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- Alan and Specsavers vs the DVLA
- Goebbels and the Disabled
- Para-Swimming Bullying
- Nuisance Call Blockers
- POEM: No One Else
- The UN Committee on the Rights of Disabled Persons and The DWP
- Abolition of the Work Related Activity?
- How Studying Psychology Has Helped Me Cope With My Disability
- "Treated Like A Criminal"
- Police and Diversity Training
- Musicians With Disabilities Part 2
- Ready, Steady....Gone
- Deaths linked to benefit cuts
- Musicians with Disabilities Part 1
- Does Not Compute
- Pet Therapy
- Erraid Davies
- After the Battle on Iplayer and An Appeal for Infromation
- Autism Awareness On TV
- Disabled People Are "An Afterthought" Say Lords
- Grace and Thula
- The Gift of Life
- Sister Rita to The Rescue
- Hallowe'en and Wheelchairs
- Hidden Disability 2
- Diabetes and the Meat-free campaign
- Losing Motability
- The Welfare Reform Tracking Study
- Possible Benefits Changes?
- Budget and Benefits
- Top Billing
- Parking by Card
- The Benefits of CCTV
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- Smartphones
- Success at the Games
- TV Presenters
- Passing on the Coin for Social Inclusion.
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Category Archives: Comment
Sandwich Boards
By: A.C. Edinburgh are finally doing something about the prolific amount of A Frame, or Sandwich advertising Boards that sit on pavements and obstruct the footway. Aberdeen had for decades a bye–law under the old Aberdeen Corporation Bye laws which … Continue reading
Medicinal Cannabis Products
By: A.C. In relation to a recent BBC link on our Facebook page on medicinal cannabis products for pain relief amongst other uses, I have always been aware that people very quietly have been using some form of cannabis for … Continue reading
Diabetes Foot Screening
By: A.C. The following comprehensive article by the Clinical Leads on Podiatry in Aberdeen and Grampian, has been submitted to us after a very lengthy re–organisation of who is responsible for the podiatry care of vulnerable or at risk patients in … Continue reading
The Prosecutor Who Just Happens To Be Blind
By: A.C. On our Facebook Page we have a link to a BBC programme entitled “Prisons, Drugs & Drones “. However, to clarify my interest in this programme, it is the role of Eran Cutliffe, the Senior Crown Prosecutor in the … Continue reading
PIP Review
By: A.C. The unexpected & sudden U –Turn made by Esther McVey in deciding not to contest the decision of the High Court in December, which heavily criticised the DWP and its blatantly discriminatory regulations toward those disabled who cannot navigate, … Continue reading
Blue Badge Updates
By: A.C. Recently, heavy national news coverage about the Blue badge Scheme in England, regarding the inclusion of people with “navigation difficulties” and who are therefore now eligible for a blue badge have raised questions by some folk about what happens … Continue reading
Alan and Specsavers vs the DVLA
By:A.C. The TV advert has become quite well known: “should’ve gone to Specsavers”. I always thought that the well –known national chain of Opticians was a large monolithic company. So it was a surprise to find out that each individual … Continue reading
Goebbels and the Disabled
By: A.C. In this week of Disability Awareness & History, I am reminded of Goebbels, the Nazi Minister for Propaganda, for the Third Reich. He was indeed a very strange man. He measured around 5’ tall, had a club right foot … Continue reading
Para-Swimming Bullying
By:A.C. The BBC ran a report yesterday on the apology by British Swimming as regards the bullying complaints against coaching staff These complaints include according to the BBC: “The governing body said the unnamed member of staff – understood to … Continue reading
Nuisance Call Blockers
By: A.C. A couple of years ago, I was fed up of spivs, con-men and fraudsters who all somehow knew that my computer was badly infected with a virus and needed cleaning, or other con-men who wanted into my bank details. … Continue reading
POEM: No One Else
By: S.W. No one else has seen me cry Went to their bed and hoped to die Ever heard my side of the story Lived my existence just my pain no glory No one else can regret my sins The troubled … Continue reading
The UN Committee on the Rights of Disabled Persons and The DWP
By: A.C. I think most disabled people who have been under the regime of the DWP in the Work Capability Assessment (WCA), will recognise since before 2010, having had their benefits cut, mobility vehicles taken away, and being generally demonised by … Continue reading
“Treated Like A Criminal”
By: G.E. According to the Disability News Service the sister of a man who was driven to suicide by the Work Capability System also tried to take her own life after the way she was treated by the department for … Continue reading
Police and Diversity Training
By: A.C. In recent times, there have been incidents which have occurred in the USA which show an initial inability to understand deaf mute or autistic people who have had an interaction with the Police. Acording to the BBC, in the … Continue reading
Musicians With Disabilities Part 2
By: R.A. As a continuation to my earlier writing on this, let’s take a look at some other famous musicians with disabilities. Brian Wilson, lead singer of the Beach Boys. On top of singing backing vocals, Brian was the bands songwriter … Continue reading
