Holiday in Benidorm

We had a recommendation from Joseph James Cardwell following his holiday at a Service Group Hotel in Benidorm.  Access isn’t just about having the appropriate adaptions, the right training and just the willingness to help are also important.

“In October 2015 I went on my holiday to Spain Benidorm. Everything went ok on the flight, we were picked up on time and taken to the 3 star hotel Helios. Outside and inside the rooms were very clean.  The weather was hot, the food was good with plenty of it and the nightlife stops at 4am, if you can keep up with it. Every day I would go down to the pool in the afternoon and swim for an hour.” 

Joseph was particularly impressed with the support of the lifeguard. While the pool was not specifically adapted, seeing that Joseph was not using the pool, the lifeguard on duty approached him and offered him assistance to get in and out. Being able to swim each day made a real difference to his enjoyment of his holiday. 

Useful Car Products

Pinpoint
Do you have difficulty refilling your car? With a Pinpoint key fob simply press the button and you can stay in the driving seat while a member of staff refuels your car. With over 200 participating garages, the nearest to the NeuroMuscular Centre is at Sainsburys in Northwich. www.pinpointbycontacta. co.uk.

 
Eurokey
Yet another thing to add to your keyring if it doesn’t already look like it belongs to a prison warder.  If you find a Radar key useful and are travelling in Switzerland, Austria, Germany or the Czech Republic you may find that you will need a Eurokey. The universal key gives access to disabled
toilet facilities as well as lifts and cloakrooms. www.eurokey.ch

Pumpkin Universal Air Vent Magnetic Car Mount Holder & Cradle

If you keep loosing your phone down the side of your seat this, useful magnetic gadget sticks your phone on your dashboard.  Sanjay uses his big heavy Samsung Galaxy Note 4 in his VW Transporter. It doesn’t interfere with the operation of the phone or the bluetoothness. The phone stays in place over speed bumps and potholes.  

Useful Travel Websites

3Hfund.org.uk
Last year, 3H helped over 750 disabled people, and their carers, to get a break away. They provide subsidised group holidays for the physically disabled at well researched venues – giving their carers a valuable period of respite at the same time.

lyneal-trust.org.uk
The Lyneal Trust offers adapted canal boats and cottage holidays for day trips or full week holidays in beautiful North Shropshire for people with disabilities, their family, friends and carers. 
abta.com/tips-and-latest/accessible-travel ABTA has a checklist for disabled and less mobile passengers that can be completed and sent to your travel agent to identify your requirements and provide appropriate support.

hoegrangeholidays.co.uk
These attractive log cabins in the Peak District were winner of the 2015 Catey’s Accessibility Award and are one of this year’s finalists of the Access for All Tourism Award. 

openbritain.net
This well designed website for accessible tourism in the UK lets you to filter holidays that meet your specific access needs to find suitable destinations and places to stay, whether this means wheelchair access or bathroom adaptations.  All of the properties are self-assessed, however if you are looking for some extra assurance look out for the Visit England logo on venues that have been professionally assessed.

pitchup.com
Fancy a bit of glamping in a pod in the middle of Wales or a caravan holiday. This site includes a filter for sites with disabled facilities.

accessibleguide.co.uk
Packed with over 200 inspiring ideas for fantastic worry-free days out with reviews, hints and tips on some of the UK’s best attractions written by and for disabled people.

Trains Taxis in the UK by Jon McVey

Rail
Travel assistance is Network Rail’s service to make rail services more accessible for people with disabilities.  If you have difficulty walking long distances, use a wheelchair or scooter the service can help with getting on and off trains. It is recommended to book at least 24 hours before your journey to give time to make arrangements if for example, the station is not step free.

My experiences have been very good, each time an attendant with a ramp was ready in good time to board the train and my natural apprehension has always been alleviated when someone was waiting at the destination station, although just in case, I always carry the Travel Assistance contact number. 

There are reports where people have had  difficulties because the assistance has not been there or they have the wrong ramp for the type of carriage, but for the most part it
seems to work.

