Things are changing for more people – let’s get ready
It’s that time again – things are changing for people who are shielding.
Read more “Things are changing for more people – let’s get ready”Stronger, Louder, Together!
BIHR Reports on the Impact of the Government’s response to the Covid-19 for the human rights of people with care and support needs. Includes easy read versions.
Resources and guidance specifically for families, including FAQs about the Coronavirus law and emergency powers, from the Challenging Behaviour Foundation.
Online resource called My Own Front Door, particularly useful for families, which includes information and ‘livestreams’ on the Care Act Easements and Emergency Powers. From #RightfulLives
Briefings on coronavirus, the law and Human Rights from the British Institute of Human Rights.
Information about the extra help the government has put in place around paying bills, sick pay and benefit entitlements from Citizens Advice.
Resources for advocacy organisations and those who support self-advocates from Voiceability.
Our resources on Disabled people’s rights, DNAR and Covid-19
It’s that time again – things are changing for people who are shielding.
Read more “Things are changing for more people – let’s get ready”Dance and Exercise
Online dance sessions on Zoom from Dance Syndrome. *Sign up by 9th September for a block of 6 classes at £2.50 per session – street, contemporary or rave*
Everybody Dance is pay as you go. Wake N Dance and Infants are FREE.
Every session is inclusive, co-produced and co-delivered by a Dance Leader with learning disabilities and a professionally trained Dance Artist.
Find out more on their website.
Online yoga sessions weekly at 2pm on a Wednesday from Speak Up. Please email annie@speakup.org.uk if you would like the Zoom link to join the sessions – everyone is most welcome.
Theatre and Acting
Online actor training from Dark Horse Theatre, a leader in providing vocational actor training for adults with learning disabilities.
Their YouTube Channel has easy to follow exercise and actor training videos, including tutorials in movement, voice and character work.
Online creative arts sessions from Level. There are two different Zoom sessions:
Performing Arts: Tuesdays 14.00 – 15.00
Visual Arts: Wednesdays 14.00 – 15.00
Cuppa and Chat
The Gr8 Chat and Brew is a way to help people meet up online using WhatsApp. It has been started by Paradigm and the Gr8 Support Movement but anyone can join in.
Listings of upcoming webinars, meetings and discussions from the Centre for Welfare Reform.
Live Music
Coronavirusfest is an online music festival from Gig Buddies, hosted on their Facebook page.
Activities and Hobbies at Home
Click Together are a virtual community that runs an extensive timetable of 20 sessions each week across daytimes evenings and weekends too. Their sessions welcome anyone aged 16+ who has a learning disability and or is autistic.
The Buzz from Community Catalysts has daily videos with different accessible and fun activities such as yoga, cooking and boxercise! You can watch the videos by joining their Facebook group or their smallgoodstuff website here .
Ideas for fun activities that would work for families or staff teams, from Achieve Together.
Opportunity TV from Camphill has lots of videos and tutorials from cooking to gardening.
Carers can apply for a FREE data-enabled iPad – If you work in, or have family in, a care home you can apply for one to help facilitate your residents’ access to clinical services and contact with family.
Zoom
Cue cards to use in Zoom and other online meetings from Keep Safe.
Tutorial about how to set up and use Zoom from People in Action.
Video guide to Zoom from All Abilities Advocacy.
The Advocacy Communication Project has published its findings on The Future of Self Advocacy and Zoom.
There are interesting videos from around the world including Andrew Lee from People First here in the UK.
Find out more about the project and watch the videos here
Virtual session on setting up WhatsApp groups aimed at people with learning disabilities and / or autism but suitable for everyone. From Sunderland People First and Media Savvy CIC.
Guide to WhatsApp, a free app that allows you to make free calls and message individual people and groups of people – easy read.
Microsoft Teams
Guide to Microsoft Teams from Ace Anglia – easy read
Shopping Online
Guide to shopping online from EasyRead.Info – easy read
During the last 4 months we have all had to face lockdown because of Covid 19 (Coronavirus).
Read more “Confused by lockdown? Me too”Jordan from Dimensions UK talks about coronavirus
Mencap easy read information about coronavirus
Keep Safe have posters – about all aspects of coronavirus from what it is, to specific information about getting a vaccine
Pathways video explaining about the latest lockdown (January 2021)
BBC information about death rates amongst people with learning disabilities and access to testing
A blog from Professor Chris Hatton – about death rates of among people with learning disabilities from coronavirus
What the vaccine is – video from NHS England
Video information about the covid vaccine: For people with a learning disability and autistic people – from NHS England
Q&A Vaccine video – from the chair of the COVID-19 Social Care Taskforce
Coronavirus vaccinations: a video guide for people with learning disabilities and carers – from NHS Devon CCG
Information and resources to support roll out of COVID-19 vaccination – from the North East and Cumbria Learning Disability Network
Coronavirus vaccine: Easy Read – from Down’s Syndrome Association
Coronavirus vaccine Easy Read resources – from Mencap
Vaccine information for siblings – from Sibs UK
Covid-19 vaccination: your questions answered – from Contact (for families with disabled children)
Covid-19 vaccination programme – What do I need to know? – a blog from The Disability Unit
In conversation about the pandemic and Covid-19 Vaccine roll-out– a video from Dimensions UK
Covid-19 vaccination: British Sign Language resources
Beating the virus – wordless story from Books Beyond Words
Learning Disability England has been working in partnership with Turning Point.
NHS England guidance about COVID vaccine
Improving identification of people with a learning disability: guidance for general practice – NHS England and Improvement guidance
COVID-19 vaccine deployment programme: unpaid carers (JCVI priority cohort 6)
COVID-19 vaccinations for community-based social care workers
On 2 June 2020, CQC published data on deaths of people with a learning disability during the pandemic. This data shows an increase of 134% on the number of people dying that were reported to CQC compared to last year. You can read the standard and easy read report on their website
Read more “Learning and taking action during Covid 19”