N E W S-LETT E R O F T H E B R I T I S H C O U N C I L O F D I S A B L
E D P E O P L E(BCODP)
Free to Members. £3.00 to non Members
The Bills Keep Coming!
BCODP Campaigning Against Lord Joffe's Assisted Dying Bill
"Not Yet Dead" - "Care not Killing"
BCODP - on the Campaign Trail! Campaigning For "Right To2006 - ISSUE 59
Contacts & Acknowledgments
Head Office - Derby
Campaigns, Media & Parliamentary - Simone Aspis
& Jared O'Mara
Finance Manager - Sheila Blair
Membership & Services Manager - Margaret Bordogna Crane
Transcriptions Administrator - John Ross
Administration Assistant - Kevin Towler
Membership & Services Admin Assistant - Martin Sims
Address: British Council of Disabled People (BCODP)
Litchurch Plaza, Litchurch Lane,
Derby DE24 8AA
Telephone: 01332 295551
Fax: 01332 295580
Minicom: 01332 295581
Email: [log in to unmask]
Elected Officers of BCODP
Chairperson - Anne Pridmore
Deputy Chair (Internal) - Janet Seymour Kirk
Acting Deputy Chair (External) - Roy Webb
Treasurer - Vacant
Company Secretary - Sheila Blair
ACTIFROM BCODP
BCODP wishes to acknowledge "Change" Picturebank and Access2 by
People First for the pictures used throughout Activate.
Disclaimer: The material found within Activate is the opinion of the writers
and not necessarily the opinion of BCODP
Activate is available in other formats on request from: John Ross Email:
[log in to unmask]
UNE 2006 - ISSUE 59
Inside this issue...
In This Issue
Stop Press News - Simone Aspis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Chairs Diary - Anne Pridmore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
BCODP Hits the News Headlines - Simone Aspis . . .6
Jared O'Mara Update .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Independent Living Bill - Simone Aspis . . . . . . . . . . .9
Welfare Reform - BCODP Responds -
Janet Seymour Kirk . . . . . . . ............12
Birmingham Coalition Letter to BCO. . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Holocaust Centre Article - Heather Hollins . . . . .. . .16
Mental Health Bill - Simone Aspis . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .18
Disability Equality Training - Sandy Marshall . . . . . .22
Invitation to our 25th Anniversary AGM . . . . . . . . . .23
Response Member Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Holiday Inn Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Disabled Dating via the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
News Updates & Corrections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Why Not Join BCODP? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Stop Press News!!
Simone Aspis Campaigns, Media & Parliamentary
On the same day as the Not Dead Yet launch, Lord Joffe was trying to get his
Assisted Dying Bill through the House of Lords. Over 90 peers had queued up
for over seven hours to debate and speak up 'for' or 'against' disabled
people's right to be killed by their doctors, the Assisted Dying Bill.
The House of Lords went against their custom and took a vote on whether the
Bill can continue being changed and debated in Parliament. Lord Carlisle
forced a vote on the principles of the Assisted Dying Bill. The House
overwhelmingly voted (148 against and 100 for) this Bill. 'Not Dead Yet' saw
this as a small victory in this long term campaign to stop any attempt at
making laws easier for healthcare professionals to withhold, withdraw or
give treatment with the sole aim to kill a disabled person.
The British Council of Disabled People is delighted that the Assisted Dying
Bill has been killed off.
We hope it sends the right message to Lord Joffe, that the only thing that
should be killed is his Bill and that it should be buried for ever!!
We hope that the same peers will be as committed to debating the British
Council of Disabled People and National Centre for Independent Living's
"Independent Living Bill" which will promote a dignified life for Disabled
People.
Chair's Diary
Anne Pridmore Chair BCODP
Well it's certainly been an interesting few months since last I wrote. At
the meeting with Anne McGuire we shared our concerns regarding the Welfare
Reform Bill. As a result of this we managed to get a second meeting with the
people who have been directly concerned in writing the Bill. These are some
of the things we discussed:
We spoke about the inaccuracies in the easy read version. This was explained
by the fact that the "in house" company that produce it were at fault. When
pressed they agreed that when they had received the consultation back from
disabled peoples organisations they would report back on this.
