Disabled People & Asylum Seekers Team Up For Mural Painting

A new mural has appeared on the site of a community centre in Easton in Bristol, the handiwork of disabled people and asylum seekers, who came together to depict some of the barriers they face in today’s society.

According to the Disability News Service, the mural – which was unveiled to mark Human Rights Day on December 10th – is also meant to act as a tribute to a disabled asylum seeker who was murdered in 2016.

Mike Steel from Bristol Reclaiming Independent Living (BRIL) explained that the project had brought deaf campaigners together with people from refugee and disabled people’s organisations.

He said: “One of the ideas behind the whole mural is that covid has exposed or magnified what’s been going on anyway… the exclusion that disabled people, people with chronic illness, feel.”

The mural itself is the latest to be produced over the last ten years through the Disability Murals project. The project was led by artist Andrew Bolton, with support from BRIL, the Thinking Futures social sciences festival and the Quartet Community Foundation, among others.

One of the ideas in the artwork was a chain with broken links, symbolising how the pandemic has resulted in the breaking of many of the links that had helped both disabled people and asylum seekers in the past.

Other similar works of art created by Disability Murals can be seen in London, Norwich and Frome, involving local disabled people from the communities there. Andrew Bolton also worked on a similar project in Bolivia – and a video about the work can be viewed on the website.

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Inclusive Curling Taster Sessions Held In Edinburgh

As part of Parasport’s Tokyo 2020 Games-time activation, Winter Paralympic Games medallist Aileen Neilson made her way to Edinburgh to inspire young curlers with a special taster session in the sport.

According to the Ealing Times, wheelchair curling star Neilson – a three-time World Championship medallist and the mixed competition bronze medal holder at Sochi 2014 – paid Curl Edinburgh a visit to showcase the sport to the next generation of talent.

Jo Parker, 51, took to the ice for the first time at the event and was so impressed with it that she decided then and there to sign up with a curling club.

She said: “It’s a sport I’ve always followed – I didn’t realise there are such opportunities for disabled people, so I was really happy to find out I did have the chance to take part.

“Aileen’s an absolute legend, so it’s been an absolute privilege to get a one-on-one coaching session with her. It’s a lot harder than it looks when you’re watching it on TV – but I like to give everything a try. If you don’t try, you might not know if you’re fantastic at something, so give it a go!”

Wheelchair curling can be played by people with a wide range of different disabilities, whether they use their wheelchair for daily living or simply for sport.

All that’s required is coordination to hold a delivery stick and sufficient strength to push the granite stone along the ice. The only difference between wheelchair curling and regular curling is that the stones are thrown from a stationary wheelchair and there’s no sweeping involved.

 

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Arthritis Sufferers ‘Missing Out’ On Home Adaptations

If you’re suffering from something like arthritis, home adaptations such as bath lifts aren’t a luxury, they’re a necessity.

The UK’s social care system does support a range of adaptations that can be carried out for arthritis sufferers, however, the majority of people haven’t been made aware of this, according to Home Care.

According to new research from Arthritis Research UK, as many as 80 per cent of those with arthritis who are eligible for support are missing out on this kind of helpful equipment – and with 17 million living in the UK with arthritis-related illnesses, it’s a significant chunk of people.

Morgan Vine, campaigns manager at Arthritis Research UK, said that of those that are aware, even fewer have been assessed and provided with equipment.

“We need both local authorities and central government to work with us to make sure their legal obligations are met – to improve people’s lives and to ease the pressure on our already strained social care system,” she said.

Of course, not everyone will be eligible to receive support such as this, or have the time to endure a lengthy wait for approval. If you’re not, it’s essential that you make the necessary changes at home that will mean you can stay safe and remain living independently for longer.

Many Dementia Patients Wait Years For Diagnosis

There is a huge disparity between the care of dementia sufferers around the country, with people in some areas having to wait years to be given a diagnosis.

