David Weir from the UK and 4 times winner of the London Marathon had a frustrating day after he got two punctures and was denied another win. Even though David had technical problems he still managed to come in third place behind Josh Cassidy (Can) and Marcel Hug (Sui).
Shelly Woods another British Athlete from Blackpool also had a similar fate when a puncture also dashed her hopes after 21 miles.
Meanwhile, as I blogged about earlier this month, Phil Packer began his mammoth challenge of walking the marathon in 26 hours in aid of 26 different charities. Phil who is spinal cord injured managed to beat his target and completed the marathon in 25 hours 55 minutes.
Although OpenBritain is mostly concerned with tourism in the United Kingdom and flying is not absolutely necessary we are still worried about the consequences of the grounding of aircraft and how this effects disabled people trapped abroad and disabled foreigners in our country.
The unexpected extension of trips for disabled people can have dire consequences such as the lack of available suitable accommodation, the running out of medicines and other equipment as well as issue of hiring mobility aids. Through my work in Barcelona I received a phone call from the British Consulate as a woman needed to hire a wheelchair. I also read an article written by an American living in London whose mother is trapped in the UK and is running out of vital medication.
On my personal blog, Accessible Everything, I wrote a piece giving general advice to disabled travellers so that they could prepare for events such as short delays. However, now the situation seems as though the volcanic ash cloud is going to keep aircraft on the ground for several days and it could be weeks before the airlines return to normal.
As disruptions at many airports across the UK and Northern Europe continue most news sites such as the Guardian and the BBC are covering the disruptions. They are also giving information about people’s rights (Guardian and BBC) and advice for stranded passengers.
Let’s hope that the volcano stops erupting and that European travel can return to normal as soon as possible.
I seem to have a bit of a thing for disabled dancers and up to now I’ve blogged events by the AMICI dance group. This time it’s the turn of The Candoco Dance Company which is also a contemporary dance group for both disabled and non-disabled dancers.
Candoco will be performing at the Squidz Club on Friday 23rd April from 7 – 11pm. The Squidz Club is held 3 times per year for young people between the ages of 14 – 25 that have learning disabilities. The Candoco event will take place at the Albany, Depford, London.
The BBC are recording a new series called Secret Britain and are asking the public to let them know about their favourite secret places throughout the country. They don’t just want to know where these places are but also why they’re special for you. People that want to participate can send in emails and photos via the Secret Britain website or directly to secretbritain@bbc.co.uk
It would be great if the readers of OpenBritain could email in their suggestions of secret places in the UK to the BBC that are suitable for disabled people. Of course, please share them with us here too!
Below is a photo of one of my (not so) secret places, The Holy Island of Lindisfarne, Northumberland. The island is beautiful and accessible by vehicle via a coastal causeway when the tide is out, so make sure you check the tidal times so you don’t get trapped! You can also have a look at the Lindisfarne website for further information on what’s available on the island.
Today the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) announced that Phil Packer who is spinal cord injured will walk the Virgin London Marathon to raise funds for several different organisations. Phil will walk the 25th mile for RYA Sailability during the marathon on the 25th April 2010.
Phil is hoping to complete the event in 26 hours starting at 10am on the 25th and finishing at 12 noon on the 26th. He will walk each mile with a support walker between the ages of 15 – 25 from the different organisations he is raising funds for.
Handicaching? Handicaching? I hear you all say, has Craig completely lost it? What the heck is handicahcing?!
I became aware of Geocaching last year through a friend, but to be honest, I would have had a similar reaction about handicaching until a few hours ago when I read a post by Liz Carr on the BBC Ouch blog. So to break it down, here’s a quick YouTube introduction from the friendly guys at Geocaching.com:
So, there you are, it’s all about a game to find hidden little treasures around the country using GPS devices and GPS enabled mobile phones! But what’s the difference between Geocaching and Handicaching?
Well, with Geocaching each cache that you look for (the hidden little treasure) normally have a star rating from one to five to indicate how difficult the terrain is with one star being the easiest.
The problem according to Handicaching.com is that the Geocache Rating System uses one star for caches that are wheelchair accessible. This idea is flawed in several ways which include:
The rating system or the wheelchair aspect of the system is often overlooked by cache hiders, who can rate the terrain for caches higher or lower than they actually are
A cache that may be wheelchair accessible may not be accessible to people with other types of disabilities, or even people who cannot use a wheelchair for anything other than short distances
Many non-disabled people are unsure of what constitutes accessible and are therefore unable to rate or mark a cache accordingly
So basically, Handicaching decided to come up with their own system and make it truly accessible for disabled people.
Not only may Handicaching be fun for the participants but I can also think of lots of practical uses for disabled people such as marking disabled toilets, entrances to public buildings, safe crossings for roads, maybe even mark accessible routes along foot and canal tow paths. I think that Handicaching could really be a useful tool for disabled tourists wanting to get out into the great outdoors and have their own GPS map to help guide them through the countryside.
