Disabled Living

Tag: Exhibitions

  • University Doesn’t Have to be a Challenge…

    University Doesn’t Have to be a Challenge…

    The following is a guest blog by AskJules, who are exhibiting at our Kidz to Adultz Middle event this year in March. This blog post will discover facts that you may not have known about AskJules along with their advice for those with a disability who are starting a new term at university.  

    Whilst the excitement of Freshers’ Week may help to suppress the anxieties of living independently for the first time, as the party dies down and reality kicks in – the stresses of university life can also begin to sink in.

    But there’s no need to panic, help is at hand. Chris Benoit-Pool, co-founder of AskJules, offers some guidance and advice on adapting to these changes and the key decisions which can make the difference in ensuring a successful university experience.

    AskJules is a family business, created in 2008 when Chris’s mother Julie Pool helped his younger brother Oliver, who suffers from Spinal Muscular Atrophy, to leave home and go to University. With Julie’s support Oliver has achieved true independence and enjoyed the full student experience. He lived independently in a lively student area of Manchester and employed his own team of PAs, who provided his 24/7 care and student support. He has recently started a PHD in London, where he lives with his girlfriend and two children.

    To view the full post please visit our Kidz Exhibitions blog.

  • We’re Proud to be Celebrating International Volunteers Day

    We’re Proud to be Celebrating International Volunteers Day

    Today, Tuesday 5th December, celebrates a whole day dedicated to International Volunteer Day. For this day we would like to show recognition to our volunteers who have been supporting us on our #DonkeysToInnovators project so far. 

    Throughout our From Donkeys to Innovators project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, we’ve had volunteers help us with community curation, attending oral history workshops, participating in archiving and digitisation processes, plus contributing to blog posts. We spoke to two of these volunteers who have been over at Redbank House. They have been working with Archivist, Heather Roberts, and Claire Turner  who is managing our project.

    One of our longstanding volunteer, Avril

    Disabled Living archive
    Just a small amount of our photo archive

    We asked Avril what she enjoys about volunteering with Disabled Living. Avril is one of our longstanding volunteers, and has attended a number of workshops for our #DonkeysToInnovators heritage project.

    I came to the archiving project through my interest in many years of volunteering with the Kidz team. I have enjoyed the volunteering which supports giving people with physical problems the opportunity to be more equal. The archiving project is important for me. It shows the beginnings of the organisation and how far it has come today but still keeping the core ethos. Since I have the time it also allows me the opportunity to develop more skills and be hands on in a situation that needs more hands! I also enjoy the camaraderie of like-minded people.

    One of our new volunteers, Kezi

    Kezi working alongside Heather
    Kezi working alongside Heather

    Kezi has been involved in our archiving and selection process for what photos represent Disabled Living’s history the best. Straight from the get-go Kezi wanted to get involved and that’s exactly what she did on her first visit at Redbank House. We asked her what she enjoyed about her first experience volunteering with us.

    I loved helping out with Disabled Living’s archive. It gave me a really great chance to have some hands on experience with cataloging an archive for the first time. This is an area I would like to work in eventually. I loved looking through the photograph collection, which shows a wonderful range of day to day life at Disabled Living and how they have helped to enrich the lives of many different people over the years.

    Thank you to all of our volunteers. You’ve made us so proud and we wouldn’t have been able to get this far in the project without you.

    How are you celebrating Volunteers Day? Tell us on Twitter @disabledliving or Facebook.

  • The Importance of Disseminating Information to Your Service Users

    The Importance of Disseminating Information to Your Service Users

    This blog is written by Jayne Watson, one of our Occupational Therapists.

    Disabled Living host 5 of the largest exhibitions for kids and adults with disabilities. The exhibitions are a great way of finding information on equipment relevant for the individual to remain as independent as possible throughout the different stages of their lives.

    Not only do we look at equipment, but we also have a wide variety of funding organisations, mobility vehicles companies, solicitors, employment agencies, colleges, and charitable organisations. There are also fun activities to occupy the children during the day, with a good variety of catering services available if feeling hungry.

    These events are also a great way for professionals to network with other professionals and update their continuing professional development (CPD); presentations cover a wide variety of topics. These seminars are also open to families and carers of children with disabilities and special needs. Entry to these events is free on a first come, first served basis.

    Now here is the gripe

    A professional reported to one of my colleagues that they aren’t disseminating information because they can’t provide a specific piece of equipment. However, I can’t specify how important it is to inform families of these events as it gives them the choice on whether to attend or not.

    For years now I have been part of the Kidz to Adultz exhibitions, however part of my role working for a charity is that we receive numerous enquiries from parents all over the country in search of equipment for their disabled children, as well as funding and various other requests.

    On asking do you have any professionals involved it appears that the majority depending on their locality who attend our events are not informed by professionals, and that the tickets clearly state that it is for parents and the professionals working with them.

    I feel that families are missing out on vital opportunities to provide their children with the best quality of life knowing there is a wealth of information, choice and support that their children deserve. In addition, it improves the health and well-being of all families.

    I find it difficult to imagine that all those professionals who are involved clearly don’t disseminate this information. Informing families will reduce an immense amount of stress knowing that they are not alone and that there is support out there.

    Why not share this information?

    For all those professionals who read this blog and attend our Kidz to Adultz events please kindly share this information down to your service users or request extra tickets for disseminating information about the events to your network. Families are missing out on so much information when they don’t need to.

    For more blog posts like this please visit: www.disabledliving.co.uk/blog

Disabled Living