Crippen's back blogging

Crippen's back at his computer with this latest Disability Arts on Line (DAO) blog ... enjoy.

http://www.disabilityartsonline.org.uk/crippen-blog?result=success&offset...

Dave Lupton

aka Crippen - Disabled cartoonist

Crippen's web site - http://www.crippencartoons.co.uk

Crippen's cartoon blog - http://crippencartoons.wordpress.com

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Skegness Butlins bans vulnerable adults group

Twenty-six adults with severe learning difficulties have been told they cannot visit a Butlins holiday resort because large groups are "intimidating".

The Firth Park Friday Club, in Sheffield, has visited Butlins in Skegness for the past 19 years but this year the manager has refused admission.

Butlins said it found "large all-adult groups very intimidating".

Christina Staniland, 86, whose son travels with the club, said the group were "heartbroken" and "angry".

Mrs Staniland, of Longley, said 26 adults and a group of 10 carers from the Friday Club had visited Butlins for a number of years.

'Cried a lot'

However, when the group attempted to book this year's break, they were told large groups were only accepted "at the resort director's discretion".

Mrs Staniland's son Gary, 59, has Down's Syndrome and relies on day and respite care.

She said: "I'm more than angry. I've cried a lot myself. I'm not only fighting for this but to keep the day services and the respite care."

Butlins said in a statement that due to the group size "growing in recent years" it was "unable to accept this group unless they come in two smaller groups on different breaks".

"We are concerned that a group of adults has experienced some inconvenience over a booking they attempted to make through a travel agent," the company said.

"Unfortunately the group has not been in direct contact with us to discuss the situation, but we would welcome the chance to speak with them and resolve this.

"We do not generally accept large all-adult parties during family holiday breaks. In this particular case the party consisted of 36 adults.

"We would be more than delighted to welcome this group if they can be split into two parties on different breaks."

Mrs Staniland said breaking the holiday into two groups on separate dates was not an option as the council funding was only for a certain date.

She said the decision was "shocking" and she could not understand the resort's decision as the group had not received any complaints in the past.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-14063859

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disability arts online - newsletter

  

