL’s Facebook page. For ENIL’s definition of Independent Living, please click here.

For more information, please contact Dilyana Deneva at secretariat@enil.eu

(GMCDP does not necessarily support or promote any organisation, individual or website mentioned in this post.)

Dont forget to to vote in today’s GM Mayoral election!

The election for Greater Manchester’s Mayor is held today. For more information on the voting process, GMCDP has put together a fact sheet here

Dont forget to vote in the Greater Manchester Mayoral Election this thursday!

Dont forget to vote in the Greater Manchester Mayoral Election this thursday (4th may). GMCDP has written a factsheet about voting in elections that can be read here

GMCDP sign joint letter for Equal Hate Crime

Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People have signed a joint letter calling for Hate Crimes to be treated equally in law. The letter follows below:

A Call for Equal Hate Crime Laws: Joint Letter from LGBT Organisations and Allies

Dear Party Leaders,

We, the undersigned organisations call for an end to unequal hate crime legal protections in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The current two-tier system gives lesser protections to people targeted because they are LGBT or disabled people compared with laws focused on race and faith hate crime. The current outdated laws send a message that some groups are more worthy of protection than others, which undermines the confidence of victims in authorities.

Following the Brexit vote we saw a rise in recorded hate crimes across communities, including those against LGBT people. Now is the right time to ensure a proper response before things are allowed to escalate.

We call on political parties to stand against all forms of prejudice by committing to a full review of outdated hate crime laws in England and Wales. Its aim should be to bring the various legal remedies into one clear proportionate law that provides equal protection for all victims of hate crime.

One problem with English and Welsh laws is that anti-LGBT and disability hate crimes have a lower maximum sentence than race and faith hate crime. That means courts can only give a sentence a quarter as long for some types of homophobic, transphobic or disability hate crime compared with race or faith hate crime

It also means that it is often not properly documented on the criminal records of those found guilty of anti-LGBT and disability hate crimes. That prevents courts, prisons and probation services from identifying and challenging the prejudice driving repeat offender’s behaviour.

Meanwhile, in Northern Ireland transphobic violence is excluded from hate crime laws altogether.

The Conservative, Green, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties committed themselves to reforming hate crime laws in their 2015 manifestos. We call all on parties to commit to equalising legal protections for all communities that face hate crime within their new manifestos.

We welcome the current review of Scottish hate crime laws and call for similar action by the Westminster Government, Welsh Assembly and Northern Ireland Executive.

Signatories already confirmed:

Anne Novis, Chair, Inclusion London

Ben Dew, Operations Director and Education & Training Manager, Allsorts Youth Project

Bob Green OBE, Chief Executive, Stonewall Housing

Dave Viney, Health & Wellbeing Manager, Birmingham LGBT

Dr Ali. Hanbury, LGBT+ Centre Manager, The Proud Trust

Joe Whittaker, Chair Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People

John O’Doherty, Director, The Rainbow Project

Jon Price, Co-founder, Proud2Be

Mark Healey, Coordinator, 17-24-30 No To Hate Crime Campaign

Matt Taylor-Roberts, Service Coordinator, Proud 2 b Parents

Lara Jaffey, Executive Director, The Kite Trust

Lukasz Konieczka, Manager, Mosaic LGBT Youth Centre

Nik Noone, Chief Executive, Galop

Sarah Humphreys, Chair, ELOP

Tom Doyle, Chief Executive, Yorkshire MESMAC

Vicky Worthington, Membership & Engagement Manager, LGBT Consortium

Research Request

Ian Stanton remembered – Disability Arts Online

Singer songwriter and original Coalition member, Ian Stanton is remembered in an article on Disability Arts Online.

‘A popular and accomplished musician, Ian Stanton toured widely in the UK and abroad, including Northern Ireland, Holland, Germany, and the United States. He played at the Cambridge Folk Festival and the Vancouver Folk Festival in Canada.

In 1992 he performed at the Glastonbury Festival as the Tragic But Brave Company, with Johnny Crescendo and Wanda Barbara. Despite wheelchairs getting stuck in the mud, and taking three hours to get to the loo, their performance went down a storm, receiving an encore from an enthusiastic audience.

Genie Cosmas, owner of Stream Records, was executive producer on Ian’s final CD Rollin’ Thunder, for which she raised £6,000 from George Michael’s Platinum Trust.’

Find the article here

(GMCDP does not necessarily support or promote any organisation, individual or website mentioned in this post.)

