"If I was a book, the jacket has been removed, or changed. It's still the same book."

Another wonderful, thought-provoking article from regular contributor Philip Anderson. He muses on the challenges of being true to yourself, and coping when unwelcome changes lead others to perceive you differently.

Read his wise words here - and add your comments!

 

There is a new event taking place on Saturday 1st August: Hidden in Heritage is believed to be the world's first festival exploring what life was like for people living with hidden disabilities in the past.

Delivered entirely online, it will look at the ways in which progress was made to improve their quality of life and develop a more inclusive world, and how experiences varied depending on which countries they lived in.

Read more here

 

FOP (Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva) is an extremely rare and very disabling genetic condition.

Essentially, tissues such as muscle and tendon turn into bone, restricting movement and eventually forming a second skeleton, imprisoning the body.

All sorts of things trigger this, including normally routine medical procedures - so the charity FOP Friends has produced a sheet detailing the ways in which you can advise your local Ambulance Trust if you have any condition which requires special treatment.

Read more about FOP here and you can also download the updated information sheet

 

Grabbing a facemask as you leave the house is becoming an automatic reflex.

Their use is increasingly mandated in closed environments, and it feels in any case the right thing to do - unless you have a condition that means you are unable to.

Independent Living subscriber Airospring, better known for pressure care cushions, is also now producing a breathable mask from their hi tech knitted spacer fabric with anti-viral coating.

More details here

 

Champion para-rower Benjamin Pritchard ascribes his sporting success to being able to concentrate on what matters.

Part of that process involved making his home environment as accessible as possible.

A Stiltz homelift has given him safe and convenient access between ground and first floors - no more "bum-shuffling" up the stairs...

More details here

 

It isn't very often that accessible toilets hit the mainstream media, but it happened this week with news released on Changing Places Awareness Day that the government is to make them compulsory in new public buildings.

This is a great result for campaigners who have been lobbying for the inclusion of fully accessible facilities in more places, to help the 250,000 severely disabled people who are otherwise limited in where they can go and how long they can stay.

More details here

 

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.

If you are reading a copy of the Independent Living newsletter that has been passed on to you by a colleague or friend, why not sign up for your own free subscription – it's quick and easy, and won't lead to your inbox being bombarded with other stuff!

That's it until next week! 

Thank you for reading and best wishes,

Frances