Disability Arts Online	Listings newsletter
DAO National Disability Arts Bulletin Welcome to the latest edition of the DAO bulletin. This is a free service promoting details of the most recent events and jobs / opportunities within the disability arts field. For more events and jobs / opportunities, please go directly to the listings pages on the DAO website Don't forget that as well as receiving the bulletin, you can also follow us on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/kkks5e and Twitter at http://twitter.com/disabilityarts Best wishes, Colin Hambrook (DAO Editor) If you would like to add details of your events, opportunities or jobs, please post your listings via the online form National events listings: FOUND REALITY THEATRE presents 'Why Must I Be So Black & Blue' 07/07/2011 - 09/07/2011 A cutting edge dance theatre production created by a disabled choreographer with an integrated company of dancers at Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff Musical Explosion 08/07/2011 - 10/07/2011 Musical Explosion is a festival that is accessible regardless of age or disability. There will be three music stages, childrens entertainment and more. The festival takes place at Arena UK in Grantham, Lincolnshire. Wirral Festival of Firsts 08/07/2011 - 10/07/2011 Arts & cultural annual festival celebrating the diversity and talent of the North West The weekend includes arts, culture, literature, poetry, theatre, music and dance The Dinner Party By Katherine Araniello 08/07/2011 Katherine Araniello, well known for her witty and challenging performances for camera, will be appearing live in person in The Dinner Party at Toynbee Studios, London Takeaway: Audio Described Performance 09/07/2011 Another hit musical is coming to Theatre Royal Stratford East: this June, the world premiere production of Takeaway takes to our stage National jobs listings: Outside In Coordinator Location: Chichester, West Sussex | Closing date: 11 July 2011 Remuneration: £21,000 pro rata To take a lead role in developing the Outside In Programme including delivering a major open art competition Creative Landscapes Trail Blazing Commission Location: South East | Closing date: 18 July 2011 Remuneration: £6750.00 inclusive of VAT, travel, expenses and materials. A commission for an arts/ environmental organisation or collective of artists to develop a methodology for delivering an accessible guided tour and stand alone trail, that can be adpated to almost any historic environment. Commission to run from August to Artist/ Organisation wanted to deliver Trail Blazing Location: South East | Closing date: 18 July 2011 Remuneration: £6750.00.00 inclusive of tax, expenses, materials and transport. Creative Landscapes is seeking to appoint a participatory arts/environmental organisation or collective of artists, to deliver “Trail Blazing” in the South East Shape: Wanted - Shape Administrator/ Trainees (3 x Fixed Term Positions) Location: Kentish Town, London | Closing date: 20 July 2011 Remuneration: Various, dependent on role and hours Shape is looking to recruit three professional and confident administrators / trainees to assist in the day-to-day running of a range of arts projects. Online Artists Residency Location: Online | Closing date: 22 July 2011 Remuneration: Artists' fee of £2000 GBP (to include any materials and/or production costs) # Travel, access and accommodation expenses to the UK of up to £1800 GBP to participate in the AND festival 2011 DaDa in partnership with AND are developing an innovative artists' online residency programme. National opportunity and workshop listings: Ability Media International Awards 03/06/2011 - 15/08/2011 These awards celebrate artistically excellent work from virtually every field of the arts and media. Winning works are creatively excellent and either have been produced by disabled people or promote greater understanding of disability issues. Youth Express present drama, animation and art workshops 01/06/2011 - 01/08/2011 Youth Express – Ground breaking arts events across the Eastern Region for young people with physical, hearing and visual impairments. Drama, animation and art workshops exploring pathways and overcoming barriers to creativity. PhotoVoice Training Workshops 25/05/2011 - 22/07/2011 Book now for Designing & Running Participatory Photography 3 Day Training Workshops at HCVS, London E8 The Art House presents Networking and Peer Critique Sessions 06/05/2011 - 31/03/2012 First Monday every month at The Art House, Drury Lane, Wakefield. Next session due to bank holiday - 9th May Salon Art Prize 2011 - Call for Entries 01/05/2011 - 13/08/2011 The Salon Art Prize 2011 is the fifth annual open submission exhibition produced by Matt Roberts Arts at our gallery on Vyner St in East London. Exhibition dates: 7th - 29th October, 2011
www.disabilityartsonline.org.uk

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Your chances of winning appeal revealed by minister

 
Employment minister Chris Grayling has revealed what your chances of winning an employment and support allowance (ESA)  appeal are, depending on how many points you scored at your work capability assessment (WCA).  

We were surprised, in a positive sort of a way, at the figures.  Even for the huge number of people who score 0 points, things aren't as bleak as you might imagine, whilst for people who scored more than six, the odds are most definitely on your side.  Find out what your odds are here.  (All articles are now members only except for the Good News from the Forums. Please see Submit a story below for why).

The odds of getting a job via the work programme, on the other hand, don't look so good.  A report just released by the DWP shows that the chances of finding employment under the flexible new deal – a very similar scheme to the new work programme – were no better than they had been under previous schemes.  And under previous schemes, to the best of our recollection, your chances of getting a job were very little better than for people on no scheme at all.

Work programme providers themselves have been making the news this month for allegedly trampling over workers' rights in relation to transfers of employment, with claims of enforced wage cuts and fake redundancies surfacing in the media and on discussion forums.  

No matter how unscrupulous some of the private sector companies may be,  however, there's no fewer than 500  charities jostling to become sub-contractors to them on the work programme.  After all, at a time of shrinking incomes, getting some sick and disabled claimants into work could be very profitable indeed.  

So much so that one poster on the industry's website refers to claimants transferred from incapacity benefit to ESA as 'Mr Big Bucks' clients before letting out a 'whoop' at the thought of how much cash they bring in.

One 'industry' where there is definitely no-one going whoop, however, is that of legal advice, which is about to be savaged by massive cuts in legal aid.  Welfare benefits is one of the areas of law where, in a bill currently being fast-tracked through the commons, legal aid will end completely.  

As many advice agencies fund their welfare rights workers via this route, axing payments – along with those for debt, employment and most housing advice  – will have a dramatic effect on their income.

