The View from Where I Sit

Tag: disability awareness

  • Reflections and Key Messages from Luke Chapter 5

    1. Paralysed Man
    • We don’t know if the man had always been paralysed – for some people disability is life-long, for others it happens through illness or accident or later in life.
    • Being paralysed, he wouldn’t have been able to move around by himself, leave the house or earn a living – he would be completely dependent on others for everything.
    • It is likely that the only way of him being able to get his basic needs to survive would be to be carried outside into the town square to beg.
    • This same situation happens today in many developing countries where disabled people are still treated as outcasts.
    • Through the Roof ‘Wheels for the World’ mission trips constantly meet people who are in this situation. The trips take refurbished wheelchairs and mobility aids, along with Bibles, for people just
      like the paralysed man in Luke 5.
    • What did the paralysed man need – he needed to know Jesus.
    • What do our Wheels for the World recipients need – the need is still exactly the same – they need to know Jesus – demonstrated through the love of Christians providing a wheelchair and a Bible.

    2. The Four Friends
    These men were true friends – they saw past the man’s disability. They saw the man himself as a friend and responded to what he needed. They treated him with love, respect and compassion.

    • It probably wasn’t easy carrying the man on the stretcher.
    • We don’t know how far they had to carry him.
    • They worked together and they were determined, because they knew how important this was for the paralysed man.
    • When they arrived and couldn’t get into the house, they must have felt they were never going to succeed in getting their friend to Jesus.
    • It was a brave idea to break through the roof – what would the owner of the house say, or do to them?
    • They put their friend’s needs before their own safety or reputation. They knew how important it was for him to meet Jesus.
    • The situation is exactly the same today – it is just as important for disabled people to meet Jesus today as it was then
    • Through the Roof’s ‘Roofbreaker’ project is exactly this – to break down the barriers that might prevent disabled people from meeting Jesus.
    • It goes further than that too… once someone meets Jesus, they will want to serve Him and tell others about Him too – so barriers need to be removed so that disabled people can not only come to faith, but grow in faith and share that faith in the same way as everyone.

    3. The Crowd
    The Bible account says that those who were present when the man was lowered through the roof were ‘amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe’.

    • The Pharisees and teachers of the law who were present didn’t recognise who Jesus was. Jesus chose a disabled man to demonstrate exactly who He was.
    • Jesus could have just healed the man, but He didn’t. Jesus chose this moment to demonstrate that He was indeed the Son of Man and that He did indeed have authority to forgive sins.
    • What an honour for the paralysed man to be chosen to display Jesus’ authority in this way.
    • How much more important it is to meet Jesus, to know who He is, and to have your sins forgiven than just to be physically healed?
      Physical healing can only be temporary – our earthly bodies will one day die – but when Jesus forgives our sins, He is giving the gift of eternal life.
    • So, what impact did it have on the lives of those who witnessed this?
    • Imagine you were one of the people in that crowd. That moment would be a transforming point in your life because of what you had witnessed. That’s why it’s important today to hear about how God still works in and through the lives of disabled people.
    • The personal stories of disabled people whose lives have been changed by Jesus are incredibly powerful. We need to hear more of them, so that Jesus can work through those to transform other lives too.

