1. "The Father" reviewed

Film reviews are not normally the business of this newsletter - there are too many great resources for cinephiles already.

But "The Father" is a film outside the norms, and provides something that is very central to the concerns of Independent Living: a personal experience of living with dementia.

Site subscriber ILA helps people like Anthony Hopkins' character in the film with support to live independently in their own home.

They have contributed a review of "The Father" which you can read here

2. Health & Disability Green Paper

I am revisiting the Health and Disability Green Paper, with a reminder that a month of the consultation period has now passed.

You may be wary of Government intentions, after more than a decade of "welfare reform" has blighted the lives of so many, but at the same time, you can't complain that they aren't listening if you don't talk to them... So please complete the survey if you can, and look out for consultation events around the country, both in-person and virtual.

Read more here

3. Today is Never Give Up day

I'm afraid I couldn't resist it. Every day of the year is designated something-or-other day, many of them quite silly, but never giving up seems like something worth focusing on.

Talk to anyone who has achieved any sort of success - business, sporting, campaigning, academic... they will have had periods along the way when only dogged determination kept them going, and giving up looked like a better, more rational option.

What will you not give up on? How about a functioning social care system? Proper support for family carers? Real equality for people with disabilities?

Let me know what you are striving for!

4. Lighting the Paralympic flame

Tomorrow (Thursday) at Stoke Mandeville Stadium the postponed 2020 Paralympic Heritage Flame Lighting Ceremony will take place. It forms part of a five-day-long Torch Relay, counting down to the start of the Paralympic Games. I'm sure we are all looking forward to watching Britain’s athletes compete on the world stage! Channel 4 is the place the TV coverage.

At this time when the issue of disability becomes much more visible to a global audience, BBC World Questions is an hour long programme looking at the challenges and opportunities facing disabled people now. It is hosted by Scout Bassett, a Paratriathlon World Championship medal winner based in California, with an international panel of leading disabled academics, campaigners and politicians answering questions from around the world.

You can read more here

5. CP Sport makeover

I seem to be on a bit of a sporting roll this week! Our friends at CP Sport have just had a makeover, with a new website and identity.

Their vision is to ensure that everyone with cerebral palsy is able to enjoy being physically active throughout their lives. Approximately 160,000 people in the UK have CP and despite the benefits of physical activity being well documented, they still come up against barriers.

Read more here

6. Bariatric manual handling

It is good to see bariatric experts Benmor Medical resuming their training sessions in safe manual handling techniques to use with the heaviest individuals.

After an extended pandemic-related break, workshops resume in September, with dates at four locations in England.

Read more here