» motoring

Speech therapy: When sorry seems to be the hardest word

Mark Glasgow — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:26:12 +0000

Young offenders with communication problems and at risk of falling deeper

Sirus Automotive – The New Caddy Conversion

Mark Glasgow — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:28:23 +0000

Volkswagen’s new Caddy has recently hit British shores and SIrus Automotive are using it as the base model for three of their conversions. Offering independent driver and wheelchair passenger solutions, Sirus were good enough to bring the wheelchair driven I-Can along to Able towers. They do seem rather proud, and, after spending some hands-on time with it ourselves, we can see why.

First let’s get the tech details out of the way. The model we tested, the I-Can, is based on the 1.6 Turbo Diesel 7 speed DSG Automatic Caddy MPV from Volkswagen. A powerful yet suprisingly economical base vehicle that offers 49.6mpg and low CO2 emissions of 149g/km. Being a Volkswagen you are assured that the build quality is suitably German — so no complaints there.
Able have dealt with Sirus for a number of years so we know they are a quality, skilled company but it’s still surprising to actually see how good one of their conversions is up close.

Adapting a vehicle to accommodate a wheelchair driver is no small engineering feat of course — swathes of interior have to be removed, resculpted and replaced but the Sirus engineers, mechanics and I can only assume, motoring elves, somehow merge this all seamlessly into the base structure. If I hadn’t known differently I would easily have assumed that the car had come direct from the manufacturer to this specification.

To be perfectly honest though, the heart, the pleasure… the point of this vehicle is not the tech specs, or the build quality, or even the price. It is what it offers to the wheelchair driver (or passenger)— true freedom and independence.

The car can be accessed and driven by a wheelchair user without all the transfer hassles, without family, carers or friends having to aid and assist. Just press the button to open the back gate and ramp, roll on in (on your own chair) to a safe and secure driving position and off you go!

Of course, it has all the bells and whistles you would expect from a thoroughly modern carelectric windows, alloys, air conditioning, power steering and so on but it is worth keeping in mind that through Sirus you also have access to a whole host of specialist aids which make driving possible for many that may have thought it beyond their capability. It’s worth a shot to contact them and find out if they have a solution for you.

All considered, the entire car is quite a fantastic achievement and we understand why Sirus are so proud of it. If I could change one thing it would be for Motability to cover more of the initial cost, bringing own the advance payment. That may keep some from purchasing what is seen as a luxury by many but, with that freedom in mind, is in actuality a true necessity for wheelchair drivers.

All of the vehicles are available on the Motability scheme, advance payment from £11,995. For more information please contact Sirus Automotive on 0121 505 7777 or visit www.sirusautomotive.co.uk

UK Uncut joins fight against welfare reform bill

Mark Glasgow — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:26:13 +0000

Tax avoidance group forges alliance with disability campaigners in marked strategic shift to stage day of mass civil disobedience The direct action group UK Uncut has joined disability activists to plan civil disobedience against the welfare reform bill in London this weekend, which they say will bring chaos to the centre of the capital. Saturday’s action, billed as “hugely daring and disruptive” , is a shift for UK Uncut from previous action against alleged corporate tax avoiders, such as occupying stores run by Vodafone and the Arcadia retail group. It is forming alliances with campaigners against specific spending cuts it views as being, in part, the direct consequence of reduced tax receipts

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UK Uncut joins fight against welfare reform bill

Honour for Jim Mansell, who brought learning disability out of the shadows

Mark Glasgow — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:10:53 +0000

His decision to take a group of disabled children to the cinema changed lives for the better In 1970, there were 60,000 adults and children with learning disabilities living confined, institutional lives in long-stay hospitals. That autumn, a young student newly arrived at Cardiff University agreed to help take a group of children from the city’s Ely hospital to the cinema on a Saturday morning. From that point on, the hospitals stood no chance

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Honour for Jim Mansell, who brought learning disability out of the shadows

Audi apologies after turning away disabled driver

Mark Glasgow — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 01:49:11 +0000

Audi mistakenly claimed its new sales order system meant it could no longer take sales orders from disabled customers I’m a paraplegic and, when buying a new car, am entitled to have the vehicle VAT exempt because it has to be adapted for me to drive. We live in a rural location with a young family and no public transport, and are totally dependent on a car. I currently have an Audi on a three-year contract with Audi Finance

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Audi apologies after turning away disabled driver

How the Spartacus welfare cuts campaign went viral

Mark Glasgow — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:19:59 +0000

Disabled activists use #spartacusreport Twitter storm to help inflict hat-trick of welfare reform defeats on the government in the Lords Something extraordinary happened last week in the volatile micro-blogging world of Twitter: a medium normally obsessed by celebrities, football and sex turned its collective attention instead to disability. A handmade campaign against welfare

Disabled students

Mark Glasgow — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 03:24:45 +0000

As debate continues over welfare reforms, charities are concerned that disabled students will lose out Alaina Sonn is style-savvy and has an eye for colour. Passionate about fashion, she hopes to study for a degree in design and textiles. “I want the chance to learn more,” she says

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Disabled students

What I’m really thinking: the deaf woman

Mark Glasgow — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:06:29 +0000

‘Sometimes, a look of distaste crosses a person’s face, as if they’re worried deafness is catching’ The apologies are the worst. “I can’t hear,” I say.