Richard Reiser concerned about ‘direction of inclusion’

List of issues relating to the EHRC report

Following the report from the UN by the EHRC, here is a list of issues in relation to the initial report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland^*

1. Purpose and General Obligations (Art 1-4)
2. Please provide information about:
   • Initiatives adapting current models to the human rights model regarding the understanding of the evolving concept of disability;
   • Initiatives aimed at analysing the living conditions of persons with disabilities in overseas territories;
   • How the Convention is systematically incorporated, implemented and coordinated among all devolved governments and local authorities and across all policy areas, and how organizations of persons with disabilities, including organizations of women with disabilities and children with disabilities are consulted in such processes;
   • Initiatives taken by the State party, its devolved governments and public authorities at the local level to streamline the scope of disability in accordance with article 1 of the Convention. Please also indicate what remedies are available for persons who claim protection of their rights under the Convention;
   • The implementation and outcomes of the ‘Fulfilling Potential: Making it Happen’ strategy, as well as updated information about strategies and action plans to implement the Convention by all devolved governments; and
   • Measures to protect the right to life of persons with disabilities on equal basis with others and to tackle inequalities in life expectancy and on end of life care among persons with disabilities.

1. Specific rights

Equality and non-discrimination (art. 5)

2. Please provide information about:
   • Measures to prevent discrimination on the basis of potential impairment as regards pregnancy termination;
   • Concrete measures to prevent and eliminate multiple and intersectional discrimination on the grounds of disability, age and sex, in accordance with targets 10.2 and 10.3of Sustainable Development Goals;
   • Measures to address discrimination and racism against persons with disabilities belonging to ethnic minority groups; and
   • Measures taken by the State party including the devolved governments to address legislative gaps in the protection of persons with disabilities against disability-based discrimination, including the denial of reasonable accommodation. Please also report about measures to bring into force outstanding provisions of the Equality Act 2010 and bring the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 of Northern Ireland into line with the Convention.

Women with disabilities (art. 6)

3. Please inform on the following:
   • How women with disabilities are included into gender policies across the State and the devolved governments. Please also report about measures and available data taken to eliminate multiple and intersectional discrimination of women and girls, especially those with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities in education, employment, combat of poverty, health, violence and access to justice, in line with targets 5.1, 5.2 and 5.5 of Sustainable Development Goals; and
   • Measures taken to address all forms of violence against women with disabilities, including domestic and sexual violence and effectively assist women and girls affected, in line with the Committee’s General Comment No. 3 (2016) Women and girls with Disabilities.

Children with disabilities (art. 7)

4. Please inform on the following:
   • Steps taken to address the higher level of poverty among families with children with disabilities;
   • Steps taken to monitor and remedies against disability-related discrimination and/or harassment in all schools regarding compensation and injunctive relief; and
   • How children with disabilities and their families are included in decision-making regarding assessment and allocation of their support.

Awareness Raising (art. 8)

5. Please inform on measures taken by the State and the devolved governments to address prejudices and negative attitudes against persons with disabilities in particular persons with neurological conditions such as ‘dementia’ and with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities.

Accessibility (art. 9)

6. Please provide updated information on the implementation, coordination, monitoring and sanctioning regarding violations of building regulations or design plans for facilities open to the public, transport, information and communication, in both urban and rural areas and in accordance with, targets 11.2 and 11.7 of Sustainable Development Goals, including within devolved governments.

Equal recognition before the law (art. 12)

7. Please inform about measures to repeal legislation that restricts full legal capacity of persons with disabilities on the basis of actual or perceived impairment (See CRPD/C/GBR/1 paras. 104, 105, 107, 108, 111, 114). Please also report about measures to regain full legal capacity to persons with disabilities since the ratification of the Convention, and on measures to provide access to individualized support that fully respects the autonomy, will and preferences of persons with disabilities. Please further explain how the devolved governments provide appropriate and independent support to asylum seekers and refugees with psychosocial and/or intellectual disabilities detained to exercise their legal capacity.

Access to justice (art. 13)

8. Please inform on the following:
   • Steps taken securing the maximum support to exercise legal capacity by persons with intellectual disabilities, especially related to access to justice through speedy, effective and efficient procedures, and ensuring that no costs are incurred which would not be incurred by others;
   • Remedies and legal aid available for persons with disabilities who experience breaches on rights under the Convention and on the impact of the reforms introduced by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 in England and Wales and the introduction of fees for Employment Tribunals, and measures in place to address adverse impacts on persons with disabilities;
   • Conditions under which the deaf and hard of hearing persons can participate in the jury selection processes on an equal basis with others; and
   • Training of judiciary and the provision of reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities to access the justice system.