Reward and recognition for service users and carers was discussed, this was
greeted with any income must not be significant. We said about the value of
voluntary (unpaid) work and how it can boost confidence to seek a job in
paid work. They assured us that there was a general issue across the whole
benefit system and that it was "coming to the fore". We gave the example of
disabled people who were councillors and how they were allowed to receive
expenses - however would not give the same assurance for disabled people.
When I pressed I was told they were still looking at it!
A question was raised about how the decision was to be made about who was
"severely disabled" and would it be the case that some disabled people would
be deemed too expensive to get paid work. A general feeling from the
participants was that many of us would be deemed as too expensive but had in
fact held down paid employment for years.
Anne Pridmore Chair BCODP
There was a general feeling around the table that the
Benefit system needed looking at in its totality rather than different
allowance for different bits.
We also spoke about the savings limits being the same for years when it
related to disabled people and that it did not take into account the extra
expenses of being disabled.
Application forms are too long and asking the same questions on different
pages - this was blamed on plain English by Department of Work and Pensions.
They welcomed any advice we could give them on this!
Visually impaired people applying for mobility training found it was non
existent. There was a consensus by disabled people that the medical
profession had little understanding around disabled people and that leaving
decisions to them would be disastrous. We also need to educate employers
about disabled people and what we can do rather than stressing what we
cannot do.
Part M of the building regulations did not go far enough and also acted as a
barrier to employment.
Over the whole of the Welfare Reform Bill there was a need for advocates who
would take a holistic approach. This needed to be properly funded and would
be a good role for disabled people.
BCODP Hits the News Headlines
Simone Aspis talks on ITV Evening News & Radio 4's Today Programme
Simone Aspis BCODP's Press, Campaigns & Parliamentary Development Officer
has been extremely busy recently raising the profile of disabled peoples
rights.
She was interviewed on Today, the Radio Four early morning news programme
and also interviewed for the ITV Evening news programme on Wednesday 10th
May 06.
Simone was relaying BCODP's concerns about the Human Fertilisation &
Embryology Authority giving permission for pre-screening of embryos before
they are being used in fertilisation attempts.
UPDATE - Jared O'Mara
Since the last Activate I have been very busy in my job as Press,
Parliamentary and Campaigns Officer. Things I have been working on include:
The Campaign against Lord Joffe's Assisted Dying Bill:
BCODP says that the Assisted Dying Bill is a threat to disabled people as it
wants to give doctors and families the legal right to end our lives.
I have been talking to and working with disability rights campaigners such
as Jane Campbell, Tara Flood and Rachel Hurst on this matter and have also
teamed up with anti euthanasia groups such as Care Not Killing and Alert to
fight the bill.
In March I met one of the world's leading anti euthanasia campaigners and
experts, Wesley J Smith, who is a lawyer and journalist from the USA. It was
very interesting as he told us about some of his experiences with the
campaign against Euthanasia in America.
Fundraising:
I have been looking into ways to get funding for our Campaigns Department
and so far have raised nearly £500 from a fundraising music festival I put
on in Sheffield last October. I have also made a DVD of this event which
will earn BCODP more money in the near future. I am also in the process of
applying to various trust funds to try and get us more money. I have also
sent out funding applications to several charitable trust funds.
Pathways to work:
As part of our work on the governments Welfare Reform proposals I wrote a
report on the Pathways to Work scheme with help from our Chair person, Anne
Pridmore. If anyone would like a copy of this report emailed to them please
email me at: [log in to unmask]
Radio:
I have recently been interviewed on Saga Radio which covers the East
Midlands talking about BCODP and on BBC Radio 5 Live talking about a
disabled woman who had her newborn baby taken from her by Social Services
and what a terrible thing it was to happen.