Even Ken Clarke's announcement this week of £20 million of transitional funding for advice agencies (external link) is unlikely to avert a wave of redundancies throughout the sector over the next two years, especially as this is less than half the amount provided through legal aid. 

The result for claimants will be that benefits advice will be a great deal harder to find than it already is and representation will probably almost completely disappear.

So, we'd very much value members views on whether Benefits and Work should help reputable welfare rights workers to advertise their services on a freelance basis on our site?  We'd really like to hear from you about this issue.

Someone who will no longer be able to hear from you, sadly, is the After Atos website which collected  evidence from claimants about their experience of the WCA and which we mentioned in our most recent newsletters.  Shortly after our last newsletter went out, unfortunately, a dispute broke out between the site owner and its webmaster, with accusations of 'sock-puppetry' being bandied about and the home page of the site being given over to an attack on the owner by the webmaster.  Now, it seems, the After Atos site has closed down entirely.

SUBMIT A STORY
Finally, before we go on to share some good news from the forums, we'd like to invite you – if you're perhaps a budding journalist or just spend a lot of time reading about benefits issues – to submit news stories to the site.   There's far more goes on in the world of benefits than we have time to report, so if you would like to help keep members informed and get some experience of being published online, this is your opportunity. We've produced some brief guidelines on what to submit and how to do it.

Members can also now comment on any news story in this newsletter.  Comments are no longer pre-moderated, although we will remove any we view as unsuitable.  However, in order to make this viable and to prevent vast amounts of spam and abuse, we have had to restrict access to news articles to subscribing members only.  We apologise to non-subscribing readers for this.

OTHER NEWS
All the latest news is now available from this link.

This includes stories on:

Claimants to be fined £50 for errors on forms

Benefits related suicide

Unum, a conflict of interests?

GOOD NEWS FROM THE FORUMS
DLA reinstated on appeal

Support group for cancer . . .  finally

IB appeal, 14 points for mental health

Placed in ESA support group for fibromyalgia

ESA awarded prior to appeal

WRAG without medical for PTSD

DLA renewal for 5 years

Support group and DLA low rate care on appeals

Higher rate mobility and care indefinitely after fraud investigation

Higher rate mobility and care short form success

0 points to WRAG on appeal

ESA success after 14 years on IB

PLEASE PASS ME ON
Please forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be interested. You are also welcome to reproduce this newsletter on your blog, website, forum or newsletter.

You can read this newsletter online.

Good luck,

Steve Donnison

Benefits and Work Publishing Ltd
Company registration No.  5962666

If you're not already a member, find out how to subscribe to Benefits and Work and give yourself the best possible chance of getting the right decision.

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July Coach Holidays

  editor@uhad2bthere.co.uk&token=47d5f56ae5cae2837106af4ab0cdf4c67290ee7d" border="0" height="1" width="3" /> Bond Holidays - exclusive coach offer

 

Summer Special Offers - Including FREE Return Coach Travel

 The arrival of our brand new 57 seater wheelchair accessible coach has enabled us to provide a fantastic service for our guests, reducing their holiday costs and still providing the same quality they expect from Bond Holidays.

8th - 11th July 2011
Bond Hotel, Blackpool

Enjoy 3 Nights, Dinner which consists of a 3 course meal each evening, bed & breakfast with live entertainment every night.  This holiday package is available with or without coach transport. 

£210.00pp Including Coach Transport

Pick Up Points:-  This package is available to guests living within 50 miles of

FY4 1HG

22nd - 25th July 2011
Bond Hotel, Blackpool or Bond Hotel, St Anne's

Enjoy 3 Nights, Dinner which consists of a 3 course meal each evening, bed & breakfast with live entertainment every night.  This holiday package is available with or without coach transport. 

£210.00pp Including Coach Transport

Pick Up Points:-  This package is available to guests living in the following postcode areas

PR BL OL M HX HD LS WF

If you are outside of these areas please contact us and we will do our best to accommodate you. 

