Accessible Bowling

Are you looking for something fun for the family this weekend but not sure what to do?

Brooklyn Bowl has launched Family Bowl, now open on Saturdays and Sundays from midday until 7pm, for all ages.

At Family Bowl, kids can enjoy Blue Ribbon’s children’s menu which includes delicious Chicken Nuggets, Mac ‘n’ Cheese, French Bread Pizzas, and of course their world-renowned Fried Chicken. Parents can indulge in juicy Pork Ribs, Blackened Atlantic Salmon, Sloppy Joe’s and their signature dishes Oyster Po' Bos and Cajun Catfish.

To top it all off, adults can head to the bar that offers beers from the local Meantime Brewing Company and an extensive range of wines and cocktails, all this whilst kids munch on chocolate frosted cupcakes, hot fudge sundaes and banana splits by their lanes.

Family Bowl sessions on Saturday afternoons are £18 per half hour per lane, and Sunday afternoons are £14 per half hour per lane. All lanes can cater for up to 10 people.

The venue is fully accessible.

Accessible St David's Day

This St. David’s day (1/3/14) celebrate all things Welsh with a tour of a world-famous stadium in Cardiff, farmyard near the Pembrokeshire coast and a scenic drive in southern Snowdonia with the Rough Guide to Accessible Britain.

The online days out guide features reviews of accessible attractions such as a tour of the home of Welsh rugby, The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, where visitors can experience behind-the-scenes tours of the stadium; the highlight of which, is the visit to the ‘Dragon’s Lair’ home-side changing room.

As the proud holder of the “Best Family Day Out in Wales” National Tourism Award, Folly Farm is a must-visit for families close to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. With a farm, adventure park, vintage funfair and zoo, guests will have a hard time choosing where to begin. For a more relaxing day, families can enjoy the Snowdonia scenic drive, a 53 mile drive between Machynlleth and Beddgelert. Featuring woodlands, valleys, mountains, beaches and an ancient castle, the drive offers all the quintessential hallmarks of southern Snowdonia.

The fourth edition of The Rough Guide to Accessible Britain is available to view for free online, with plenty of new ideas for accessible trips. Each review contains hints and tips from the Rough Guides team of disabled reviewers who visited each venue, looking for well thought out accessibility features and unique attractions, both of which contribute to making a great day out.

The Rough Guide to Accessible Britain series has been developed in association with Motability.

Wheel In To US TV

If you’re a TV addict with a desire to visit the places where your favourite shows are made, momondo have created the ultimate USA road trip, based on six of America'’s best-loved drama series.

1) MAD MEN, New York City, New York
Spectacular promotions, pencil skirts and whiskey-drinking men. Dive into
1960s New York, in a nostalgic tale of hard business and everyday intrigue.
Throw grand gestures with Don Draper and his gang, amidst a backdrop of
sexism, racism, adultery and alcoholism. In New York, start at Central
Station, where Don Draper takes his train every day - and visit the famed
Oyster Bar, and The Roosevelt Hotel, where Don Draper sips cocktails.

2) THE WIRE, Baltimore, Maryland
Learn more about America, through the unique sociological drama series The
Wire, recognised as one of the most realistic pieces of TV fiction. Through
topics such as drug trafficking, politics, the educational system and the
media, The Wire truly defines the human psyche. Start in West Baltimore at
Lexington and Fulton Avenue, where Snot Boogie was found dead on the street,
and then explore Baltimore's different neighborhoods, each of which forms a
backdrop for every season of The Wire.

3) HOUSE OF CARDS, Washington D.C., Columbia
In the world of fiction, continue south to Washington DC, where the world
eagerly follows in the footsteps of Kevin Spacey as Francis Underwood, in
House of Cards. In the real world, we need to be in Baltimore, where most
scenes were filmed. Here you will find, among other locations, Francis and
Claire's home, Zoe's apartment, the abandoned building where Freddy’s BBQ
Rib Joint is - it is not in fact - and The Clean Water Initiative, Claire's
charity, found a few blocks away from Baltimore Inner Harbor.