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What I’m really thinking: the deaf woman

Inaccuracies dog ‘fit to work’ test

Mark Glasgow — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:11:41 +0000

New study finds disabled people are being wrongly denied benefits after health assessment errors A detailed year-long study into the coalition government’s controversial work capability assessments (WCAs) has revealed new evidence of widespread inaccuracies in the medical reports that help to determine whether individuals are eligible for sickness benefits. The research, conducted by the charity Citizens Advice, identified a group of people about to embark on the process of claiming employment and support allowance (ESA), which replaces incapacity benefit, and followed them throughout the process from the summer of 2010, looking at how their claims were handled and the accuracy of the medical assessments. The report’s conclusions are stark: of the 37 individual reports examined, 16 (43%) revealed “serious levels of inaccuracy”, and a further 10 contained a “medium level of inaccuracy”, a level still significant enough to have an impact on the claimants’ eligibility for benefits

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Inaccuracies dog ‘fit to work’ test

‘Appalling neglect’: how NHS let down the most vulnerable

Mark Glasgow — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 23:56:56 +0000

Mencap says deaths of at least 74 patients with learning disabilities were linked to institutional discrimination Lisa Sharpe was healthy at birth but at four and a half months old she became floppy and went into a coma. It left her severely brain damaged as a result of Reye’s syndrome, which damaged 90% of her brain, with cerebral palsy and epilepsy

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‘Appalling neglect’: how NHS let down the most vulnerable

Disabled people finally given a voice on HIV and Aids | Libby Powell

Mark Glasgow — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:54:47 +0000

An international conference on Aids last week focused on the problems of disabled people and HIV, which are often ignored because of misconceptions about disability and sexuality Access to HIV information, testing and treatment for people with disabilities was raised for the first time as a central theme at the International Conference on Aids and STIs in Africa (Icasa), held last week in Addis Abba, Ethiopia. A “disability zone” gave delegates rare space to discuss the risks and barriers that arise from misconceptions around disability and sexuality, the heightened vulnerabilities of people with disabilities to infection through sexual violence, and models for inclusive HIV-programming. “People with disabilities are the world’s largest minority group but a substantial number within the Aids community are yet to recognise them as vulnerable,” said Emelia Timpo, a senior adviser for UNAids.

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Disabled people finally given a voice on HIV and Aids | Libby Powell

Combining the Paralympics and Olympics would be a disaster. Here’s why …

Mark Glasgow — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 23:50:47 +0000

Faced with the choice of the finish of the Olympic marathon or the goalball event for blind athletes, where will sports editors send their reporters? Disability politics is strewn with pratfalls, as I know to my cost. One writer’s heartwarming story is another’s patronising pat on the head

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Combining the Paralympics and Olympics would be a disaster. Here’s why …

Stroke survivors have their say on research priorities

Mark Glasgow — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:57:55 +0000

Scottish stroke survivors have been highlighting the research they want to see done into the condition What are the best ways to improve cognition after a stroke? How can stroke survivors and families be helped to cope with speech problems?

Cuts create tension in Osborne’s constituency

Mark Glasgow — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:30:45 +0000

Residents hit hard by George Osborne’s cuts are beginning to wonder if their MP will fight their corner The Stanley Centre is almost like a second home to Susan Hammond, her mother Jessie says. Susan, 43, has Down’s Syndrome and for five days a week attends the purpose-built day centre in Knutsford, Cheshire, for adults with learning disabilities. Activities run by the specialist staff include cooking, pottery and drama; there is a multi-sensory room, and groups volunteer at an animal sanctuary and do gardening

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Cuts create tension in Osborne’s constituency

Guardian wins people’s choice award for excellence in disability journalism

Mark Glasgow — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 01:27:59 +0000

Judges praise ‘thoughtful, entertaining, rigorous and enlightened’ coverage of Guardian series on disability and the arts The Guardian’s “outstanding” coverage of disability issues was recognised on Sunday night when it picked up the first ever People’s Choice award for journalistic excellence. The publicly-nominated Ability Media International award, created by the charity Leonard Cheshire Disability, recognises “creatively excellent work that has either been produced by disabled people or promotes a greater understanding of disability issues”.