Disabled Living

Category: General

  • Talking About Our Christmas Crafts for Disability History Month

    Talking About Our Christmas Crafts for Disability History Month

    For Disability History Month this year, the theme is the arts. Disabled Living is proud of its history which is steeped in arts and crafts. This month, we would love to share some of these stories from our #DonkeysToInnovators archive and heritage project with you. Thank you to Heather Roberts for writing this blog post. 

    Christmas card crafts

    Befitting the season is more from our astounding Christmas card collection. Following on from our sneak peek before we wanted to delve in a little deeper.

    For this blog, we would like to share with you the first famous designer we know to have illustrated our cards.

    1907, Garth Jones

    The first Christmas card that we know to have been designed by a recognised artist is the gorgeous 1907 print of Santa. Garth Jones (1872-1955) was a Mancunian illustrator and art teacher, notable for his designs in fairy tale and folklore volumes. He studied at what would become the Royal College of Art in London and later in Paris.

    I absolutely love this item!  You can definitely see a little fairy tale in the Christmas card. The cheeky little cherubim hauling a wayfarer troubadour Santa along with his wicker basket, reminds me of the English fables book my Nana would have by her chair (with ginger biscuits at the ready of course).

    Garth Jones Christmas card 1907

    The poem

    The lovely little poem is attributed to an M.K. It is highly likely this is Marianne Kirlew, Honorary Secretary for The Band of Kindness and Children’s Help Society (which was Disabled Living back in the day).

    Our aches and pains all fly away, when hampers come on Christmas day.

    The pretty verse refers to the Christmas hampers which were given out to children either living with disability or otherwise home bound for Christmas due to illness. The Christmas card accompanied the hamper and would have surely brightened any child’s day.

    As an archive

    One of my favourite things about this card is how archive-y it is. Can you see what looks like a very precise tea stain on the card and some ghostly scribbled up top?

    The outline shows where the card has been pressed against another item in the folio. It has remained there for so long that it has sort of protected the natural yellowing of the card. The scribbles are where ink has bleached and protected just that bit of card which it was pressed against. If you look closely, you can see that the writing is backwards, referring to the 1907 Christmas card.

    The craft

    This beautiful little design shows how the arts, illustration and poetry have been valued by Disabled Living for over a century.

    We look forward to sharing more of these stories with you soon!

  • Yang Sing Cathay Launch New Christmas Dish

    Yang Sing Cathay Launch New Christmas Dish

    For November’s Story of the Month, we would like to do something that’s a little different. Usually, we dedicate this post to a person to recognise their potential or amazing achievements. However, this month we would like to dedicate this blog to the hardworking spirit of more than one person, which is the whole team at Yang Sing Cathay in the Trafford Centre. Disabled Living are interested in what’s on in Manchester and we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to share Yang Sing Cathay’s new Christmas dish with you.

    This year Yang Sing Cathay has created a special Christmas dish! We spoke to Louise, Marketing Executive at Yang Sing Cathay as she shared her thoughts:

    It was quite challenging to find a balance between a traditional British turkey dinner and a Chinese dish.

    Louise suggested that Yang Sing create a Christmas dish and insisted that they serve turkey breast. She felt that turkey is the essence of Christmas and the blackcurrant sauce goes so well with it. She described it as giving the dish ‘a real Christmassy taste’ as well as a Chinese taste.

    On Monday 27th November, the new dish was available for customers to try

    plum and hoi sin sauce yang sing cathay
    Plum and hoi sin sauce
    blackcurrant sauce yang sing cathay
    Blackcurrant sauce

    They were offered offered them three different sauces, a sweet chilli sauce, which only a few people liked, along with Plum and Hoi Sin sauce and a fruity blackcurrant sauce. Most people enjoyed the Plum and Hoi Sin sauce and blackcurrant sauce the most.

    One customer said:

    The deep fried turkey works really well, the fruity sauce is delicious.

    With the help from Gerry Yeung, the Head Chef and Louise the decision has been made! Turkey breast goujons, served with either Plum and Hoi Sin sauce or Blackcurrant sauce and sesame seeds. The coating is made from self raising flour and potato starch.

