Neale Myers, Author at Visits Unlimited

Meet and Eat For Disabled People, Families and Carers In North Halifax, Ovenden

30 November 2023

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Categories: Blog, Calderdale Project Update, Events

Accessible Calderdale: Meet and Eat For Disabled People, Families and Carers in North Halifax, Ovenden

Part of the Accessible Calderdale Project.

Meet and Eat

For disabled people, families and carers.

For disabled residents and carers living in North Halifax.

Venue:

Blackburn House

Nursery Lane

Ovenden

HX3 5SJ

Date:

Wednesday 31st January 2024
11.00am to 2.00pm

We welcome all disabled people to a warm and friendly accessible venue, hot meal provided and opportunity to meet like minded people.

Gentle relaxation available too from Everybody Needs Massage with Kay.

For more information, and making sure we meet your access needs please contact

lorraine.accessiblecalderdale@gmail.com

Or call on: 07596 707795

You can read more about the Accessible Calderdale Disability Access Forum here

More about the Accessible Calderdale Project

The Accessible Calderdale Project, commenced in 2018 with the aim to reduce inequality, remove barriers, promote inclusion and improve access to our local community and visitors, enabling all people to have equal opportunities, make a positive contribution and lead purposeful lives.

“We aim to create choices and a more cohesive community where everyone has the opportunity to interact and play an equal part in society.”

You can keep up to date with the Accessible Calderdale Project on our Facebook page.

Our Aims and Objectives

Working in co-production with our Accessible Calderdale Disability Forum, we work towards removing both the physical and non-physical barriers to inclusion by:

Raising awareness and changing attitudes towards disabled people to enable positive interaction in everyday life
Promoting accessible venues, places of interest, green spaces, new builds & regeneration projects
Disability equality and customer service training
Working collaboratively with key organisations

Co-production/Partnerships

A co-production and partnership approach is central to our work. We work closely with a wide range of colleagues from key organisations and stakeholders including Calderdale Council Visit Calderdale, Visit Hebden and Visit Todmorden to improve the accessibility of information provided on their websites, to ensure that there are up to date access statements, and that all venues, businesses and organisations are able to have access audits.

We encourage disabled people to review local places and for this to be used on Visit Calderdale website.

For more information please contact:- lorraine.accessiblecalderdale@gmail.com

Accessibility was a major issue during my stay at Lumley Castle.

22 November 2023

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Categories: Accessibility, Blog, News

My latest excursion was to the far North – historic Durham, Lumley Castle to be precise, for the Visit Durham Autumn Conference.

Accessibility was a major issue during my stay at Lumley Castle.

I’d agreed to go to represent all our groups and ended up presenting, much to my surprise!

Very interesting event almost scuppered by a mix-up on my arrival the night before.

We’d booked a room for the night before (we have documentary proof!), but when I arrived – no booking to be found. No booking for any accessible room under any name at all!

Turned out, after a frantic half-hour. That there was a booking for me on the day of the conference – I’d been put on the wrong page!.

After a quick check by the cleaning staff, I was in!

But into what? A long portable ramp was deployed to overcome two steps on entry to the corridor. This had to be left in place for my whole 24-hour stay, although the entrance led to five other bookable rooms.

I was then shown into a comfortably large room and left to explore.

It was listed as an accessible room on the website but after a thorough look around I could only find one vertical grab rail in the shower pod which constituted any form of aid – no rails around the toilet, no bath, no accessible shower, no shower seat, in fact no room to turn around in the bathroom!

Watch this space!

Luckily, the Conference was great – string of interesting talks and presentations, lots of lovely people to meet.

An image of five people in front of a large fireplace. Chris is in the centre.

My talk went down well I think. In it I had listed several places I’d audited in Durham, including Raby Castle, which I luckily gave a glowing report. As I finished, a smiling gentleman came up to me and shook my hand, introducing himself as the interim Chair of Visit Durham. Turned out he was the CEO of Raby! I’ve now got an invitation to return!

Afterwards, I bought some “Coals from Newcastle” from the display of local trades held next door. Black honeycomb as you ask. Then headed home in time for dinner.

Next trip – UK Tourism in exotic Leeds next week!