4) MIAMI VICE, Miami, Florida
And one for nostalgia’s sake.  Throw back on that loose t-shirt, Armani
jacket with extra wide shoulders and those bare feet in boat shoes. Bring
your old Phil Collins cassettes and a partner in crime. So are you ready to
travel to the south and become detectives Crockett and Tubbs in action drama
Miami Vice, one of the first television series that seduced viewers with its
explosive visual effects. Run out to the coast, where you will find
Crockett's home in Bayside Marina - and proceed to Villa Vizcaya,
Jorgenson's House and OCB Building among a host of other Miami Vice related
opportunities.

5) TRUE DETECTIVE, New Orleans, Louisiana
The murder mystery of True Detective is based on a story of moral decay.
After a long stretch to the west is New Orleans - where two detectives
intensely hunt a serial killer. The roles of Detective Cohle and Detective
Hart are occupied by the two cinematic heavyweights, Matthew McConaughey and
Woody Harrelson, whose alluring characters play out the plot's dark
philosophy. Explore Louisiana’s bars, see its trailer parks (where some
scenes were shot) and dark forests.

6) BREAKING BAD, Albuquerque, New Mexico
The tour ends with a decent jolt to the west, where cult series Breaking Bad
seduced viewers worldwide with its catchy premise: What is the morally right
thing to do? And what I have to do to save my family? Chemistry teacher
Walter White is diagnosed with fatal lung cancer, and begins in desperation
to manufacture and sell the dangerous methamphetamine to secure his family's
future. See Walter and Skyler’s house at 3828 Piermont Dr., enjoy the sunset
over the Albuquerque downtown and go exploring in the beautiful and isolated
desert landscapes.

Have you visited the USA? Write about access here

Leopard print Powerchair

Eden King, 14 from Thetford in Norfolk who lives with Muscular Dystrophy, has received a life changing, state-of-the-art powerchair thanks to donations from Action for Kids, the Joseph Patrick Trust and the Norfolk Free Masons.

Eden is a lively teenager who lives in a specially adapted, highly accessible bungalow with her parents Rod and Catherine King. She has depended upon an electric wheelchair since the age of four as her condition results in muscle weakness and restricted mobility. Over the years Eden’s condition has changed, particularly in terms of postural requirements that led to the need for a more specialist powerchair. NHS Wheelchair Services were able to support Eden to a certain degree however as her needs became more complex, the King’s Occupational Therapist recommended a more specialist solution – a Balder F290 Junior powerchair from Etac. 

Eden’s life was instantly transformed as she explains: “I was so happy to have my new chair which helped me be so much more independent. The Etac engineers spent a long time fitting my Balder with special, sensitive control buttons and a mini joystick so I can adjust my position and drive around easily with very little hand movement. I can even now position myself under the school dinner table and eat next to all my friends – it’s great.”

2011 Census - New Analysis Looking At 'Good' Health And Disability

This analysis looks at whether disability is a barrier to 'Good' health among males and females by age in more or less deprived areas.

2011 Census - New Analysis Looking At 'Good' Health And Disability

Food Decides

Travel search site momondo carried out an extensive survey of British travel habits and results show dining out is most often cited as a preferred holiday experience for Brits abroad.

In fact, ‘eating out at restaurants’ was mentioned the most times, when asked which of 12 cultural activities associated with going on holiday Brits most liked to do when on holiday with family, friends or a partner.*

The travel site also found that 63% of Brits questioned responded that 'good food' is crucial to whether they feel that they have experienced a good holiday.

And 29% of Brits only choose a hotel abroad, if it has its own restaurant.

Brits have a healthy appetite for the unknown
momondo found Brits are not afraid to try something new - whether it’s travel destinations, or what’s on their plates.