Jared O'Mara
Development Officer (Press, Parliamentary and Campaigns)
Lord Ashley Ready To Press An Independent Living Bill Through Parliament
Simone Aspis Campaigns, Media & Paliamentary
The British Council of Disabled People and the Disability Rights Commission
have asked Lord Ashley to support a "Right To Independent Living" Bill in
June. This Bill, for the first time ever will make it law that disabled
people should be supported to have real independence.
This important law is needed to stop disabled people from being forced into
residential and group homes because local authorities do not want to pay for
our independence. We are campaigning for this bill in order to keep the
pressure on the Government to bring in laws which finally support disabled
peoples rights to independent living.
The most important idea in the Bill is that it says independent living is
about disabled people enjoying the same choices, control, dignity and
freedom over their lives which non disabled people take for granted.
Disabled people will no longer be prisoners in their own homes or within the
local authority.
Disabled people like those with learning difficulties will no longer have to
prove they can live on their own with very little or no support before
getting their own homes.
Campaigns, Media & Parliamentary
For the first time ever, disabled people will have a right to
self-assessment where local authorities will be under a duty to have due
regard for providing what is needed which may include personal care,
providing assistance, equipment and
advocacy to support his / her independence while taking part in educational,
training, job, leisure, family life and other opportunities. The big plus is
that independent living does not mean just having help with personal care
and around the home. It means having a life!
And for Mental Health System Survivors, an independent living assessment
which includes emotional support would have to take and be in place before
being forced into hospital by doctors and social workers.
For whatever reason disabled people may want to continue living in care
homes. The Bill will ensure care homes and service providers will be
required to respect the disabled person's human rights and that it would be
the job for the inspection organisations to check this happens.
The Bill will allow the secretary of state to decide when and where local
authorities can charge disabled people for independent living services.
A big area of independent living is about where one lives and with who.
The Bill will give local authorities a duty to support disabled people to
live in their chosen accommodation. This will include planning for more
accessible housing options. There will be a requirement for all new homes to
be built to life home standards so that they are designed for disabled
people in mind. This information including anything else on independent
living and the disabled person's plan will be made accessible.
Local authorities will be under a duty to have regard for helping disabled
peoples groups to offer support and speak on behalf of their members. This
would be a welcome change as there is no current legal duty upon local
authorities to give money to disabled peoples groups who they talk with.
As going to press BCODP have asked the DRC to change the Bill so that there
a stronger rights to get independent living services free of charge and that
all independent living services must uphold the disabled person's human
rights!
Watch out for the E-Mail Campaigns Newsletter for further information about
this campaign.
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Welfare Reform - Response from BCODP Janet Seymour Kirk - Deputy Chair
Internal
BCODP has responded to the Welfare Reform Green Paper and will continue to
push for the improvements that we stated in our response, at any future
meetings with Government members.
This response will be placed on the web site for you to access, but as we
have always said to members; the more people who put in a response the
better for the movement. Although the date for sending responses is now
past, you could always meet with your MP and inform them of your opinion for
when it is next discussed in the House of
Commons.
Press Release - from the Birmingham
Coalition of Disabled People
Birmingham Coalition of Disabled People a member group of ours has asked me
to share this Press Release with our readers.
If you know of any other groups currently struggling during what
suspiciously appears to be a National Funding Crisis for
Disabled Peoples' Groups please contact Margaret Bordogna-Crane, Membership
& Services Manager at BCODP and let's try to see if we can get a clearer
picture of what is happening on a National Scale.
"Council Cash Blow Means Disability Group May Close"
Contact: The Coalition Of Disabled People in Birmingham on: 0121 242 5800
A group, which represents 700 local disabled people, faces closure at the
end of May 2006 because it says Birmingham City Council has
failed to pay £40,000, promised to it.
The Coalition of Disabled People, Birmingham, claims that the City Council's
failure to pay the cash means that it will have to close its doors in May.
Although it has sought to resolve the problem, its approaches to Birmingham
City Council have met with no success. In desperation it has approached The
Minister for Disabled People Anne McGuire asking her to step in and help
out.
