September 2004September 2004
download pdf version 
download text version For your information needs contact Manisha, Richard or Marlon on 01926 889349 or
email info@cdp.org.uk. Or use www.cdp.org.uk
CDP Needs You!
CDP is looking for new Disabled Trustees / Committee members. If you think that you would like to become involved in our organisation you need to be a Disabled person, understand the 'social model of disability', be supportive of the work of CDP and be a member. For information please write to your nearest office, Tel: 024 76675802 or email director@cdp.org.uk for details of the role and responsibility of the Board of Trustees/Executive.
Are you a Disabled Person? - Do you want to make a difference to your community? Become an active network member. CDP is currently supporting an active network of Disabled People in Coventry and Warwickshire. We want you to have a say and join one of our emerging forums.
Disability - 2004 and Beyond - CDP is planning a Warwickshire and Coventry conference hopefully for 3rd December (International Day of Disabled People) to benchmark October 2004 and looking to the future for Disabled people in Warwickshire and Coventry. Warwickshire College has already kindly offered the conference room at the Trident Centre as its contribution. We are currently looking for funding - If you are interested, want to get involved, have ideas and want to help plan the day contact admin@cdp.org.uk.
Annual General Meeting - The Council of Disabled People is holding its AGM during the day of Thursday October 28. We will be sending out details to all members at the end of September.
CDP is producing The Children and Young Person's Guide to Disability for families and Warwickshire Schools and Children's agencies. We are currently producing a new version of the Children's guide for the Warwickshire area. The project is being funded by SureStart and the Children's Fund and will be presented in three formats; we are compiling a website directory, a CD ROM and a paper guide. As part of the research process we are holding a series of consultations with Disabled young people and parents to hear their views about accessing information. Autumn dates for consultation meetings: 18 September in Stratford, 11 October in Stratford. Dates to be fixed in Warwick District and Rugby. There has also been a widespread media campaign and meeting have been held with representatives from local voluntary and statutory organisations.
If you are a Young Disabled Person or a parent of a Disabled child we invite you to participate in the visual arts competition. We need you to design a poster for the promotion of the Guide.
If you wish to have further detail contact Marlon Nyirenda at research@cdp.org.uk
Are you an Asian Disabled Person and/or a Carer? - CDP facilitates a group that meets every Tuesday at the Sikh Community Centre in Leamington Spa. Times are 1.30 to 3pm. Activities included learning about computers, poetry writing, photography, sewing, having a say in community planning and lots more. The group is run by Naresh Jain. For more information Tel: 01926 889349.Disabled Refugees in Coventry - CDP is researching Disabled refugees/asylum seekers' experiences of using services and matching it with organizational experience. Details from Tony Walsh 024 76712984. Email justice@cdp.org.uk
Cariba: Coventry Caribbean Women's Group - will be offering health advice on diabetes, eye and foot care, blood pressure tests, a fashion show, free lunch on Saturday 25th Sept, 2004 at West Indian Community Centre 159 Spon End, Coventry CV13BB Tel: 024 76223830 fax 024 76230054
Free Low Energy Light Bulbs - The CDP Black and Ethnic Minority Disability Project are offering free low energy bulbs (they last for about 12 years) to Disabled people from the BME communities in Coventry and Warwickshire. Contact Aggrey Nhiwatiwa email bme@cdp.org.uk Tel: 024 76716217.
The following communities have already benefited:
Advice of the Week - If you are disabled get empowered and get a free benefits check from Citizen Advice Bureau TWICE a year. Some benefits change after six months. CAB will have someone who speaks your language. If they do not have an interpreter, then contact the CDP office to help find a solution. Remember it is up to the BME communities to make the effort. We will support you if you do not get help.
Open day for Chinese Women - on 5th October, 10am-3pm (free lunch at 12pm)
Coventry and Warwickshire Chinese Community Association, 23 Queens Road, Coventry CV1 3EG Contact: Margaret Tse (pronounced si) Tel: 024 76230930. Email coventrychinese@yahoo.co.uk Margaret can also interpret your charity brochure into Chinese language.
Personal Development - courses to build confidence are being offered by Citee email mail@citee.org.uk visit the website at: www.citee.org.uk Tel: 024 76220990. Administrator is Fleur Waite.