Ready, Steady….Gone
By: G.E While researching another article, I came across a story on the Disability News Service website about Paralympians fearing they would lose their Motability vehicles after being reassessed as part of the governments programme of cuts and reforms. Young wheelchair … Continue reading
Deaths linked to benefit cuts
By: G.E. Since the cuts to benefits and the change from DLA to PIP, many people, after losing their benefits or being found “fit for work” after an ESA assessment, have taken their own lives. A story I found online … Continue reading
Musicians with Disabilities Part 1
By: R.A. Music. What appeals to us? Who do we like or think is musically talented? Which musical acts do we rate for their achievements? We have to immediately think of rock acts like Rudely Interrupted, or Heavy Load, the Brighton … Continue reading
Does Not Compute
By: A.C. I note that, once again, the computer systems at the DWP hotline was described by Disability News Service as “ The system used for new personal independence payment (PIP) claims has crashed twice in a fortnight, leaving disabled callers … Continue reading
Pet Therapy
By: R.A. We know that pets provide us with good companionship…well sometimes. If you are simply looking at pets, most are lovely and cute. Owners of pets may disagree, depending on their pet’s behaviour today. Can we own a healthy … Continue reading
Erraid Davies
By: A.C. Erraid Davies, from Shetland, is the youngest ever Commonwealth games medallist, and she did that by winning bronze in the para–sport Women’s 100m Breastroke. Erraid has Perthes Disease, which has affected her hip joint since she was a child. Some … Continue reading
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Tagged Comment, Commonwealth Games, Disability sports, paralympics, Sport
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After the Battle on Iplayer and An Appeal for Infromation
By: S.W. My own parochial instincts kicked in on Saturday night when I felt unprepared to listen to Our English friends repeat jingoistic claims about winning against a sworn enemy of seventy years ago. This friendly played in Germany is of … Continue reading
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Autism Awareness On TV
By A.C. Have you been aware of more programmes on the BBC about Autism? The National Autistic Society have been campaigning to make people more aware through the Schools Awareness Week ( 14 -18 March 2016), and World Awareness Week (2 -8 … Continue reading
Disabled People Are “An Afterthought” Say Lords
By: A.C. It would appear that the oft-despised Lords appear to be a friend to people with disabilities. In recent times they’ve played Parliamentary Ping –Pong – a Westminster Term for when legislation is passed back and forth between the Commons … Continue reading
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Tagged Benefits cuts, Equality Act, House of Lords, politics, Welfare Reform Act
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Grace and Thula
By: A.C. Yesterday on our Facebook Page we shared the BBC News item about Thula the Maine Coon Cat and her close friend Iris Grace, the daughter of Arabell Carter –Johnson. Arabella Carter –Johnson is a wedding photographer and author of … Continue reading
The Gift of Life
By: S.W. I wrote an article in December 2013 promoting organ donation as I approached a major milestone in my life. I was lucky enough to receive a kidney transplant in January 1994. Since then I have never failed to use … Continue reading
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Sister Rita to The Rescue
By: A.C. This spell of very dreich and gloomy weather has meant that I am watching more daytime TV that I would normally. On BBC at 0915 today ( 7/12/2015) and all week, is a programme about a Catholic Nun … Continue reading
Hallowe’en and Wheelchairs
By: A.C. Halloween has been and gone, and Guy Fawkes Night is imminent. I was reminded of the mistaken cultural crossovers by my married daughter when she insisted that “Guisin” was really all about Penny for the Guy. With some … Continue reading
Hidden Disability 2
By: A.C. Last year, I wrote about Hidden Disability, and the Hierarchy of Disability, which was to illustrate as best as I could, how both visibly disabled people, and society in general view hidden disability. Recently, BBC 3 has been … Continue reading
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Tagged Comment, hidden disability, hierarchy of disability, symbols
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Diabetes and the Meat-free campaign
By: A.C. The media have been running two contrasting stories this week relating to diet. One is a plea for folk to eat less meat, by giving up eating meat for one day on Monday 15 June or whenever you … Continue reading
Losing Motability
By: A.C. It has more than abundantly clear to our readership, that the disabled under the present UK Government have been targeted for swingeing cuts on benefits and welfare. Sixteen year old Paralympian and Commonwealth Games athlete Kayleigh Haggo from … Continue reading
The Welfare Reform Tracking Study
By: A.C. A study carried out by Edinburgh’s Napier University on behalf of the Scottish Government, entitled the Welfare Reform Tracking Study, and has been released. Details of the Study itself can be found here. The Study was carried out … Continue reading
Possible Benefits Changes?