The city council's funding blow is the latest one to hit the Coalition in
recent months. In February 2006 it was told it would not receive funding
from the Big Lottery Fund - it had applied for three years renewed funding.
This has made it even more dependent on the Council for support.
If the Coalition does close, it could actually present a major problem not
just for local disabled people but also for Birmingham City Council. This is
because a new legal duty - part of the 2005 Disability Discrimination Act
-says that public bodies like Birmingham City Council must promote
disability equality for disabled people using its services, and must involve
disabled people in the process.
The Birmingham Coalition questions how Birmingham City Council can be said
to be involving disabled people in promoting disability equality at a time
when it is allowing the main group representing disabled people in the city
to close.
As Tom Comerford, Development Worker at the coalition put it:
"Why is the council allowing the main user-led organisation for disabled
people in Birmingham to close down when it has 700 members and a
wealth of skills, knowledge and experience."
It is explained in a letter from Dr. Mashuq Ally, Head of Diversity and
Equality at Birmingham City Council that states that Birmingham City Council
have been advised not to support the Coalition.
If the Birmingham Coalition is forced to close it will be the third local
user-led disability group to shut its doors in the past six months. Last
month Birmingham based Disability West Midlands was forced to close after 29
years because it lost its £85,000 core funding and in December last year the
Shropshire Consortium for Disabled People closed after
operating for 15 years.
End of press release
Explanatory Notes
The Disability Equality Duty says that from December 2006 all public bodies
including councils must promote disability equality for disabled people
using their services.
The Disability Equality Duty, contained in the 2005 Disability
Discrimination Act, is aimed at combating "institutional disablism" -
systematic discrimination against disabled people. One of the key features
of the new duty is that public bodies like councils must draw up
a Disability Equality Scheme - a detailed action plan that commits them to
achieving stated disability equality targets or goals. The Disability
Equality Scheme must be drawn up with the involvement of disabled people and
this may mean involving representative groups of disabled people such as the
Birmingham Coalition.
For more details on the Disability Equality Duty go to the Disability Rights
Commission website www.drc-gb.org
The Holocaust Centre Needs Your Help...
Heather Hollins Access Officer
The Holocaust Centre is currently working on a new exhibition and education
programme, which we are committed to making accessible for people with
physical, sensory and learning disabilities, as well as people who have
mental health issues. We would like to work closely with disabled people to
make sure that the exhibition truly is accessible and that they can not only
gain access to the exhibition spaces, but more importantly to the content of
the exhibition and its associated programmes. We would therefore like to
talk to disabled people at every
stage of the exhibition process from initial designs through to the final
installation of exhibits.
A brief outline of the Holocaust Centre
A brief outline of
Situated in North Nottinghamshire, the Holocaust Centre was the first Centre
in Europe dedicated to the remembrance of the Holocaust. The Centre aims to
confront issues raised by the Holocaust and, through its programmes and
resources, seeks to reduce racism and other forms of prejudice, and to
promote tolerance and social inclusion.
Every day, approximately 120 young people experience the Centre and have the
opportunity to meet survivors of the Holocaust and other genocides, and
these remarkable people share their personal stories with students and
answer questions about their lives. One young visitor commented: ".it made
me see that discrimination is still around today, in
our everyday lives; we ignore it or may even join in, but it really mustn't
go on." [Stevie, aged 15]
The new exhibition: The Journey, Children of the Holocaust.
The new exhibition will explore the stories and memories of children who
escaped the Holocaust as refugees, those who hid, those who survived the
camps; along with the 1.5 million children who lost their lives.
The Journey will be aimed at children aged 9-12 years and will aim to
greatly reduce reliance on the written word and will engage its visitors
using a variety of senses in an active way. This posed the challenge of
designing a way of accessing the exhibition's content without using
traditional text panels. We will aim to use a variety of ways to get the
atmosphere and stories within the exhibition across to visitors using
images, backdrops, exhibits, video, sound, music, survivors talking about
their memories, touch objects and a new piece of inclusive audio technology.
