South Sommerset Disability Forum

Avon and Somerset Police – the Ride Along Scheme

ssdf — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:19:29 +0000

A very interesting training day was held at Portishead on 13 March and the visiting groups gained knowledge and experience of all thing Police related! It was certainly an eye-opener to realise the training and discipline required.

An offer that would be hard to refuse is the ‘Ride Along Scheme’. This is an opportunity to ride with the police during a shift. You need to be 18 years or above, be prepared for a criminal record check beforehand (each case will be considered individually.) You will need to have undergone the usual security checks for all prospective Constabulary employees, sign and agree the Confidentiality Agreement, Observer Briefing Sheet and Risk Assessment. Follow instructions given to you by your accompanying staff member at all times. You will get to observe the work of the Neighbourhood Policing Teams, how Police Officers respond to calls, how Communications specialists deal with calls and deploy the Police.

So, if that has peaked your interest, you can visit online at: www.avonandsomerset.police.uk and follow the link “In your area”. Let us know how it went, you might want to write a brief description of your experience to share with the readers of our News and View Newsletter.

Access Review session, early days for learning skills – so much to take in!

ssdf — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:33:53 +0000

Western Gazette Wish Cash Giveaway – Unique number 24 !

ssdf — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:45:40 +0000

South Somerset Disability Forum's unique number 24

The Western Gazette are rewarding 30 groups/organisations a guaranteed share of the £15,000 dream fund and we are one of them!

South Somerset Disability Forum have made the final for this year’s Wish – Cash for Community Campaign. A minimum of 50 votes has to be reached for any amount of money to be presented and with your help, we should eaily be able to achieve that.

The total prize money will be proportionate to the number of printed coupons collected from The Western Gazette. On Thursday 18 April, our organisation, together with the other successful finalist will appear in the ‘Wish Cash for your Community’ feature. Members of the community can collect coupons and either send them into us or we could arrange collection.

All coupons need to come to us directly by Thursday 16 May to give us time to get them logged and counted.

If you are on our site, it is likely you know what we do. We promote Equality of Opportunity and Access for All through our work in the community. We undertake Access Reviews, attending meetings, check building plans and generally promote better access and inclusion for people with disabilities. This money will help toward our core costs and go some way to recruit volunteers to continue our work.

Thank you for reading and please do get in touch !

Disability Rights UK

ssdf — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:35:10 +0000

Keep up to date with the new rules on personal independence payment – PIP

http://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/

SSDC – We aim to tackle disability inequality – Access Reviews Village and Community Halls

ssdf — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:27:16 +0000

Disability

Our services related to disability equality

Access Reviews Village and Community Halls

http://www.southsomerset.gov.uk/communities/equality-and-diversity/protected-characteristics/disability/

Easter Musical Extravaganza

ssdf — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:12:47 +0000

Limitless Theatre Company in association with Yeovil Shopmobility are going to burst onto the local performance scene with their debut show, to be held this Easter time!

If you like being entertained then please get yourselves tickets and come along for a night to remember!

Tickets are available from Zoe (limitlessdirector@live.co.uk 07890186144), Lucinda (lucinda@limitlesstheatrecompany.co.uk 07570969654) and Yeovil Shopmobility (Ground level, Quedam car park)
£6 adults or £4 children and concessions (OAP/student/disabled), including a complimentary interval drink

On the night, there will also be an Easter-themed raffle in which you can participate!

We look forward to seeing you there and thank you for your support…

For more information on Limitless Theatre Company and how you can become involved please see our facebook page: www.facebook.com/groups/limitlesstheatre
Or our website:
www.limitlesstheatrecompany.co.uk

Bucket Collection at Palmers Garden Centre in Yeovil 23 – 24 Feb!

ssdf — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 14:12:12 +0000

Thank you Palmers Garden Centre http://www.palmersgardencentreyeovil.co.uk

Look out for SSDF volunteers and stop to have a natter. There will be collection boxes at the tills if you would like to contribute to a great local independent charity !

Yeovil Transport Strategy Review 2 (YTSR2)

ssdf — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 13:20:00 +0000

Disability Workshop – Post Workshop Comments… if you have any further comments, please email transportpolicy@somerset.gov.uk by 15 Feb 2013 to Compass Disability Services.