Where ever possible we will be providing a door to door pick up and return service, where this is not practical we will arrange a transfer for you to a convenient location to meet your coach, at our expense.  These holidays will now be a regular service from different areas of the country covering alternative route, providing affordable coach holiday solutions.

For more information, contact 01253 341218 or email sales@bondhotel.co.uk 

Bond Hotel, 120 Bond Street, Blackpool FY4 1HG, Tel: 01253 341218

E-mail: sales@bondhotel.co.uk http://www.bondhotel.co.uk/

editor@uhad2bthere.co.uk&token=1e64995ebf2fca5d5ba6bc3a5537dfe721252775" border="0" height="1" width="3" />

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disability arts online - newsletter

  

Disability Arts Online	Listings newsletter
DAO National Disability Arts Bulletin Welcome to the latest edition of the DAO bulletin. This is a free service promoting details of the most recent events and jobs / opportunities within the disability arts field. For more events and jobs / opportunities, please go directly to the listings pages on the DAO website Don't forget that as well as receiving the bulletin, you can also follow us on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/kkks5e and Twitter at http://twitter.com/disabilityarts Shape will compete in a public vote for £60,000 of funding on ITV’s London Tonight show at 6pm. Please vote for Shape Diamonds campaign today by calling 0871 626 88 46. The telephone voting line is open from 9am-midnight tonight (27th June) and each phone can make ten calls (Calls cost 11p per call from BT landlines). Best wishes, Colin Hambrook (DAO Editor) If you would like to add details of your events, opportunities or jobs, please post your listings via the online form National events listings: Takeaway: Captionned Performance 28/06/2011 Another hit musical is coming to Theatre Royal Stratford East: this June, the world premiere production of Takeaway takes to our stage Takeaway: Signed Performance 02/07/2011 Another hit musical is coming to Theatre Royal Stratford East: this June, the world premiere production of Takeaway takes to our stage. Musical Explosion 08/07/2011 - 10/07/2011 Musical Explosion is a festival that is accessible regardless of age or disability. There will be three music stages, childrens entertainment and more. The festival takes place at Arena UK in Grantham, Lincolnshire. Wirral Festival of Firsts 08/07/2011 - 10/07/2011 Arts & cultural annual festival celebrating the diversity and talent of the North West The weekend includes arts, culture, literature, poetry, theatre, music and dance Takeaway: Audio Described Performance 09/07/2011 Another hit musical is coming to Theatre Royal Stratford East: this June, the world premiere production of Takeaway takes to our stage National jobs listings: DaDaLive Director Location: Liverpool | Closing date: 29 June 2011 Remuneration: Pay: £5,200 fixed fee (to be paid in instalments) DaDaLive are looking to appoint a Director for year two of DaDaLive, on a fixed term freelance position. Field Officer, West Wales Location: West Wales | Closing date: 4 July 2011 Remuneration: £21,261 per annum pro rata, Hours: 17.5 per week Developing disability arts netwroks in West Wales Outside In Coordinator Location: Chichester, West Sussex | Closing date: 11 July 2011 Remuneration: £21,000 pro rata To take a lead role in developing the Outside In Programme including delivering a major open art competition Creative Landscapes Trail Blazing Commission Location: South East | Closing date: 18 July 2011 Remuneration: £6750.00 inclusive of VAT, travel, expenses and materials. A commission for an arts/ environmental organisation or collective of artists to develop a methodology for delivering an accessible guided tour and stand alone trail, that can be adpated to almost any historic environment. Commission to run from August to National opportunity and workshop listings: Ability Media International Awards 03/06/2011 - 15/08/2011 These awards celebrate artistically excellent work from virtually every field of the arts and media. Winning works are creatively excellent and either have been produced by disabled people or promote greater understanding of disability issues. Youth Express present drama, animation and art workshops 01/06/2011 - 01/08/2011 Youth Express – Ground breaking arts events across the Eastern Region for young people with physical, hearing and visual impairments. Drama, animation and art workshops exploring pathways and overcoming barriers to creativity. PhotoVoice Training Workshops 25/05/2011 - 22/07/2011 Book now for Designing & Running Participatory Photography 3 Day Training Workshops at HCVS, London E8 The Art House presents Networking and Peer Critique Sessions 06/05/2011 - 31/03/2012 First Monday every month at The Art House, Drury Lane, Wakefield. Next session due to bank holiday - 9th May Salon Art Prize 2011 - Call for Entries 01/05/2011 - 13/08/2011 The Salon Art Prize 2011 is the fifth annual open submission exhibition produced by Matt Roberts Arts at our gallery on Vyner St in East London. Exhibition dates: 7th - 29th October, 2011
www.disabilityartsonline.org.uk

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Scarlet Road FILM Documentary

Hi from Australia!