      4. Our Response
    • How does the account of the paralysed man affect us even today as we hear it and respond to its message?
    • What do we learn from the paralysed man – are we seeking our own encounter with Jesus that will transform our lives completely?
      Jesus can take our weakness, transform it, and glorify God. Like the paralysed man, our lives will never be the same again once we have had a life-changing encounter with Jesus. And of course, then we need to respond and make sure others can come to know Jesus too.
    • What do we learn from the four friends?
    • God can use us if we have faith in Him. We may not need to break through roofs, but there are still barriers today that prevent disabled people from coming to Jesus – what can we do?
    • Let’s dig through that roof!
      Let’s break down the barriers!
    • The barriers might not always be what we would think. The barriers in our churches are not always
      to do with the building, there can be other barriers too – we need to ask disabled people themselves so that we can break through those barriers as the four friends did.
    • And what do we learn from the ‘others’ in the story?
    • Are we people who are amazed and give praise to God?
    • Are we ‘filled with awe’ by observing Jesus in action as they were?
    • Or are we like the Pharisees and teachers of the law clinging on to our traditionalism and not being willing to change?
    • If we see Jesus for who He really is, all this will be turned on its head. How will we respond?
      It’s time for churches to make sure there aren’t any barriers for disabled people coming to Jesus. Take an honest look, but most importantly ask disabled people if there are any barriers they are facing. And remember there’s lots of help available – Through the Roof will be delighted to help.
      We all need to be transformed by Jesus and that’s exactly what Through the Roof is aiming for.
    • Through the Roof’s mission is: ‘Transforming lives through Jesus with disabled people’. That is exactly what we see in the account of the paralysed man. It is Jesus doing the transforming, but Jesus not only transforms the life of a disabled person, Jesus also works through this person to transform the lives of others too.

    Stay tuned for our next Disability Awareness Sunday Service on the 17th of September 2023!

  • Disability & Trauma: The concept of trauma, the impact on our Emotions and overall well being


    Definitions of trauma
    Psychological trauma is the overwhelming experience of extreme events that exceed a person’s ability to cope and integrate these experiences. Trauma affects individuals in different ways and there are a number of different identifications depending on the nature, severity and timescales of the symptoms of trauma. Trauma starts in the brain.

    3 E’s of Trauma

    Event

    Experience

    Effects

    3 R’s of Trauma

    Resist

    Respond

    React

    DISABILITY AND TRAUMA

    Trauma can be either Harmful or Life-Threatening.

    In survival mode, the brain is programmed for scarcity. Lying, manipulating, and cheating can be a result of trauma. Surviving can also be masking or trauma bonding.

    The frontal lobe of the brain makes it difficult to heal from trauma and forgive. Because of its location in the anterior part of the head, the frontal lobe is arguably more susceptible to injuries. Following a frontal lobe injury, an individual’s abilities to make good choices and recognize consequences are often impaired.

    15 years can be cut off of your life if you don’t heal from trauma.

    When you have LIMITED KNOWLEDGE OF RIGHTS, you become MORE VULNERABLE which leaves a STIGMA.

    When you are MARGINALISED, it implies, ‘I DON’T SEE YOU’.

    Trauma lenses give additional perspective to understanding behaviour. Mistrust, neglect, abandonment, rejection, shame, frustration, bitterness and anger contributes to it too.

    So, Does Trauma Affect Seizure Activity? 

    Yes, trauma can lead to non-epileptic seizures. Dissociative seizures may occur as a person’s reaction to painful emotions or thoughts that affect their body in the form of seizing. These seizures, also known as “pseudo-seizures,” are the most common type of non-epileptic seizures. Non-epileptic “pseudo-seizures” may occur as the body’s overwhelmed response to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

    Another name for dissociative seizures based on trauma is Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (PNES). Research shows that PNES may occur due to the initiation of traumatic memory fragments. The seizure activity will occur as the body’s defence mechanism, as dissociation occurs. The altered state of consciousness relieves the person, as it prevents them from feeling the overwhelming emotions related to the traumatic event or experiences. Often, these individuals are not aware of the reasons related to their seizure activity.

    Did you know that Autism is trapped trauma?

    Autism and trauma are strongly correlated. Autistic individuals are at increased risk of experiencing adverse life events, such as bullying, victimisation, maltreatment, and discrimination. Trauma can make ASD symptoms more challenging to live with, such as social anxiety and overstimulation. Autistic people may have difficulties communicating their trauma and coping with their emotions. They may also face trauma from the pressure to conform to social conventions that are not suited for them.

    Overexplaining can be a trauma response, but as a woman with a disability, you find yourself talking a lot when advocating for yourself too. Shame, guilt, and the need to prove something can be trauma responses.

