BDEF is an organisation of Disabled people who live, work or study in the Bristol area of England.
Category: – Forum News
Our AGM – Watch This Space!
Bristol Disability Equality Forum’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be on the 30th or 31st Oct 2019, from 1pm to 4pm.
As soon as we hear back from the venue, we will let you know which of those days it will be. At the latest this will be by the end of this week.
The Forum’s AGM is an opportunity for all our members, those who work, support, fund or partner with us, and Deaf/Disabled people across the Bristol area to hear about:
the work we’ve been doing and our plans for the future;
who will be standing in our annual elections; and
this year’s winner of the Rowen Jade Award.
There will also be a brief section on the formal business that all charities need to do.
We will also be inviting speakers on issues of concern to Deaf/Disabled people.
There will be a short break for networking and connecting, and refreshments. The venue will be wheelchair accessible, have an hearing (induction)loop and BSL interpreters will be provided.
If you have other, specific access needs, please call 01179 140528 or email bristoldef@gmail.com
The orchestra is a thing of wonder, and of mystery. Many musicians making a perfect collective sound; how does this happen?
The Anatomy of the Orchestra, an immersive part-installation part-concert, returns to Bristol Beacon on Sunday 27th February.
Led by Charles Hazlewood and performed by Paraorchestra, this live performance promises an inclusive, 360-degree feast for the eyes and ears; an extraordinary sonic adventure.
Filmed as part of a new documentary for Sky Arts, The Anatomy of the Orchestra invites you on set, to wander amongst a live orchestra and explore its inner workings as it performs Steve Reich’s The Four Sections.
The Anatomy of the Orchestra makes up one of six episodes of a documentary presented by Paraorchestra Artistic Director, Charles Hazlewood, exploring the 21st century orchestra. With Paraorchestra at its core it will tear down the old-fashioned ideas of what an orchestra is, and, in turn, demonstrate exactly what a modern orchestra can be. The series will be available to view on Sky Arts and Freeview later this year.
All ages (Under 16s to be accompanied by an adult)
The Anatomy of the Orchestra is a standing / walking performance. Some seating will be available for anyone unable to stand for long periods of time.
Please note that all three performances are being filmed for a new series, available to view later this year on Sky Arts and Freeview. By attending any of the performances, you consent to being filmed by Sky Arts.
It would be fabulous for many of us Disabled people to go as possible – not only in support of the Paraorchestra but to make viewers realise that we are just as keen to attend events as not-yet Disabled people are. Too often, places are not accessible and it is not unusual for the response to a Disabled person raising the issue to be ‘Disabled people don’t come here’.
Unfortunately, due to key people from the Forum getting Covid over the last few months, our Annual General Meeting (AGM is having to be put on hold for now. We will update you all if and when the AGM can take place.
Exchange, a Bristol music venue, are pleased to announce the launch of their Go Gentle Showsat Exchange on Saturday 29th January, 2pm, with Ben Marwood.
Ben’s show is a matinee to launch the series. They will be running 6 shows this year as part of the programme.
Go Gentle is a series of relaxed shows at Exchange featuring both touring bands and local performers. They will be cosy, with reduced capacity, a variety of furniture, and much more, to make them inclusive to everyone. Open to everyone and designed for people who will benefit from a more relaxed environment,
(Article first published 13 January 2022 on Disability News Service.)
The government has already broken at least six promises it made in last summer’s much-criticised National Disability Strategy, responses by various departments this week have confirmed.
Analysis of the strategy, published last July, shows that at least six of the actions it promised would be carried out by the end of 2021 have not been completed.
This includes action on tackling Disability hate crime, the accessible housing crisis, disability employment and how the government engages with disabled people.
When the strategy was published, the prime minister, Boris Johnson, described it as the “down payment” on his promise to “build back better and fairer, for all our disabled people”.
But the strategy has been described as “just cynical repackaging”, with analysis by Disability News Service last August exposing its lack of bold initiatives and new funding, and how ministers had padded it out with scores of consultations, reviews and vague pledges.
Fresh analysis of the strategy now shows that at least six of the “commitments” made in the document have already been broken.
In a blog posted on 29 December, the minister for Disabled people, Chloe Smith, said that this review had now been extended until the spring of 2022 so as to provide “a full opportunity for meaningful engagement with our stakeholders”.
Smith declined to explain this week why so many of the government’s “commitments” had already been broken.
And she declined to say if this showed that the government was not treating disabled people as a priority, and if the prime minister’s statement that the strategy was the “down payment” on his promise to “build back better and fairer, for all our disabled people” had now been exposed as empty rhetoric.