Intrepid Chris

Read more about the Autumn Conference 2023 Here

Meet and Eat For Disabled People, Families and Carers In North Halifax, Mixenden

30 October 2023

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Categories: Blog, Calderdale Project Update, Events

Accessible Calderdale: Meet and Eat For Disabled People, Families and Carers in North Halifax, Mixenden

Part of the Accessible Calderdale Project.

Meat-and-eat-flyer-North-Halifax-Mixenden — Meat and eat flyer North Halifax-Mixenden

For disabled people, families and carers.

For disabled residents and carers living in North Halifax

Venue: Holy Nativity Church, Sunny Bank Road, Mixenden, Halifax, HX2 8RX

Wednesday 29th November 2023 11am to 2pm

Opportunity to meet friendly, like-minded people in a warm, relaxing and welcoming space.

Have your say about your local area.

Refreshments and lunch provided at no cost. Booking essential.For more information, and making sure we meet your access needs please contact lorraine.accessiblecalderdale@gmail.com

or Katie on 07908 624549

You can read more about the Accessible Calderdale Disability Access Forum here

More about the Accessible Calderdale Project

The Accessible Calderdale Project, commenced in 2018 with the aim to reduce inequality, remove barriers, promote inclusion and improve access to our local community and visitors, enabling all people to have equal opportunities, make a positive contribution and lead purposeful lives.

“We aim to create choices and a more cohesive community where everyone has the opportunity to interact and play an equal part in society.”

You can keep up to date with the Accessible Calderdale Project on our Facebook page.

Our Aims and Objectives

Working in co-production with our Accessible Calderdale Disability Forum, we work towards removing both the physical and non-physical barriers to inclusion by:

Raising awareness and changing attitudes towards disabled people to enable positive interaction in everyday life
Promoting accessible venues, places of interest, green spaces, new builds & regeneration projects
Disability equality and customer service training
Working collaboratively with key organisations

Co-production/Partnerships

A co-production and partnership approach is central to our work. We work closely with a wide range of colleagues from key organisations and stakeholders including Calderdale Council Visit Calderdale, Visit Hebden and Visit Todmorden to improve the accessibility of information provided on their websites, to ensure that there are up to date access statements, and that all venues, businesses and organisations are able to have access audits.

We encourage disabled people to review local places and for this to be used on Visit Calderdale website.

For more information please contact:- lorraine.accessiblecalderdale@gmail.com

Accessible Calderdale Disability Access Forum: Giving Disabled People a Voice

13 September 2023

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Categories: Blog, Calderdale Project Update

Having a voice with the Accessible Calderdale Disability Access Forum

Thanks to the funding from Postcode Neighbourhood Trust, we have been able to continue our work with the Accessible Calderdale Disability Access Forum. This funding has enabled us to create an accessible platform where local disabled people can openly share their lived experiences. These discussions shed light on the challenges and daily barriers they face.

We focus on the things that are important to local people. Including getting out and about and how to get there. Both these go together. You need to be able to get on a bus, drive and park, and arrive safely at your destination. You also need the information before you leave the house, and to be clear on what to expect when you get there.

We aim that the whole customer experience of a day out, a trip to the park, visiting a museum, going to the library, shopping or eating in a café is as accessible and inclusive to all.

Disabled people with a wide range of impairments, family members, and carers make up the Accessible Calderdale Disability Access Forum. They all have deep insight and local knowledge of what works and where to go. Also what doesn’t work and what we can do together to make improvements. Our group meets regularly on line, face to face and in local parks and greenspaces.

We make sure that our group is represented at local strategic level, ward forums, consultation meetings, and events as well as our own focus groups and peer support sessions.

For more information on the Accessible Calderdale Disability Access Forum please get in touch with

Lorraine.accessiblecalderdale@gmail.com

Tel 07596707795

You can read more about the Accessible Calderdale Disability Access Forum here

Walk and Ride South Pennines Festival September 28th 2023

30 August 2023

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Categories: Blog, Calderdale Project Update, Events

Walk and Ride South Pennines Festival September 28th 2023

Part of the Accessible Calderdale Project.

Walk and Ride South Pennines Festival September 28th 2023

11.00am to 1.30pm

The Accessible Calderdale Project

For all disabled people, family members and carers.