    Psychological interventions for trauma
    Chartered Psychologists are trained to the highest level in diverse interventions for trauma, adjustment disorder, stress and associated diagnoses. Evidence has consistently indicated that the best results for treating trauma are achieved through individual trauma-focused treatments (Ehring et al., 2014).

    EMDR
    Eye-Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing therapy (EMDR) uses rhythmic bilateral stimulation including eye movement and sensory stimuli. The aim of EMDR is to change the way that a specific memory is stored and processed in the brain. EMDR uses a structured eight-phase approach through which the therapist will guide the patient through. Unlike other trauma-focused treatments, EMDR does not include extended exposure to the traumatic memories, challenging of dysfunctional thought processes or ongoing independent effort to change behaviour.

    Since it’s conception in 1987, EMDR therapy has increased in awareness. It is now a well-regarded recommendation for individuals with trauma following incidents such as road traffic accidents and clinical negligence.

    Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT)
    TF-CBT is an evidence-based model of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy that has been adapted to the symptoms of trauma. The focus of CBT is to challenge trauma related cognition and offer tools to change thought processes. The model is a structured, short-term treatment method that has been proven to reduce a range of trauma-related symptoms in between 8-25 sessions. TF-CBT aims to provide psycho-education to children and adolescents suffering with PTSD and their caregivers, consequently equipping them with the skills to redesign their perception of the traumatic memories. The treatment has been shown to significantly reduce symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, maladaptive behaviours, and negative emotions associated to trauma.

    Counselling
    Trauma therapists can assist an individual with trauma to explore distressing memories and dysfunctional thought processes. The therapist will offer exercises and tools that can combat states of hyper-arousal and affective dysregulation. Overcoming these challenging states allows the patient to process and understand trauma symptoms. The focus of counselling is to develop ways to work through traumatic experiences in a supportive environment.

    Furthermore, the flexibility in counselling makes it valuable for considering the social networks in a person’s life that can affect recovery. There are no guidelines on treatment longevity, and this is established according to individual requirements.

    Practical application and assessment
    The skill in assessing trauma, is to find the key to change. This key is found in people’s unprocessed memories, dysfunctional thoughts or even social networks. Therefore, a psychologist will take the individual’s history into account to ensure a holistic, trauma-informed approach.

    The broader impact of trauma is an important consideration in psychological assessments. Trauma is one of the most common effects of injury or clinical negligence, with the impacts of the event(s) leading to further issues with functioning, employment, relationships, substance misuse and only through consideration of these factors can we develop a comprehensive understanding of how to effectively assess the impact of trauma and make predictions on the efficacy of treatment.

    Positive Affirmation is key!
    Process your feelings.
    What you cannot change, change your perspective about it.
    What you accept will continue to transfer.

    What are you internalising?

    Hugging oneself and self-love are therapeutic methods to help you to heal. Destigmatise therapy and mental health issues.

    https://www.psychologyexperts.org/2019/03/28/psychological-assessments-trauma/#:~:text=Psychological%20trauma%20is%20the%20overwhelming%20experience

    https://sanacounselling.ca/blog/emotional-trauma-can-it-cause-epilepsy

    http://www.themultifacetedsoul.com

    https://www.verywellhealth.com/frontal-lobe-head-trauma-1720020

    https://www.wikihow.health/Identify-Trauma-in-Autistic-People

  • ‘Horseback Riding in Bermuda’

    This year The WindReach Bermuda and Bermuda Riding for the Disabled, is celebrating 50 years of Therapeutic Riding in Bermuda!

    Therapeutic Riding is recognized world wide for its positive contributions to an individual’s well-being; cognitively, physically and emotionally. In fact, the impact therapeutic riding has on an individual with special needs is profound. Not only does riding improve physical strength, balance and coordination, it goes as far as to increase self-esteem, concentration levels, health and social interactions. Therapeutic riding is available to a large sector of individuals living with special needs and should be encouraged as we look to celebrate all abilities.

