Latest Disability and health news from the U.K. and Europe

Two Pembrokeshire campaigners for visually impaired people visited London to lobby MPs over the "unfair" rate of disability living allowance for blind people.

People with serious sight problems can claim just £17.75 of the state benefit a week, compared to people with other disabilities who can get the mobility rate of £47.75. The difference means that visually impaired people are frequently financially restricted from getting out and about. Sarah Rochira, director of RNIB Cymru, said: “It is completely unacceptable that blind people across Wales are being denied financial support — available to other disabled people — that would enable them to travel and leave their homes safely and independently."

PEOPLE with learning disabilities who are eligible for social care are to have more choice and control over where and how they receive the support they need. Devon County Council and Devon Primary Care Trust are collaborating with Guinness Care and Support (GCS), one of the county's largest providers of residential care for people with learning disabilities, to see how support for their residents could be improved. Over the next two years, each of the 175 residents will individually decide how they might like to be supported, including where they would most like to live and identifying what they like doing now and what they would like to do more of in future. GCS provides care services to people with learning disabilities across Exeter, East and Mid Devon, with 23 residential homes.

Airparks® offer easy access for disabled travellers

For many disabled holidaymakers, the prospect of travelling from Gatwick airport car park to airport terminal is one fraught with difficultly and worry. Booking airport parking with Gatwick Airparks ensures any such worries will disappear. All buses at Gatwick Airparks are compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and are capable of accommodating wheelchair users. Assistance with luggage is also available from bus drivers, ensuring that the travel experience is as smooth and easy as possible. Luke Quilter, Airparks brand Manager, said: "Gatwick Airparks is always looking at the best ways to accommodate our customers, and the developments to become DDA compliant are just the latest in ensuring everyone can take advantage of our services" Airparks currently provides secured airport car parking at a number of sites throughout the UK, each offering 24-hour reception, transfers from the car park to the airport and the highest possible levels of security including regular patrols and CCTV. For more information on the products and services provided by Airparks, please visit http://www.airparks.co.uk

One of Britain's leading moral philosophers has called for a change in the law to allow assisted suicide in Britain following the death of paralysed rugby player Daniel James. Baroness Warnock, writing in today's Observer, calls for liberalisation of euthanasia laws on the grounds that we have a moral obligation to other people to take their seriously reached decisions with regard to their own lives equally seriously. Police yesterday were preparing a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions to decide whether Mr or Mrs James should be charged.

Farmers and other landowners in the Whitby area are being urged to take advantage of a free scheme designed to make public rights of way more accessible. Many people who would otherwise take advantage of the network of footpaths and bridleways across the county find they cannot enjoy easy access because of unsuitable stiles, or gates with restricted access. North Yorkshire County Council’s Public Rights of Way section is now offering free replacement gates to landowners, who have a duty to ensure rights of way across their land are properly maintained. It has a legal obligation under the Disability Discrimination Act to accommodate the needs of all users. Landowners interested in taking advantage of the upgrade offer should contact paths@northyorks.gov.uk or contact a member of the Rights of Way staff on (0845) 0349599.

There are more than 80 million persons with disabilities in Europe. Their rights are recognised in international human rights treaties, including the recent UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. However, these rights are still far from realised. Moving from rhetoric to concrete implementation has been slow. Such steps also require a change of attitude - from a charity approach to rights-based action. For far too long, policies concerning persons with disabilities have focused exclusively on institutional care, medical rehabilitation and welfare benefits. Such policies build on the premise that persons with disabilities are victims, rather than subjects able and entitled to be active citizens. The result has been that men, women and children with disabilities have had their civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights violated. http://www.neurope.eu/articles/90200.php

The story of Daniel James is almost unbearable. Paralysed in a rugby scrum, he made several suicide attempts and finally persuaded his parents to take him to the Swiss Dignitas clinic to end his life. At 23. His parents have been questioned by police; what happens next is anybody's guess. Since its inception Dignitas has left the British legislature mortally confused. Take Debbie Purdy, who has multiple sclerosis: she has challenged the Director of Public Prosecutions to state unequivocally whether or not her husband will be charged with assisting suicide (a 14-year sentence) if he takes her there, when she decides the time has come. Ms Purdy robustly says that, if the answer is yes, then she will go alone - and therefore much sooner. If he is in the clear, she can enjoy her remaining time. She deserves that clarity. More

Coming Events:

The Borough of Highlands Recreation Department will be offering a variety of programs, activities and events during the upcoming Fall & Winter season. The Highlands Senior Citizen Group will be having its' Anniversary Luncheon on Thursday, October 23rd and a Halloween Party on Thursday, October 30th at the Community Center. In addition, the Flu and Pneumonia Shot Clinic has been set for November 13th at Ptak Towers. The Recreation Dept. will also be hosting its' annual pre-Thanksgiving Luncheon for seniors on Friday, November 21st and the annual Holiday Party has been set for Friday, December 4th. Please contact the Highlands Recreation Department at (732) 872-1959 for registration or other information about any of the above activities.

A record entry of 38 players is set to take part in this weekend’s fifth annual National Learning Disability Tennis Event (18th - 19th October) at the City of Nottingham Tennis Centre, which is once again being organised by The Tennis Foundation in association with Special Olympics Great Britain. This weekend’s event in Nottingham is the biggest tennis tournament for the learning disability players and one of the most significant sporting fixtures in the East Midlands sporting calendar ahead of the City of Leicester hosting the 2009 Special Olympics GB National Summer Games between the 25th - 31st July.