Do You Want To Go To Space?

The European Space Agency (ESA) has extended its deadline to apply to become an astronaut, looking to take on 26 new recruits (something that only happens once every ten years or so) – and it’s keen to make the application process more diverse.

According to the Guardian, disabled people are now being encouraged to apply for the job for the first time, with the agency opening a parastronaut feasibility project to assess the conditions for including disabled people in space.

Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti commented on the news, saying: “When it comes to space travel, we are all disabled. We did not evolve to go to space. And so [sending an individual with a physical disability into space] becomes a question of technology.”

Of course, competition will be rife and in 2009, only six people were selected from over 8,000 candidates – but you’ve got to be in it to win it, so now’s the time to review your CV and see if you’ve got what it takes to explore the final frontier.

The deadline for applications is June 18th, so there’s still plenty of time to get your CV into the ESA. The organisation is looking for professionals to conduct spaceflight missions to low earth orbit and the moon, fulfilling scientific, technical, administrative and managerial tasks to support the Human Spaceflight Programme.

Duties will include space flight training, operating and maintaining onboard systems, launch and landing operations, and much more. Eligible disabilities include short stature (under 130cm), leg length difference, single or double leg deficiencies below the knee, or single or double foot deficiencies through the ankle.

 

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500 Global Firms Agree To Publish Disability Representation Reports

Some of the biggest companies in the world have agreed to publish quarter reports into disability representation, with the Valuable 500 global disability network saying it has now reached its target of getting 500 major firms to put this on their boardroom agenda.

These companies include the likes of Unilever, Microsoft, Google and Coca-Cola, the Guardian reports, with members of the network held accountable for raising representation through updates and progress reports.

Research by the organisation (which represents firms with annual revenue of more than £5.7 trillion) shows that there are currently no senior managers or executives who have disclosed a disability at any of the biggest UK firms in the FTSE 100. In addition, only 12 per cent report on the total number of staff members who are disclosed as being disabled.

Founder of the Valuable 500 Caroline Casey said: “There is much further to go to achieve true inclusion in the workplace. However, I am confident that as we enter phase two of the campaign, the brilliant businesses on board will continue to have an important and global impact on driving forward disability inclusion worldwide.”

The Valuable 500 was launched two years ago to help unlock the socio-economic value of people living with disabilities all over the world – some 1.3 billion of them! It now represents 20 million employees across 64 sectors and in 36 countries, catalysing the influence of large private sector corporations in both national and international markets.

 

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Accessibility Performance For Smart Heating Apps Revealed

A series of usability tests have been carried out by the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers (RiDC) on smart central heating control apps to find out which ones are the most accessible for disabled and older people.

The apps that underwent testing were Nest, Tado, Honeywell Total Connect Comfort, Netamo, Honeywell Home and Hive. Each one was assessed for characteristics like download, responsiveness and customisation.

They were also tested to see how they could save people energy and money, with features including program modes and open window detection.

Overall, it was found that the Hive app was the only one that performed well across all seven categories, with its clearly displayed features and minimal user interface making it easiest to use for most impairment groups.

CEO of the RiDC Gordon Mccullough said: “Smart-home technology is often championed as a way for disabled and older people to have greater independence at home, which is particularly true for the control of heating and energy use.

“What’s interesting here is the variation in how much the apps can be customised, which unfortunately means that customers may miss out on being able to use some of the features, including those that have the potential to save energy and money.”

A concurrent online survey also revealed that one in four disabled people find they have difficulties using apps in general, with 44 per cent going on to uninstall or stop using them as a result.

If you’re looking for more information on accessible apps in general, not just smart central heating ones, charity Scope has a useful online guide to the various ones available, everything from turning speech into text to finding accessible toilets.

 

Are you looking for disability baths at the moment? Get in touch with Practical Bathing today to find out more.

10-Year-Old Raises £5,000 For Disabled Children’s Charity!

A ten-year-old girl with cerebral palsy from Melton Mowbray has successfully raised nearly £5,000 for a disabled children’s charity by doing a five-mile sponsored walk – the furthest she has ever managed.

Kaci Chapman made a birthday wish to raise money for Newlife the Charity for Disabled Children, which supplies specialist equipment such as beds, seats, wheelchairs, buggies, walking frames and car seats for disabled and terminally ill children, In Your Area reports.

Her mum Kym said: “Kaci was very excited and nervous before we set off, but Newlife CEO and co-founder, Sheila Brown, came to see us off, and once we got going there were friends, family and teachers lining parts of the route, in a socially distanced way, to cheer us on.

“There were lots of people we didn’t know supporting us on the route too. We were very emotional by the time we got home, and Kaci was tired, but she soon bounced back!”

Ms Brown spoke of how thankful she was for Kaci and her family’s support, saying that it has been difficult for the charity over recent months because some of its services have seen a doubling of demand. Some stores have been closed temporarily and many fundraisers cancelled.

Recent research from Nottingham Trent University, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations and Sheffield Hallam University found that the pandemic could see one in ten charities forced to close within 12 months.

The financial impact of the crisis has left almost 40 per cent of charities and community groups in increasing difficulties, so it’s truly heartening to hear of stories like Kaci’s sponsored walk.

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Government Scheme Gives Extra Support For Disabled

Additional help is being made available for disabled people who are continuing to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Express reports that the Access to Work scheme has been extended, which will enable additional support and assistance in several needed areas, meaning there will be extra financial support for disabled people to help them work from home, and grant applications will be fast-tracked for the clinically extremely vulnerable.

This additional financial support will now also cover transport expenses, such as taxi fares and public transport costs if a health condition would prevent them from using public transport during the pandemic. A factsheet is available on the GOV.UK website with more details about the Access to Work scheme.

