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The Editor |
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Managing Director,
Mrs Susan Pattrick |
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Featured Charity | |
Dancing Giraffe
needs your help...
The official media launch of Dancing Giraffe CIC will be held in February, and we are looking for willing volunteers to help in all sorts of areas:
Database Researchers;
Database Mining Researchers;
Reporters;
Writers;
Fundraisers;
Bookkeeper;
Ebay Seller;
Sorter;
Cataloguer;
Labelling;
Sellers for fundraising;
Collection and delivery drivers.
Some of these roles can be done at home whilst others can be done at Dancing Giraffe HQ in Capel Road, Colchester.
Please email me if you would like to get involved. We really would appreciate any help we can get!
Want to find out more about Dancing Giraffe? Click here ... |
| Nominations | |
Please feel free to nominate a future charity of the month here...
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| Back Issues |
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Greetings!
Seasons Greetings to one and all. I hope you enjoy the festive season. Not only are we fast approaching the new year, we are also fast approaching the 3rd anniversary of this newsletter! So I'd just like to say thank-you to all of our existing subscribers and new subscribers for sticking with us. We continue to receive high praise for the value and content of the newsletter, but as always if there is something you would like to see covered please do let me know. |
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Joint Marketing Initiative | | |
 I am pleased to announce a new partnership initiative between SMP Consultancy Ltd and a local construction company, Constructive Ltd, to introduce a combined service of access audits with building adaptations to provide a potential one-stop approach to making business premises accessible. Ultimately this will lead to the client being awarded use of the Accessible Business MarkŪ.
If you would like some copies of our joint leaflet explaining the service in more detail, please email me or you can download a virtual copy of it here ... Exciting Times! |
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The Tea Dance - an update | | |
As promised from last month, here are a couple of photos from the Tea Dance that SMP sponsored last month, including the cheque presentation to the Mayor.
 
Thank you again to those of you who supported the event. Maybe we will see you next time? |
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Website accessibility | | |
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), in its ongoing effort to ensure equal access to air transportation for all travelers, has proposed a regulation that would require airlines to make their websites accessible to individuals with disabilities and ensure that their ticket agents do the same. DOT also proposed that airlines make automated airport kiosks at U.S. airports accessible to passengers with disabilities. U.S. airports that jointly own, lease or control such kiosks with airlines would also have responsibility for ensuring the accessibility of automated airport kiosks.
I wonder if the UK will follow their lead? Let's hope so!
Read the full report here ... |
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Come fly with me! | |
 Just last week I successfully bid for an auction lot at a fundraising event for Limbcare. The prize? A one hour ride in a Full Flight Simulator at The FlightSafety Farnborough Training Centre, for two people. This is one of the world's premier flight instruction centres with over 1m training hours per year!
Now, I would like to go, but I'd also like someone to join me, and in order to raise further money for the Limbcare charity I am running a silent auction for the other seat. There is no set date for the event - we can agree on a mutually convenient date, although it must be taken by 31 May next year.
There is an undisclosed reserve price, so please be as generous as you like! Please email me with your bid by 31 December. Good luck! |
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Health and Safety gone mad! | |
Stand-up comic Tanyalee Davis has reacted angrily after rail staff left her to dismantle her own mobility scooter on a station platform, citing health and safety fears.
The Canadian-born comic, who is 3ft 6in tall because of a form of dwarfism, claimed that British transport policy 'make disabled people more disabled in this country'.
She uses her scooter to travel between gigs, but hit trouble recently when she attempted to board the 12.55 pm First TransPennine Express from Manchester Airport to Sheffield, where she was performing in the city's comedy festival.
She was told she would need to disassemble the three-wheeled, seven-stone (45kg) scooter before she could board the train. But she cannot do this singlehandedly, and staff would not help because of 'health and safety'. Article courtesy of 'Chortle', click here for the full story. |
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Naidex exhibition - an alternative view! | |
Following this autumn's Naidex South exhibition in London, Sophie Partridge from Disability Now asks whether big trade shows like this are still of value to disabled customers
Click here for the full story. |
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Transport for London maps and aids | | |
Following on from the above, it's not all bad news...
 Transport for London have a whole range of facilities to make accessible travel available as wide as possible, with route planners, step free maps, accessible friendly stations etc. Here's a link to their website and as a starter a very useful leaflet of the underground map detailing station accessibility and access in minute detail. Well done TFL for making the DLR accessible, but there's plenty of room for improvement across the rest of the underground network. |
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Action for Parkinson's | | |
Do you want to learn more about Parkinson's and how to manage it and share experiences? Maybe you live with Parkinson's or you know or care for someone with Parkinson's.
The Chelmsford Group of Parkinson's UK meets on the 2nd and 4th Friday of each month in the hall at the Holy Named Church, Lucas Avenue, Chelmsford, CM2 9JJ, and is a popular and growing group.
A new forum style group is also being formed where members can bring issues for discussion and is designed to complement the social group. Research and treatment options will be discussed and debated so we can jointly learn about managing the condition.
For more details please contact Christine on 01245 251985 or email crbarrett@blueyonder.co.uk |
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And Finally - Go Grab a Coffee | | |
Life's Too Short.
Now it might be somewhat politically incorrect, but the new comedy starring Warwick Davis has been a massive hit. If you like it, follow this link to some brilliant trailers not seen before and a few outtakes and interviews, some of which are done in the same faux documentary style. And if you have somehow missed it so far, it's also worth a quick look.
But a word of warning... don't drink your coffee whilst actually watching any of the clips, and if you follow all the links, it takes about ten minutes to see them all.
But hey, you deserve it! |
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