    WindReach Bermuda’s Therapeutic Riding Programme is accredited by The Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association (CanTRA) and their Instructors are also CanTRA certified. We strive to provide a high quality programme that promotes challenge, achievement, empowerment and independence for individuals with special needs. Lessons, whether individual or group, follow an individualised lesson structure; including warm up exercises, a progression of skills and games designed to further those skills. Accompanying the participant and instructor in each lesson are trained volunteers ensuring safety at all times. Lessons are designed around the participant’s unique needs to maximize the outcomes and therapeutic benefits.

    WHY HORSES?


    Because they are fun! But more importantly, a well trained therapy horse is rhythmic, symmetrical and organized. Each step the horse takes provides strong sensory and physical input in many dimensions – up and down, side to side, and back and forth. The Instructors balance these movements in specific orders to achieve positive results with the rider’s body mechanics that cannot be duplicated in any other setting.


    WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS TO THE THERAPEUTIC RIDING PROGRAMME:

    The physical benefits include: improved balance, strengthened muscles, improved coordination and motor planning. It also stretches tight/spastic muscles, increases joint range of motion, respiration and circulation, as well as sensory integration.

    Therapeutic riding also improves: social skills, self confidence, increased interest in the outside world and increased risk taking abilities. In addition, it develops skills of patience, emotional control and self discipline; enhances friendships, communication and enjoyment and develops respect and affection for animals.

    The educational benefits include: improved remedial reading and math, sequencing, patterning and motor planning, improved hand/eye coordination, improved visual and spatial perception, increased attention span and concentration, as well as improved verbal skills.

    I remember when I used to go horseback riding at Bermuda Riding for the Disabled, as a wheelchair using, primary school student. During my time there, I got to ride three different horses: Dusty, Squirrel and Sandy. It was a form of physical therapy for me.

    In the picture below, I am riding on a horse named Squirrel in my school P.E uniform. This took place every Wednesday at lunchtime for about an hour. Unfortunately, I stopped when I transitioned to Middle School to focus on my studies.

    Purple Badge for Bravery Award

    One technique that I learned while there was Trotting. There is a difference between Trotting and Galloping. The difference between gallop and trot is that gallop is (intransitive of a horse, etc) to run at a gallop while trot is to walk rapidly. I even won a purple ribbon Bravery award for Trotting during a contest. I learned a lot and made great relationships while there. Congratulations to them for 50 years and best wish for a whole lot more!

    If you are interested in participating in our Therapeutic Riding Programme please contact Samantha Hillier at shillier@windreach.bm or call 238-7433.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDOyCTJcY8A

    https://www.windreachbermuda.org/programmes/riding/

  • Disability Awareness Sunday

    Introduction

    Today, I got to share what it is like to be a wheelchair user, at the St. John’s Ben Rhydding Church in Ilkley, during their first ever Disability Awareness Sunday! There were also other disabled members who watched the service on Zoom.

    Opening  worship

    Songs  Amazing Grace ( My chains are gone)

    Waymaker

    Then we had a scripture Reading. Our scripture reference was Luke 5: 17-26. We watched a video at this point of this service: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54HVIqckVMc.

    Through the Roof and Roofbreakers was founded upon this scripture. The founder of the foundation is Joni B. Eareckson Tada.

    Song    God of the poor (Beauty for brokenness)

    Daniella Jade’s experience

    What difference in access to things did you find coming from Bermuda to here?

    College and University was wheelchair accessible, however the college made it mandatory to get an electric wheelchair because Bradford is very hilly.

    In education, what barriers were there and how were things changed to help you?

    Wheelchair Accessibility and Integration were the recurring barriers. There were two public high schools to choose from. One building was completely wheelchair accessible from it’s inception but I would’ve ended up in a special class/program instead of being integrated while the other high school was nowhere near wheelchair accessible which impeded on things like class participation, attendance and receiving an accurate product grade. Once I got to the high school phase of life, I started out in a building with all stairs, which made it hard to get to classes easily and on time. But in my second year, I moved to a fully wheelchair accessible building.

    What barriers do you in coming to church and how can we help you to be included?

    None

    Then we included the church in a Talk –  including a time for discussion.