Liberty and security of the person (art. 14)

9. Please inform on the following:

• Legislative safeguards protecting persons with disabilities against deprivation of liberty and to ensure that the measures are based on the principle of supported decision-making; and
• Measures taken to eliminate involuntary detention of persons with disabilities in psychiatric hospitals, institutions and/or care homes on the basis of actual or perceived impairment, and further inform on measures taken in response to abuse of persons with disabilities in such places.

Freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (art. 15)

10. Please provide information on:
    • The use of all forms of restraints and on measures taken to eliminate such restraints in all settings; and
    • Measures to implement the recommendations of the Equality and Human Rights Commission inquiry into deaths in detention of adults with mental health conditions, aimed at enhancing art. 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights (See EHRC, (February 2015), Preventing Deaths in Detention of Adults with Mental Health Conditions: An Inquiry by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse (art. 16)

11. Please inform about the following:
    • How women, children, intersex people and elderly persons with disabilities experiencing abuse, ill-treatment, sexual violence and/or exploitation are protected and have access to justice in line with target 16.3 of Sustainable Development Goals;
    • The work programme to tackle hate crimes (See CRPD/C/GBR/1 para. 153) and on addressing and explaining the under-reporting of disability-motivated hate crimes and harassments and on how to secure prosecution of such incidents, including within devolved governments; and
    • The circumstances under which the use of Electro-convulsive therapy without consent is permissible, across the devolved governments and especially in Northern Ireland. Please provide information about measures taken by the State party and devolved governments to eradicate the use of restrain for reasons related to disability in all settings.

Protecting the integrity of the person (art. 17)

12. Please explain measures to criminalise sterilisation of women and girls with disabilities and intersex people by consent of any third party rather than their own free and informed consent.

Liberty of movement and nationality (art. 18)

13. Please inform when and how the State party intends to withdraw the reservation to article 18 of the Convention (See CRPD/C/GBR/1 para. 171).

Living independently and being included in the community (art. 19)

14. Please inform on the following:
    • Measures to ensure that the right to living independently in all its forms regardless of where and with whom one lives, and to be included in the community is recognised as a statutory right;
    • How persons with disabilities can claim protection of their right to independent living;
    • How the State party calculate the costs of independent living vis-à-vis institutionalization of persons with disabilities; and
    • Measures implemented by each of the devolved governments and in overseas territories to ensure access to and sufficient budget allocations for independent living.
15. Please inform on legal initiatives taken to maintain existing and establish new options of support services that allow children, teenagers, adults and elderly persons with disabilities to live included and independent within a house/apartment of personal choice, and participate spontaneously within the community.
16. Please report on how devolved authorities ensure support for independent living for persons with disabilities, including personal assistance and accompanying persons.

Freedom of expression and opinion, and access to information (art. 21)

17. Please provide information on measures taken, including within the devolved governments, ensuring legal recognition, availability of and sufficient funding for high-quality educated sign language interpreters securing full inclusion in relation to education, employment, health and leisure activities. Please further inform on the availability of courses for all deaf and deaf-blind children, their families and others, such as classmates or co-workers in British tactile and sign language.

Education (art. 24)

18. Please provide information on:
    • When and how to withdraw the reservation to article 24 of the Convention;
    • Progress of mainstreamed inclusive education at all levels for pupils with disabilities and on how the system is geared to cope with demands of inclusive education, including pedagogical capabilities; and further which initiatives are taken in line with SDG 4, target 4.5;
    • Number of students with disabilities both in the segregated and mainstream education system disaggregated by impairment, age, sex, gender and ethnic background;
    • Initiatives to inform and raise awareness among parents of children with disabilities, rejecting the right to and potential of inclusive education;
    • Measures to ensure access to education to young persons with disabilities in particular from low income households vis-à-vis the reduction in the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) in England; and
    • Education and/or training enabling teachers to teach children with disabilities within the mainstream education system to make it become inclusive and give pupils with disabilities and optimal outcome and inclusion.