An innovative new type of interactive audio handset is planned for the
exhibition, which will be designed to 'talk' to visitors and help people
with visual impairments to navigate around the space.
If you or your organisation are interested in working with us, please could
you contact me by any of the following means: write to me at The Holocaust
Centre, Laxton, Nottinghamshire, NG22 OPA
Press Release
text a message to me with your contact details to 07963 371 282
Press Release
phone me on 01623 836627
Press Release
email me via [log in to unmask]
Press Release
Many thanks,
Heather Hollins,
Access Officer,
The Holocaust Centre.
Government wants more control over disabled people's behaviour that society
sees is dangerous or very worrying - Mental Health Bill
Simone Aspis:-
The Government has just said what they want to do with the Mental Health
bill (new law) dealing with disabled peoples' behaviour that is seen by
society as dangerous or really worrying.
We have to run a big campaign against this law because disabled people with
mental health and learning difficulties labels will be forced to have
treatment in the community as well as in hospital.
Doctors will be able to treat disabled people with learning difficulties
against their wishes if their behaviour is abnormally very
aggressive or is considered as being very irresponsible. The doctors will
only need to show that there is a need to force treatment based on the risk
of the person with learning difficulties to him / herself and other people
in society. So what does this mean if disabled people with learning
difficulties act against decisions made on their behalf by other people like
parents, carers and staff - being dragged into hospital for treatment? We
know of for example people with learning difficulties who leave their
parents home without asking first - so will this be seen as irresponsible
behaviour?
For disabled people with mental health labels the Government wants to have
one word, Mental Disorder which will cover all different behaviours that is
seen by others as being dangerous or very worrying.
The Government wants to include people who may not have a mental health
label but display behaviour that is seen as dangerous or very worrying to
society like after surviving an accident. We should be really worried about
a law that wants to treat more people whose behaviour is seen as dangerous
by others.
The Government says that doctors can only treat a disabled person for their
behaviour if 'appropriate treatment' is available. Doctors decisions must
also consider the treatment's effect on the disabled person's family and
their friends and indeed possible other unknown people, society.
There is nothing to say that the disabled person must benefit from
treatment. It may well be possible that treatment could be lawful if it
makes it easier for others to care for the disabled person. This may be
awful for disabled people who may be given drugs against their will in order
to quieten them down!
Forcing disabled people to have drugs because of their behaviour could only
take place in hospital. Now the Government wants the law to be changed so
that disabled people can be checked to see if they are taking their drugs
and are keeping in touch with health and social care workers after leaving
hospital. The health and social care workers can still refer a disabled
person back to hospital if she or he does not take part in his / her
treatment plan.
Disabled people will be able to go to court, Mental Health Review Tribunal
if they do not want forced treatment in the community or hospital.
Many disabled people find it hard enough being treated against their wishes
in hospital without it including the community. This will do very little to
inspire trust between doctors and health and social care staff with disabled
people especially when they will have the power to get them back into
hospitals.
The disabled person's nearest family member must be told if their family
member is going to be forced to have hospital treatment against his / her
wishes. The family member will have the power to speak up for or against the
doctor's decision or to get a treatment review and where needed to go to
court.
The Government wants to change the law so that gay partners will have the
right to have this role. And disabled people who do not want their nearest
family member to be given this role, she or he or healthcare staff can go to
court and get it changed for another person. Disabled people would want to
choose who they want rather than having the stress of being forced to have
treatment whilst going to court to change the person they want to support
them.
It can never be assumed that family members are always the right people to
support their family members especially if they support the treatment
programme.
We all need to campaign very hard to make sure that a Mental Health Bill
will provide support so that disabled people can live in the community
without the fear of being treated against their will.
Disability Equality Training
Almost there .......
BCODP has for many years been battling to achieve an accredited disability
equality training course, and yes we are almost there. The level 1.