 The survey showed that 85% of Brits either ‘strongly agreed’ or ‘agreed’ they ‘prefer seeing new things when they travel’.

And whilst abroad, Brits are not afraid to try the local cuisine either. With 26% of Brits questioned citing they prefer to try unfamiliar, local dishes on holiday, and 45% preferring to distribute their appetite equally between new dishes and well-known favourites. Only 15% of Brits prefer only eating food they already know.

Brits don’t like their own grub

And Brits don’t appear to regard British food that highly.

Interestingly, when questioned what they most liked about the UK, only 8% of Brits answered they liked the food most. This was after being given six options, including the people, weather, culture & sights, and nature.

Find out about wheelchair accessible London restaurants here and add your own review. 

 

Free Doughnuts! #DumDumHappyHour

To celebrate their anticipated Donutterie launch at Box Park on the 25th February 2014, all NEW Dum Dum Doughnuts, the first brand to create the baked croissant doughnut, are opening doors early at 8am offering FREE samples between 8-9am.

This is on a first come first serve basis. What’s the catch? No catch, just be there are 8am without fail and you will receive a taste of the most sought after artisan baked doughnut in London freshly made that morning!

 
If you’re going to be heading to Box Park on the 25th Feb, tweet the below with the image and you will be entered to receive an extra special treat for you and your team…

‘I’m going to Box Park at 8am on the 25th Feb for the opening of @dumdumdoughnuts, are you? dumdums.co.uk #DumDumHappyHour’

Vienna In A Wheelchair

Vienna for wheelchair users

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/austria/vienna/10633711/Vienna-for-wheelchair-users.html

Add your wheelchair travelling experience.

#Valentines Getaway

Whilst stereotypically it is the likes of Paris and Rome which spring to mind when you think of a romantic getaway, research conducted by new flight comparison website compareandfly.com has revealed that in fact more Brits are looking to escape to Amsterdam this Valentines weekend than any other destination in the world.

 Based on over 1,700 flight searches for this amorous weekend, compareandfly.com saw more Brits looking to spend a night or two in Amsterdam than any of its European counterparts. In fact the Dutch city proved to be 4.5 times more popular than Paris in terms of searches. Whether it’s the fact that the likes of Paris and Rome have become a little too cliché for the loved up traveller, or simply “old hat”, the fact remains that Amsterdam is the clear front runner when it comes to trips this weekend.

 One such example is Becca Gregory from London, who is flying out to Amsterdam for three nights this weekend. “Chris and I wanted to get away for Valentine’s Day but we didn’t want to go anywhere too pricey, and we really didn’t want to go anywhere too ‘trite’- Amsterdam proved the perfect option for us”.

Compareandfly.com was launched in December 2013 providing holidaymakers with a safer, quicker, more reliable and more rewarding way to book flights, accommodation and car hire abroad. An app to complement the website will launch this month.

Easier Disabled Bus Travel

First Eastern Counties has joined forces with TGA mobility scooter specialist Beactive Mobility to help assist the elderly and disabled with travelling.

Shaun Green, Area Sales Manager for Beactive Mobility, which has stores in Lowestoft, Great Yarmouth, Diss and Norwich, spent the morning at First’s Lowestoft depot where he tested and identified two mobility scooters that fit comfortably on the buses – the TGA Eclipse and Minimo.

Danny Beales, Operations Manager at First’s Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft depots, said: “Accessibility for our customers is a key priority for First, and we are always looking for ways to improve our services for all of our customers.” Danny also showed Shaun some of the safety features on the bus during his successful on-board testing of the Eclipse and Minimo.

Inequalities set to grow?

A new report from ILC-UK argues that increasing the state pension age without taking into account the 18 year difference in healthy life expectancy across the UK, risks disadvantaging groups of older people.  

The report “Linking state pension age to longevity: Tackling the fairness challenge”, published as part of the Age UK Research Fellowship demonstrates that measures such as healthy life expectancy and disability-free life expectancy vary significantly by region and social class, and in consequence particular groups are more likely to be disadvantaged by a rise in the state pension age than others.