Health (art. 25)

19. Please inform on the following:
    • How free and informed consent is secured to persons with disabilities with regard to any form of medical, surgical, invasive or psychiatric treatment or procedure;
    • Measures aimed at ensuring accessibility to healthcare, including to the physical facilities, such as furnishings, medical equipment, high-quality medicine and supplies as well as training, information and communication;
    • Measures to ensure that women with disabilities have equal access to sexual and reproductive health information and services;
    • Measures taken to educate health-care personnel on the rights of persons with disabilities in accordance with target 3.7of Sustainable Development Goals and how the impact is measured;
    • How health inequalities for persons with disabilities, in particular persons with psychosocial or intellectual impairments, are monitored and eliminated;
    • Criteria applicable regarding ‘Do not attempt resuscitation orders’ among persons with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities; and
    • Measures taken to address suicide rates among persons with disabilities, including in relation to disability-related discrimination, within the State party, devolved governments and overseas territories.

Work and employment (art. 27)

20. Please report on measures, including specified targets to ensure non-discrimination, affirmative action and reasonable accommodation at the workplace, in accordance with European Union regulations to reduce unemployment among persons with disabilities. Please indicate how development is monitored, measured and non-compliance sanctioned.
21. Please inform on how the pay gap for work of equal value among persons with and without disabilities are measured and eliminated in accordance with target 8.5 of Sustainable Development Goals.

Adequate standard of living and social protection (art. 28)

22. Please inform on measures to monitor and address the impact on adequate standard of living of the welfare reform and anti-poverty initiatives towards persons with disabilities and their families, including the consequences on disability-related costs, following the financial crisis in 2008.
23. Please inform about measures taken by the State party and its devolved governments to:
    • Address poverty among persons with disabilities and the outcomes of strategies to combat poverty;
    • Monitor the impact of the welfare reforms and tax policies regarding persons with disabilities, including cumulative impact of individual policies;
    • Ensure equal access to social support in all its forms by persons with disabilities irrespective of their impairment, level of support required, gender, age, social background, ethnicity, migrant, asylum seeker or refugee status;
    • Ensure support to persons with disabilities in the exercise of their parental responsibilities, parents of children with disabilities, and others; and
    • Ensure that work capability assessments are individualised and based on the human rights model of disability and not on the type of impairment.

Participation in political and public life (art. 29)

24. Please inform on measures taken and timeframes to secure the right to, encouragement of, and ability to vote in private and be assisted by an assistant of one’s own choice, at all elections and referendums by all persons with disabilities.

Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport (art. 30)

25. Please inform how persons with disabilities following sport events can do so in an inclusive environment, sitting together with accompanying persons like family, friends and others.
26. Specific obligations

Statistics and data collection (art. 31)

26. Please inform on the development and use of disability equality indicators in accordance with target18 of Sustainable Development Goals and on how the State party consult organisations of persons with disabilities in this regard.

International cooperation (art. 32)

27. Please provide information on what policies, programmes and measures will be put in place by the State party to protect persons with disabilities from being negatively affected, upon triggering article 50 of the Treaty on European Union (The Lisbon Treaty).
28. Please provide information on how and to what extent persons with disabilities are involved in and being subjects to the international cooperation, including in programmes aimed at implementing the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals.

National implementation and monitoring (art. 33)

29. Please provide detailed information about the scope of work of the focal point and the coordination mechanisms, including with the overseas territories, to implement the Convention, in cooperation with organizations of persons with disabilities. Please also inform on concrete measures taken to ensure the involvement of organisations of persons with disabilities in the monitoring and reporting of the implementation of the Convention, and the sufficient financial resources allocated to this purpose, and further on the allocation of sufficient funding for the monitoring mechanisms.

Follow-up to proceedings under the Optional Protocol

30. In accordance with the Committee’s Rules of Procedure (CRPD/C/1/Rev.1 Rule 90.2), please report about measures taken by the State party to address the findings and recommendations issued by the Committee in its report of the inquiry procedure under article 6 of the Optional Protocol (See CRPD/C/15/R.2/Rev.1 para. 114).

                                *   Adopted by the pre-sessional working group at its seventh session (13-20 March 2017).

(GMCDP does not necessarily support or promote any organisation, individual or website mentioned in this post.)

Autism friendly Mayoral Hustings – Thursday 20th April

Stockport is an active member of the Greater Manchester Autism Consortium. In partnership with their colleagues at the National Autistic Society, the Consortium have organised an autism friendly Mayoral Hustings event on

Thursday 20^th April 11.30-1.30 at Manchester Friend’s Meeting House, 6. Mount Street, Manchester M2 5NS.