    Song    Be still for the presence

    Prayers

    Song    God of justice

    The audience seemed quite interested and receptive. I’m very thankful for this opportunity. I enjoyed sharing my experiences and hearing other people’s perspective.

    The Enabling Church Course

    http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/my-body-is-not-a-prayer-request/409340

    https://throughtheroof.org/forchurches/celebrate-inclusion/

  • Wheelchair Privilege?

    “Privilege is not having to add the extra steps to make the recipe taste good.” – Jon Stewart

    Let’s think about that by looking at the concept of privilege. Privilege, from a sociological perspective is defined as: “Unearned access to resources only readily available to some people as a result of their advantaged social group membership.”

    What does this mean?

    Instead of taking it from a black/white paradigm, let’s look at it from a able/disabled paradigm.

    If you do not have to live life from a wheelchair, you normally don’t think about NOT having to be in a wheelchair. You don’t think about the access you get to have. You don’t think about how you will get from Point A to Point B on a daily basis. You don’t think about whether or not you will be able to get into Building One or Building Two. You don’t have to know how to evacuate the building in the case of a fire, as a wheelchair user.

    If you DO have a wheelchair, you can’t NOT think about these things. You always have to be aware of where you CAN and CANNOT go, the places you DO and DO NOT have access to.

    How am I privileged for being in a wheelchair when I was born unable to walk? I need it for mobility. These places aren’t wheelchair accessible!

    How am I privileged for getting extra help in class or exams? I have learning difficulties. Or if I apply for learning support, I have to pay for it?

    How am I privileged if I sign up to join a ministry team at church and the leader insist that I get supervised even after being trained?

    How am I privileged if my parents get asked to supervise me in class, because the Ministry of Education refuses to provide a Para-educator due to personal prejudices, preferences and opinions?

    You don’t have to walk up these hills. You don’t have to climb the stairs. You’re lucky.

    Attention both positive and negative

    Wheelchair users have to deal with dirty looks people through their way, especially when driving to a wheelchair parking space. Social stigmas are very evident as you’ll see frequent glares, discrimination in public transportation, public ridicule, and pinpointing as one drives to disabled parking spots.

    Even positive attention isn’t necessary as even well intended comments can get overwhelming.

    The race for getting into the elevator

    Wheelchair users find themselves competing with the rest to get to the elevator first. This is never fair since other people can climb the stairs fast and get into the elevator first.

    Some people are confident to ask wheelchair users to wait and go last as the wheelchair will take more space in the elevator. This is very hurtful.

    The struggle for parking the vehicle

    Nowadays, most places, especially public areas, have parking for the disabled. These parking spots are near the entrance/exits and are bigger than standard park spaces. This hurts some non-disabled people, and they think it’s a privilege that wheelchair users don’t deserve; sometimes, you’ll find them discussing this.

    Parking in accessible parking areas isn’t that easy as it sounds. Non-disabled people often park their vehicles in these spaces. Whereas they may find it enjoyable, it greatly inconveniences actual wheelchair users.

    The other challenge is people parking too close to cars parked in the accessible parking spaces. This limits the use of the wheelchair ramp, which is very inconvenient.

    The grass only looks greener on the other side. Sometimes the wheelchair makes it look ‘easy to get by.’ We’ve simply been misunderstood.

    These days, the term “privilege” might be used to explain at least some of these hugely varied outcomes. The term is often poorly understood and sometimes misused. But it’s also often based on a solid base of real-life experience. This is certainly true for people with disabilities. Disability is most often a social and financial disadvantage. But that doesn’t mean people with disabilities can’t have and enjoy what in current parlance we call “privilege.”

    https://exploreaccess.org/disability-as-diversity-postsecondary/ableism-and-non-disabled-privilege/,

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewpulrang/2023/01/25/4-ways-people-with-disabilities-can-have-privilege-too/?sh=30d3aaad7f3a

    https://www.linkedin.com/posts/florabazie_linoratechinclusion-webaccessibilityexpertcoach-activity-7049376544066068481-Nf5c?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

  • Medical House Ltd.