The Spinal Injuries Association is welcoming people from the BME communities. her brochure is testimony to this. It is written in: Farsi Tel: 02088155283, Somali 02088155286, Albanian 02088155280, Arabic 02088155281, Bengali 02088155282, Turkish 20288155287, Greek 02088155284, Traditional Chinese 02088155289, Gujarati 02088155285, Urdu 02088155288, English 0800980 0501
Email sia@spinal.co.uk
Web
www.spinal.co.uk
DDA-Day - 1st October is DDA-Day, the day when important new parts of the law enabling disabled people to have equal access to employment opportunities and services comes into force. Please be aware that by the 1st October you have new rights within law. If you have any enquiries about your rights or have trouble accessing services contact us at info@cdp.org.uk or justice@cdp.org.uk
Be Free 2 Pee for Equality - SCOPE is asking Disabled People to take part in a 'Big Night Out' on Friday 1 October, in order to highlight problems accessing toilets when enjoying a night out. From October, the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) Part III requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments to avoid discriminating against Disabled people. Scope is asking people to visit their usual haunts and complete a short access survey. "Whether participants decide to visit a restaurant, cinema or bar, being able to use a toilet is a basic human right." You can complete or download the survey Monday 4 October. CDP has been sent an invitation for all three, if you wish to attend at your own travelling expense please email director@cdp.org.uk.
Discriminating Treatment? - Disabled people and the health service. Disability Rights Commission is holding fringe events at each party conference. Liberal Democrat Conference on Monday 20th September in Bournemouth, Labour Party Conference on Wednesday 29th September and Conservative Party Conference on Monday 4th October. CDP has been sent an invitation for all three, if you wish to attend at your own travelling expense please email director@cdp.org.uk.
No Accessible Conference Venue in Britain - At the one-day TUC Disability Conference last July, delegates were shocked when they were told "it is regretted that no UK cities can currently provide what is needed for this event: a fully accessible venue with enough suitable bedrooms within the host resort/town". The TUC has contacted all historically recognised centres - such as Brighton, Blackpool, Bournemouth and Scarborough to host the 2-day TUC Disability Conference and none of these centres can fulfil the needs of disabled people until at least 2007.
Motability - is introducing changes that aim to improve customers' experience of the scheme. A new online system will make applications to the Scheme's hire and purchase car schemes much quicker and easier for both new and renewing customers, while the launch of the Motability Dealer Partnership will enhance the actual experience of visiting a car showroom.
Extended Rights for Disabled Workers - From 1 October 2004 about 10 to 16 million adults who should be protected by the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), will have more rights in the area of employment and access to goods and services.
For the first time employers with fewer than 15 staff will have to ensure that their business does not discriminate against Disabled people in areas like recruitment, training and promotion - or within the working environment as a whole. Employers with 15 staff or more are already required to meet these duties.
Service providers already have some duties under the DDA not discriminate against disabled customers. From October, they will be required to make reasonable adjustments to any physical barriers that prevent disabled people from using their service by a reasonable alternative means.
For further information contact: www.disability.gov.uk/dda
Independent Living Show - Wembly Exhibition Centre, London Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 September 2004. Free on-line registration is available on their
web-site: http://london.independentlivingevents.co.uk
'WorkRight' Mencap is to launch a corporate-backed campaign to increase the number of people with a learning disability in employment. WorkRight, a scheme that helps employers to foster a supportive working environment is backed by the Citigroup bank and Pitney Bowes Management Services.
New service for Disabled People in Central and South Warwickshire
RAMP NEEDS MENTORS (Raising Awareness through Mentoring and Personal Support) In Central and South Warwickshire there is a pilot service designed specifically to assist Disabled people into employment and supporting businesses to employ skilled Disabled people: Raising Awareness through Mentoring and Personal Support project (RAMP).
The project is an innovative partnership between the Council of Disabled People in Warwickshire for the Mentoring in Business Scheme, CSWP Ltd/Connexions for the Personal Advisor scheme supporting Disabled people into employment, and Warwickshire County Council (WCC) for the Business Link work with support from a number of agencies.
The scheme offers businesses both large and small the opportunity to contribute towards their local community through enabling members of staff to become mentors. A volunteer mentor will in turn learn everything a business needs to know about complying with the latest instructions contained in the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) legislation coming fully into force on 1 October 2004 and will be classed as the Disability 'champion' within their own workforce.
Volunteer mentors will be trained in mentoring skills, disability equality and the DDA, with the course designed specifically to address confidence boosting skills, training needs, career development and the problems that Disabled people face when trying to gain suitable employment.
The RAMP team Personal Advisor will offer an accessible, confidential environment in which to carry out a detailed assessment of needs that will also incorporate details of employment vacancies, opportunities for further development in the job market, higher education, and training, with all assessments offering guidance and information carried out on a one to one basis taking into consideration a person's own ability and suitability to all posts.