By: A.C. Last year I wrote an article regarding tax payments which cost me a great deal of money repaying Income Tax through no fault of my own. At that time I had also read about a proposal by Ian … Continue reading
Budget and Benefits
By: A.C. How many of us actually viewed the Chancellor’s speech last week? Only the political journalists and politicians I would think, with the rest of us cherry–picking items that might affect us, as we completed our crosswords or did … Continue reading
Top Billing
By: G.F. One way film and television companies attract viewers is to employ very high profile actors in their productions. I sometimes check out the cast lists involved before deciding to watch a particular film or television drama. I have … Continue reading
Parking by Card
By A.C. Do any of you remember Angus Og, a comic strip in the Daily record, by Ewen Bain? I loved the deep cutting insight and gentle, wry humour of the genius that was Ewen Bain. One comic strip I … Continue reading
The Benefits of CCTV
By: J.M. On Thursday February 20th , a 31-year-old registered blind man, who is also profoundly deaf, from Ipswich, was waiting for a train with his brother and friend. He was attacked by two men and pushed on to the … Continue reading
Insight Radio
By:A.C. Have you ever had those little messages appear on your Freeview TV that advise you to re-tune as Channel Information has changed? Usually after re –tuning and then checking to see what is new about the list on offer, … Continue reading
Smartphones
By: A.C. A report out today “found people in Scotland spent more time on media and communications than other UK nations”. It goes into statistics and percentages of what devices are used, how folk access news, social media and what … Continue reading
Success at the Games
By: G.F. Having enjoyed watching the 2012 Olympic Games in London on the television I wondered how the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow might compare. With considerably less money available to host the Glasgow Games it was difficult to know … Continue reading
TV Presenters
By: A.C. I think most people will be familiar with Ade Adepitan, who over the years has reported on disability issues, and filmed documentaries of all kinds. I caught the new BBC Travel Show where he is now a presenter … Continue reading
Passing on the Coin for Social Inclusion.
By: E.S. His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen offers specific services to allow members of the public with disabilities better access to performances. These services are named: audio description, touch tour, audio described performance, BSL signed performance, captioned performance. I’ll explain … Continue reading
Breaking the (fashion) Law and More
By: E.S. I was looking for a new coat so I clicked on to ‘Diesel’ and my blood pressure went up. On the cover page: a girl with a great haircut, beautiful make up, a nice top, and, it appears, … Continue reading
Pavement Parking Pitfalls
By A.C. The problem described in this article and survey from the BBC has been a problem for decades, as everyone who uses the pavements knows. The problem for most enforcement agencies, which used to be the Police & Traffic … Continue reading
Hidden Disabilities
By: A.C. The link to the Huffington Post article on our Facebook Page about looking well, and having hidden disability is something I understand very well. Last week I was in local supermarket, walking through the open space where double … Continue reading
Side-effects
<Editor’s Note: If you are worried about side-effects or drug interactions please do not take it upon yourself to stop taking your medication. Instead raise any questions with your GP.> By: A.C. In filling out benefits forms there is usually … Continue reading
Definitions.
By: A.C. You are reading this blog, so you have an interest in disability. There are different definitions for “Disability”, used by the Department of Work and Pensions for Benefit Purposes, Tax Concessions for blind people, and the Blue Badge … Continue reading
Fundraising
By A.C. Have any of you ever seen afternoon TV on some of the digital channels? Expensive TV adverts skilfully filmed and produced in a way that is designed to pull heartstrings and loosen purse –strings for all kinds of … Continue reading
Colostomy, Hairiness and Nervousness.
By: A.C. Surgeons have always seemed like Formula 1 racing car engineers to me. There is an air of enthusiastic positivity to get “ the bonnet up and see what’s wrong in there”. The day before my surgery, my surgeon … Continue reading
The Purple Pound
By: A.C Today, the 13th November 2018 is Purple Tuesday. The deafening silence and the odd Aberdeen voice shouting the “fit the oatcake is ‘at” should maybe tell you that for a” National” Day of Access to Shops for the … Continue reading →