Disability campaigns and petitions that you may want to get involved in relating to disability issues and special needs will be highlighted here. If you would like to let us know about a campaign you are involved in so that we can include it here then please email Karen with the details.

Homes Fit for Children Campaign

The aim of this campaign by Mencap was to remove the means test for the Disabled Facilities Grant. This is a grant for families who need to carry out essential adaptions to their houses and property for their disabled child. Means testing meant that some families were denied the grant or told to pay towards making their home accessible. For a typical family this can mean paying £10,000 to £15,000 or more just because their child is disabled.

The Government has announced that from December 2005 families in England needing to adapt their homes to care for a disabled child (and some young persons under the age of 19) would no longer be subject to means testing. Visit www.direct.gov.uk for further information about applying for a Disabled Facilities Grant.

Mencap are now waiting to see if the Government will agree to lift the £25,000 grant limit on the DFG, which is not enough for many essential adaptations to be raised to £50,000.

EVERY DISABLED CHILD MATTERS

Launched on Tuesday 26th September, Every Disabled Child Matters is a new campaign to get rights and justice for every disabled child. The government says that Every Child Matters – so why aren't disabled children getting their rights?

The campaign believes that disabled children and their families should have the right to the services and support they need to live ordinary lives. They are looking for 25,000 supporters to sign up in support of the campaign by July 2007. Please visit http://www.edcm.org.uk to register your support'.

 IT'S NOT TOO MUCH TO ASK

Believe it or not, here in the UK we have kids unable to go to school from lack of a wheelchair, who sleep on a mattress on the floor from lack of a support bed and whose conditions are worsening due to lack of therapy equipment. As the UK's leading child health, care and research charity, BDF Newlife hears everyday from families with disabled children who are denied vital pieces of equipment. They give grants to sick and disabled children and their families to fund equipment, such as special beds, wheelchairs, standing frames, walkers, special car seats and seating aids, when they have had no one else to turn to. In 2006 disabled children in the UK should not have to rely on charity for essential equipment.

BDF Newlife have set up a national campaign to improve provision of equipment for disabled children, called IT'S NOT TOO MUCH TO ASK. You can visit www.bdfnewlife.co.uk to sign an online petition or call on 01543 468 888 to request a petition form to gather signatures. Please support this campaign to help change this situation, both locally and nationally.

HELP STOP BULLYING OF CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES

Mencap has been raising awareness about the fact that bullying is a problem for many children, but especially children with a learning disability, who are often seen as an easy target by bullies. They are bullied more than other children. This has a big impact on their lives. Children with a learning disability are bullied wherever they go - at school, out shopping, in clubs, on the bus, in the park or at leisure centres.

Mencap is fighting to stop the bullying of children with a learning disability and are working with other organisations as part of the Anti-Bullying Alliance to make this happen.

They have released a report, ‘ They won't believe me ' which explains how children with a learning disability are bullied. It also has information for parents and staff on how to help a child who is being bullied.

To order a copy of the report email, campaigns@mencap.org.uk or visit the Mencap website here.

Breaking Point

Family carers of children with severe or profound learning disabilities are in crisis because they cannot get access to short breaks. Mencap are running a campaign called 'Breaking Point' to establish a minimum entitlement to short breaks and to get more short breaks for carers. To find out more about this excellent campaign go to the Mencap website.

Back Me Up

Carers UK is running a campaign to ensure Carer Emergency Schemes are available to all carers throughout the UK. Carers have stated that in an emergency they do not get the support they need. An emergency is everyone's worst nightmare, but for carers there is even more at stake if replacement care cannot be put in place immediately. A Carer Emergency Scheme would go a long way to reduce the worry and stress that 96% of carers reported through Back Me Up.
For more details visit carers UK website here.

CHANGING PLACES – CHANGING LIVES

Mencap and the Changing Places Consortium will launch a campaign in July on behalf of the thousands of people with a profound and multiple learning disability and their carers who cannot use disabled toilets. They need Changing Places loos. These are loos with enough space for the person and their carer/s, a height adjustable changing bench and a hoisting system.
For more information please email: changingplaces@mencap.org.uk or visit the Mencap website here.

ASPERGER AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

Aspergers Syndrome is a developmental/ behaviour disorder. It is developmental because people who have AS can't automatically process social cues etc. It is behavioural because people with AS usually behave in a way that is seen by others as odd. AS suffers believe that their way of doing things and behaving is socially acceptable therefore they see nothing wrong with their behaviour. Our campaign at AS Support Group Online aims to change things in society so that people who have AS can fit in more. Changing rules, changing/modifying people's attitudes, getting people to understand/discover what AS is and how it affects people with this disorder will all help. This campaign is going to last for 5 years. It needs as much publicity as possible to succeed in what we're trying to do. If you want to read more about our campaign please go to http://www.assupportgrouponline.co.uk