 

Have you heard of.... Scarlet Road? It's a documentary,  which follows the extraordinary work of Australian sex worker, who specializes in a long over-looked clientele, people with disability. 

 

We believe strongly in empowering people to live their lives as fully as they wish too; and sex and intimacy is part of that for most most people.

We want to promote the film's important message and that's where you come in.

 

Step 1: Watch the trailer! http://bit.ly/i8CNSR.

Step 2: Interact with the campaign "Face Up" - there's a button under the video.

 

Step 3: Share this on Facebook: "This documentary follows the extraordinary work of Australian sex worker, Impassioned about freedom of sexual expression and the rights of sex workers, she specializes in a long over-looked clientele - people with disability. http://bit.ly/i8CNSR"

 

Step 4: Send the press release to your database/friends:

 

OPEN YOUR MIND … TO WHAT GOES ON BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

 

Impassioned about freedom of sexual expression, Australian sex worker Rachel Wotton specializes in working with clients with disability. The latest documentary from award-winning director Catherine Scott and producer Pat Fiske, Scarlet Road follows Rachel in her relationship with John, diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 26 years ago, and Mark, a client with cerebral palsy. Revealing the therapeutic aspects of human touch and sexual intimacy, this unique film gives voice to two men generously sharing moments of sexual self-discovery. It follows Rachel on a journey to the UK, Denmark and Sweden, where she meets with sex workers and people with disabilities, as well as making quite an impression as a speaker at the World Congress on Sexual Health.

 

In addition to undertaking a Masters in Sexual Health at the University of Sydney, Rachel is an active campaigner for the rights of sex workers. She co-founded the charitable organization Touching Base to connect people with disabilities and sex workers, focusing on access, discrimination, human rights, legal issues and the social stigma that these two marginalised communities can face. One of Rachel’s future aims is the establishment of the world’s first not-for-profit brothel, providing services to clients with disability. 

 

Watch the trailer here and interact with the campaign: http://bit.ly/i8CNSR

 

Thank you greatly! 

 

 

 

 

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How 1 point becomes 15 in bogus medicals

 

When we set out last week to write a relatively brief guide to being moved from incapacity benefit to employment and support allowance (ESA), we knew that we would be highlighting big differences between the two medical tests.

We also knew that we would be revealing a big drop in the number of opportunities to score points for physical health conditions – though we weren't expecting it to be quite so huge.

For incapacity benefit, the personal capability assessment (PCA) had 14 physical activities with 70 point scoring descriptors and a total of 786 points.  Under the work capability assessment (WCA) for ESA there are now just 10 physical activities with 30 descriptors and a total of 330 points. 

That's an almost 60% cut in the number of points available. 

But what we didn't expect to find was that for mental health there are at least three descriptors in the PCA that scored just 1 point, but under the new WCA  they are potentially worth 15 points, depending on the severity of your condition.

We had to ask ourselves how it could be that one day the way your mental health affects you could be worth just a single point and yet, the following day, the same effect could be regarded as so incapacitating that you should score 15 points and be awarded benefits as unable to work.

We also had to wonder how it could be that 60% of the points awarded under the physical health test for incapacity benefit turn out to have been over-generous errors.

The truth, of course, is that both the PCA and the WCA are bogus pseudo-science created largely by  organisations with vested interests in the outcome.  They have nothing whatsoever to do with the reality of the effects of long-term health conditions or disabilities.

We can't change that truth, but we can at least do our best to ensure that if you are an IB claimant you have all the information needed to get every point you are entitled to under the WCA.