The plan is that people will be sitting around tables in small groups and the candidates will move around the tables answering questions. Each table will have a facilitator if people want support to prepare and ask their questions which might be spoken, written or put on a post-it on the wall. People will be able to leave the room and have a break when they need to, and get a drink or just have some quiet time.

Candidates from the key parties have been invited. Andy Burnham, the Labour candidate, has confirmed his attendance and as you may know, he has stated in his manifesto that he supports an “Autism Friendly Greater Manchester”.

It would be great if as many people with lived experience of autism could attend and ask lots of questions. The National Autistic Society are taking bookings for the event and the number of places is limited. If you would like to go, please contact campaign@nas.org.uk.

(GMCDP does not necessarily support or promote any organisation, individual or website mentioned in this post.)

Let’s Talk About Money

Let’s talk about money – an event jointly hosted by Learning Disability England and Metropolis, Manchester Metropolitan University

https://mcrmetropolis.uk/health-and-social-care/lets-talk-about-money/

What the social care crisis means for disabled people – a discussion with Frances Ryan, hosted by the Critical & Community Psychology Research Group, Social Change: Community Wellbeing Research Centre, Manchester Metropolitan University

Follow the link below to book your place.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/what-the-social-care-crisis-means-for-disabled-people-discussion-with-dr-frances-ryan-tickets-33243584456?

(GMCDP does not necessarily support or promote any organisation, individual or website mentioned in this post.)

Greater Manchester Mayoral Hustings – limited spaces available for GMCDP members

Greater Manchester Mayoral Hustings

Saturday 8th April 2017 from 1.00 to 3.30

Windrush Millennium Centre, Moss Side, Manchester,

M16 7WD

The hustings will provide an opportunity for disabled people to put questions, related to disability issues, to Andy Burnham (Labour), Sean Anstee (Conservative), Jane Brophy (Liberal Democrat) and Shneur Odze’s (UKIP)-unable to attend, sending representative.

This is the first occasion when Greater Manchester will directly elect its Mayor, who will have significant power and influence to direct important services to the people of Greater Manchester.

Your views will be extremely important.

Agenda:

1.00 to 1.30     Arrival and refreshments

1.30 to 1.45     Welcome and introductions (Lorraine Gradwell – GMCDP Deputy Chair)

1.45 to 2.00     Candidates presentations

2.00 to 3.00     Questions and answers

3.00 to 3.30     Closing comments (Lorraine Gradwell)

Booking is essential.

Please let us know you are coming.

BSL Interpreter / Lipspeaker, PA’s will be available.

We may be able to assist with transport.

Phone: 0161 636 7534
Text: 07587 631 541

info@gmcdp.com

Young DADAFest 2017

This celebration of the talents of young Deaf and disabled artists will be taking place on Thursday 13 and Friday 14 July, in several venues including the Liverpool Everyman and in the music room of the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. For more information as it is released, to go the DADA Fest website:

www.dadafest.co.uk

(GMCDP does not necessarily support or promote any organisation, individual or website mentioned in this post.)

4th European Day On Independent Living

ENIL – the European Network on Independent Living – is promoting its 4^th European Day On Independent Living on 5 May 2017.

This year’s campaign slogan is “Things I Can Do Thanks to Independent Living”.

ENIL are asking disabled people to take part by producing a short (approx. 1 minute) video showing what independent living means to us or how we live independently.

Independence is having choice and control over our lives.

ENIL is collecting videos to show on 5 May.

To find out more or discuss/share your ideas, contact Dilyana Deneva

email dilyana.deneva@enil.eu

or go to the ENIL website:

www.enil.eu

(GMCDP does not necessarily support or promote any organisation, individual or website mentioned in this post.)

Information Leaflet – Mental Health And Travelling Abroad

People Sought For Appointment to the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee

Up to 8 people are being sought to join this committee. The time required is 2 days a month, with £190 paid per day. The work is mainly in London but may involve nation wide travel.

For more information and application details (closing date 19 March) go to:

https://publicappointments.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/appointment/appointment-to-the-disabled-persons-transport-advisory-committee/

(GMCDP does not necessarily support or promote any organisation, individual or website mentioned in this post.)

Guides On Complaining To The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

There are new guides available about complaining to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

The guides explain what the ombudsman considers when looking into a complaint, how decisions are made, what to expect if there is a decision to investigate and the reasons why the Ombudsman may decide not to investigate a complaint.