    The team are very much looking forward to Christmas. Julie the restaurant manager said:

    It’s nice that we are serving a turkey dish with a Chinese twist.

    gerry yeung yang sing cathay

    Another member of the Yang Sing Cathay team, Kong a senior waiter who has been working for Yang Sing Cathay for more than 10 years said:

    Our Christmas tree has been up since October we are very much in the Christmas spirit.

    Thanks to the Trafford Centre who also put their Christmas decorations up and began to showcase their Christmas lights display on 2nd November.

    The special Christmas turkey goujons will be served in Yang Sing Cathay from Monday 4th December. To find out more about Yang Sing Cathay, please visit their website. Or you can follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  • Occupational Therapists Working in a Non-Traditional Role

    Occupational Therapists Working in a Non-Traditional Role

    Occupational Therapist Week 2017 runs from 6th – 12th November. The theme this year is ‘I am an Occupational Therapist’. Here at Disabled Living we’re proud to have Angela and Jayne in our team of OTs. Their week involves a range of different tasks to help daily living and working environments.

    Angela and Jayne’s Occupational Therapist roles are diverse

    Angela and Jayne go above and beyond to ensure they’re doing the most they can to help improve a disabled or elderly person’s life. Take a look at the list below to see what they’ve been up to this week.

    • Home assessment – for a housing association
    • Blue badge assessments
    • Trusted Assessor Training delivered to 12 delegates from the Knowsley area.
    • Marking delegates homework from previous delivered Trusted Assessor Training (In Cumbria)
    • Planning meeting for our upcoming Kidz to Adults Exhibition North – at Event City on 16th
    • Product Demonstration by Tendercare looking at Pushchairs and Seating systems
    • Attended a Dementia Workshop (organised by DL training team).
    • Responding to national helpline and enquires about equipment and adaptations.
    • Centre assessment to assist carers looking after a relative with dementia

    Angela Christian

    I love working for Disabled Living, as everyday brings something new. We get to work with people of all different ages. I can really utilise my knowledge and skill base, from previous OT roles. – Angela Christian

    Jayne Watson

    Having a variety of roles makes day to day tasks interesting and informative. I work with a great team as well as meeting lots of individuals from different backgrounds. This being a professional and non professionals who require solutions to support individual needs. – Jayne Watson

    The non-traditional side to the role

    There are other skills that are required for a non-traditional setting, something which Angela and Jayne really want to raise awareness of. For example, responsivity, reasoned judgement, recognition of priorities, realistic standards, and rapport (visit source here).

    There’s much more than the routinely home and daily living aspect of their role. Think about if something happens unexpectedly… Occupational Therapists take on a non-traditional part of the role. They use their professional skills to engage with people to help them to live the best quality of life that they can. They always want to take action to help others.

    We shared this blog to promote the #ValueOfOT in our workplace. You can also share yours in the workplace, community and elsewhere. Tweet @theRCOT with what your Occupational Therapists mean to you.

  • Story of the Month Feature: Ben Andrews

    Story of the Month Feature: Ben Andrews

    This Story of the Month is dedicated to Ben Andrews from Empower You. The vision of the programme is to revolutionise the health and leisure industry and make it a much more inclusive place for disabled people. Ben understands the barriers that disabled people face when trying to exercise. And Ben wants to support disabled people to knock down these barriers and teach them how they can have an active lifestyle as possible. 

    Ben’s background

    Ben has a strong level of experience in the industry. Not only has he gained a 1st class qualification at University of Salford in Exercise and Health Sciences but he’s built up many years of experience working with disabled people. He believes that:

    Everyone can profit from the many benefits of that an active lifestyle can offer.

    His supportive work has been recognised by NHS Salford Clinical Commissioning Group. This has helped Ben to gain a greater understanding of lifestyle goals that disabled people want to achieve in an exercise environment.

    Success stories

    Below are two examples of success stories from those who have used the services at Empower You with Ben.

    Katie

    Katie and Ben Empower Health

    Through the Empower You programme Katie has lost weight as well as improving her lung capacity, something that is much lower in people with Down Syndrome. Katie is now regularly attending her dancing and drama as well as another gym group, which is made up of her newly found friends. Katie now has a much busier social life and is becoming more independent through it.

    Craig

    Craig and Ben Empower Health

    Craig has Retinitis Pigmentosa, which has resulted in near enough complete blindness.