Our 24 page 'Being Transferred from IB to ESA' guide  includes:

• Answers to the most common questions about being transferred from IB to ESA.
• The text of the letter you will receive when the process begins.
• A first-hand account from a member of the phone call you will receive from a decision maker – who, as it turns out, could almost have been reading aloud from one of our guides.
• A comparison, where it's possible, of the physical health tests for IB and for ESA  - highlighting the ways in which the tests have changed.
• Suggestions as to which mental health points for incapacity benefit may be relevant to ESA – the tests are too different for direct comparison.
• A comparison of the exemptions and exceptional circumstances for IB and for ESA

Combined with our step-by-step guides to completing the ESA questionnaire and attending a medical, our new guide to the transfer process should ensure that you are as well prepared as it's possible to be for the process you will be obliged to undergo.

If you are a subscribing member, you can download our new guide from the ESA section of the Benefits and Work members area now.

OTHER NEWS
In our last newsletter we wrote about the possibility of becoming self-employed as a way of escaping the treadmill of ESA medicals.

We received lots of comments in response and this highly cautionary tale from one member threatened with prosecution and homelessness for being self-employed.

Former athlete Steve Cram has also become homeless, at least on Facebook, after agreeing to become the Atos ambassador for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games.   His Facebook page appears to have been taken down after it was filled with howls of anger and outrage from sick and disabled claimants.  (We were going to give you a link to his page but, obviously, that's not currently possible)

There are further howls of protest, this time at the BBC, following its decision to close the BBC Ouch Forum next month.  The forum is described by the BBC itself as the 'beating heart' of Ouch, the BBC's disability website.  Users are now being advised by the BBC to go to Facebook and Twitter instead, a suggestion which is being met with fury because of the lack of anonymity and protection from harassment on those platforms.

No outrage, however from Professor Malcolm Harrington.  The government's independent reviewer of the WCA describes himself in an interim report  as 'pleased and gratified' at the progress made by the DWP in making the work capability assessment fairer and more responsive.

Sadly, but perhaps not surprisingly, Harrington does not detail any consultation with claimants, admits that charities have not reported any improvements and entirely ignores the effects of the new, harsher work capability assessment.

Another man with a talent for ignoring large chunks of reality is Chris Grayling, employment minister.  Grayling has shamelessly denied that the government bears any responsibility for the current media hatred campaign against sick and disabled claimants. 

"Sometimes stories run in a way that completely bemuse me," he told the work and pensions committee, adding, however, that "I don't control... the editorial tone of the newspapers." 

Which doesn't mean, of course, that he doesn't privately delight in it or know very well what effect his press releases are likely to have.

Meanwhile, Grayling launched the new work programme last week.  500 charities are now fighting over the scraps the huge private sector providers who won all the big contracts are being obliged to toss to them.  You can download a full list of the charities involved.

There's more snippets in our Stop Press News section, which we're hoping to expand and improve over the next few weeks.  More on that in the next newsletter. 

Harking back momentarily to the last newsletter, we've been asked by the After Atos website we mentioned there to point out that they have an anonymous  survey which people who have had an Atos ESA  medical can complete.  The results are published for use by campaigners.

Finally, as ever, we finish on a cheerier note with some positive feedback from the forum

From 0 to 33 points on ESA appeal

Higher rate mobility and middle rate care backdated for two years

Successful IB to ESA transfer without medical

Won ESA tribunal

Successful ESA appeal

Higher rate mobility for chronic fatigue syndrome

Higher rate care and higher rate mobility on initial claim

DLA tribunal wins ESA appeal

ESA support group with no medical

Higher rate care and higher rate mobility on renewal without medical

6 points to 18 points on ESA appeal

PLEASE PASS ME ON
Please forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be interested. You are also welcome to reproduce this newsletter on your blog, website, forum or newsletter.

You can read this newsletter online. 

Good luck,

Steve Donnison

Benefits and Work Publishing Ltd
Company registration No.  5962666

If you're not already a member, find out how to subscribe to Benefits and Work and give yourself the best possible chance of getting the right decision.
 