We welcome everyone

Join us for good company, beautiful countryside and lots of fun.

Please bring a picnic and we will provide drinks and snacks. Changing Places accessible toilets available at start and finish.

Meet at Todmorden Learning Centre and Community Hub,

44 Burnley Rd, Todmorden OL14 7BX ( https: /tlchub.org.uk/ )

For more information on getting there, any access needs and booking a place please contact:

lorraine.accessiblecalderdale@gmail.com Or call on: 07596 707795

https: /southpenninespark.org/event-list/walk-and-ride-festival/

You can read more about the Accessible Calderdale Disability Access Forum here

More about the Accessible Calderdale Project

The Accessible Calderdale Project, commenced in 2018 with the aim to reduce inequality, remove barriers, promote inclusion and improve access to our local community and visitors, enabling all people to have equal opportunities, make a positive contribution and lead purposeful lives.

“We aim to create choices and a more cohesive community where everyone has the opportunity to interact and play an equal part in society.”

You can keep up to date with the Accessible Calderdale Project on our Facebook page.

Our Aims and Objectives

Working in co-production with our Accessible Calderdale Disability Forum, we work towards removing both the physical and non-physical barriers to inclusion by:

Raising awareness and changing attitudes towards disabled people to enable positive interaction in everyday life
Promoting accessible venues, places of interest, green spaces, new builds & regeneration projects
Disability equality and customer service training
Working collaboratively with key organisations

Co-production/Partnerships

A co-production and partnership approach is central to our work. We work closely with a wide range of colleagues from key organisations and stakeholders including Calderdale Council Visit Calderdale, Visit Hebden and Visit Todmorden to improve the accessibility of information provided on their websites, to ensure that there are up to date access statements, and that all venues, businesses and organisations are able to have access audits.

We encourage disabled people to review local places and for this to be used on Visit Calderdale website.

For more information please contact:- lorraine.accessiblecalderdale@gmail.com

Meet and Eat For Disabled People, Families and Carers Park Ward Halifax

30 August 2023

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Categories: Blog, Calderdale Project Update, Events

Accessible Calderdale: Meet and Eat For Disabled People, Families and Carers in Park Ward Halifax

Part of the Accessible Calderdale Project.

Accessible Calderdale Poster for Meet and Eat in Park Ward — Poster for Meet and Eat in Park Ward

Are you a disabled person, a carer, or a family member living in or near to Park Ward?

We are holding our Meet and Eat get together on:

Wednesday 25th October 2023, Wednesday 13th December 2023 , Wednesday 17th January 2024, Wednesday 13th March 2024

At 11.00am to 2.00pm

Meet other disabled people in a friendly. accessible and warm environment.

Join us for refreshments and free food.

Every Body Needs Massage will be with us too.

For more information email lorraine.accessiblecalderdale@gmail.com

or text 07596707795

Thanks to Community Foundation for Calderdale VSI AllianceWest Yorkshire Integrated Care Board for funding these sessions.

#harnessingthepowerofcommunities

You can read more about the Accessible Calderdale Disability Access Forum here

More about the Accessible Calderdale Project

The Accessible Calderdale Project, commenced in 2018 with the aim to reduce inequality, remove barriers, promote inclusion and improve access to our local community and visitors, enabling all people to have equal opportunities, make a positive contribution and lead purposeful lives.

“We aim to create choices and a more cohesive community where everyone has the opportunity to interact and play an equal part in society.”

You can keep up to date with the Accessible Calderdale Project on our Facebook page.

Our Aims and Objectives

Working in co-production with our Accessible Calderdale Disability Forum, we work towards removing both the physical and non-physical barriers to inclusion by:

Raising awareness and changing attitudes towards disabled people to enable positive interaction in everyday life
Promoting accessible venues, places of interest, green spaces, new builds & regeneration projects
Disability equality and customer service training
Working collaboratively with key organisations

Co-production/Partnerships

A co-production and partnership approach is central to our work. We work closely with a wide range of colleagues from key organisations and stakeholders including Calderdale Council Visit Calderdale, Visit Hebden and Visit Todmorden to improve the accessibility of information provided on their websites, to ensure that there are up to date access statements, and that all venues, businesses and organisations are able to have access audits.

