1. Philip Anderson RIP

I have very sad news to share this week. The wonderful Philip Anderson has died. Many of you read his thoughtful articles on Independent Living avidly, and will know that he had a rapidly degenerative muscle condition which took away his mobility and independence completely over the course of a few years.

What it never took away was his courage, zest for life and determination to find purpose, despite his increasing physical limitations.

I am grateful to his family for allowing his articles to remain accessible on Independent Living: his words are, I think, a fine testament to his empathy and ability to inspire others. His archive is here

2. Dementia visits "too hard"

Some recent research has highlighted that 40% of people avoid visiting relatives who have dementia, because they find it too hard.

You will also find studies showing the negative impact of social isolation and loneliness on people with the condition - so how do we reconcile the two?

Of course it is heartbreaking to see someone you love being taken away little by little, but if you thought your visit could help improve their day, wouldn't you want to do it?

Keep reading here

3. DMUK Baywatch results

The results are in from the annual Disabled Motoring UK Baywatch survey, and more people took part this year than ever before. This level of response shows that disabled parking abuse continues to be a primary concern for disabled motorists.

There were new questions this year about prosecution and enforcement, and electric vehicles.

We have more details here

4. Self Care Week

We are approaching Self Care Week, and with the NHS struggling to keep up with demand, it is more important than ever that we all take responsibility for managing our health and well-being where we can.

There are two broad strands to this. One is adopting healthy habits that will lessen our risk of becoming unwell. And the other is learning what we can manage without professional support and what we can't.

Keep reading here

5. The Mine - Jay Price

Who do we choose to remember? A powerful new interactive artwork launches tomorrow, and is billed as a subversive memorial to the ‘people no-one remembers’.

Artist Jay Price's new work "The Mine" exposes overlooked histories of disability discrimination. It is available as an interactive game, audiobook, and film.

You can find out more here

6. AAT - Rise to the challenge

For anyone with limited mobility, steps and stairs are a constant barrier to living any semblance of a “normal” life, whether they be child or adult.

The inability to safely navigate them can prevent us being discharged from hospital.

It can cause our home to be re-arranged, to our loss of dignity and independence - and inconvenience for the rest of the family - by having a bed in the living room.

It can put the family’s safety at risk, where one person is carrying another (whether child or adult) up and down stairs.

Stairclimbers are very often the quick answer - and now even quicker than ever - read on here