Bristol Disability Equality Forum

Forum E-Bulletin - December 2015

Forum Manifesto
Many thanks to everyone who
came to our consultation event for
a Bristol Disability Equality
Manifesto. We had a fantastic
turnout, and many of you have
already given us positive feedback. We will keep you
updated on the progress of the Manifesto, and when the final
version will be available.
Thanks to the success of this event, we are already planning a
larger event to celebrate Disability History Month next year.

Meet our Administrator

Forum Administrator, Helen Brittain, has
now been made a permanent member
of staff, after successfully completing her
6 month probationary period. Helen says
I have enjoyed the new challenges and
experiences that working for the Forum
has given me. I am pleased with my
achievements so far, and look forward to
developing my work in 2016. It has been
good to meet new people at various meetings and events,
and I hope to meet many more of our members next year.
As well as working for the Forum, Helen is an artist who makes
her own handmade paper. She enjoys spending time in
nature, travelling, and world cinema.

Easyfundraising and easysearch

Will you be doing any online shopping
in the January sales?
Did you know you can donate money to the Forum every
time you shop online, at no extra cost to you! You can still use
your favorite retailers, but if you go through easyfundraisings
website, you will be giving a gift to the Forum too. Find out
how at: www.easyfundraising.org.uk/how-it-works/
You can also support our work by using easysearch for your
internet searches! Please see our October e-bulletin for a
reminder on how to do this, and remember to use:
bdef.easysearch.org.uk

Date for your diaries

The Forum will be joining Disabled Go, Bristol City Council, Visit
Bristol to Launch a Disabled Access Guide to Bristol. This is on
Wednesday 27th January 10AM-12, at the Great Eastern Hall
at the SS Great Britain.
For more information please visit our website.

Amplify: Accessible
Music Production
Course
Amplify is a brand new 6
week music production & remixing course for disabled
musicians and producers in February and March 2016. For
more details, visit:
http://www.drakemusic.org/opportunity/amplify-accessiblemusic-production-course/

Join a social care Advisory Group

Department of Social Policy London
School of Economics and Political
Science are looking for social care
service users to join the advisory group for a new project
which will develop a prevention evaluation framework for
Local Authorities in England. The project will develop and
implement a general prevention evaluation framework that
could be implemented by all local authorities to assess on an
ongoing basis the prevention effects of their services.
For more information, visit
http://www.shapingourlives.org.uk/archives/lseps-arelooking-for-social-care-service-users

Please respond to the Personal Independence

Payment consultation
There is a new government consultation on Personal
Independence Payment (PIP) daily living component awards
for use of aids and appliances, launched on 10/12/15 and
ending on 29/1/16(5pm)
They ask two important questions:
1. should they change the way that aids and appliances
are taken into account for your entitlement
2. if changes are made, what are your views on five options
and youre your additional suggestions.
You should respond because:
a) it is an opportunity to comment on both the current
effectiveness of PIP and to suggest improvements
b) options 1 and 2 would mean no passporting to other
benefits (e.g. Carers Allowance) and benefit cap
exemption which are significant reductions
c) as it stands, the government are likely to reduce the
number of people who are entitled to an award

The mystery of the money promised by the

government in its latest spending review
Disabled people are confused about many of the promises
made in the Government spending review on 27th November
2015.
The statement promised:
a. That the Access to Work Scheme would get extra funding
so that nearly twice as many people (up from 37,000 to 60,000
a year) will be able to stay in work yet, the day after, the
Department of Work and Pensions press officers couldnt
confirm this would happen. So far, the DWP still hasnt
confirmed that an extra 25,000 Disabled people will be
helped by the scheme.
b. That enabling local councils to increase Council Tax by 2%
would provide enough money to pay for all of their adult
social care budget. But, the other political parties say it
wont.
c. Transport funding promises have also caused confusion, as
the Department of Transport still cant say what impact the
budget they were given for this year will have on work to
improve access to railway stations.
d. New school places for children with special educational
needs and those with impairments but havent said whether
these places will be in segregated or mainstream schools. A
Department for Education representative said that there was
no information about this yet.
The Government also still hasnt said whether they will
continue to give local councils the money needed to fund
former users of the Independent Living Fund after March 2016,
or whether the extra 500million for the Accessible Housing

Fund is for one year which would be a dramatic increase or for four years, which would less than they get now.
Click here to read more
http://www.bristoldef.org.uk/2015/12/17/spending-reviewanalysis/#.VnLMGdKLR2Q

Wheelchair Charter
The Forum is signing up to the wheelchair
charter with the Right Chair, Right Now
campaign.
http://www.rightwheelchair.org.uk/images
/The_Wheelchair_Leadership_Alliance_Charter.pdf
Please send us your personal wheelchair stories so that we
can compile them. How does having the right chair help you
live your life? Have you had trouble getting the right chair to
suit your requirements? What cant you do because you
dont have the right chair? Whatever your experiences, we
want to hear about them. Send them to
bristoldef@gmail.com
Image: stevepb, pixabay.com

Seasons Greetings
Staff and trustees of the Forum send seasons greetings to all
our members and supporters. Thank you all for your support,
and we look forward to working with you in 2016.

Bristol City Council Consultations

A big part of our work is making sure Disabled people have a
say in how our Council consultations and decisions that affect
us. If you want to help us, please let us know. For details of
current consultations go to: https://bristol.citizenspace.com/
Or, contact us at the address on the last page of this bulletin.

Volunteers with bright ideas needed!

The Forum is looking for volunteers to work
with us. We have lots of roles available
but we also welcome your ideas about
what you could do.
We would also like to hear members
ideas about what we should be focusing on and what is most
important to Disabled people in Bristol.
If you have time to spare please contact us!

Do you want to write for this e-bulletin?

Send us your news! Have you gone to an event or
consultation recently? Are there changes being made where
you live that you think others should know about? Do you
have any recommendations that other members may like to
hear about?
Contact us by email, phone or post with your ideas.
This is your e-bulletin so please help us make it one that really
is by and for Disabled people by writing a short piece about
your disability-related experiences.

Contact Bristol Disability Equality Forum:

St Pauls Family and Learning Centre,
94 Grosvenor Road, Bristol BS2 8XJ
E-mail: bristoldef@gmail.com
Tel: 0117 914 0528
Twitter: @BDEFbites
Or find us on Facebook