Patrick,
I have a little knowledge of Autism and am happy to take on board your
experience and knowledge. The Lancaster District area does not have an airport
within its sphere of responsibility though it does have a harbour with ferry
services to Belfast and the Isle of Man, neither of which are particularly
accessible - or indeed come under the DDA.
I would be interested in looking at your booklet when it is complete, as I am
responsible for developing such literature for my authority. I would also be
happy to keep in regular contact, indeed if anyone else on list 'feels the need'
don't hesitate to email me direct.
Rob
-----Original Message-----
From: Patrick N. Weston - PSM [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 20 April 2000 06:55
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Mental impairment
Rob,
Thank you for the response and concurrence.
You will see the separate message that I have sent to Claire that outlines
my thoughts a little further, particularly the need for awareness.
One point that I need to make, autistic people do not necessarily have
learning difficulties. It is a mental dysfunction that is probably the
result of an imbalance in the brain chemistry. Such people have difficulty
assimilating and processing external stimuli, some are extremely bright. It
is true that a majority of autistic people have learning disabilities but
that is because they need to have structured learning programmes. There is
a form of autism called Aspergers Syndrome, where the person can be a
leading expert in their field but not be able to socialise, empathise, or
organise themselves properly. (If you can picture the absent minded
professor, you will get the picture.) Their disability is not necessarily
apparent. If you met my son, at first you would not be aware of the problem
but after about ten to fifteen minutes you would start to think that there
is something strange about him. That makes it all the harder to explain to
people that he is disabled. Much easier to explain if he was blind, deaf or
in a wheelchair - it is readily apparent.
The point that you make regarding benefits of providing for sight impaired
people is valid. Many autistic people assimilate pictorial information much
better than through words or in writing.
If you want to learn more about autism and be entertained as the same time,
I would suggest that watching the films "The Rainman" with Dustbin Hoffman
(spelling mistake intentional) and "Mercury Rising" with Bruce Willis. The
portrayal by Dustin Hoffman is extremely good - brilliant. He spent two
years researching the role and it is a very good portrayal by a very good
actor. Both films feature autistic savants which is not typical of autism
however the traits and difficulties of autistic people are well given.
The scope of mental disability has been missed in deriving the DDA and
compliance documentation, yet these people account for the largest part of
the disabled population. Apart from autism, epilepsy, dispraxia, ADHD all
appear to be absent from the list of examples (and there are probably a lot
more to add to that list) that the Codes of Practice, etc set forth and all
of which are more common than one would think.
I would like to keep in regular contact with you. Do you have any airports
under your remit since I am particularly interested in looking at how these
comply with the DDA?
Regards,
Patrick
-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, April 19, 2000 5:59 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: RE: Introduction
Patrick,
This is indeed an involved and difficult question, and one that has no real
answer at the moment as far as I am aware at present (week 9 of a new post).
Part M of the Building Regulations is certainly not a particularly all
encompassing piece of work., it provides many unanswered issues and
loopholes
for developers. In my experience the incoming Part III of the DDA will
provide a
more powerful vehicle to improve access issues for all groups covered by the
definition of disability within the DDA itself. The newly launched
Disability
Rights Commission (launched today) will also prove to be an invaluable ally
in
enforcing Part III and could also be a powerful agent for establishing a
better
system of enforcing adaptations to buildings and services. I totally agree
with
you about the lack of provision for learning disabilities/difficulties and
mental and cognitive impairments, and do realise the weaknesses of the
current
Building regulations in that respect. The scope of disability has, I feel,
not
been taken into account when these regulations were drafted and it is only
now
when rights are being explored and developed are the shortcomings becoming
more
obvious.
Interestingly, some adaptations for visual impairment have had a positive
effect
for people with learning disabilities: improvements in signage, making
routes
clearly marked, etc. but there is a long way to go. It is something I am
going
to have to address. In fact I am already developing networks here where
these
issues can be identified and discussed, as there is a large community of
people
with learning disabilities, autism, Down's syndrome and psychiatric
difficulties
living in the locality since the closure of the local mental hospitals.
I'm sorry if I can't respond any more positively than that, and can only
really
agree with you. It is an important area to consider when looking at any
access
issue, and one that is built into my approach already.
Please don't hesitate to contact me on or off list to discuss this further.
Rob
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