    Our initial consultation identified Craig’s goals were to become fitter, gain muscle and get out of the house more.

    My programme incorporated big lifts such as presses, squats and dead lifts, focusing on the higher rep ranges to optimise muscle growth and keeping the sessions as high tempo as possible with short rest periods. These lifts are difficult to perfect as anybody who trains will know, doing that with no vision is even harder, yet Craig has progressed in both technique and workload week in week out. Craig is now seeing a noticeable difference in his size, filling out clothes, which used to be baggy as well as strength, specifically in his legs.

    Ben’s personal training offers specialist programming, lifestyle support, regular reviews, and customised. If you know someone who would benefit from this programme, contact Ben today via Twitter.

    If you would like to feature your story please contact Disabled Living.

  • Disabled Living’s 120th AGM at the Yang Sing Cathay

    Disabled Living’s 120th AGM at the Yang Sing Cathay

    Friday 13th is unlucky for some. However, this can’t be said for Disabled Living. The team put together a lot of plans and preparation to hold their 120th Annual General Meeting at the Yang Sing Cathay in the Trafford Centre. And it was a successful and enjoyable afternoon for all.

    Gerry Yeung OBE, owner of the Yang Sing, President of Disabled Living, and Higher Sheriff of Greater Manchester welcomed our guests and did his introductory speech.

    Gerry Yeung speaking at Disabled Living's AGM
    Gerry Yeung opening Disabled Living’s AGM
    Disabled Living's AGM
    Dean Styger, Chairman of Disabled Living
    CEO of Disabled Living speech
    Debra Evans, Chief Exexutive of Disabled Living, giving her speech

    This was followed by talks from our Chairman, Dean Styger, and Chief Executive, Debra Evans. A lot of information was provided to our guests, which guided them through key parts of our Annual Report for 2016/2017.

    Thank you to our speakers

    We were pleased to be joined by Joanne Beamish from Lloyd Piggott who spoke about Disabled Living’s annual accounts over the past 12 months and how we are in a stable financial position. The election of Honorary Officers and Council successfully took place followed by other business discussions.

    Lloyd Piggott speaker at Disabled Living's AGM
    Joanne Beamish from Lloyd Piggott
    Anthony O'Connor Manchester Cathedral speaker
    Anthony O’Connor, Director of Fundraising and Development at Manchester Cathedral

    It was wonderful to have our guest speaker, Anthony O’Connor, Director of Fundraising and Development at Manchester Cathedral. Many of us were impressed by the success of the cathedral and it was good to gain a bigger insight on it’s history. After the talks were complete, it was time for food. The part which many, if not all of us were looking forward to!

    For starters, we were served with pork spring rolls, spring onion pancakes (vegetarian option), chicken balls with satay sauce, and beef dumplings with ginger and spring onion. The lovely choices of dishes were followed by aromatic crispy duck with pancakes, leek, cucumber, and hoisin sauce. Finally, the main course was a choice of goujons of white fish with sweet and sour sauce, crispy chilli shredded fillet steak, mixed vegetables in Thai green curry, and boiled or egg fried rice.

    Yang Sing Cathay

    Natasha and Joanne’s first experience of Disabled Living’s AGM

    This AGM was Joanne and Natasha’s first one that they have attended. Both Joanne and Natasha thought the event ran smoothly and really enjoyed meeting everybody.

    Natasha, Marketing Coordinator & Content Writer at Disabled Living: It was an honour to be part of such an important event for Disabled Living, having only been in the team for a short period of time. I’m glad I was invited along. It was great to network and enjoy a variety of food at the same time.

    Joanne Mulligan, Team Leader, Kidz and Business Development: My first time at the AGM had lovely surroundings, ambience and food. It was great to hear Anthony’s talk on his role at the Cathedral and also to put faces to names.

    We would like to thank Gerry Yeung and all of his team at Yang Sing Cathay for their excellent customer service. They made sure our drinks were topped up and promptly served the courses of food.

  • A Quarter of the Public ‘Don’t Know What Cerebral Palsy Is’

    A Quarter of the Public ‘Don’t Know What Cerebral Palsy Is’

    This post has been written by JMW Solicitors. JMW Solicitors support families affected by cerebral palsy caused as a result of medical negligence. A team of expert solicitors ensure families receive the best possible care package and support to lead as normal life as possible. JMW fully support an initiative to raise awareness and highlight the importance of open discussions to support families.

