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.
BBC Accessibility Help. This page provides links to resources and documents to help users access the BBC's content and to find out about the BBC approach to the development of rich accessible products and services. New
British Telecommunications (BT) Here for You — Helping You Communicate BT provides tools and services for users who need help with Hearing, Sight, Speech & language, Mobility Dexterity, Understanding & using technology. BT wants to make sure their products and services are available to everyone – whatever their need. By registering your needs with BT they can help you manage your account, help you communicate, provide in store and online help, provide financial support for your budget, provide mobile and home phones that support your needs, and offer training and tools to learn new digital skills. Updated
"Including You: Our guide to help you communicate" (.pdf) is a booklet that provides specialised products and services. It is designed to be useful for everyone, but it's especially aimed at BT customers who fnd communication more challenging. This booklet is free. You can get an accessible PDF copy by going to bt.com/commchoices or by calling 0800 800 150. It's also available in large print, Braille, e-book, and audio CD. New
Welsh Language Support BT has invested heavily in providing Welsh language services and has a voluntary Bilingual Policy which received praise from organisations across Wales for its commitment to both the language and communities of Wales. BT provides a Welsh Language Bureau for residential customers who wish to contact BT about sales, repair, and residential billing and broadband. They have Welsh speaking staff available for operator services, emergency services, international operator services, and can handle Welsh language Directory Enquiries. New
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 Arts International is a website and regular digital newsletter developed and coordinated by the British Council, the UK's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities It aims to promote the work of the unique generation of excellent disabled artists, disabled-led companies and inclusive arts organisations. The website aims to share the ways arts organisations are increasing access to the arts for disabled people as audiences and visitors. DisabilityArtsInternational.org also seeks to explore and contrast different cultural policy and funding environments. New
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 a BBC Ouch programmes archives page: Ouch! Blog Archives. Many of the archives cab be found using the BBC Search results at "Ouch" blog archives although, some videos are not available. You might want to scroll through it anyway as there are some great posts which might be of interest. Updated
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 Information Scotland is a national project that provides reliable, accurate, and accessible information for people living with disability in Scotland. They offer several free online certificate courses designed to improve your general knowledge and understanding of accessible Information. They also provide excellent Training Resources & Publications [Scotland] New
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 Allergy UK Natural Common Allergens, Chemical Allergens, E-Numbers and Food Additives [United Kingdom] Updated
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]
Disability Information Scotland is a national project that provides reliable, accurate, and accessible information for people living with disability in Scotland. They offer several free online certificate courses designed to improve your general knowledge and understanding of accessible Information.They also provide excellent Training Resources & Publications [Scotland] New
Scalamobil S35 Stairclimber by Baronmead, which is based in Bognor Regis, UK and was established in July 1982 by Alan White who worked for Baronmead until 2003 when he died. Alan originally started Baronmead marketing powered stairclimbers for materials handling, transporting goods such as safes and photocopiers up and down stairs. Baronmead discovered that this stairclimbing equipment could be designed to help disabled and elderly people to go up and downstairs too, and this was long before the DDA and equipment was widely available for disabled people. Baronmead developed and marketed one of the first stairclimbers and thus the Stairmatic was born for moving people and people in wheelchairs up and down stairs. Baronmead has been the sole UK distributor for Alber stair climbers including the S35 Scalamobil and S36 Scalacombi models. Since 2000 they have been the UK distributors of the T09 tracked stairclimber manufactured by Vimec in Italy. New
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.
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]
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.
Canadian Association for Supported Employment (CASE). CASE is a national member association for the supported employment sector. They work with employment service providers, employers, community allies and stakeholders working toward employment inclusion of people experiencing disability. They strive to facilitate full participation in the labour force by offering resources, expertise, and support to service providers. 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).
Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities. The Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities assists persons with disabilities to prepare for, obtain and maintain employment. It supports persons with disabilities in overcoming barriers to participation in the Canadian labour market, and it supports employers to hire persons with disabilities. New
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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