Issues from SSDF members

Access for All should be highlighted and an Equality Statement should be clearly displayed at presentation and on all paperwork.

Walking, footpaths, crossings, do we cater for all predestrians? A board placement cause barriers. Signage needs to be in appropriate places, height and colour contrast.

Cycling – routes, crossings, etc. Cycle routes are not always continuous, eg Bluebell Way, cyclist have a clear unobstructed journey on the highway and often don’t use the cycle path.

Public Transport – bus service provision, bus lanes, bus station, rail stations, links to rail stations, etc. Little or no public transport on Sundays. Bus timetables limited in villages after working hours. Bus station in Yeovil needs smartening up to build a sense of security and a protective and safe environment. The station is not visually welcoming to incoming visitors. Is it manned during travel times? Bus drivers need disability awareness training. Pen Mill train station has an automatic door but often their is no staff presence. The system of paying for tickets discriminates as people with disabilities are not always able to access ticket machinery easily. With assisted booking, traveller is given a reference number which has to be manually tapped into machine. With little instruction available, people with visual impairment would be disadvantaged. When staff are available, they have been very helpful and considerate. Yeovil Junction - early morning assisted ticket users for trains cause a concern. Traveller is prevented from access due to no staff prior to 20 minutes or thereabouts, to assist the traveller. Signage needs to be displayed close to the call bell showing staff hours clearly marked. There is no shelter during inclement weather. People with disabilities are requested to arrive an hour earlier to obtain access across the track.

Traffic – car travel, on street parking, etc. Not enough short stay parking for quick visits to shops. Taxi’s should be discouraged from parking at short stay bays when not on duty. BB holders are unable to park in bays due to trades using them either while working or not. Taxi ranks should be on level ground, no slopes or gradients. Signage for loading and blue badge holders needs to be clearly visible at the appropriate height and colour contrast. Old instructions painted on the road should be removed from the highway.

Communities – impact of transport on communities, how does it impact on them? etc. Poor accessible transport creates a barrier – consider the Social Model of Disability….

Environment – that the transport infrastructure looks like, pollution, etc.

Safety – personal safety concerns, accident levels, etc. People with visual impairment and night time travel causes concern. Conductor manned buses ensure people feel safe and secure. Public transport with accessible entry/exit – few and far between.

Public Meeting Invitation on Thursday 24 January 11.00am – 1.00pm

ssdf — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 12:38:59 +0000

Everyone is invited to attend our Public Meetings, we meet at Yeovil Town Council, Town House, South Street, Yeovil, BA20 1PQ.

Please join us and share your views on all access issues and find out how you can make a difference by volunteering in our community.

Weather watch – all being well, the meeting will go ahead unless hell freezes over!

SSDF – Advancing Equality of Opportunity for All

Yeovil Transport Strategy Review 2 – Disability Workshop Tuesday 29th January 2013 10.30am until 12.30pm

ssdf — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 11:25:25 +0000

Somerset County Council has recently begun to develop the Yeovil Transport Strategy Review 2. This town wide transport strategy will guide the development of the transport network within Yeovil until 2028, it will identify the transport interventions to accommodate all of the growth planned for Yeovil and will help to attract investment in the transport network when funding streams are available.

The development of the strategy is in its early stages and Somerset County Council would like your views on the current transport system in Yeovil and any ideas you may have for addressing any transport issues. The views and ideas will influence the options that will be tested.

A disability workshop has been arranged for Tuesday 29th January 2012 at the Yeovil Baptist Church, South Street, Yeovil, BA20 1QF from 10.30am until 12.30pm and will be facilitated by Somerset County Council. Places are limited for this meeting and will be allocated to ensure a range of impairments are represented. Tea and coffee refreshments will be provided.

Transport, care and communication support can be arranged for this meeting, the cost of which will be met by County Council. If you would like to attend please contact Compass on 0330 3330089 or 01823 282823 or e mail mandy@compassdisability.org.uk

If you are unable to attend and would like to contribute your views please contact us and we can arrange to send you a copy of the presentation and a feedback form.

Kind Regards

Mandy Seaman
Project Coordinator

Compass Disability Services
Unit 11-12 Belvedere Trading Estate
Taunton, TA1 1BH
0330 333 0089 / 01823 282823