Disability Training (DET) unit is now with the Open Network College's panel
and BCODP is just awaiting approval. BCODP have developed a pilot training
programme which will enable 10 trainers to deliver the DET
unit , hopefully this number will be extended once the pilot
has been evaluated. The pilot training will commence in June and start with
a four day accredited course in Adult Teaching/Introduction to Learning,
this will be held at Derby, Council for Voluntary Services, 4 Charnwood
Street, Derby DE1 2GT on the following dates, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Thursday 29th June 2006
Tuesday 4th July 2006
Wednesday 5th July 2006
Tuesday 18th July 2006
The second part to the pilot is a three day accredited course in assessment
and evidencing, again held at Derby CVS between 10a.m. and 4p.m on the
following dates.
Thursday 28th September 2006
Friday 4th October 2006
Thursday 12th October 2006
This will enable trainers to assess and evidence learners who attend the
Disability Equality Training accredited courses run through BCODP and its
membership via the Open College
Network.
BCODP has utilised funding from the Baring Foundation to achieve this goal,
and there are still some places available should you wish to be considered
for the pilot training programme. All travel costs, overnight costs and
access costs will be paid for by BCODP from this funding, however, should
you need personal assistance you must arrange this yourself. Please contact:
Membership & Services Manager
Margaret Bordogna-Crane for further information.
BCODP will be Celebrating our 25th Anniversary on 14th October, 2006
Time to Celebrate! At the Copthorne Tara in London
The day will also include our Annual General Meeting
More details will follow
- if you feel you are able to help towards the cost of this event please
contact Sheila Blair either by e mail:
[log in to unmask] or by telephone or minicom.
A Response to BCODP Activate March 2006
After reading the March Activate, I thought I would like to make a few
comments:
I am very impressed with the work of the BCODP Chairperson; - Many
organisations' Chairs do not get involved in the day to day work of the
organisation, but the BCODP chairperson is involved in every aspect of the
work - all this workdone in her own time.
I am also thrilled with the work of the Campaign's Department and will
certainly be contacting them, particularly as I am the Chair of
Leicestershire Visually Impaired Council who also is involved in
campaigning.
Anne's article on her experience on the train made me smile but also
reminded me on how far disabled people still have to go to gain
equality in the travel sphere.
I am pleased that BCODP are having the opportunity to ensure that their view
is heard by the Government and is responding to the Green paper on
Incapacity Benefit. I am a disabled person who is fortunate enough to be
able to work. Even though I am able to work, I have many friends, and in
fact also my own son is not able to work due to incapacity so I am keen to
see that the Government gets it right for all disabled people whether they
work or not and those who don't, should certainly not be punished. It is a
great pity that Society puts such great emphasis on a person's worth by the
work that they do. Surely, it is not what we do but what we are that is the
real us?
I would like to congratulate BCODP on its twenty-fifth year! I hope the
voice of Disabled people will be heard through BCODP for the next
twenty-five years.
Jan Turner
Individual Member.
HOLIDAY INN - a letter to Holiday Inn
Sandy Bedfordshire from Sue Harper.
A letter to Holiday Inn Sandy Bedfordshire from Sue Harper, Thetford
Norfolk. Sue asked me to share this letter will other readers as you may
find it of interest. A copy of this letter was sent to the Claire Laverty at
Intercontinental Hotels guest relations who runs the Holiday Inn Chain.
The Manager, Holiday Inn Sandy Bedfordshire
I write with reference to a booking of a room at your hotel. My husband and
I planned to meet with friends in Sandy and checked availability
via your website for the night of Friday June 16th 2006.
We had never stayed at a Holiday Inn before but had heard that you catered
well for disabled people. On the internet we found a 14 day advance purchase
rate of £45 plus £5 extra person charge was available to us. As we requires
a room with facilities for my husband who is a wheelchair user, we were
saddened to find that your online booking service did not allow us to flag
this up to you as there was no way online to indicate that we required this
type of room. As directed by the online service we rang the central
reservations number. They informed us that we must call your hotel directly
to make arrangements for booking an accessible room.