(Article first published 13 January 2022 on Disability Rights UK,)
Over 118,000 Disabled people ”are facing injustice” by the DWP after being denied the right to compensation following its “blunder over benefit payments”, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) has said.
The PHSO is calling on the Government to urgently rectify the injustice, something which it is so far refusing to do.
In July 2018 – after an investigation by the National Audit Office, an inquiry led by the Public Accounts Committee and legal action from the Child Poverty Action Group – the DWP finally agreed to pay full arrears of benefit to all those who missed out.
The DWP has since corrected the ESA error and set about paying arrears to those affected. But it still will not allow them to claim compensation for the life-changing impact this error may have had.
Despite its refusal to comply, DWP’s own policy states that people should be offered compensation if they suffer injustice and hardship because of administrative errors.
The Ombudsman urges anyone affected by this issue to contact an advice agency to seek help and support.
You will have seen that a number of train operators have introduced temporary timetables as a result of increased sickness and self-isolation due to the rise in Covid cases. You may also be aware that Great Western Railway (GWR) have had a number of ad hoc, short notice cancellations recently, as we are also managing with much reduced staffing levels.
As a result, from this Saturday 8 January, GWR are introducing a temporary timetable, which will run through to Saturday 15 January. During the week they will assess the situation and if necessary will continue with a temporary timetable. They will review weekly as they are hopeful that this is a short-lived measure with a quick return to full services.
GWR have prioritised high use school and college services and key worker services, protecting them as much as they can. They have also focused changes where it will help them to release train crews. This means GWR can give customers greater confidence that their services will run. The vast majority of their services will continue to operate as planned.
The full list of changes is on the GWR website on www.gwr.com/timetables along with advice to customers. They have also worked with Network Rail to make sure that the changes are in the national database, so online journey planners are accurate from today. If they make further changes beyond 15 January, these will show in journey planners from 12 January.
GWR are also contacting customers who have booked onto services they are changing to offer refunds or transfer to alternative services. The Book with Confidence scheme that allows customers to change non-refundable tickets has been extended until March, and they will be issuing traditional and social media updates and doing all they can to alert customers to the planned changes.
When we receive social care funding, we expect to have a good life. We have found that the process of applying for and living with a complicated social care system often drags us down. What Disabled people want is for social care to work in a way that has a positive impact on our lives.
Bringing Us Together & Being the Boss are holding a series of online workshops for people who are applying for or receiving funding from adult social care. They want to hear about the pros and cons of engaging with and receiving support from adult social care.
They are interested in:
The impact that support from social care has on your mental health &wellbeing, your experiences of moving into adult social care (transition from children’s social care), applying for social care/continuing health care funding, and daily challenges.
Gathering and sharing your stories about the impact social care (or the lack of social care) is having on your lives.
They would like to invite you to join them for a series of workshops from January to June 2022. They will have different speakers each month and you will have the opportunity to share your stories about social care. Workshops are for Disabled people and their family members.
What are your hopes and dreams for your life? How do we keep our hopes and dreams alive when money and funding always comes first?
Workshop 4: Wednesday 13th April, 11.00am – 1.00pm
Choice & Control: Are we ever really in control? Does being the employer give us control over our lives? Can we be in control if we have support from an agency?
Workshop 5: Wednesday 11th May, 11.00am – 1.00pm
Independent Living: Can you tell us something about your experiences of living independently? Do you spend too much of your time managing your support, rather than living your life?
Infection rates in Bristol are extremely high and continue to rise rapidly with the current rate of infection at 1,587 cases per 100,000. The national average in England is 1,676. There have been 7,392 new cases in the last seven days and there are 130 people currently in our hospitals unwell with COVID-19.
In Bristol, of all people over 16 years of age, vaccination levels are:
344,473 (79 per cent) people have had one dose
324,294 (74 per cent) people have had two doses
222,889 (51 per cent) people have had three doses – this number includes booster jabs and third doses for people who are severely immunocompromised.
Please continue to take precautionary measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and to protect yourself and our communities, including:
taking regular rapid (lateral flow) tests particularly before attending gatherings in enclosed or crowded spaces or before visiting elderly or vulnerable people
booking your COVID-19 vaccination, be it the first, second, third or booster dose
wearing a face covering in public settings (unless exempt)
working from home if you can.
Face coverings and working from home
New measures have recently been introduced in England to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant.
From Friday 10 December:
face coverings are mandatory inside most public venues as well as on public transport and in shops
there are exceptions in venues where it is not practical to wear one, such as when you are eating, drinking or exercising.
Walk-in clinics offering first, second or booster vaccines for adults over 16 for the rest of the week are:
Thursday 6 January
Vaccination Centre at UWE Bristol, Coldharbour Lane, Frenchay, BS16 1QY, between 8am and 7.45pm.