    Medical House’s Managing Director is Mickey Robinson. Mickey started Medical House in 1995.

    Mickey’s greatest joy is when our customers of all ages communicate how Medical House staff have helped them get through and overcome challenges in their homes or workplaces.

    Medical House is a reliable and caring company that provides the very best products and services in the industries we represent. We are leaders in Medical Supplies, Home Health care, PPE supplies, Uniforms and Footwear; and Restaurant, Janitorial and Safety supplies. Our established and professional team are here to serve you. They are similar to BACES in Bradford.

    SERVICES

    • We offer skilled consultation with our occupational therapy, physiotherapy and nursing team.
    • Assessments, CPAP and Oxygen services by self referral or health care provider

    For example, as a disabled customer, I’ve also purchased other items from them like Urine Off spray to clean my wheelchair and new wheelchair cushions.

    They also encourage Compression Therapy. Compression therapy is an effective treatment used to help increase blood circulation in the lower legs, ankles, and feet. The elastic in the stockings helps provide compression to prevent blood from pooling up and fluid from building up in the legs, ankles, or feet. There are different categories of pressure depending on the condition of the individual and how much compression they require.

    CONTACT PERSONTinee Furbert
    PHONE NUMBER4412923622
    EMAIL ADDRESSmedicalhouse@medicalhouse.bm
    WEBSITE ADDRESSmedicalhouse.bm
    PHYSICAL ADDRESS22 Mill Reach Lane Pembroke HM 05
    2 Bakery Lane
    Pembroke HM 07
    Bermuda
    MAILING ADDRESSPO Box DV56, Devonshire, DVBX
    HOURS OF OPERATION9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday; Extended Hours Uniform Dept. 9:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m., Medical Sales 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

  • Kathleen Margaret Carter

    Sherrie-Lynn Lilley is the Founder/Director of Inspire Bermuda.

    This week Inspire Bermuda is celebrating women with disabilities for Women’s History Month!

    Today we would like to honour the wonderful and inspiring Kathleen Margaret Carter.

    She was the founder and long-time chairperson of the Bermuda Physically Handicapped Association, Kathleen Margaret Carter championed the cause of people with disabilities.

    She was herself disabled, and one of only a handful of Bermudians of her generation with a disability to receive access to a formal education. That, along with her talents as an organizer and writer and her media savviness, combined to make her a formidable spokeswoman.

    It was largely because of her activism that the needs of handicapped Bermudians were placed on the national agenda. It led to more employment opportunities for the disabled and heightened public awareness of the need to make buildings and streets in Hamilton more accessible to people in wheelchairs.

    Without her influence, Summerhaven, the residence for the physically handicapped in Smith’s, would not have been built, and the Human Rights Act would never have been amended to include people with disabilities.


    Carter was the only child of George Caswell Carter, a British engineer who came to Bermuda to work for the Bermuda Electric Light Company, and Margaret Daisey (born Taylor) Carter. She was born with muscular dystrophy, a degenerative disease that put her permanently in a wheelchair by age 11.

    She received her early schooling at Mount St. Agnes Academy. When she was 13, she left the island to receive rehabilitation at Pinderfields Hospital in Yorkshire, England. Carter remained in the United Kingdom for three years and relied on her sense of humour to cope with her loneliness and isolation.

    On her return to Bermuda, she completed a correspondence course in creative writing and began to develop her talents as a writer and a doll maker.

    By the 1960s, she had written a novel based on her experiences in the rehab hospital, but despite favorable reviews from publishers, it never made it into print.

    She self-published two pamphlets “1609 was a Very Funny Year”, a satirical account of Bermuda’s settlement, and “Bermuda Joe”, about a talking sea horse with the secret for world peace.

    She began laying the groundwork for university education when she completed Colin Benbow’s G.C.E. history course, which he taught on television. Courses taken through Queen’s University Extension in Bermuda followed, which led to her receiving a Bachelor of Arts with a major in psychology from Queen’s in 1983.