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Disabled People will be turned into prisoners

  

PRESS RELEASE Disabled People Against Cuts say Maria Miller the minister for disabled people and the coalition government are betraying the 80,000 disabled people living in residential care homes who will lose their entitlement to the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance in 2013 when it is abolished and replaced by PIP  the Personal Independence Payment. Disabled people living in residential homes will be treated like criminals and deprived of the opportunity to leave their homes and go out into the community or even in many cases to maintain contact with their families. In the 21st century such a move is disgraceful and unacceptable.  Residents in care homes will now face a drop in their incomes of 66% leaving them only £22 a week for all their extra costs such as the cost of toiletries, clothing, outings, travel, and other essential items. Not only has this cut been sneaked in through the back door while the government promised it would research the impact of this vicious cut further but it totally ignores disabled people’s human rights guaranteed by the UNCRPD which was ratified by the UK government less than 12 months ago. A disabled resident of such a care home who has asked not to be named said “ we already pay the charity who run this home 60 p a mile to be driven anywhere by a volunteer driver but if we lose the mobility component we won’t even be able to afford that.” ENDS   Contact – Linda Burnip 0771 492 7533/ 01926 842253 Eleanor Lisney  -07737480378   UNCRPD Article 9 – Accessibility Article 20- personal mobility Article 28 – An adequate standard of living and social protection. ECHR – a right to family life.

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Sh! Celebrates Disability Awareness Day

Sh! Celebrates Disability Awareness Day

Disability Awareness Day on 10^th July turns into a month of celebrating otherness at Sh! Women's Erotic Emporium.

A photographic body of work titled 'Bodies of Difference' by Ashley Savage (www.savageskin.com) will be exhibited in the downstairs gallery at the Portobello Road store, 1 – 31 July. The exhibition is free to visit Monday- Sunday 11am – 7pm. True to the female-focused ethos of the company, the 'Sh! Girlz' ask that men are accompanied by a woman when visiting the store and exhibition.

BODIES OF DIFFERENCE

For as long as I can remember, I have always been drawn towards appearance that is strange or unique, that which falls far outside of the narrow parameters of normative beauty. Within my photographic practice, 'normality' is of interest merely as a means by which to measure degrees of difference in a society that continues, on many levels, to regard that which is extreme as deviant.

The 'Bodies Of Difference' series is an ongoing body of work, a celebration of otherness, aiming to document bodies deemed as atypical, and in doing so, explore and challenge perceptions of disability and sexuality. As a trained counsellor, I am especially interested in the therapeutic application of photography in order to address issues of self esteem and body image.

I am currently looking for funding or sponsorship to facilitate the continuation of this project. I can be contacted via my website,

www.savageskin.co.uk.

Ashley Savage

Notes to Editors:

Sh! Women's Erotic Emporium was the very first shop of its kind to open for women, by women in 1992. The mission was simple: to create a safe, welcoming environment in which women can shop guilt-free for good quality playthings. Everyone is offered a cup of tea when they come in and the knowledgeable and friendly Sh! Girlz aim to make information about sex accessible to all, old or young of whatever sexual persuasion, background or culture. They do welcome men, but only if escorted by a woman.

Sh! were the first to launch the 'Jessica Rabbit' well before it debuted in 'Sex and The City', and the founder, Kathryn Hoyle has been a regular spokesperson promoting the ethos behind the store and the brand and has even been to 10 Downing Street to attend an Aids Awareness Event.

Sh! set up its very own research and development department and works with many NHS trusts offering advice and help on women's health care, particularly at post-surgery dilation stage.

Sh! host plenty of different nights and events at their London stores ranging from workshops, art and photography exhibitions, literary readings and much more. To find out more about the events on offer at this amazing emporium visit the website www.sh-womenstore.com.

To speak with the Shop Manager regarding promotions, events, or to simply find out more about the 'Bodies of Difference' please contact:

renee@sh-womenstore.com  or phone 0207 221 54 76

Sh! Women's Erotic Emporium:

Unit 4, 253 Portobello Road, W11 1LR (corner Lancaster Road)

57 Hoxton Square, London, N1 6HD

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