If you want to see more of this site for people with disabilities then click the following link:

http://wheeliecatholic.blogspot.com/

What blog would be complete without a brutally honest telling of your life story? Mine certainly wouldn't be. I'm sorry everything has been so horribly dark lately. I will try to go to the doctor on Monday to get a bright, shiny and new anti-depressant. And maybe something to sleep. I know a lot of you have already read some version of this… On Sunday, October 8th, 2006 I woke up to find my little brother hanging from a jump rope in my garage. … Read More

via Perfectly Imperfect: The Story of Al

The final 100 shortlist in the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Young Brits at Art awards paints a telling picture of what young people think ‘a world without prejudice’ would look like. Unity, freedom and body image dominate the shortlisted artworks of the 11 to 19 year olds.

What would the world look like if we lived without prejudice? We asked you to show us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=mao8FdVMaKU

Freedom of expression is a common theme; freedom to choose one’s own religion, freedom to express one’s sexuality but most importantly, freedom to be who you are. Essentially the budding young artists see a world without prejudice as a world where people are bound by their similarities and celebrated for their differences.

The shortlist was whittled down from a record 1,700 youngsters who entered the award, which challenged them to ‘imagine a world without prejudice’.

Entrants were given the opportunity to express their ideas on prejudice and equality using various art media including but not limited to digital animation, sculpture, film and more traditional forms such as print and oil painting.

Neil Kinghan, Director General of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said;

“Young people too often get a bad press.  We sometimes forget the great array of talent in our schools and youth clubs and the contribution which the vast majority of young people make towards making our society more tolerant. Young Brits at Art gives them an opportunity to have those talents recognised; and if we happen to unearth the next Oliver Payne it would be a fantastic bonus.”

Ten overall winners will be selected from the shortlist of 100 and revealed at an awards ceremony on 22 June. A judging panel, consisting of several prominent arts figures and equality champions, will select the winners with all 100 shortlisted pieces displayed at the awards ceremony at the Southbank Centre.

For the ten winners, a month of being an exhibited artist is in store. The Saatchi Gallery, one of the most celebrated art venues in the country, will exhibit the ten winning artworks for the whole of July.

Well nearly two thirds of all people with a diagnosable mental disorder do not seek treatment…

Why is this? The stigma surrounding the subject of mental health has a large part to play in keeping many people from seeking the help they need. The negativity and misunderstanding that surrounds mental illnesses can create fear and cause shame, which in turn causes unnecessary pain and confusion.

This extract is from the website of Shatter the Stigma and you may well find it to be interesting on a range of mental health issues.

Click on this link to reach the  website:

http://shatterthestigma.wordpress.com/about/

A few photos of the event in Cardiff Bay.  A great day for everyone who attended.

In 2008 the Commission’s Who Do You See? research found that people with mental health conditions are one of the most discriminated against groups in Wales with:

• 37 per cent of people being unhappy if their close relative married someone with a mental health condition
• Only 40 per cent of people thinking that people with a mental health condition are suitable to be Primary School teachers

Following these findings we have been working in partnership with mental health experts from the voluntary sector and equality practitioners in the public sector to address mental ill health in the workplace.

This guidance is a result of that partnership. Together we have looked at what makes effective policy and practice, defined the business case and agreed a strategy to promote the guidance to others.

We have developed a set of tools which you can use in your workplace to tackle sickness absence and address the stigma associated with mental health conditions.

• Mental health is your business – guidance for developing a workplace policy
• James’ story handout
• TUC Campaign pack
• Mental health workplace policy presentation

· to raise awareness and understanding of what Independent Living means for disabled people in Wales

· to call for a National Strategy for Independent Living

to develop a Manifesto for Independent Living throughout the campaign to influence policy makers

· to collect disabled people’s stories to establish an evidence base for Independent Living in Wales

· to develop a stronger coalition of disabled people’s organisations and disability activists

· to develop stronger links to the wider Independent Living movement

The first ILN! Campaign Briefing was held in Porthmadog on 26 May 2010. Organised in partnership with Arfon Access Group and CIL De Gwynedd, who hosted the event, over 30 people attended the briefing and contributed their ideas to the development of our Manifesto for Independent Living.The next ILN! Campaign Briefing will be in Powys on 7 July. This event is being organised in partnership with Disability Powys and Dewis CIL. A flyer for the event can be accessed here.

Facebook group

 Please bookmark this page and keep visiting for updates on the campaign.

Formal Inquiry into the actions of public authorities to eliminate disability-related harassment and its causes

Overview

The Commission is undertaking an inquiry into disability-related harassment and how well this is currently being addressed by public authorities. We want to hear from anyone who has been harassed and from organisations that work for/with them, including voluntary and community sector organisations, public authorities (such as local councils, police, housing, social services and education) and public transport operators.

“There can be no more important human right than to live life in safety and with security. Its absence prevents us from living our lives to the full. And, for some, its absence has led to the loss of life itself. For many disabled people in Britain safety and security is a right frequently denied.”

Trevor Phillips – Promoting the safety and security of disabled people 2009

Watch this clip that explains some of the issues relating to this inquiry.

Introduction

On 3 December 2009, International Day of Disabled People, the Commission announced its intention to conduct a formal Inquiry into the actions of public authorities to eliminate disability-related harassment and its causes.

The Commission’s Inquiry powers enable us to compel evidence, call witnesses and make recommendations against which we expect action to follow. Because this is a formal Inquiry under the Equality Act, the law says we have to have terms of reference.

The terms of reference tell us what the Inquiry is allowed to hear evidence about so it is important we get them right. We consulted with disabled people and other stakeholders on the terms of reference for the Inquiry and, following an analysis of the responses, published the final terms of reference online.

Now that we have published the final terms of reference, we can begin taking evidence. If you have been harassed because of your disability, or someone close to you has been affected, we want to hear about your experience. If your organisation works for people who are Deaf or disabled, including those with mental health conditions, or supports people who have been victim of harassment, we’d also like to hear from you.

Living with Bipolar Disorder is an ongoing challenge that I have been facing for the past twenty years. The constant mood swings make day to day activities arduous tasks, all for the simple reason that I can never know from one day to the next what my mood will be like at any given time, making advanced planning an exercise in frustration. Thanks to the care of a very dedicated physician and a team of health care professionals I have learned many … Read More

via Echoes of Solitude