The three guides on complaining to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman have been updated. They help complainants and advocacy groups understand the complaints process and how the Ombudsman operates.

The ombudsman’s website also has:

• An online complaint’s checker
• A downloadable complaint form
• A ‘How we can help you’ leaflet

Links to a step by step guide, complaints checker, complaint form and leaflet can be found at:

Guides on Complaining to the Ombudsman

https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/2017/february/guides-complaining-ombudsman

(GMCDP does not necessarily support or promote any organisation, individual or website mentioned in this post.)

SICK! Festivall Manchester 2017

Ministers set to force work-related activity on everyone in ESA support group | Disability News Service

Big Benefits Survey 2017

The Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC) is a national coalition of organisations working towards a fair benefits system for disabled people, people with long-term conditions and their carers.
Each year the Consortium set up an on-line survey asking for people’s experiences of applying for the following benefits: Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Attendance Allowance (AA) and Universal Credit (UC).

The survey is a series of questions with tick-box type answers, and only asks about the benefits you say you have applied for or receive. It is fairly simple to complete.

You can find information and a link to the survey on:

Big Benefits Survey 2017

http://surveys.parkinsons.org.uk/s/bigbenefitssurvey/

(GMCDP does not necessarily support or promote any organisation, individual or website mentioned in this post.)

Taxi Discrimination Against Wheelchair Users Ending

From 6 April it will be against the law for wheelchair accessible taxi or private hire vehicles to discriminate against wheelchair users.

Drivers must:

• Take a wheelchair user in their wheelchair.
• Offer appropriate support to wheelchair users.
• Charge wheelchair users the same as passengers who do not use a wheelchair.

For more information go to this webpage:

Law change demands equal treatment for disabled taxi users – GOV.UK

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/law-change-demands-equal-treatment-for-disabled-taxi-users

(GMCDP does not necessarily support or promote any organisation, individual or website mentioned in this post.)

Regulations removing work-related activity component of ESA finally published

From Benefits & Work

The DWP have today published regulations removing the work-related activity component of employment and support allowance (ESA) and the universal credit limited capability for work element for new claimants from 3 April 2017, little more than a month before they are due to come into effect.

New ESA claimants in the work-related activity group who are aged over 25 will receive only £73.10 a week. They will not receive the additional £29.05 component that current claimants receive.

Claimants who are placed in the support group will not be affected.

The regulations set out which claimant may still be eligible for the work-related activity component, provided they meet all the other qualifying conditions. Essentially this is claimants who made a claim for ESA before 3 April or who are deemed to have made a claim before that date, as well as claimants who are still waiting to be transferred from incapacity benefit to ESA.

More here

(GMCDP does not necessarily support or promote any organisation, individual or website mentioned in this post.)

Mental Health And Advocacy – New Resources

The British Institute of Human Rights has published three new guides on mental health, mental capacity and human rights. The booklets aim to empower people using services to advocate for their own human rights. The guides have been produced in partnership with 6 advocacy and support organisations.

My Human Rights contains information about what human rights are, which rights are most relevant for people using mental health and mental capacity services and explains who has duties to uphold your rights.

This is also available in an accessible version.

Raising a Human Rights Issue contains tips and tools on how to use your human rights. This workbook contains flow charts and examples to help you identify whether public officials are interfering with your rights and the action you can take to challenge this.

To find out more and download the guides, go to the following website here.

Please note, the download process is not easily accessible for screen reader users.

For hard copies and more information about the guides, the contact is Jasmine Powell: jpowell@bihr.org.uk

For information about ‘free learning sessions’ and links to download the guide, go to:

British Institute of Human Rights – New Resources Launched

https://www.bihr.org.uk/news/new-resources-launched#

(GMCDP does not necessarily support or promote any organisation, individual or website mentioned in this post.)

Level Playing Field Weeks Of Action 2017

Level Playing Field campaigns to make sports clubs and stadia more accessible to disabled people.

4 – 19 March sees the 12^th year of Level Playing Field’s Weeks of Action. This is an annual opportunity to celebrate the positive initiatives being taken to increase access.

To find out more, go to:

Weeks of Action 2017 – Level Playing Field

http://www.levelplayingfield.org.uk/weeks-action-2017

(GMCDP does not necessarily support or promote any organisation, individual or website mentioned in this post.)

New leaflet for asylum seekers and refugees registering for Primary Health Care