    Carter’s life as an activist began when she took out a newspaper ad, asking people who were disabled to contact her. The result was the formation of the Bermuda Physically Handicapped Association (BPHA) in 1970. It became the forum through which Carter, working with a team of disabled and able-bodied members, led the fight for jobs and greater access to transportation and the integration of children with disabilities into the regular school system.

    By 1991, the BPHA could claim success in a number of areas. There were nine hydraulic buses on the roads, where there were none in the 1970s, providing transportation for residents and tourists with disabilities.

    A swimming pool had also been built at St. Brendan’s Hospital for use by the disabled for physical therapy, and amendments to the building code, requiring all new buildings to be accessible to the handicapped were on their way to Parliament. Hamilton City Hall had led the way, installing ramps and later an elevator.

    Carter served on a number of boards including Summerhaven’s and Government’s Human Rights Commission and the Rehabilitation Council. Her activism extended to the anti-Apartheid Group, which she helped found.

    She was a member of the Bermuda Writers’ Collective, and her short stories were included in two of its collections, Palmetto Wine, published in 1990, and An Isle So Long Unknown, which was published in her memory in 1993.

    In 1992, while attended a creative writing workshop led by Barbadian writer George Lamming, Carter suffered a stroke from which she never recovered.

    Her funeral, which was held at the Anglican Cathedral, was attended by artists and activists, Government and Opposition figures, clergy from different denominations and a host of friends.

    https://www.gov.bm/k-margaret-carter-centre

    https://bernews.com/2015/05/k-margaret-carter-centre/

  • ‘Home Automation for Physically Disabled People in the UK’

    CareFree Smart Homes began from a desire to enhance the lives of people with disabilities. As a disabled-owned company, we recommend all of our products to anyone disabled who is looking to utilise technology to enhance their level of independent living. During an interview with CEO Josh Porritt, this is what he said:

    1. What is a Care Free Smart Home?

    A CareFree Smart Home is one that provides the occupants with useful automation and voice controlled features that make it easier to control their home.

    2. Are Care Free Smart Homes wheelchair accessible? How?

    Products available at CareFree Smart Homes can help wheelchair users by enabling them to do more from their chair without having to move around as much or stretch for switches.

    3. Are Care Free Smart Homes digitally accessible? How?

    CareFree Smart Homes is all about technology. Whether you want to control your home whilst you’re there, or somewhere completely different. We have a website and are available on all major social media platforms plus live chat and WhatsApp.

    4. Do Housing Corporations know about your company?

    We are open to working with housing corporations and welcome them to contact us.

    5. Are Care Free Smart Homes legal?

    All our products and services comply with the law.

    6. When did you start Care Free Smart Homes?

    CareFree Smart Homes was incorporated in July 2022 and began operating in September 2022.

    7. Does a Care Free Smart Home, work without Wifi or Internet connection?
    Sort of, at the moment. The ability to control your smart home without an internet connection is becoming more and more possible every day. There will come a time where every smart home accessory can be controlled independent of an internet connection.

    8. You say that you like solving problems. Which problems arose for you to start building Care Free Smart Homes?

    It’s often difficult for disabled people to navigate properties, whether it’s fully adapted or not. As a disabled person, I understand this problem first hand. Coupled with the fact I’m obsessed with technology, I’m ideally placed to advise on how smart technology can be used in the homes of everyone, including disabled people.

    9. How do you build Care Free Smart Homes?

    Whilst there’s a broad range of smart products available, we focus on providing products and solutions that are ‘plug and play’. We believe that ‘plug and play’ products, if they can’t be installed by the purchaser, are suitable to be installed by family members, friends, carers, handymen, and for certain products, a short visit from an electrician

    10. Do you eventually wish to go global/international?

    At this time we are focused on establishing our name within the United Kingdom and making life easier for as many people as possible through use of technology.

    For more information about his company, you can check out his website at: Home Automation For Disabled Persons | CareFree Smart Homes https://www.carefreesmarthomes.co.uk/

    Seen by Josh Porritt at 14:35

    Enter

    Write to Josh Porritt

  • Where did the term ‘Handicap’ come from?

