5:18pm Friday 18th June 2010
By Flash Bristow
Over the last few weeks the needs of older and disabled people has really moved up the agenda in Waltham Forest with several campaigns taking off.
At the start of June, Disabled Go came to the borough. They are a national group which offers information on accessible venues through their website. However, they boldly announced that in the next couple of months they aim to assess 1000 venues for access and facilities, although I fear this is an ambitious tally, given the advert I also received inviting me to apply to be an assessor on a low hourly rate of pay! I worked out that each person would need to visit around 5 sites per day which, for someone who is disabled and may find mobility difficulty, is a challenge. However I wish Disabled Go the best of luck with their investigations in Waltham Forest.
Next came the launch of Stay Safe, a scheme aimed at supporting victims of disability hate crime and domestic violence – after all, very few women’s refuges have wheelchair access. Funded by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the scheme aims to help disabled people to be safe, and to support them where they are in a difficult situation. (Their contact number is 020 8509 0910 or you can email staysafe@disaction.org.uk ).
Then just last week Waltham Forest’s Mobility Forum, a group for older and disabled people (which I chair), held its AGM and voted on the four topics which we should tackle over the following year. These will be taxis and minicabs, London Underground, London Overground and rail, and best practise – how we can learn from other Mobility Forums. I’m looking forward to getting stuck into it and hope we are productive.
More encouragingly, other groups which do not have a disability remit are taking care to consider our needs; I’ve been asked to assess venues for the Leytonstone Arts Trail so that information about step-free entry and adapted toilets can go on their literature. I hope that this will encourage disabled and older people to go out and enjoy art in their neighbourhood.
If you have an interest or a personal connection to disability and missed these events it’s not too late to get involved as there are still many things coming up.
Waltham Forest LINk is a group which looks at the provision of healthcare and social care. Their next meeting is on June 29 at the Epicentre in Leytonstone from 6pm. They will be focussing on the council’s “Quality of Life Strategy for People Over 50” and their “Health Prevention and Early Intervention Strategy”. Attendees can give their views on these draft plans.
You can also join the Mobility Forum at any time during the year. We report back to the council’s Transport Liaison Consultative Group (itself chaired by disabled councillors) and take up issues with authorities such as Transport for London as necessary. For more information do get in touch by emailing me – flash@gorge.org – or just turn up to our next meeting on 6 October at Chestnuts Hall (behind the Town Hall) at 7pm. We’d be happy to see you!
In summary the needs of disabled people are really starting to hit the radar and to be considered in council-wide plans and provisions – at long last.
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