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SDEF Newsletter No.4 -�April 2002 |
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� Welcome
to this fourth edition of SDEF News, available free to all members and
associate members of SDEF.� We
will keep you up to date on our own activities and relevant events and
publications in the field of disability.�
If you would like your work publicised in future editions, or would
like to tell us about something new, please contact us at the address below.
This
newsletter is available by email, on disc or in other formats if preferred.�
Please contact us to let us know how you would like to receive it.
Forum
Update
The
Forum has now come to the end of its second six-month tranche of development
funding from the Scottish Executive.� Representatives
of the management committee met with Executive officials recently to discuss
the way forward.� They met Sally
Witcher, an independent consultant who has been contracted by the Equality
Unit to progress work with the disability movement.
We
agreed that the European Year of Disabled People 2003 was a useful focus for
future work.� In the short term,
further funding will be available to SDEF to carry on developing our
programme of work.� The
committee is also actively seeking funds from other sources for our key
projects identified by members: working with access panels, working for
accessible tourism, and providing IT services for disability groups.
We
also had a very successful members’ meeting in Perth earlier this month.�
A full report of the day is included with this mailing and also
available on our website.
Date for your diary
The
SDEF AGM date has been set for Wednesday 2nd October.�
We are looking for your help - can you suggest a suitable
accessible venue which could accommodate up to 60 people (not too
expensive)?� It should be
accessible by public transport and by car, from all over Scotland, with
ample parking nearby.�
The
theme of the day will focus on Rights - how to protect the ones we have,
and how to extend our legal rights further.�
Any ideas you have of speakers or workshop subjects would be very
welcome.
We
will get back to you with further details about the day nearer the time.
�
Scottish
Parliament News
Cross
Party Group on Disability Meeting Wednesday 24th April 2002
A
Summary of discussions from Agnes Stewart, Secretary, SDEF
Michael
Matheson, MSP, Convener of the Cross Party Group, welcomed everybody to the
Meeting and introduced the Speakers:
In
his opening remarks, John Robertson told us of his commitment to disability
issues since 1981, when he was a MP.�
His aim is to
see maximum accessibility for people with a disability.�
He mentioned a
concern which had arisen over the past week, affecting the seating in the
Chamber� -� a drop from 81 accessible seat positions,� Margaret Hickish was then asked to give a presentation as Consultant on Access and talked us through the work of the Consultation Group�since its formation in 1999.����� Having been on the Consultation Group, I found it a very informative presentation which should have left no-one in any doubt as to the work done by the Group.���� She illustrated her talk with the aid of a lap-top.���� Although the Consultation Group has not met fully for some time, the work is on-going.���� She stressed �'access'� was not only about 'ramps and toilets', it was about 'exemplary access'.��� At the moment, appropriate places for signage were being discussed. Every
aspect of the work of the�Access Group has been documented so that
there is a record of all the work undertaken.
Buro Happold had given an undertaking from the outset that the Parliament Buildings will be a model of excellence for access. A question was raised on Signers and assurances given that�there would be consultation before any decisions were made.���� Positions for Signers could not be established until it had been decided where officers will be positioned, e.g. The Presiding Officer. Margaret is about to tackle the matter of the bollards�which had been one metre high but are now being shown as 1/2 metre high.���� It is issues regarding the Chamber which are being dealt with at present�e.g. the platform lift at the Presiding Officer's position. At
this point, Michael Matheson expressed his disappointment to hear�of
the drop in the number of accessible�places.����
This had been a confidential matter over the past week.��
Linda
Fabiani stated that the first two rows and the fourth would be available.����
Both she and John Robertson could foresee difficulties with this arrangement
and had expressed their great concern and intimated that the decisions
regarding wheelchair positions had been established in 1999 and that this
previous decision should not be changed.
The Scottish Parliament Corporate Body, whose Convener is Sir David Steel, had made the change without any recourse to anybody.���� There is no information available on why they have made this decision.���� It was estimated that only 20 inches of space would be gained and the MSPs considered that to make these changes would cost more. Michael Matheson then asked�the members of the Cross Party Group if we would wish him to write to the Corporate Body.���� He will ask the Corporate Body to go back to the original remit of 1999. Michael
Matheson�asked us to take these concerns back to our groups�and to
write to Sir David Steel, as Convener of the Corporate Body.
The
following motions were put to the Scottish Parliament on the issue:
*S1M-3031
Linda Fabiani: Reduction in Wheelchair Accessible Seats in New Parliament
Chamber-That the Parliament regrets that the Scottish Parliamentary
Corporate Body, whilst noting the dissent of the Holyrood Progress Group,
has instructed that the Chamber design in the new Parliament building be
altered from that circulated to all members and agreed in September 1999,
with the result that the choice of accessible Chamber seats for any member
using a standard wheelchair is reduced from 81 to 61.
Supported
by: Mr John Home Robertson*
*S1M-3031.1
Michael Matheson: Reduction in Wheelchair Accessible Seats in New
Parliament Chamber-As an amendment to motion (S1M-3031) in the name of
Linda Fabiani, insert at end "and calls upon the Scottish Parliamentary
Corporate Body to reconsider its decision and return to the plan agreed in
September 1999 which provided 81 wheelchair accessible seats within the
chamber."