The Alzheimer’s Society revealed research that looked at dementia detection across England and found many GPs are reluctant to give elderly people a label and, therefore, fail to offer them a diagnosis at all.

Figures from NHS Digital showed dementia patients in some locations were twice as likely to be diagnosed than if they lived elsewhere, the Daily Mail reported.

Chief executive of the charity Jeremy Hughes told the news provider some people wait years for an outcome, and 207,000 patients with dementia are currently left undiagnosed.

He said: “You would expect [a timely diagnosis] with any other disease and the fact that people with dementia don’t get it is denying their right to know what’s wrong with them.”

Mr Hughes noted that many people are turned away because they appear too young. However, he stated the assumption that Alzheimer’s is a condition that only old people suffer from is “false”.

West Somerset has the lowest levels of diagnosis, with only 42.6 per cent of patients with dementia having it confirmed. Comparatively, Stockton-on-Tees has the best diagnosis rates at 91.2 per cent, showing the stark difference between the two areas.

Those who do suffer from dementia need to make sure they make changes to their home so it is safe for them to live in.

Channel3000 advised assessing the condition of the patient and what they can manage first. Bathroom modifications, such as installing bath lifts, is advisable, as this helps those who struggle to get in and out of the bath on their own.

Sufferers should also have childproof latches on medicine cupboards, safety knobs on the stove, and locks where knives, matches, scissors and cleaning products are kept.

New Arthritis Drug Offer Hopes For Sufferers

As you grow older, you often need more help than you used to with everyday tasks, but with modern technology, from bath lifts to stair lifts, you can get back your independence around the home. While there are plenty of various ailments and illnesses that can lead you to needing a bath lift, rheumatoid arthritis can be one of the most debilitating affecting mobility and causing difficulty with daily tasks.

However, this week there has been an exciting announcement which is great news for sufferers of this condition who are looking for a new treatment. Pfizer, a pharmaceutical provider, have now been granted a license in the UK to provide the drug Xeljanz for patients.

The tablet, which is taken twice a day orally, works by inhibiting the signal pathway which contributes to swelling and painful joints. Although there are several medications available in the UK for treatment of arthritis, every patient reacts differently and some work better than others.

Founder and chief executive of the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society spoke to the Express about how the lives of rheumatoid arthritis sufferers had been completely transformed over the last 40 years, however, noted its limitations: “Not every patient responds to their treatment and people can still experience significant limitations to what they can do and achieve because of their condition so, in spite of fantastic progress in rheumatology, there remains a need for different treatments.”

In the UK, 690,000 people are affected by the condition, the majority of whom are women. It’s a long term condition that doctors try best to manage over time, testing and determining what treatments work best for individuals. You can also have periods where pain is less, and flare-ups where the pain can be worse for an extended period of time.

‘Contact The Elderly’ Launches Friendship Event In Taunton

Old people who live alone sometimes struggle making friends, which is why one charity is helping them connect with others in the same boat.

The Contact the Elderly organisation helps those over the age of 75 to meet up through monthly Sunday afternoon tea parties so they do not feel as lonely or isolated.

Taunton is the latest location that has taken up the initiative, and those living in the town can get picked up from their home by a volunteer driver and taken to a host’s house for tea and a chat, the Somerset County Gazette revealed.

Regional development officer for the charity Helen Ker said: “For older people who live alone, Sundays can be particularly long and difficult.”

She added that these afternoons give the elderly an opportunity to make new friends and get out of the house, adding: “The monthly events make a real difference to the lives of those in the group and we would encourage anyone interested in coming along … to get in touch.”

The initiative began in 1965 and has since supported more than 100,000 older people, particularly helping those who have very little contact with friends or family.

A children’s book has just been released to highlight the issue of loneliness and raise awareness about helping others who are more vulnerable.

James and the Amazing Gift by Nicola J Rowley has been launched just in time for Christmas to encourage children to learn more about spreading happiness to others, and £1 from each sale will go towards Contact the Elderly.

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