Knowle West Healthy Living Centre, Downton Road, BS4 1WH, between 9am and 4.30pm.
The Hindu Temple, (Shaunak’s Pharmacy), 163B Church Road, Redfield, BS5 9LA, between 9am and 5pm.
Friday 7 January
Vaccination Centre at UWE Bristol, Coldharbour Lane, Frenchay, BS16 1QY, between 8am and 7.45pm.
The Hindu Temple, (Shaunak’s Pharmacy), 163B Church Road, Redfield, BS5 9LA, between 9am and 5pm.
Where to get Tested
Regularly taking rapid (lateral flow) tests is strongly recommended to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Taking regular rapid tests helps to identify people who do not have symptoms of the virus but may still be infectious.
Rapid home testing kits can be collected from pharmacies, libraries, the Bristol Rapid Testing Centre on Wellington Road, and from our local mobile testing vans.
If you are unable to book an appointment, please self-isolate until more PCR test appointments become available.
Vaccinations
Now is a really great time to get vaccinated for COVID-19, as we welcome in 2022 and start looking forward to the year ahead.
There are currently vaccine slots available right across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, meaning there is a place near you.
Maybe you’ve not had chance during the busy festive period, or you’ve just been weighing it up for a while. But with the festive season behind us, and new year’s resolutions in mind, perhaps now is the right time.
The good news is that it’s never too late, whether it’s a first, second or booster vaccine that’s needed. And appointments are available in a wide range of settings including GP practices, community pharmacies and dedicated vaccination clinics.
To find out about bookable and walk-in clinics, (excluding those direct with GPs), go to www.grabajab.net for full details.
Schools
As you may be aware, there has been an update to guidance on face coverings in educational settings. From today (4 January) in England, it is recommended that all secondary school pupils wear a face covering in classrooms. This is a temporary measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in schools.
The latest government guidance for parents and carers is available on the government website.
Please continue to keep our schools, colleges and early years’ settings safe by following the precautionary measures:
education and childcare staff, families, secondary pupils and college students to continue to take regular rapid (lateral flow) tests to help to identify infections early and reduce transmission,
if you are unwell, please reduce the spread of infection by recovering at home.
Given the risk to Disabled people of not following the Covid-19 guidelines, we would like to thank you for everything that you continue to do to protect our city.
Brigstowe is a charitable organisation in Bristol that provides local, independent & free HIV and Long Term Health Condition services in the Bristol, South Glos & North Somerset area.
Their team will be operating a phone service and will have their HIV clinics open at certain points over the Christmas and New Year period. Days and times of when each will be open are below.
Brigstowe Opening Times
In line with government guidance staff are now working from home and any appointments will be made with your worker directly.
Please note: From Christmas Eve to Mon 3rd January the Brigstowe office will be closed and we will be operating a phone service on the days indicated below. Please see p4 and p5 of the newsletter for support available outside of these times.
Christmas Eve (Fri 24th): 9am – 3pm (phone service)
Monday 27th (Bank Holiday): CLOSED
Tuesday 28th (Bank Holiday): CLOSED
Wednesday 29th: 9am – 5pm (phone service)
Thursday 30th: 9am – 5pm (phone service)
New Year’s Eve (Fri 31st): 9am – 3pm (phone service)
Monday 3rd January (Bank Holiday): CLOSED
Tuesday 4th January: Open As Usual
HIV Clinic Opening Times
Christmas Eve (Fri 24th): Open till 4pm
Christmas Day: CLOSED
Monday 27th Dec (Bank Holiday): CLOSED
Tuesday 28th Dec (Bank Holiday): CLOSED
Wed 29th & Thurs 30th Dec: Open As Usual
New Year’s Eve (Fri 31st Dec): Open till 4pm
New Year’s Day (Sat 1st Jan): CLOSED
Monday 3rd January (Bank Holiday): CLOSED
Tuesday 4th January: Open As Usual
Please note: If you require home delivery of medication, the clinic require 10 working days notice. Otherwise, you can collect from the pharmacy same day. Please make sure you have enough medication to last over the Christmas and New Year Period
We’ve been asked by Joe, a student at the University of the West of England (UWE), to share the details of his dissertation research and promote his survey on Autism Inclusivity Within Bristol Public Libraries.
You can also fill out the survey by printing off the PDF version of the survey below. You will also find a PDF copy of the Participant Consent Form which you need to fill out if you want to be involved. A PDF of both documents in Easy Read formats can also be found below.
The deadline to fill out both the survey and consent form is Thursday 20th January 2022.