    You might have heard that the word originated from disabled veterans in England during King Henry VII’s reign (15th-16th century). Unable to make a living for themselves after war, they were forced to take to the streets with their “cap in hand,” begging for coins. King Henry VII made it legal for disabled people to beg because he didn’t think they could hold down jobs. Disabled individuals, therefore, became known as “handicapped”…It turns out, though, that this is not true.

    In contrast, “Cap in hand” actually refers to taking one’s hat off as a sign of respect, such as when listening to the national anthem or entering a building. This has been a custom since 1565, when people took their “caps in hand” to show subservience to certain individuals like judges. The phrase eventually took on the meaning “to humbly seek a favour.” It is still in use today, such as when referring to asking a boss for a raise, “cap in hand.

    Now in the late nineteenth century, the term “affliction” began to disappear and people started using the term “handicapped.” “Handicapped” arose in the context of evolutionary theory, the world was being reinterpreted as a place of struggle, of competition, in the midst of industrial expansion and growing commercialism. It arose in the context of an economy that was fiercely competitive and where people were increasingly seen as competing individuals.

    The term “handicapped” originally comes from a game called “Hand in Cap,” which is a game of chance in which every person would have an equal chance of winning in each succeeding game that you played. Later it was applied to horse racing. You would handicap a fast horse by hanging stones on it to slow it down. It began, then, in the late nineteenth century to be applied to people with disabilities, and it always occurred in the phrase, “handicapped in the race for life,” or “handicapped in the struggle for existence”. It was very much tied to the kind of competitive, social-evolutionist worldview that was obvious in the late nineteenth century. And that was the term that was used through much of the twentieth century until fairly recently, when the term “disability” began to replace it.

    The interesting difference between “affliction” and “handicapped” is that “affliction” was not something you should overcome. While an “affliction” was a spiritual burden to be borne with faith and lived with as best as possible, in submission to God’s wisdom, a “handicap” was a condition to be conquered, an impediment to worldly success that had to be overcome. Thus twentieth-century success stories about disabled people are most often stories of “overcoming.”

    ‘Handicapped’ is a word which many disabled people consider to be the equivalent of ‘nigger’. It evokes thoughts of being held back, not in the race, not as good, weighed down by something so awful we ought not to speak of it.

    However, “handicapped” is not universally offensive; while many disabled people do take offense, many others don’t care if it’s used, and some even prefer it. (Of course, “disabled” is seen by some as a negative word, too, with some people preferring “less abled.”)

    There has also been some attempt to “take back” the word “cripple” and use it in a positive sense, such as with the talented comedian, and sufferer of Congenital Muscular Dystrophy, Ally Bruener and her “I laughed at the crippled girl” comedy act; her definition of “crippled” being: “Something so awesome, it’s debilitating. Opposite of ‘lame’.”

    Inclusive communication and the proper use of specialist terms is important to me, especially as an upcoming journalist and Politician. It should also help to encourage mutual respect and self-respect. Furthermore, it will also continue to change our worldview on people with various exceptionalities and how we treat them.

    http://www.disabilitymuseum.org

    https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/12/origin-word-handicap/

  • What is Accessibility?

    The International Symbol of Accessibility, that white stick figure in a wheel chair on a blue background, was developed in 1969. It was borne of a contest held by the International Commission on Technology and Accessibility, which was won by Susanne Kofoed of Copenhagen, Denmark. Kofoed’s original design didn’t include a head (probably because she was trying to keep the figure unisex) so it wasn’t used right away; but once the head was added, it became quite popular.

    The Commission chose the blue background simply because it provided a nice contrast with the white stick figure, making the symbol easily visible on all kinds of surfaces. That said, the little stick figure might change some time in the future, as some parties are arguing that not all disabled people use a wheel chair and the figure needs to be more representative of other disabilities.

    This is a good start for disability representation and wheelchair accessibility. I hope the little stick figure changes in the near future so that it can change our worldview on medical conditions and the general outlook on life for people with different exceptionalities.

    https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/12/origin-word-handicap/