    A new survey

    A new survey of 736 people has revealed a lack of understanding surrounding cerebral palsy in the UK. Conducted by the Clinical Negligence department at JMW Solicitors , the survey found that almost one-quarter (24%) of people do not know what cerebral palsy is.

    The research showed that despite almost one-quarter (24%) of respondents personally knowing someone with CP, a similar proportion said they do not know anything about the condition. More than four in ten (41%) of those questioned described their understanding of cerebral palsy as “poor”, while a further 15% described it as “very poor”. This compared to 38% with a “good” understanding of it and 6% with a “very good” understanding, highlighting the need for further awareness of the condition.

    cerebral palsy

    Just 22% know that roughly one in every 400 children is born with the condition. The other 78% believe cerebral palsy is less common; 21% answered one in every 800, 25% selected one in every 4,000 and 11% opted for one in every 8,000. Almost one-quarter (23%), meanwhile, concede that they are not aware cerebral palsy can vary in severity.

    Here’s what Eddie Jones has to say

    Eddie Jones, Partner and Head of Clinical Negligence at JMW, says: “Our findings highlight a real lack of knowledge among the general public regarding cerebral palsy. It is illuminating that almost one-quarter of the almost 750 people we asked confess to not knowing what the condition actually is. We believe that understanding cerebral palsy is an important step to helping both people with cerebral palsy and those closest to them and more can be done nationally to raise awareness.

    Many people freely admit they do not know much about cerebral palsy; indeed, the percentage of people claiming to have “very poor” or “poor” knowledge of the condition (a combined 56%) is significantly higher than those with a “very good” or “good” knowledge of it (a combined 44%).

    The survey also found that only 29% of respondents say they think £1 million or more is needed in compensation to adequately care for a child with cerebral palsy for the rest of their lives. The other 71% assume less compensation is required, including almost one-quarter (24%) selecting £500,000 to £1 million, and 3% choosing the lowest option; £1,000 to £10,000. Knowledge of the true extent of the care costs required to support children and adults with CP is limited.

    man holding child

    Eddie Jones added: “The majority of people not only don’t know how many children are born with cerebral palsy in the UK, they also believe prevalence of the condition is much lower than it actually is. As a law firm, JMW has helped many children and families to claim compensation that can run into the millions of pounds for a single case when the condition is caused by negligence at birth or in the newborn period. Every penny is essential for assisting that individual and their families, and it is alarming to see that so few people understand how much is needed.

    JMW Solicitors produced a guide to cerebral palsy diagnosis and more information is available on the NHS website.

    If you would like to submit a blog to us, please send an email to: info@disabledliving.co.uk

  • Looking After Your Back

    Looking After Your Back

    This year, Back Care Awareness Week is taking place during 2nd – 6th October. According to Backcare, 1 in 4 people suffer daily or regularly with back pain. Have you ever been one of these people? Our Supplier Directory could be of great assistance for you, with over 50 suppliers in our Chairs, Seating, and Postural Support category.

    When lifting loads of equipment at home or in the workplace, it’s important to remember what you learnt in your moving and handling training. Did you know that Disabled Living have a wide range of moving and handling courses available? This also includes an Advanced Moving & Handling  for Therapists.

    Some of us don’t realise how important our backs are. Think about the amount of times you haven’t sat up properly; haven’t lifted a heavy piece of equipment properly; or overdone it at the gym. We shouldn’t neglect looking after our backs. Here are 3 ways that you can look after your back.

    Maintain your posture

    2 people sitting down

    Conditions can affect people’s posture. That’s why it’s important to know what products are available to help them. If you’re someone who works at a desk, sit up right on your chair and try not to slouch. Part of maintaining good posture can also mean taking breaks to stretch the rest of your body.

    Reduce your stress levels

    man meditating

    Did you know that stress can cause backache? The NHS tells us that it can. Perhaps you want to try meditation techniques, yoga, or try some simple breathing techniques. These can all help to make you feel relaxed, therefore, causing less stress onto your back. Breathworks have a great video that can help.

