It's a while since I've written here about eye health. Sight is the sense people would least like to lose, yet many of us don't get regular eye tests, and are woefully ignorant about common eye conditions.

Independent Living has the information you need – start here with a straightforward guide to maintaining eye health

 

Absolutely no apologies for another article about family carers.

Matthew Harris spent seven years looking after his mother until her death from Huntington's.

What he learnt in that time about giving care, being taken for granted, and the often miserable quality of care provided by the industry, has informed a powerful article which you can read here. 

Please also consider signing his petition to pay informal carers a living wage...

 

The Mobility Unlimited Challenge has launched a crowdsourcing initiative.

The #mymobilityunlimited campaign is asking people around the world to share their life experiences with lower-limb paralysis, and the solutions to their everyday challenges that they would like to see.

Here in the UK, Ade Adepitan and Martyn Sibley are at the forefront of the call for bright ideas that can harness technology to radically improve the mobility and independence of people with paralysis.

See more details here

 

The Winter Paralympics are in full swing as I write this, generating a noticeable surge in interest amongst disabled people for trying out new sports.

Football is not by any stretch of the imagination new - but the world's first national para-football association has only recently been set up - find out where!

 

Are you sitting comfortably? A simple enough question which leads us into far from simple terrritory, especially for anyone with restricted mobility or any condition that has an impact on posture.

Independent Living site subscriber CareFlex has an interesting article written by clinical specialist Rebecca Dunstall about the importance of good postural management – read what she has to say here.

  

If you provide high quality products and services, and you would like to reach our site visitors and newsletter readers, please email derek@independentliving.co.uk

 

Transport minister, Nusrat Ghani, is considering giving bus drivers extra powers, to help ensure that wheelchair spaces on buses are primarily available to disabled passengers. This follows the Supreme Court judgement in the case brought against FirstGroup, when a passenger with a pushchair refused the driver's request to move out of the wheelchair space, leaving wheelchair user and access campaigner Doug Paulley unable to get on the bus.

You can read the written statement to Parliament here.

 

Two parliamentary committees – Work & Pensions and Treasury – have said that further investigation of Motability is required, following evidence submitted last week about the finances and management of both the charity and the company which provides adapted vehicles on lease to disabled people.

They have requested more information from the organisations by the end of this week. I will keep you posted.

 

Don't forget that you can apply to join the Independent Living Facebook group, if you would like to spend more time discussing these themes with other interested people. 

There are various ways you can get in touch with us: email me; visit our Facebook page and leave a message there; or if it's short and sweet, Tweet!

Previous newsletters are archived here.

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Until next time, all good wishes,

Frances