Working closely with the RAMP team is the Disability Employment Link Service offered by WCC - the Employment Link Officer will provide businesses/organisations with useful information regarding Disability whilst promoting the needs of Disabled people in the employment sector and awareness of compliance with the DDA.
If you would like further details about the mentoring scheme, or information regarding the RAMP Project and the services that we can offer you or your organisation, please do not hesitate to contact the Mentoring Co-ordinator Ian Smith at ramp@cdp.org.uk or Tel:/text phone 01926 423983.
Disabled Children and their Families suffer from an acute lack of support and services over the summer holidays, according to a new report from children's charity Barnardo's.
The report, Postcards from Home, said local leisure facilities, holiday playschemes and sports activities often excluded disabled children because of health and safety fears, lack of funding and inaccessible venues. A spokesperson for the charity said, "disabled children and their brothers and sisters suffer an acute lack of summer holiday activities that other families take for granted". Neera Sharma, one of the authors of the report, added: "Disabled children need organised activities even more than other children, as most cannot just go out to play during the holidays."
Families with disabled children also said they faced prejudice on days out with negative and unhelpful attitudes from leisure services staff and the general public. The main issue is a shortage of public cash and specially trained staff to offer support. It is estimated that a holiday scheme that costs £21 for a child on a one adult to five children ratio, costs £66 for a child who needs one to one care, researchers found. Barnardo's is calling for more long-term funding from the government to guarantee that mainstream leisure facilities and activities are inclusive of disabled children's needs. The Guardian
CDP contact details:
Director
Judith Stephenson on 024 76675802 or director@cdp.org.uk
Secretarial Support
Francisco-Jose Rodriguez on 024 76675802 or admin@cdp.org.uk
Social Justice Team Coordinator
Paul Tolley on 024 76716217 or paultolley@cdp.org.uk or justice@cdp.org.uk
Information Research Worker
Manisha Vadgama on 01926 889349 or info@cdp.org.uk
Web-site Designer/Coordinator
Richard Proffitt on 01926 889349 or web@cdp.org.uk
Children's Fund Project, Information Researcher
Marlon Nyirenda on 01926 889349 or research@cdp.org.uk
BME Rights and Participation Worker
Aggrey Nhiwatiwa on 024 76716217 or bme@cdp.org.uk
Coventry Social Justice Team
Tony Walsh, Co-ordinator on 024 76712984 or justice@cdp.org.uk
Accounts and Clerical Support
Carol Hunt on 024 76716217 or carol@cdp.org.uk or
Melanie Jones on 024 76712984 or justice@cdp.org.uk
Information and Advice in Coventry
Lamber Sandhu on 024 76712984 or justice@cdp.org.uk
Jobs & OpportunitiesTelephone Answerer Pool, Radio 2 (vacancy no: 75681)
Close Date: 05/10/2004
Job Ref: 75681
Department: Radio 2, Radio & Music
Location: Birmingham
Grade: 02H
Contract Length: 1 month
Contract Type: Contract, Part Time
Telephone Answerers (casual pool) Radio 2, Birmingham We're creating opportunities to work as a Telephone Answerer on a casual contract basis with BBC Radio 2, which is the nation's most listened to radio station. Every night of the year, we broadcast live music shows - Janice Long, Alex Lester, Bob Harris, Helen Mayhew and Mo Dutta. The interaction form callers is crucial to the success of these programmes and hundreds of listeners phone in each night with their texts and calls. You'll be part of a team of Telephone Answerers based at the new stat of the art BBC studios in Birmingham's Mailbox. As well as assessing calls from listeners, you'll act as a point of contact with the public for the shows. You'll need an excellent telephone manner, experience of dealing with the public, the ability to deal with pressure, as well as the willingness to work 4 hour night shifts. You should have audience awareness and knowledge of Radio 2's programmes and the music that our listeners enjoy. The work is will be offered on an ad-hoc nature (ie. no more than 4 weeks at any one time), offered at short notice and will not constitute regular employment.FOR SALE
Manual Wheelchair
ECHO 2000, Bottle Green.
Has little wheels, needs to be pushed.
Cost: £150 ono
Contact: Mrs Solinkski 024 76596792
(Radford Area)
Disclaimer Note
The CDP whilst producing and disseminating information that is correct to the best of our knowledge does not take responsibility for any views or comments or inaccuracies of information from external agencies.