On Monday May 8th 2006 I called your hotel. A member of your staff answered
and told me that the room would cost £80. When I queried this she explained
that the rate I was quoting was a special internet rate (although staff at
the central reservations number were happy to offer it to us) and that she
could only offer us £80. I explained that we couldn't book via the internet
or central reservations and that I didn't think that she could charge us
extra as we had no option to book on the internet. She could not seem to
grasp that it was unfair to charge us the extra as we had no alternative way
of booking.
I asked to speak to her supervisor or the manager. She informed me that they
were at a conference and wouldn't be able to talk to me. She did not ask for
my contact details so that her supervisor would talk to me later. I told her
that I thought that she could be breaching the Disability Discrimination Act
(DDA). She reduced the rate to £77 and then when I said I thought I would
probably book at the Premier Travel Inn in Bedford, she reduced the rate to
£69. I decided to book as we had friends planning to book at this hotel that
weekend. I gave her my credit card details which my credit card company
confirm were
processed.
Following my call to your hotel, I called the British Council of Disabled
People. They informed me that what had happened was in contravention of the
DDA and asked for your telephone contact details. The following day, Tuesday
May 9th, the staff member called again; she told me that, following a call
from BCODP you had decided to offer me the internet price of £50. I accepted
the new price and she asked for my credit card details again. She assured me
she would cancel the original booking fee and charge me the new price. I
work in office full of people - they were all aware of my indignation at the
original charge and of my second booking. They heard me give my details a
second time.
An hour or so later she telephoned me to say that no accessible room was now
available. She was profuse with apologies stating that it was all her
mistake and how sorry she was. What I couldn't get her to explain was at
which stage had it become 'unavailable' - when I placed the original booking
or in the hour or so since she had taken my second booking? I asked her to
ensure that my booking fee was returned and she assured me that this would
be the case. I subsequently discovered from my credit card company that your
staff member never even debited the new booking fee.
How interesting it would be to know what rate the new occupants of that room
on the night of June 16th would be charged.
BCODP had also called Inter Continental Hotels Guest Relations which
prompted them to phone me direct and I explained what had happened. They
said they would call your hotel. When I called them back Friday May 12th,
they told me your staff had told them that my booking was never confirmed. I
told them that I had given my credit card details and that my card had been
debited. They told me that constituted confirmation. I told them that my
credit card company also told me that my card had been credited with the
refunded £69 on Tuesday when your staff member offered me that new rate of
£50 but that this new amount had never been debited in.
After five days of phone calls backwards and forwards to Yourselves BCODP,
central bookings and guest relations, we end up with no room, a spoilt
weekend, no confidence in the ability of Holiday Inn to deal with the simple
booking of an accessible room for a wheelchair user and the belief that a
Holiday Inn have little ability to train their staff in the simple workings
of the Disability Discrimination Act and the basics of customer service.
We would appreciate some explanation of how this situation occurred. We hope
that your staff will be given proper training in how to deal with such
occurrences in future. In spite of her very polite and courteous phone
manner, she and your hotel have managed to insult us deeply and surprise a
number of friends who assumed an organisation such as Holiday Inn would be
far more efficient,knowledgeable and professional.
Yours sincerely,
Suzanne Harper
www.dating4disabled.com
This web site was developed by a group of volunteers who wanted to provide
more social, intellectual and romantic outlets for disabled people.
The site has gathered members from over 15 countries world-wide. It is a
place for people of all nationalities, backgrounds and life-challenges to
share, connect and just be heard.
Members can come together through forums, a dating service, private chats,
and blogs. The site has also incorporated large font options and supporting
icon
comments to assist the visually challenged.
The members of Dating4Disabled can network internationally in an
understanding, safe and non-committal atmosphere. This unique cyberspace
community facilitates an opportunity for disabled individuals to express
themselves, make friends, and hopefully find a partner for life, with out
the pressure of uncertain face-to-face meetings.