We encourage disabled people to review local places and for this to be used on Visit Calderdale website.

For more information please contact:- lorraine.accessiblecalderdale@gmail.com

Update regarding accessible toilets

29 August 2023

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Categories: Blog, Calderdale Project Update

Our Accessible Calderdale project and the Accessible Calderdale Disability Access Forum are at the heart of many of the new designs and developments across Calderdale.

We thought it would be helpful to give people some up-to-date information about accessible toilets as we know this is something very important. Difficulty in finding a loo is often a reason disabled people find it hard to plan a day out.

Logo of the Changing Places campaign and brand

Photo of a fully accessible large toilet space with changing table, toilet, sink and hoist.

Drawing of a fully accessible large toilet space with changing table, toilet, sink and hoist

The Changing Places campaign

For many years we have supported the Changing Places campaign.

Changing Places are a specific type of accessible toilet. They are different from a standard accessible toilet in that they have lots of space, an adjustable bed, and a hoist. These features are necessary for people who need a lot of help and who cannot go out and about unless these types of facilities are available.

Changing Places is also the name of the national consortium of organisations which campaigns for and registers Changing Places toilets. These organisations work to ensure that people with disabilities have access to the Changing Places toilets they need to live full and independent lives.

Changing Places accessible toilets give more disabled people with a wide range of impairments the opportunity to get out and about with the knowledge that they can either go to the toilet or have space to be changed. This can have a positive impact on their physical and mental health, as well as their social and economic participation.

They can be opened with a Radar Key. Or a key is often available at the venue.

https://news.motability.co.uk/everyday-tips/radar-keys-explained-what-are-they-where-can-i-use-them-and-how-do-i-get-one/

There has been a campaign for many years to improve toilets for disabled people and children.

Due to the success of the campaign there has been a lot of funding available for local authorities to apply to have Changing Places toilet facilities in local venues.

Some of these venues could be:

A shopping centre or
Theatre or
Museum or a
Park

In Calderdale we worked closely 18 months ago with the local council to receive funding for 3 new Changing Places accessible toilets.

Todmorden Community Hub – about to be opened with a launch

Fire and Water – in progress

Ogden Reservoir – in progress

Where are Changing Places accessible toilets?

There are already Changing Places accessible toilets in the following venues:

Eureka

https://play.eureka.org.uk/plan-your-visit/access-information/

Orange Box Youth Centre in the centre of Halifax

https://www.closomat.co.uk/changing-places-at-the-orangebox-to-optimise-youth-potential/

Square Chapel theatre in the centre of Halifax

https://squarechapel.co.uk/visit/

Brighouse Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre

https://www.calderdale.gov.uk/v2/sports-and-fitness/venues/brighouse-swimming-pool-and-fitness-centre

The new bus station in Halifax

https://www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/hbs/widgets/10395/faqs

For more information on Changing Places see:

https://www.changing-places.org/

Shroggs Blog (that’s got a nice ring to it!)

1 August 2023

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Categories: Blog

Access Audits

I really like this part of the job – an access audit, auditing somewhere outdoors. Fresh air, sunshine and nothing else to do but explore every path, check every bench, observe every pond – and possibly enjoy a cup of coffee at the end.

There’s a limit to how many accessible toilets you can investigate, how many access ramps you can measure, how many parking spaces you can count – let’s get outside!

Well, we couldn’t quite tick every box today, there’s – no coffee shop in Shroggs Park – but it’s still a beautiful day out.

What a team

What Shroggs Park has in abundance though is lovely people. I was accompanied on this outing by locally famous urban warrior/activist Joan (complete with dog), and what she didn’t know about the park is not worth knowing.

What a team! I know what I’m looking for, Joan knows what’s where and who everyone is, and the dog attracts other dog walkers as well.

We spent a fruitful couple of hours covering every path, climbing every gradient (and this park has its fair share of gradients!), checking every bench, and reading every sign.

What you don’t notice – taking notes and photos, chatting to everyone you meet, asking questions – is that you quickly cover a considerable distance. All this exercise for free! Love it!

So, we circulated slowly and chatted to everyone, learning about the history of the place – there used to be a pond there, the children used to tend a garden over there, I think there used to be some toilets and a café in that building over there, no they’re going to knock that down, the bus used to come up ……and so on. We also collected a lot of dog walkers en route – we should have a field over there to let the dogs off the lead, why don’t they do that?