For a list of contacts visit nationalrail.co.uk and search for “Information for disabled passengers”

Taxis

I recently visited London to participate in a research project and was quite apprehensive because it was the first time I had gone in my wheelchair and had been told to get a black cab.  At Euston there was a designated rank and as soon as we arrived a cab pulled up and set up a ramp. It was tight but boarding was not a problem. All cabs also have an intermediate step and high visibility grab handles to help people with limited mobility enter the vehicle. I was impressed that on each occasion when hailing a taxi in the middle of London the first available cab always stopped without hesitation, although admittedly one cabbie was enthusiastic to try his ramp having just completed “the knowledge”.  Apparently all licensed black cabs drivers receive training and their cabs are wheelchair accessible.

Saga Respite Trust - respite for older carers

More than six million people in the UK provide unpaid care to their loved ones. This figure is expected to rise to around nine million in the next 25 years. 

Many provide much needed care 24 hours a day with little or no opportunity for a short break, let alone a holiday.

Carers often put their own lives, careers, health and relationships on hold in order to look after relatives. The Saga Respite for Carers Trust was set up to try and help redress the balance by providing a much needed holiday for the carer and a friend. The award also includes spending money and if required the payment of professional respite care for their loved ones to ensure continuity of care.

Award winners come from all over the UK, with most looking to the sun for a chance to recharge their batteries, while others choose to remain in the UK, visiting parts of the country they have longed to see but put on hold while caring for their loved one.

Are you a carer in need of a break?
The period for submitting nominations for 2016 is now open, and will close on 31st August 2016.
The carer should be aged 50 or over, not be a professional carer and have been caring for someone for more than a year without having taken a significant holiday away within the last year.

You can apply yourself or nominate someone you think deserves it. For details, visit: www.saga.co.uk/saga-charitable-foundation.aspx, or send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Saga Respite for Carers Trust, Enbrook Park, Folkestone, Kent CT20 3SE, and a paper form will be sent out to you.

If you are thinking of applying for this you will also want to consider a carer’s assessment to look at the different ways that caring affects your life and work out how you can carry on doing the things that are important to you and your family. For more information contact your local council.

Do you need to be Red Flagged? by Karen Pritchard

Do you have adrenal insufficiency or are you a pituitary patient who takes hydrocortisone? If you are then contact your local ambulance trust to Get Red Flagged on their system. If you ever call 999, you will be flagged for priority attendance by a vehicle carrying emergency hydrocortisone.

Adrenal crisis is life threatening.  I had a crisis and it was very frightening - this is why it is so important to be red flagged as a safety precaution.

How to get Red Flagged, E-mail the Pituitary Foundation for a fact sheet on how to do this: emily@pituitary.org.uk or telephone 0117 370 1310 for advice.

“You Need Not Stay Silenced” by Ryan Worth

My name is Ryan Worth.  I’m 22 and have Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy so that I’m wheelchair bound.

I have recently become the newly elected North West Young Labour Disabilities Officer. This is a fantastic opportunity not just for myself but also for those with disabilities and their families to have someone like me to represent them - someone who is experiencing the same lack of support in certain areas.  I joined the Labour party in 2010 and was just a member until last year when I attended my first meetings.  I enjoyed it and wanted to become more involved.  I could see the under-representation of the Disabled, LBGT and BAME  population and knew that I could do more.

Before this, I was the type of person who was against injustices but would do nothing about it.  However, I realised that I had to do something - I had to be anti-injustice and not just complain within my family home.  I struggle to get to certain events due to the state of the social care system, but when I can make it I will fight for injustices and for better rights for disabled people.

I heard of the North West Youth Labour conference in Blackpool and I stood for the role of Disability Officer.  The most shocking aspect of standing for the role is that I was unopposed - not one disabled person stood against me.  This angers me as it means that they lack the support to even involve themselves politically and I strongly believe that this needs to be changed.

My job entails exploring issues facing the disabled community.  I believe you need to have someone disabled such as myself to represent you because only a disabled person truly understands ensuing problems.  Another role would be to try to involve people with disabilities in the political process and maybe ultimately encourage them to become active in campaigns and meetings.

People are free to contact me and let me know the issues they are facing.  I will then try to use my role to help maximise the impact on your case in your favour.  It won’t be a magic fix, but I promise to fight tooth and nail for anyone who approaches me.

This article by myself is not to show a political bias but as a message to disabled people that you need not stay silenced.  With support we can achieve so much, but we have to have a united voice.  Our rights and safeguards need our input if we are to improve society together.

Email: ryanworth1993@hotmail.co.uk