    Have the right products for you

    bath seat redbank house

    Are you in need of specialist chairs, seating equipment, postural support, or sleep systems? Take a look at our Supplier Directory. Many of our great suppliers are in there including Felgains and Simple Stuff Works.

    The right care is available. There are many products for different areas of your home, workplace, and day-to-day routines that can assist you. Visit Disabled Living’s website or call 0161 214 4590 for further assistance on looking after your back.

  • Guidance on Choosing What to Keep in Your Archive

    Guidance on Choosing What to Keep in Your Archive

    This is the second blog from Heather Roberts (HerArchivist, archive consultant), explaining the process we undertook for appraising our photographs archive.

    Appraisal

    Appraisal is a term that archivists use a lot. It means “choosing what to keep”. Contrary to some beliefs, we are not “professional hoarders”. Well, most of us aren’t, I have my suspicions about some of us.

    An archive is:

    An archive is a collection of records (that are either physical or digital) that are the evidence of something or somebody in the past, which you keep so that others can remember it in the future.

    (HerArchivist, “Create your own archive” toolkit, p.5)

    Disabled Living photo archives

    When presented with loads of “stuff”, you therefore need to think about what fits the definition.

    Disabled Living’s Donkeys to Innovators project have hundreds of incredible photographs evidencing activities, staff, premises and so much more. We are not archiving them all. Many are duplicates and we don’t really need more than one of the same thing. We are going to appraise them.

    Here’s why…

    Duplicates

    Disabled Living photo archive Redbank House

    More than one of something is great. It beats having nothing. However, if you are keeping two or even three or more of something, you have to store it. A few hundred photographs take up enough space as it is. Add to that the special archive packaging and you’ve easily doubled the required space. If you have the space available then fab. Most organisations have to be very careful with storage space. The cost of it needs to be worth what you’re putting in it.

    Also, archival packaging isn’t cheap. Photography packaging in particular as it requires special materials to help preserve the photographs. It may not be financially sensible to spend money on more than packaging than you strictly need.

    The easiest way to reduce the volume of your archive and therefore space and money is to take out duplicates.

    Below are the two main things we have been considering when appraising duplicate photographs on the Donkeys to Innovators project.

    Information

    folders

    Two photographs may be the same. Same image, same angle, same size etc.

    If that’s the case, check the back. If one is blank and the other has a date, photographer’s stamp or scribble on the back which reveals some further information about where the photograph was took or who/what is in etc., that is the one you choose to keep.

    It’s frustrating when you have a great image but no information about it. Keep the one which has the most added information and you’ll have a richer archive.

    If both have the same information, then keep the one in the best condition.

    Condition

    Disabled Living photo archive

    Photographs are very delicate. They are the materials for which archivists insist on wearing cotton gloves, to protect the chemical surface of the image from the oils on people’s hands. Even freshly washed and thoroughly dried hands can easily damage a photograph.

    Photographs are also subject to light damage. This is when prolonged exposure to light has faded the photograph’s image and it is no longer as clear. Light damage is irreversible so if you have any photographs, be mindful of light exposure.

    Photographs can be torn, holes poked through where they’ve been pinned up, stained where Sellotape has held them in place and all sorts of similar damage.

    Choose the photograph that is in the best condition. Fewer stains, clearer image, least holes and tears etc.

    Information vs condition

    2b pencils

    Some decisions on the Donkeys to Innovators project have gone like this, “Well, this photograph is in the better condition, but this other photograph of the same image has more information on the back. Which do we keep?”

    The trick here is to choose the photograph which is in the best condition (and therefore easier to keep and use) and transfer the information from the other photograph onto this one. Either, write on the back of it with a soft pencil (2B or softer will do) or put it in a folder/envelope and write the information on that, again in a soft pencil.

    Soft pencils are the archivist’s weapon of choice because you don’t have to press very hard to a surface to write (hence reducing possible damage to the item) and because they are easy to rub out (in case of mistake), they don’t leak ink all over your invaluable archive either.

    We are looking forward to revealing some of our fabulous photographs to you on this project. We are certainly having an amazing time working with them.

    Heather’s free “Create your own archive” toolkit can be downloaded here.

  • A Rare Find: The Christmas Card Folio

    A Rare Find: The Christmas Card Folio

    Heather Roberts (HerArchivist, archive consultant), has put together this wonderful blog which discovers the meaning and significance of Disabled Living’s collection of heritage Christmas cards.

