Greetings!
You may recall last month that I was pleased to announce that I had won the contract to be the sole Access Consultant to Bouygues (UK) Ltd, the contractors responsible for building the new hospital at Broomfield, Essex.
My feet have hardly touched the ground since... the feature article below covers just a fraction of some of the work involved... |
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Broomfield Hospital Access Consultant |
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In essence an access consultant will assess the journey of a disabled person from the moment they enter the perimeter of the premises to the moment they leave.
In practical terms, and for Broomfield Hospital, this means advising the contractors on areas such as:
parking bays; access from parking bays to the building; curb heights; ramp inclines; walkways and drop off points; safety railings; corridor widths; direct and ambient lighting and a whole lot more.
All of which needs to be checked to ensure that the contractors conform with the DDA and Part M of the Building Regulations. Give me a call if you'd like to know more... |
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Disability Etiquette - Learning Disabilities |
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This month covers some aspects of dealing with people with learning disabilities...
- Use paper with a light yellow or blue background for people who you know suffer with dyslexia
- Ask the person how you can convey in the best possible way any instructions that they may need to help them do the work you want them to do
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| Inspirational People - Giselle Ruoss |
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 Just imagine for one moment saying that you've earned the Duke of Edinburgh award, you've been to the Great Wall of China, abseiled in Wales, been parasailing in Greece and visited Australia.
Nothing too remarkable until you realise that Giselle is a quadriplegic and suffers from cerebral palsy.
And now she's started her own company! 'Outside the Box' providing innovative and creative training and motivational speaking. Want to know more? Giselle can be contacted on 01920 463851. |
| Mental Health First Aid - Part 2 |
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 Led and supported by employers, the MINDFUL EMPLOYERŽ initiative is aimed at increasing awareness of mental health at work and providing support for businesses in recruiting and retaining staff. Stress, depression and anxiety are estimated to be the cause of more working days lost than any other work-related illness. Sick pay reduces profits. Covering absent workers adds more pressure. Loss of valued and talented people costs more than money. Read more... |
| Say NO to shared streets... |
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You may have seen in the news recently the unbelievable concept of 'shared streets' whereby vehicles and people have equal rights of way, there are no road signs, and you're just left to 'work it out between you'.
 A frightening concept if you're eagle-eyed, but imagine being a small child or visually impaired. If you want to help bring a stop to this nonsense, or want to know more information, please visit the Say No website, part of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. |
| Future Topics |
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If there is a particular topic or subject that you would like to see in this newsletter, please email me and let me know and I'll do my best to include it in future. |
| And Finally - Go grab a coffee... |
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Drew Cochrane was 38 when he knew he was losing his sight. The Ballymena man says he doesn't know what he would have done had he not discovered blind golf.
Yes that's right blind golf - and he's travelled all over the world. Read more... |
