1. Countdown to The Big Event

The first virtual version of The Big Event will be here very shortly - 6th and 7th August.

Register for free, and you can look forward to the largest display of vehicles available on the Motability Scheme, all from the comfort of your home.

27 car manufacturers, 24 suppliers of WAVs and adapted vehicles, and 12 powerchair and scooter manufacturers will be showing off their ranges and answering questions through live chat.

Read more here

2. Can you shop online?

The answer to that question ought to be yes! Even people who didn't have experience of virtual shopping before the pandemic took to it in droves when lockdown closed high-streets and confined us to home.

But it isn't quite that straightforward. A disappointing number of retail websites are less than accessible. A recent survey identifies the worst offenders (and some bright spots) when it comes to supporting shoppers with visual impairments.

Read more here

3. Enabling inclusive innovation

50 new households which include one or more disabled people will be joining Energy Systems Catapult's "Living Lab" - an affordable test environment of over 250 homes which can help businesses design, market-test and launch smart energy products, services and business models. 

The households will be taken from RiDC's existing consumer research panel of disabled and older people.

Funding has come from the Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme.

Find out more here

4. Hip protector survey

What do you think about hip protectors? Despite the fact that they are proven to reduce the risk of hip fractures amongst people with osteoporosis, they are not worn as frequently as they should be.

Hip fractures cost health and social services some £2 billion a year, and every individual affected loses mobility and independence. So minimising the risk should be a no-brainer!

You can help a research project at the University of Falmouth find out how to increase their use by completing a short survey

5. No more DWP cold calling

I'm sure you were as shocked as I was when news came out last year that the DWP was cold calling benefit claimants who were waiting for their appeals, to pressure them into accepting a lower settlement on the spot.

Well I'm glad to say that particular unsavoury practice is no more: the DWP finally backed down the day before a judicial review was about to start.

Read more here

6. Drone support for remote NHS facilities

You may wonder what possible role the European Space Agency could have in the fight against COVID?

Alongside the UK Space Agency, they have a program to develop space-based solutions to pandemics, and as part of this there has been a successful trial of satellite-enabled drones delivering essential medical supplies to NHS hospitals in remote, sparsely populated areas of Scotland.

Drone delivery cut the average transport time from 21 hours using the existing road-based system to just 60 minutes...

Read more here