We are told membership is free simple, with a quick two minute sign-up
during which people create a profile which tailors their online preferences
and enables other members to know more about them and what they are looking
for. Members can customize their interactions by type of relationship,
location, interests and more.
As with all chat rooms, private chats and dating sites on the web we
recommend never give out personal information or details like phone numbers
or addresses.
BCODP News Update
Sad Notice from Lothian Centre for Integrated Living (LCIL)
Regular readers will be aware that in the last edition of Activate 58 we
highlighted the plight faced by a cutting edge project run by LCIL the Peer
Counselling Project (PCP). This was a dynamic project in which Disabled
People were being trained as Counsellors for other Disabled People.
Sadly just before going to print I received a letter from Eimear Keohane the
Capacity Building Coordinator at LCIL who told us that due to the lack
of funding this project, which has a history of 13 years successful service
delivery would be closing. LCIL ask other members of BCOCP for support in a
campaign to re-establish a Counselling Service and asks for advice and
guidance from other groups who may have experienced a similar cut in a vital
service provision. If you feel you can help the contact details are: Eimear
at LCIL, Norton Park, 57, Albion Road, Edinburgh EH7 5QY Telephone 0131 475
2350 email: [log in to unmask]
BBC Appearance for Simone Aspis
Simone and Southampton Centre for Independent Living (SCIL) Coordinator, Ian
Loynes appeared together on the
Politics Show in the BBC Southampton area to highlight issues relating to
Disability & Politics.
Correction
In Activate 58 March 2006 we wrongly attributed an article entitled "A
Society without Discrimination?" to Simon Stevens the Chief Executive of
Enable Enterprises. This was incorrect the article was written by Paul
Pinkham. We apologise to Simon for any embarrassment caused.
JUNE 2006 - ISSUE 59
Why Not Join BCODP?
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM
If you are interested in joining BCODP fill in and send the form to Margaret
at BCODP.
Name
Contact address (including postcode)
Telephone number
Fax number
Minicom number
Email
Internet address
Class of Membership:
(See membership Guidelines)
How Would You Like Information Sent To You
Please tick:
Tape
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Standard Print
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Picture Format
Other Format please tell us:
MEMBERSHIP GUIDELINES
Fees per year
Fees Individual Disabled Person
Waged £15 per year
Unwaged Free (or donation)
Individual Supporting member (non disabled) £25.00
Full member groups £50 - £150
(depending on income)
Not sure which category you are then contact:
BCODP - Membership
Litchurch Plaza
Litchurch Lane
DERBY
DE24 8AA
Telephone: 01332 295551
Fax: 01332 295580
Minicom: 01332 295581
Email [log in to unmask]
Or our website: www.bcodp.org.uk
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE
. BCODP produce a quarterly newsletter 'Activate'.
. Access to information.
. Opportunity to be involved in the Disabled People's Movement.
. Promoting the full equality and inclusion of ALL Disabled People.
Any donations are always welcome and support the human and civil rights of
disabled people in Britain.
Well that is it for this Edition of Activate if you have any articles, news
or letters please send them to the British Council of Disabled People's
office in Derby by post, fax or
email!
_________________________________________________
Advertise in Activate?
At low low cost....
Contact:
Rebecca Walker on:
0845 045 1014 for more information
Quarter Page £90
Half Page £140
Full Page £280
Less 10% for 2 issue bookings
_________________________________________________
Activate is available in a range of alternate formats on request. Please let
us know what format you require by telephone 01332 295551, fax 01332 295580,
Minicom 01332 295581 or email to: [log in to unmask]
© Copyright The British Council of Disabled People 2003
No items in this newsletter may be copied or reproduced without written
permission from BCODP.
CODP, Litchurch Plaza, Litchurch Lane, Derby DE24 8AA
Telephone 01332 295551, Fax 01332 295580, Minicom 01332 295581
Email [log in to unmask]
www.bcodp.org.uk
_________________________________________________________________
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