Taken from DWP data provided by The Guardian
A current breakdown of DLA rates awarded to deaf people:
Higher Rate: 1,430
Middle Rate: 28,550
Lower Rate: 9,970
Mobility Only: 3,010
Total: 42,950
Case study 9
Trevor is 25 and lives in sheltered accommodation provided by the local council,
sharing a house with three other people one of whom, like him, is also profoundly
deaf. He likes meeting up with friends and often goes to see movies with subtitles.
His preferred method of communication is British Sign Language and many of the
people he sees regularly have learnt a few essential elements of sign language, to
help with communication. He keeps in touch with his friends by text and his phone
vibrates and flashes to alert him when he receives messages. The doorbell in his
house also has a light that goes on when someone rings it. He is able to cook for
himself, do his own shopping and manages to wash and dress without support.
Likely descriptor choices
Total points
Daily living activities = 8 (standard rate Daily Living component)
Mobility activities = 0 (no Mobility component entitlement)
Explanation
Trevor’s impairment impacts on his ability to communicate and he requires a British
Sign Language interpreter. He is able to carry out all other everyday activities
independently.
Editor note: I have a lot to say about this. First of all, it says Trevor requires a British Sign Language interpreter. The assessment doesn’t even begin to ascertain how much Trevor requires this and how this requirement can be met. Assessment is so infuriatingly half-assed.
Pardon me for not blogging after such a long time. Also, pardon me for launching straight into a raging subject that have worked up Twitter into a moral outrage and people with disabilities up in arms. Pardon me for quickly putting together this post.
In the light of the current Welfare Reform, currently being brutally pushed through the House of Lords without so much scrutiny and analysis, one of the most contentious aspects of it is to replace Disability Living Allowance with PIP (Personal Independence Payment) for spurious reasons. (I hope I can have the opportunity to explain why later).
Last night, DWP have published the proposed thresholds points to guide the re-assessment part of the new PIP. This can be found here.
Below is taken from Benefits and Work website of how each claimant will be scored.
Transcript kindly provided by Claire of Team Hado.
Part of a programme looking more widely and whether charities be trusted to run public services well and honestly?
Dering section – 11.40
While the impact of reorganisation is troubling some volunteers, what concerns many managers of charities is the future financing of public sector contracts. They worry that, while they might be about to get a bigger slice of the cake, the cake itself is shrinking rapidly under the Chancellor’s cuts, and there’s real anxiety amongst smaller groups that they may face severe financial pressure from the way public sector contracts are awarded. Continue reading
Upon watching Jeff McWhinney’s broadcast about diluted rights for Deaf BSL users under new Equality Act, I had a nose around on the internet for more background readings. Then I’ve come across these paragraphs in the EHRC’s draft Statutory Code of Practice Continue reading
At the behest of Alison Byran of G.O.D.
Apologies for the lengthy break away from blogging. Things have been mad at work, plus an impending new addition to our new family, plus sustained efforts throughout Autumn to renovate the 2nd half of our house in readiness for the new addition. Oh well, life happened!
I started my Xmas holidays early – on 16th Dec – hee hee, Xmas glee! Whilst out Xmas shopping, I had an impromtu shear – haircut – so, as per usual, my hearing aid are taken off. Typically, I am always asked to take them off by the barber and, as per usual, the barber still try to strike up a conversation as if I am a hearing person. Continue reading
Co-operation raises £1 million for the deaf
I am proud to announce that with the generous help of the Cumbrian public, the 37 local Co-operative stores in the area and other Co-operative businesses throughout the UK, £1 million has been raised so far for RNID (The Royal National Institute for Deaf People).
The Co-op has chosen the RNID as this year’s charityThis is fantastic news and I wish to thank all those who have donated to this very worthwhile cause at their local Cumbrian Co-operative store, even through these difficult times. This money will enable RNID to do even more to help people adjust to life with a hearing loss, and to campaign for people to take their hearing health seriously.
The Co-operative has chosen RNID as its charity of the year for 2009, and we have been overwhelmed by the support of staff, members and customers. However, it is a sad fact that it can take people up to 15 years to acknowledge hearing difficulties.
RNID’s message is simple; if you have hearing difficulties, dial nnnnnnn or visit www.rnid.org.uk/hearingmatters to check your hearing now.
JACKIE BALLARD
Chief Executive RNID
London
No mention of the word “deaf” in the letter by Jackie, except for RNId’s full name. However, the newspaper headlined the article with the word “deaf”. On the public front, is the word “deaf” now taboo at RNId?