While most people will live to state pension age and beyond, a large proportion are unlikely to reach state pension age in good health, particularly in some parts of the UK, with Glasgow City having a healthy life expectancy of just 46.7 years – a near 20 year deficit from the current SPA of 65.

Males in more disadvantaged areas and lower social classes are unlikely to reach state pension age free of disability, while those in the lowest social class have a disability-free life expectancy 13.4 years lower than males in the highest social class.

The additional benefits tied to the state pension age, such as the free bus pass, will on average, not be available to those from lower social classes until well beyond their healthy life expectancy.

Although life expectancy and disability-free life expectancy have increased over time for most groups evidence suggests that health gaps are continuing to widen. The difference in disability-free life expectancy between women born in the most and least deprived areas was 11.6 years in 2001-04. By 2007-10 it had increased to 13.4.  

The report also highlights how the disparity between life and healthy life expectancies may offset the perceived financial benefits of raising the state pension age:

Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK, added:

" Those who are unable to work longer due to ill health or caring responsibilities must be given the support they need, when they need it.”

DISABLED INTERNATIONAL ENTREPRENEUR

Roger Barclay-Edwards, 68 from Cheltenham, is a highly successful retired businessman with limited mobility who has been able to continue developing his new holiday villas in Bali, thanks to his mobility scooter.

Roger has been a dynamic and driven individual all his life and held the position of Managing Director at the international EDS Group for over 40 years. During this period he owned EDS Engineering Limited in Essex for 30 years and was responsible for establishing the whole Chelmsford Rivermead Industrial estate, which still exists today. Following his retirement Roger began investigating his next challenge and decided to invest abroad in Bali by building a group of eco-friendly holiday villas. Now nearing completion, these three family villas and eight private bungalows all provide high quality, shoreline accommodation that includes a private pool and are totally solar powered. However Roger’s mobility became suddenly restricted in 2013 and his ability to continue with this project looked in doubt until he discovered the remarkable, folding TGA Buddy scooter.

Rogers explains: “I suddenly became unable to walk in 2013 for more than 30-40 feet without extreme pain. My Orthopaedic specialist told me that he had been expecting this for a long time. It’s great to know that despite my condition, we can travel to our Ubud home on Bali with peace of mind.”

Outside of his business ventures, Roger enjoys spending time with his four children, eight grandchildren and fulfilling a passion for model railways. His Buddy scooter is manufactured by TGA Mobility, which is based in Sudbury Suffolk, close to Halstead where Roger was originally born. TGA have been a leading mobility scooter specialist in the UK for nearly 30 years.  The 3-wheel Buddy from TGA is one of the most portable scooters on the market and can be separated into constituent parts or folded flat for storage in a car or on public transport.

Sing For Your Life!

UK registered charity, Sing For Your Life has made its Lottery Award winning Silver Song Club Music Box available as an assistive technology App for the iPad, iPhone and Andriod early next year.

Until now, Silver Song Clubs, which have been medically proven to raise mood and support convalescence in people with long term conditions, have only been available as facilitated group sessions.

The Apple and Android Apps will extend the therapeutic benefits of these accompanied singing to the 500,000 people highlighted by the G8 Dementia Summit as living, often in complete isolation, at home with life ending conditions.

"Singing is proven to be a great energiser and there is clinical research to back this up," explained Stuart Brown, founder of the charity, Sing For Your Life.

Already available is Sing For Your Life on iPad.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/singforyourlife/idd777821820.

The Sing For Your Life iPad App also provides examples of how professional and family carers, as well as to potential Silver Song Club hosts, can use the Silver Song Club Music Box to improve the quality of life of those in their care. There are also links to YouTube films of Silver Song Clubs in
action.

Sing For Your Life is currently waiting to hear the outcome of a Government grant application, which, if successful, will support the national expansion of the Silver Song Club network to all UK regions.