The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has also produced a range of new resources that are for encouraging employers to consider the benefits of taking on people from a wide variety of backgrounds including, among others, the disabled, older workers and the homeless.

The resources include guidance notes, case studies, and further information on how to attract, recruit and retain workers from a diverse range of backgrounds.

There have also been new resources launched that are designed to help anyone who is experiencing difficulties or concerns with maintaining a safe, social distance during the pandemic.

A downloadable badge stating ‘Please Give Me Space’ is being introduced for people to wear when they go out to encourage others around them to give some space to the wearer.

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Disability Rights UK Criticises FA’s Diversity Code

Disability Rights UK has called the Football Association’s Football Leadership Diversity Code into question, saying that it misses out Britain’s biggest minority in its recruitment targets.

According to the Guardian, the voluntary code (which is supported by 19 of the 20 clubs in the Premier League) calls on signatories to make sure that 15 per cent of all new senior non-coaching roles are taken up by black, Asian or mixed ethnicity candidates.

There is also a similar target of 30 per cent for roles filled by women, but no targets have been included for disabled people.

The code itself was released after a three-month consultation period, with the publication coinciding with greater focus on representation in sport more broadly, not just where football is concerned.

Kamran Mallick, chief executive of the advocacy group, said it is unsurprising to see such a big institution release a diversity statement and neglect to mention disabled people.

“Diversity isn’t about any one single aspect of an individual’s make-up, it’s about the intersectional dimension. The multiple levels of discrimination and exclusion that are experienced.

“The Premier League is one of the richest in the world and yet it continues to exclude disabled people, their passionate supporters, the potential supporters, employees and those in positions of influence and power. The message this gives to the general public is that it is OK to exclude disabled people,” he went on to say.

Last year, Sport England and UK Sport announced action to address the issue of diversity of sports boards, following the publication of the Diversity in Sport Governance report revealing that although women now make up 40 per cent of board members across UK Sport and Sport England funded bodies, areas like disability and ethnicity are still challenging.

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Charity Gets £12m To Build Accessible Smart Homes

The Scottish Government has approved a £12m loan to specialist housing and care provider Blackwood Homes and Care to enable the construction of 160 smart homes for disabled people in Scotland.

The government’s charitable bond scheme chose the care organisation because of its ability to improve the quality of disabled people’s lives, given them an opportunity to live independently at home, according to Access and Mobility Professional.

The new homes will include electronic sliding doors, underfloor heating, solar panels, and electric blinds. There will also be rise and fall surfaces and cupboards in the kitchen, and a fully accessible bathroom.

The smart appliances will be integrated into CleverClogs, Blackwood’s personal care digital platform. This can be used to control heating and lighting, as well as provide video calling services, and schedule appointments and medication reminders.

Debbie Collins, finance director at Blackwood, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to receive this backing from Allia C&C. This will enable us to deliver more accessible housing across Scotland. There is huge demand for these homes and with an ageing population we need to build more for all of our futures.”

The Scottish Housing Minister, Kevin Stewart said that the new homes will provide better choice and adaptability for people living with disabilities, as well as their families, and improve the quality of their independent living.

“Everyone deserves a home that suits their needs, and that’s why we’re investing in charitable bonds to deliver more affordable, accessible and efficient homes across Scotland. To date, our £172 million investment in the programme has provided development finance for over 1,200 affordable homes,” he said.

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Disabled US Vlogger Shines Light On UK Toilet Accessibility Issues

While bringing accessibility to your own bathroom, whether that’s disability baths or grab rails, is one thing, outside of the safe space of your own home, it’s clear that the level of accessibility equipment can vary, making what is an essential process less than easy for many with disabilities.

While those in the UK may be used to the range of accessibility in public bathrooms, it becomes much clearer the limitations when an outsider is exposed to them. That’s the story that has come to light this week, as a wheelchair user and disability vlogger from the US was forced to endure inadequate facilities in a British train station.

Shane Burcaw, who has a muscle wasting disease and needs to use a travel urinal, posted the video on his social media channels, drawing the attention of major news outlets in the UK. It chronicles his struggle to use the device as the accessible bathroom at St Pancras International train station did not have a pull down table, forcing him to use it on the dirty floor.

The video of Shane and his girlfriend Hannah, which the couple describe themselves as ’embarrassing’ shows the struggle of trying to find a spot for him to use the device.

The lack of a table in adult accessibility bathrooms is a problem in the UK Shane says: “Not only is this a problem for me, but it’s a problem for people with or without disabilities who have children that need a changing table,” he said, reported the Daily Mail.

Despite this, he said that the couple were impressed by accessibility in the UK in general, rating it far higher than he experiences in the US.

Call Made For New Minister For Disabled Children & Families

The call has been issued for the appointment of a new minister for disabled children and families in order to ensure that those with disabled children can take advantage of more robust joined-up support.

Charity Scope has launched its Now Is The Time campaign, calling on the government to lead the way on this issue, with 41 per cent of those asked with a disabled child under the age of five saying that they weren’t offered any emotional support either during or after diagnosis.

Not only that but research also shows that just 25 per cent of adults believe parents with a disabled child can have the same aspirations for their children as parents of a non-disabled child.

The new minister would provide businesses, charities, organisations, disabled families and members of the public with a focal point inside government. It would also enable the prime minister to show just how committed her government is to disabled children, while optimising the effectiveness of policy implementation.

Director of policy at the charity Anna Bird said: “Parents of disabled children are being let down by a system and a society that is working against them not for them. This needs to change.”

Further research from Scope shows that 49 per cent of disabled working age adults feel excluded from society, while 41 per cent say they don’t feel valued. And 42 per cent admitted that they don’t believe the UK to be a good place for disabled people.

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