    The archive

    Disabled Living have a fascinating history stretching 120 years. It’s a vital but little-know part of Manchester’s amazing past and present. On the Donkeys to Innovators project, we are hoping to organise the evidence of their history into an archive and share their journey.

    Explore the timeline for some of the key points of the history.

    There are some gorgeous archive items in their collection. Hundreds of photographs, decades of annual reports, files of letters, ye old property deeds. Nice, core archive material through which you can learn so much.

    Disabled Living also has something else. It’s an absolute treat and so unique. Not only does it say so much about the organisation but it’s also aesthetically delightful.

    Christmas card folio

    Christmas card crippled children's help society

    Christmas card crippled children's help society

    It’s the kind of thing that when you look at it, it makes you sigh and wish for childhood and Christmas markets. It’s colourful, full of beautiful vintage designs and interesting stories to tell.

    The folio is an old crumbling hardback volume. Within it are pasted the Christmas cards that the society (back then called The Crippled Children’s Help Society) used to send to children at Christmas who were either disabled or otherwise housebound for the season (recovering from illness etc.).

    Each card is gorgeously designed and very of its time, charting the way through a good chunk of the first half of the 20th century. There’s hints of classic Arts and Crafts style borders, flowing into Art Nouveau lines all the way through to the vintage bright bold colours of Santas gone by.

    They must have been an absolute treat to receive in the post. Many were accompanied by Christmas hampers for the children as a small gift of added kindness for the season.

    How this helps research and understanding

    This folio is important not only for its beauty and rarity (much of the original archive was lost in a fire). It is also key in understanding what the society really did.

    Much of any organisation’s is written down, in minutes and letters and reports. These are all highly valuable. They chart the progress of an organisation, what it had to think about, how it managed challenges, what was planned etc.

    However, this only tells one side of the story. It can tell us on the top-level of the organisation what went on. This is the material that is therefore most likely to be kept. It’s rare that much of the ground-level activity is kept. It’s everyday stuff. It’s not discussed by the Board or debated over at Annual General Meetings.

    These simple heritage Christmas cards on the other hand, tell a story about the ground-level kindness and activism of the society. You can see it in front of your face. You can hold it in your hands. It’s a beautiful piece of Manchester’s history and we are so looking forward to sharing it with you.

    Take care of the pennies

    english coins

    The adage, “Take care of the pennies, the pounds will take care of themselves” might apply here. Important records, top-level records and core activities are usually kept because they shout of inherent value.

    The grass-roots, ground-level, every day activities and initiatives are what the organisation actually does, though. So spare a little effort in making sure that this is evidenced, remembered and celebrated.

    Heather’s free “Create your own archive” toolkit can be downloaded here.

  • Greta McMillan Exhibits Artwork at Porty Art Wall

    Greta McMillan Exhibits Artwork at Porty Art Wall

    For September, we would like to dedicate our Story of the Month to Greta McMillan. Greta is a 13-year-old girl who, earlier this month stunned members of the public with her artistic skills. As a wheelchair user with cerebral palsy who can’t use her hands or arms like other artists, Greta had her artwork exhibited at Porty Art Wall. This project is run by volunteers and ‘celebrates the public space and creativity of Portobello, Edinburgh’s Seaside.’

    When talking about the Porty Art Wall, Greta’s mum, Thea says:

    It has been quite wonderful. She didn’t have a way of expressing herself before – she’s always been good at doing yes blinks but that is dependent on us asking her the right question. So it’s still a learning curve. – Source: The London Economic (TLE). 

    portobello, edinburgh
    Portobello, Edinburgh

    Greta communicates by blinking with her eyes. And now her parents are very pleased that she finally has an ‘eye tracker’ computer to assist with her communication. The computer was funded by people in Edinburgh through a fundraising campaign. The money raised has given Greta a life-changing opportunity to do what she loves the most.

    Both mum and dad are very proud to see Greta be able to do something which she enjoys. Read more about how the computer helps Greta to create her art here.

    Did you see our guest post on art therapy about a man named Patrick Samuel with Asperger’s Syndrome?

    If you would like to feature your story on Disabled Living’s blog please send an email to: info@disabledliving.co.uk.

Disabled Living