Our representation is getting skewed here cos the letter publicly state that it is RNId’s remit to look after the hearing people’s hearing/hearing loss – which is a no bad thing – but masquerading under the “Deaf” banner is misleading and the press is not helping the situation. They should drop that from their name. I have the feeling the money will never reach the real Deaf people at grassroots and get passed around over our heads.
Everything about us, without us.
Source: News & Star
Adam Rothwell
This fella absolutely knocked the issue of charities’ transparency on head.
The gist of his article is to encourage greater engagement with the stakeholders and taking on aboard their criticisms. He also suggested that charities should be open about their activities and heed the criticisms in order to learn from it. He also advocate the use of the internet to faciliate this engagement, which will bring better transparency. I couldn’t put it any better myself.
I refer to the online rumblings that have been ongoing in the D/deaf’s quarters online, such as The Regency and the monster thread at BBC Ouch’s See Hear forum. You can also view another blog by MM, a disgruntled RNID observer/member. I never thought I would see the day when I refer to MM but do read his blog to get some background, if you can seperate the “wheat from the chaff“.
Rothwell ended his article like this:
Although it’s painfully trendy to admit this, the internet greatly magnifies the advantages that transparency can bring. The web makes it easy to communicate with your supporters – and gives them, potentially, almost infinite chances to help you.
Any organisation would be foolish if it passed up this opportunity. But charities – which ultimately depend on their supporters for their legitimacy as well as income – simply cannot afford to let transparency’s potential pass them by.
Amen.
Some background: Sorry if you heard this one before but it is relevant and a good example. Back in 2006, RNID withdrew their public forum as a draconian answer to flame war, that occurred inside forum. In one single swipe, the public have lost their platform to communicate with and within RNID. There is no sign of this forum ever being reinstated, ideally, under a more vigourous moderator. As the result, the majority of supporters have lost their “voice”, where RNID can learn from. This article would indicate that such action is a foolish move and they have ignored pleas to have it reinstated. Ever since, discontent rumbled on on blogs and forums elsewhere and it been reported that RNID are becoming increasingly distant in their ivory towers as members struggle to communicate with the higher hierarchy at RNID. By that stance, they can’t claim it is their legitimacy to represent us Deaf people if we can’t engage with them constructively. More recently, RNID’s Director of Advocacy and Policy have stated, on ThirdSector, that they recognise the importance of the internet for communication. That is rather an equivocal statement. Money. Mouth. Put.
TAG is calling for Government action to improve deaf telecoms services following a new report from Ofcom that highlights the benefits that modernised telephone relay services could have on the employment and everyday lives of deaf people. The independent report, Voice telephony services for deaf people, was commissioned by Ofcom as part of its work to tackle the most critical issues that disabled people face with communications services.
The report says that modernised relay services – in use in several other countries, but available to only a very few people in the UK – could enable deaf people to be significantly more productive at work, help reduce their feelings of isolation and loneliness at home and make everyday telephone interactions less stressful and much faster.
Ruth Myers, chairman of TAG said “We are very pleased that this independent report for Ofcom has highlighted the all-round benefits of modernised relay services to deaf people and that they may even be more cost-effective than the existing basic text relay service. We now want the government to act promptly to ensure that modernised services can be available to deaf people at fair prices.
//
“The report echoes what TAG has been saying for a very long time: that the existing basic text relay service is very frustrating for its deaf users principally because it is too slow and does not allow natural fluid conversations. As the report indicates, the newer captioned and video relay services enable much faster, less stressful and far more effective means for deaf people to contact hearing people by voice telephone.” The continuing importance of voice telephone calls for the general population despite the growth in other forms of text communication like SMS texting, email and instant messaging is also highlighted by the report. Although voice calls by the hearing population have decreased a little in recent years, they have now stabilised at an average 90 minutes per week. Deaf people are therefore largely missing out on a vital mode of communication, an issue that could be addressed through the widespread availability of modernised relay services.
TAG is gaining support for its campaign from MPs of all the main political parties, many of whom are raising the issue in Parliament.
The Ofcom report on deaf telecoms is available at http://tiny.cc/fntjS TAG is a consortium made up of the British Deaf Association, Deafness Support Network, deafPLUS, Hearing Concern Link, National Association of Deafened People, National Deaf Children’s Society, Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), and Sense.
Related links:
Check out this link here for the full story.
Comment:
Gosh! Sign-language recognition is not that far away. But the irony is here. The video is not even subtitled! Some people just don’t think, do they!