Bristol Disability Equality Forum
Newsflash
New audio book download service from Bristol Libraries
Well Aware - A New Information resource
Health and Wellbeing at your fingertips!
Well Aware is a new, free information resource for everyone in Bristol.
The Care Forum and six local authority/NHS partners have come together to develop a comprehensive database of health, wellbeing, and community resources in Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
More information can be found by clicking on the link below or visiting www.wellaware.org.uk
Claim Bristol's Missing Millions
Many millions of pounds go unclaimed every year by people living in Bristol. The benefit and tax credit system is complicated, therefore some people miss out on money they are entitled to. If you would like more information please click on the link below:
Bristol Missing Millions Leaflet
Inquiry into disability-related harassment
The Equality Human Rights Commission is undertaking an inquiry into disability-related harrassment and how well this is currently being addressed by public authorities. Some people use the word bullying when they are talking about harassment.
The EHRC would like to hear from anyone who has been bullied or harrassed and from organisations that work for/with disabled people, including voluntary and community sector organisations. Further information can be found by clicking on the link below:
A copy of the questionnaire can be found by clicking on the link below:
Questionnaire Disability Hate Crime 2010
If you would like to view this information in BSL then please click on the link below:
New Advice Point
Bristol Citizens Advice Bureau have opened the Bristol Advice Point on Quay Street on Thursday 3rd June. This will now become the first point of contact for all face to face CAB clients. Access to the Broad Street Office will be by appointments only.
Telephone enquiries remain as before although a new telephone service covering Bristol, North Somerset and Sout Gloucestershire will be introduced later in the year. All clients using Bristol Advice Point will receive a triage style interview to determine their advice needs and most appropriate source of help (either from CAB or other agencies).
Bristol Advice Point will be open 9.30am - 1pm Monday - Friday for drop in triage interviews. The service will also be open from 1pm - 4.30pm Monday - Friday for access to online self help materials.
Bristol Advice Point has 6 PCs available for public use. One of the PCs is combined with a free telephone line to access Bristol City Council Services. A number of other agencies will be using Bristol Advice Point in the afternoons including St Monica Trust (for completing charity applications), Tomorrows People, The Shaw Trust, Severn Four Credit Union, Clean Slate and Age Concern.
Bristol CAB will also run a drop in session for Service/Ex-Service Personnel and their families every Wednesday afternoon from the Bristol Advice Point. This service is primarily for debt and benefit issues. A CAB project for people diagnosed with cancer, funded by MacMillan Cancer Support will see clients by appointment on Tuesday afternoons.
Painting Projects needed from you!
If you have a room or space that you would like decorated for FREE, then please get in touch with Ellie on 0117 907 4436 or by email er@youngbristol.com
Young bristol provide the volunteers for the job, but you would need to provide the paint.
Equality 2025
Local Disabled activist Rowen Jade has been appointed as the Chairperson of Equality 2025, the Government's consultation committee on equalities.
Rowen has been the temporary Chairperson since 2007 and some of you may recall she spoke at an Accessible Communications Consultation at the Council House at about the same time.
Bristol has for a long time been at the forefront of the Disabled People's movement and now has influence at a national level, with Rowen in this role and Alun Davies as a member of the Disability Committee of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission.
The DEF would like to congratulate them both, but especially Rowen given her new appoitment. We would also like to offer them our support whenever they feel they would like it.
Forum Newsletter
The Winter and Spring 2010 newsletter is now on our website. Please see menu on the left.
About the Forum
The Forum was set up in 1995 so that Disabled people in the city could have access to the City Council in order to make their views heard and to help the City Council to understand the experience and requirements of disabled people.
The City Council in its integrated equalities policy has made a commitment to take account of disabled people's requirements with respect to employment, services and access.
In order to get things right they want to hear the views of disabled people. These views are gathered at the Forum meetings and are given to the Officers and Councillors by the Disability Advisors who are elected by the Forum.
In this way you can feel that your own particular views actually reach the Council and will help to make the changes you want made in a whole range of things - education, housing, social services, transport, leisure and so on.
What will joining the Forum mean for you?
By joining the Forum you meet with other disabled people to share experiences, to discuss the difficulties you have with respect to Bristol City Council and to help create the opportunities for change.
It is only when disabled people have the same rights as any other groups in society and can take part in activities run by Bristol City Council on an equal basis with everybody else that we will feel the job has finally been done. As you can imagine there is much to do and everybody is welcome to give what time and energy they feel they can afford to working with the Forum.
What the Council can offer you as a Forum Member?
We feel that for disabled people to be able to attend meetings and get information about the Forum we have a duty to make it as accessible as possible to you, whatever your impairment.
We therefore offer all information in several formats — large print, braille, tape, computer disk, e-mail.
As well as the telephone we have a minicom number.
All meetings are held in buildings with wheelchair access, accessible toilets and loop systems. BSL and SSE interpreters and personal assistants will be present at every meeting. Personal assistants offer you the kinds of support you might need to take part fully in a meeting.
One of the difficulties we have as disabled people is to find cheap and accessible transport, so we will pay any transport costs, including taxis, to and from the meeting.
Disabled People - A Definition
By disabled people we mean anybody with a physical or sensory impairment, learning difficulty or who experience mental/emotional distress. Anybody can define themselves as disabled if they feel they have been treated unfairly because of any one of these.
Contact us
Disability Equality Forum
Community Engagement Team
FREEPOST (BS 6935)
6 York Court
Wilder Street
St. Pauls
BS2 8QX
Tel: 0117 922 2660
Minicom: 0117 922 2661
E-mail: equalities_team@bristol-city.gov.uk
If English is not your first language and you need a translation, we can get one for you.
If you need any information reproduced in a different form (such as on tape, in larger print or in Braille), please contact us.
Links
Below are links that are connected to other Disability Organisations.
Ableize is the UK's largest web site covering all the UK's Disability needs from access, sports, the arts, care resources and education plus detailed information on specifie disabilities and conditions. http://www.ableize.com
A third year student at Nottingham Trent University, who is studying Building Surveying (Hons) is undertaking a dissertation titled:
"An investigation into the impact of the Disability Discriminiation Act (1995) on historic public libries within the UK".
As part of his investigation he would like to seek the opinions of library users with different impairments to assess whether libraries are meeting their needs. It will focus on the access to and use of Bristol Central Libary, a Grade 1 listed building located on College Green.
If you would like to take part the questionnaire can be found at:-http://ess.ntu.ac.uk/sutton/formfiles/n0135689/access5.htm
Young People's Inclusion Network work with Disabled People aged 11-25 to examine the barriers that prevent their inclusion in youth and leisure services and to come up with potential strategies to overcome them. If you would like further information please contact info@yp-in.biz or look on www.yp-in.net
