April-May 2005 Newsletter In Full

100 people complete Intensive Interaction training

Over the last 15 months more than 100 people have completed the intensive interaction training course.

The course is run by Leeds Mental Health NHS Trust at St Mary’s Hospital in Armley. The course helps people find ways to build relationships with people who have profound learning disabilities and autism.

The next three courses are already fully booked. To get a place on courses after August apply soon! For more information contact:

Marion Crabbe on  305 5393
or Graham Firth on  305 5160

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New Internet guide to access in Leeds.

The Disabled-Go website gives information about access at shops and services in Leeds and other cities.

People can check whether a place is accessible before they go. The website tells you information about lots of access issues, like:

1. whether a place gives information in large print
2. if they have an induction loop
3. if they have wheelchair access

The website address is  http://www.disabledgo.info

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Autism Alert card.

A new card for people with autism is available from the National Autistic Society.

You show the card to other people to tell them about your needs if you are in a situation where it is difficult to communicate.

The card is the same size as a credit card. It tells people the card owner’s name and emergency contact details. It also includes an information leaflet about autism.

To get a card, or more information about it, contact the National Autistic Society on  020 7833 2299
Email  nas@nas.org.uk

or write to:
The National Autistic Society
393 City Road
London
EC1V 1NG

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Housing Question Time.

Are you a council or a housing association tenant with disabilities? Or are you the parent or carer of someone with disabilities who lives in council or housing association house?

Leeds Tenants Federation will be holding a Question Time event for tenants with disabilities to give people a chance to have their say.

This is at: Leeds United Conference Centre on Tuesday 21 June from 10.00am to 2.00pm.

Ask a question:
This is your chance to put a question to the people who make the decisions about housing. You will need to hand in your questions before the event.

To do this, or to apply for tickets to the Question Time event, contact the Leeds Tenants Federation:

Write to them at:
Leeds Tenants Federation
FREEPOST NEA16248
Leeds
LS2 3YY.
(you do not need to put a stamp on the envelope).

Telephone  2145330, or email  tenants@leeds.gov.uk

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Real Life Options – Direct Payments Project

The Direct Payments Project came to an end in March. But don’t worry – if you would like a direct payment or you want to know more about them, you can still contact your social worker or the Direct Payments support Service at LCIL.

Contact LCIL on telephone  214 3654.
If you don’t have a social worker contact  398 4702.

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Interview with Michael Cass, Co-chair of the Learning Disability Partnership Board.

What is your job?
My job is to chair the Partnership Board meetings and make sure things run smoothly. I help to sort out what we are going to talk about and I make sure everything gets done at the meetings.

Why does the Partnership Board exist?

The Partnership Board exists because the Government said that every area or city needed one. The aim of the Partnership Board is to talk about the main issues and make sure people with learning disabilities have a say about those issues. In the past changes were made without asking people, just guessing what people wanted.

Do you think the Partnership Board is accessible to people with learning disabilities?
We always try to have meetings in accessible places. The Board includes members from ethnic minority communities and all Board members who have a learning disability can have support at the meetings if they want it. Some of the reports and presentations are accessible. Also, the sub groups are another way for people to get involved. They give more people a chance to get involved, and their views are taken back to the Partnership Board.

What do you hope the Partnership Board will achieve in the next 5 years?
I hope the Partnership Board will help people get more support and freedom so that they can fit into society, rather than being in institutions. I think the most important parts of having an independent life are where you live and what you do during the day. This could mean having a choice about getting a job rather than going to a day centre. We need to show places like supermarkets what they need to do to employ more people with learning disabilities.

If day centres continue, then they should be run by people with learning disabilities, with support. People should be able to do more practical and useful things when they are at a day centre.

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Spark! Arts event for young people

Spark is a 2-day arts project for young people with learning disabilities aged 14 to 25. It is organised by Artlink West Yorkshire. It is on:

Thursday 5th and Friday 6th May from 10am to 4pm.
At the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Quarry Hill, Leeds, LS2 7UP. It costs £20 for 2 days.

Each person can choose to do either dance, digital arts or Djing for the 2 days. At the end everyone will come together to combine their work at the Spark Party! They will also get a CD-Rom of what happened at Spark!

For more information contact Hayley on 243 1005 or email  info@artlinkwestyorks.org

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Make Information Easy with Through The Maze

A new training course on making information accessible is available soon from Through The Maze.

Mark Wallis, the Access Worker, can come to talk to groups about what they can do to make their information more accessible for people with learning disabilities.

For more information about the course, contact Through The Maze on 243 9919, or email  mark.wallis@mencap.org.uk

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Pyramid Of Arts Open Evening

Are you interested in art? If you are 13-18 years old and have a learning disability we would like to meet you - you can also bring your parents!

Come along to an open evening on Wednesday 6th April from 6.30pm to 8pm, at North West Specialist Inclusive Learning Centre (formally Pennyfields) to find out more about getting involved with Pyramid of Arts.

We are also interested to meet young learning disabled people aged 18-25 and people interested in joining a high support needs group or a family group in the future. For more information please contact:

Bridget Mork on telephone  395 1222
or write to:
Parent Partnership Service
Blenheim Centre
Crowther Place
Leeds
LS6 2ST

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Your Right to Vote

There is a new information pack to help people with a learning disability vote at the next general election.

The 'Right to Vote' pack gives useful information to people with a learning disability and their families and carers on registering to vote, what voting means and how to get help to vote.

If you have any problems or if someone stops you voting you can phone the DRC helpline on  08457 622 633.
The textphone number is 08457 622 644.
For a copy of the Right To Vote pack contact Through The Maze on  243 9919.

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