A particular destination was the children’s play area. Some money has come into this sort of provision, so watch out for upgrades in your local park – you might be lucky. If nothing seems to be happening, ring up and ask why.

Conclusions from our Access Audit

Having walked every path, overcome every gradient (there are some challenging gradients here), checked every worn surface and reached every bench I remembered I had to take pictures for my report. So, a quick recap and images of gates, potholes, worn paths and wonky benches. Unfortunately (or not, depending on your point of view) most of my pictures featured part or all of a dog as we had attracted a fair number by now! The combination of taking our own dog and having a wheelchair is irresistible to all dogs!

But lots of potential here. I like old municipal parks – space, tranquillity and good access. They were built for the right reasons, and we should treasure them. Something for everyone, whatever your age or status or interest.

What we need here is some care, improving surfaces, upgrading the play area, repurposing of some areas – but a lick of paint, some serious gardening and a bit of imagination will do wonders.

See you next time, Chris

Delivering face to face and not on Zoom!

26 July 2023

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Categories: Blog

Our New Co-Designed Accessibility & Inclusion Training Course for Calderdale

July 2023

Well, after what seems like a very long absence, face to face accessibility & inclusion training is back!

Covid made us all relatively expert at Zoom, Teams, Skype and all the others, but I’ve got very limited interest in taking several hours to look at tiny images on a screen and trying to read the tiny script. It’s just not the same as talking to a real live group of people!

So, here we are! Our all new, shiny interactive integrated team made its first appearances at the Artworks Gallery and the Orange Box.

It’s amazing how quickly the old skills come back – timing, remembering the old stories, injection of humour, interaction with the delegates – love it!

But this time, something new, something I’ve not had to deal with before, I’m part of a super new Team! Four of us in the same room at the same time – the delegates didn’t stand a chance!

It’s strange at first – you don’t need to fill the whole session, you can learn from others, you can ask questions – but I like this brave new world. Slightly easier on us because we’re sharing, but tougher on the delegates because we’re relentless, we don’t get tired!

Our brand new three hour session, Accessibility & Inclusion Training

Our brand new three hour session covered all the bases and gave a strong introduction to access and inclusion. Delivered as part of the Calderdale/Culturedale project, with an eye on Calderdale year of Culture 2024, we were keen to roadtest our scheme, ready to roll it out in earnest.

We covered the lot in a very concentrated but lively session, including lots of lived experience.

I kicked things off with the basic structure of Social model, appropriate Language and appropriate Behaviour. Can be a bit worthy and politically correct, but that’s not my nature and with a lifetime of lived experiences, mostly happening before legislation was enacted to protect people like me, I can usually hold an audience.

After I’d wound everyone up it was Katie’s turn to express the voice of reason – some legal stuff, can you actually get away with that? Is that actually legal? Then some numbers – how many of us are there?

Nadia then gave us all an astonishing insight to her life from her electric wheelchair as she enjoyed a weekend at Glastonbury (Where? Really?), her experiences in dance workshops and so much more, holding goal attention until you could hear a pin drop as she programmed her voice apparatus.

Big thanks to the lovely Sam from Curious Motion who brought a new perspective to our training and highlighted the importance of soft skills and how a bit of compassion and values goes a long way.

And then, after an exhausting, mind-stretching few hours, we finished with some much appreciated mindfulness to relax the tension we’d created with our mix of knowledge, horror stories, humour and general bloody mindedness. Great way to bring the event to a close.

How was the session?

The sessions seemed to go well and were certainly appreciated. The delegates seemed to gain something, and we’ve also learnt a lot. Hopefully there’ll be plenty more sessions including our accessibility & inclusion training for us to inflict our unique blend of knowledge and experience on you all, delivered in our own personal style.

We’ll know what we’re doing by the end of it all!

Anyway, feedback so far has been excellent which is always energising. I particularly liked one comment made to me over a cup of coffee at the end –

“Chris, I particularly liked your comedy moments, lifted the whole thing for me!”

“Comedy moments? Comedy moments?” I replied, “That’s my life you’re talking about!”

See you next time, Chris