�
Scottish Executive NewsFor
copies of these publications or consultations, check the websites below or
contact the Secretariat.�
Equality
In Scotland: Guide To Data Sources 2002 (08/03/02):
Review
Of Care Management In Scotland (08/03/02):
Research
Findings: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/cru/resfinds/hcc21-00.asp
Over
The Threshold? An Exploration Of Intensive Domiciliary Support For
Research
Findings: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/cru/resfinds/hcc19-00.asp
Disability
Strategies Bill Passed (28/03/02):
All
schools will have to draw up plans to deal with pupils with
Extra
funding for hearing impaired
The
Scottish Translation, Interpreting and Communication Forum:
Building
Regulation Note 1/2002
Tourism
Framework For Action 2002:2005
Improving
Building Standards: Proposals - A Consultation Paper
This
paper sets out the Executive’s proposals for the future of building
standards.� The proposals are
very similar to those in the previous consultation Improving Building
Standards, from which it has been developed.�
Some proposals have been changed in response to the previous
consultation. These are, most notably,
�
The
purpose of this paper is to set out the Executive’s proposals as they
would appear in primary legislation.� Views
on these core proposals can be submitted by completing an electronic
proforma, obtainable from bc/[email protected]
with the words ‘Request Proforma’ in the subject heading box.�
Otherwise please send your comments by Friday 14 June 2002 to:
�
Elaine
Douse
0131
244 1425
�
�
UK
News
Commons
Committee Looks at Benefits (by Ron Skinner)
Some
of the most disadvantaged people in society are missing out on disability
benefits because of delays and mistakes in medical assessments, MPs have
discovered.
The
Commons Public Accounts Committee found that applicants for disability
living allowance and incapacity benefit, which are awarded on the basis of
medical assessments, frequently wait too long for decisions.
Since
1998, assessments have been carried out by private firm Sema. The committee
said the delays were caused by a shortage of doctors, poor management
systems and outdated technology.
These
backlogs, and the delays in stopping payments to claimants no longer
entitled to them, are costing the taxpayer �40m a year.
MPs
have recommended that other health professionals besides doctors are used to
carry out assessments. This is an important way of offsetting shortages of
doctors, speeding up the assessment process and reducing costs, they said.
Difficulties
in obtaining accurate and up-to-date medical information about claimants
have also led to a high level of
appeals: over 50% of those turned down for benefits subsequently lodge
one.� Of these appeals, 40% are
successful, and a quarter of these are because assessors have made mistakes
in interpreting the medical evidence.
The
report found that up to 10% of 'Serna's assessments were 'substandard'. The
MPs also called on the Department for Work and pensions to consider whether
Sema should pay compensation to claimants who are called for a medical
assessment and not seen.� Around
17,000 people are turned away from a scheduled appointment because Sema has
deliberately overbooked to ensure doctors see as many people as possible.
PAC
chair Edward Leigh said claimants were entitled to prompt, accurate and
efficient decisions. The current problems `represent a significant shortfall
in the quality of public service to some of the most disadvantaged people in
society', he added.
New
Deal Downfall (08/04/02):
A
flagship government scheme aimed at getting disabled people jobs had
Crackdown
On Disabled Parking Permit Abuse (05/04/02):
The
government is to consider a crackdown on the abuse of disabled
2002/Crackdown%20on%20disabled%20parking%20permit%20abuse
Benefits
Shock (04/04/02):
A
benefits change supposed to help severely disabled young people could
2002/Benefits%20shock
�
�
DRC
News
DRC
Second National Conference
The
DRC's second National Conference will be held on Monday 11 November 2002 at
the Radisson SAS Hotel, near Manchester Airport.�
To request more information please send an email with your name and
address to: [email protected]
Can
Mental Health Service Users Benefit From Disability Rights?
(16/04/02):
A
dialogue between Abina Parshad-Griffin, Chair of the Disability Rights
Report
Stage - Disability Discrimination (Amendment) Bill
(15/04/02):
DRC
Response To "Towards Equality And Diversity: References To A
Possible
Move To A Single Equalities Commission (SEC)" (08/04/02):
Disability
Rights Commission successfully influences production of new
News from the Sector
The
Scottish Ethnic Minorities Research Unit
is currently carrying out a scoping study for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation
on race, disability and social care in Scotland. We would be very interested
to hear from organisations who are planning to or who are currently carrying
out initiatives which engage minority ethnic disabled people. These might be
one-off or on-going initiatives.
Please
contact Dr. Gina Netto at 0131-221 6269 or email her at
�
Ability
Fest 2002:
15th
May at Kelvin Hall International Sports Arena.�
Ability Fest 2002 will enable disabled people to access information
and advice about learning, volunteering, employment and leisure
opportunities in the West of Scotland.
The
event will consist of a morning conference for registered delegates followed
by a public exhibition of a wide variety of organisations. There will be
stalls
Alcock at [email protected] or tel 0141 649 1521
�
Is
It Safe To Come Out At Work?:
Only
one in three people with experience of mental health problems feel
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