Ability Needs magazine for the less able and their carers made available within special needs groups, nursing homes and NHS Trusts throughout the United Kingdom in addition to being distributed to disabled people and NHS and Social Services Occupational Therapists free of charge through our extensive mobility mailing information. And is on sale nationally; additional copies of Ability Needs Magazine are also available at Shopmobility outlets throughout the UK.
Action for Blind People merged with RNIB On 1 April 2017, Action for Blind People merged with RNIB. This allows them to help more blind and partially sighted people by combining their services, knowledge, and expertise within one charity.
Action on Hearing Loss – formerly the Royal National Institute of the Deaf (RNID) – the largest charity representing the 9 million deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK.
Autochair (wheelchair and scooter carriers). AutoChair designs and manufactures hoists and other aids to assist people with disabilities and reduced mobility to get into their car or van.
British Telecommunications (BT) Including You – Understanding Impairments Information for BT users who need help for Hearing, Sight, Speech & language, Mobility Dexterity, Understanding & using technology. If you or someone you know has an impairment, discover more about the impact it can have on day-to-day life, and how BT can help. We want to make sure our products and services are available to everyone – whatever their need. That’s why we have made this website – and all our products and services – as accessible as possible, so they’re easy to use. Find out about our commitment to you – and about our work with other organisations.
British Standard 8878 (BS 8878) is a Web Accessibility Code of Practice which was published by the British Standards Institute (BSI). BS 8878 is part of the UK government’s broader self-regulatory approach to standardization. The standard was officially launched on 7 December 2010. BS 8878 defines a process for creating and embedding a web accessibility strategy within an organisation. It is written in non technical language and is aimed at people within an organisation who have responsibilities for web strategy or development. It encompasses web sites, web applications, software as a service, cloud based services and other services accessed via a web browser. BS 8878 is not intended as a competitor or alternative to the WCAG standard developed by W3C WAI. Rather, it defines the processes needed in the planning and deployment of accessible web products. This can include the selection of WCAG guidelines.
BSI Website accessibility for all (.pdf) is a consumer's guide to the British Standard for Web Accessibility (BS 8878)
Citizens Online is a national charity that was set up to tackle the issues of digital exclusion, to make sure that the Internet is available to everybody and to help individuals and communities understand and gain the benefits of being online.
Disability Equality Scotland seeks to promote independent living, removing barriers to inequality for those affected by disability in Scotland. [Scotland]
Disabled Holidays travel without limits. Holidays for people with disabilities including wheelchair accessible visitor attractions, activities, and accommodations
Disabled Access Holidays is an online travel agent offering services to disabled people throughout the UK. It provide financial protection through its membership of the award winning Global Travel Group on all wheelchair accessible holidays abroad. Disabled Access Holidays Ltd and its sister company Mobility Equipment Hire Direct Ltd offer wheelchair accessible accommodation, mobility equipment hire, wheelchair adapted taxi transfers and wheelchair assistance on flights to destinations throughout the world.
The very best of the BBC's stories and analysis about disability and mental health can be found on the Disability News Index page.
The BBC "Ouch" blog is no longer being updated as of February 2017. The Ouch Team moved all their best features, videos, and audio to the BBC Ouch programmes page: Ouch! Disability Talk
Although they are no longer updating the blog, you might want to scroll through it anyway as there are some great posts which might be of interest: "Ouch" blog archives.
Disabled People the merger of disability.gov.uk and the "disabled people" section of Directgov. Directgov offers disabled people information on a wide range of topics including financial support, home and housing, leisure and travel, as well as disability rights information.
Disability Rights Commission Formal Investigation Report: Web Accessibility (April 14th, 2004). The report is called "The Web: Access and Inclusion for Disabled People" (.pdf). There is a PDF of the full report, an "easy read" version in PDF format, an RTF version, and a Welsh or Cymru version in RTF.
Food Reactions: Food Allergy is committed to help people understand in a clear understandable language a disorder/condition caused by ingestion of certain foods. By breaking down the medical language barrier, it explains the symptoms and causes and clearly describes the mechanism behind the symptoms of the disorder/condition.
Genetic Alliance UK is the national charity working to improve the lives of patients and families affected by all types of genetic conditions. We are an alliance of over 160 patient organisations.
Guide Dogs The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
Inclusion International promoting inclusion, equality and opportunity for people with intellectual disabilities and their families worldwide. [United Kingdom]
Leonard Cheshire Disability – the leading charity provider of services for disabled people in the UK and operate in 57 countries across the world
MENCAP "Understanding learning disability" Mencap can help you make your information easy to understand for people with a learning disability. Or, if you have a learning disability, you might like to see their easy to read web pages and publications.
Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA) is a charity and coalition of UK organisations with a vision to see all women across the UK get consistent, accessible and quality care and support for their mental health during pregnancy and in the year after giving birth.
Open University Services for Disabled Students resources for students, including good guidance on thinking about their needs, legal advice, course materials in alternate formats, and more.
REMAP provides one-off technical aids which help disabled people of all ages to enjoy a better lifestyle. Every aid is given free of charge to the user. Remap operates through a network of 1,500 volunteers. The professional engineers, technicians, and craftspeople – along with medical and paramedical staff from community services and hospitals – all belong to approximately 100 panels (groups) linked to regions across the UK, with Scotland and the Isle of Man operating separately.
REMAP Scotland consists of engineers, occupational and physiotherapists, and other professionals engaged in helping people with their disabilities. Objective: "The design and construction of appliances to meet the individual needs of handicapped people where such cannot be provided by any other means, and the promotion of closer liaison between the Engineering and Caring professions." Members are volunteers and rely on donations of materials and funds from the general public. No charges are made to clients for the devices supplied. [Scotland]
Scottish Accessible Information Forum (SAIF) Ceased operation in 2017 but its site has been taken over by Disability Information Scotland – Accessible Information (DIS-AI), who is rebuilding the website based on the SAIF website. So far, the URL is the same. They are a national project that works to support the rights of disabled people and care givers to have access to timely and accurate information to meet their needs. [Scotland]
Skill: National Bureau for Students With Disabilities is a national charity promoting opportunities for young people and adults with any kind of disability in post-16 education, training and employment across the UK.
Sportability (taking the ‘did’ out of disability) is a British charity that provides sporting and adventurous activities for people with all forms of paralysis. Their motto is "If I can do this, what else can I achieve." [Note: the side navigation in this site doesn’t work well in Firefox on the Mac so you will need to View Source to get at the side navigation links.]
Technology guides: Staying in Touch – a guide that contains information about accessible mobile phones and software applications for blind and partially sighted people that are available from RNIB and other suppliers. [United Kingdom / Spain]
UK debut for ‘blind’ mobile by Geoff Adams-Spink. The first mobile phone designed specifically for blind and partially sighted people.BBC News, 23 November 2003
National AccessAbility Week (NAAW) with the coming into force of the Accessible Canada Act in July 2019, NAAW is now legislated. This means that it must take place every year, starting on the last Sunday in May. New
Adaptech Research Network In partnership with NEADS, the Adaptech Research Project conducts research on the use of computer technologies by Canadian college and university students with disabilities. [Québec]
Alliance for Equality for Blind Canadians (AEBC) is dedicated to promoting the increased inclusion of blind, deaf-blind and partially sighted Canadians in all aspects of social life, from employment to participation in elections. Our members, comprised of blind, deaf-blind and partially sighted consumers and supporters from across the country, participate in working groups and committees, engage with local, city-based chapters, and engage in public awareness and education activities on a daily basis.
Brainstreams is the official website of the The BC Brain Injury Association (BCBIA). We are a non-profit provincial organization in British Columbia serving the interests of the acquired brain injury population. [British Columbia] Updated
Canadian Accessibility Network (CAN) is a a national partnership in advancing accessibility for persons with disabilities through Research, Design and Innovation, Education and Training, Policy, Employment, and Community Engagement. New
Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) CNIB is the primary source of support, information and most importantly, hope, for all Canadians affected by vision loss. Founded in 1918, CNIB has become one of the world’s largest private agencies committed to vision health issues. CNIB is one of Canada’s oldest charitable organizations and receives its funding through the generous support of individuals, corporations, governments, and other funders. Their Web site is very accessible and allows users to use four different text sizes and three variations in contrast for the site (default, high, and soft).
Bayshore Health Services Residential Rehab [formerly Neurologic Rehabilitation Institute of Ontario] a program to assist persons with moderate to severe brain injuries and other neurological impairments in achieving success in increasing their level of independence.
TILE: The Inclusive Learning Exchange "advances e-learning functionality for all learners by making broadband e-learning inclusive of people with disabilities."
VisionKey brings the latest in wearable eye-controlled communication technology to enable users with ALS, brainstem stroke, muscular dystrophy, CP, Locked-in-Syndrome, Quadriplegia, or traumatic brain injury to use eye movements for complete computer access and for augmentative communication. Available in English, French, and Spanish and runs on Macintosh and Windows platforms. Manufactured by H.K. EyeCan.
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