Vitalise which is a charity that provides short breaks for disabled people and carers has recently announced that they will be the subject of a BBC TV Lifeline Appeal to be broadcast on 18 and 21 April 2010.
The charity recently opened their doors to a BBC film crew and comedian Authur Smith who spoke to disabled holiday makers at Vitalise Netley Waterside House in Southampton about the challenges of living with a disability and the difference Vitalise makes to their lives.
The first time I came across the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) was when I was studying for my degree and have to admit that, firstly it has been a long time since I visited this attraction and secondly it was before my I was a wheelchair user.
CAT offer a visitors centre that has “Interactive displays show global issues such as energy generation and transport, and practical, everyday solutions for everyone.” It’s highly educational, fun and stimulating, not just for the children but also for adults.
CAT mainly give information and advice for wheelchair users on their access page:
“Information for wheelchair users
Access to the Visitor Centre from Easter to the end of October is via the cliff railway which has carriages that are adapted to receive wheelchairs.
When you arrive at the Visitor Centre you will see the reception area in the car park at the bottom of the cliff railway. Parking is free. There is a short low-gradient ramp to access the reception and railway. We offer free entry to the Visitor Centre for carers
During the winter months, the railway is closed and access to the Visitor Centre is via the Garden Steps. This is a stepped pathway, which takes about 10 minutes to walk, passing the eco-cabins, vegetable fields and shop. Parking is provided near the visitor circuit at the top of the South Drive for those who are unable to walk up.
As CAT is located in a rural area with steep gradients, it has not been possible to make all paths accessible. The Garden Steps and Woodland Walk leading from the lower car park to the Visitor Centre are not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies.
The displays are located throughout a 7-acre open-air site. Most of the pathways around site are made up of compacted aggregates which are mostly level; however wheelchair users may require assistance in using these, particularly during periods of inclement weather. All the buildings have ramped or level access with doors, entrances and corridors wide enough for a wheelchair. There are wheelchair accessible toilets at the bottom car park reception building and near the shop at the top of the cliff railway.
We have electric mobility scooters and a wheelchair, either of which can be hired free of charge by calling 01654 705993 in advance of your visit.
Guide Dogs and Hearing Dogs are permitted onto the Visitor Centre.”
As I mentioned, it has been a while since I’ve been to CAT, but as I’d really like to go again, maybe I’ll see you there soon.
The Easter holidays are here and the kids are off school so from the 1st – 16th April we’ll be looking at some great days out across the UK that have facilities for disabled people.
First up is Whitby Abbey, managed by English Heritage and set in the picturesque North Yorkshire coastal town of, you guessed it, Whitby. With over 2000 years of history including the royal princess, Abbess Hild and Bram Sroker’s Dracula there’s something for all the family! The grounds are the perfect vantage point for picnics and views of the shoreline, Whitby and beyond.
The first thing people with mobility impairments may think when considering Whitby Abbey are the 199 steps to get to it! Never fear, it’s been tried and tested by OpenBritain’s very own blogger and wheelchair user, me. Assuming you have your own vehicle with you there’s a drop off point for disabled people at the main entrance and then there’s parking close by. There are also various buses that will get you to the abbey.
The English Heritage web site gives this information about access:
Access to monument and grounds: Via visitor centre; lift up to the grounds.
Grass paths around the ruins.
Steps to enter the nave.
Benches.
There are changes in the level and cobbled surfaces throughout the site.
It may become waterlogged in wet weather.
WC adapted for wheelchair users.
And further information for deaf and blind people:
Visually Impaired Visitors:
Audio tour designed with visually impaired in mind. Included in admission price. Tactile exhibits in the visitor centre.
Hearing Impaired Visitors:
Audio tour with hearing loop included in admission price. Subtitled audio-visual displays in the visitor centre.
This month the Civil Aviation Authority published its review on the implementation of European legislation on the rights of disabled and reduced mobility passengers in the UK.
The CAA concluded that there are some areas where it would be helpful for industry and People with Reduced Mobility groups to work together to consider possible improvements. These include:
increasing consumer and industry awareness of their rights and responsibilities under the Regulation;
increasing the capture of passenger needs at booking, and to ensure these are effectively passed on to airports;
ensuring that airlines/tour operators/travel agents provide sufficient information so passengers can make informed choices about journeys;
ensuring that airports are aiming at a service that covers all parts of the passenger journey (including points of arrival at airport and journey through airport after arrival by air);
increasing the number of routes available for passengers travelling with assistance dogs; and
making airports simpler and easier for PRMs to navigate themselves or with assistance from accompanying passengers, e.g. by better signage and provision of audible and visual information to assist blind and deaf passengers.
A full copy of the Accessible Air Travel Review can be downloaded at the CAA website.
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