Naidex
On the 6th July hubby and I made our annual trip to Naidex which is held at the NEC in Birmingham and is a show about all the things that are available for the disabled.
We arrived just after 12pm and had our lunch which we bought with us, we are so mindful of the cost of diesel and now that we are living on Hayling Island it is approximately 300 miles there and back. Thankfully my Motability van does 40 miles to the gallon.
This year there were the normal suspects who had a stand, Motability were there, many of the bed manufacturers, wheelchairs and power chairs plus an awful lot of independent living stuff. It was the independent living that we had the most interest in and one where we could speak to the stall holders. Then of course there were a couple of key note speakers that we were really interested in. Baroness Tanni Grey-Tompson who spoke about her career plus all the work she carries out as a cross bench member in the House of Lords she also devoted 20 minutes for a Q & A session.
The second key note speaker was Chloe Smith MP (Minister for Disabled, Health and Work).
I had written to Chloe when I wrote my blog about the difficulty of accessing a mammogram when being in a wheelchair. I have to say I was rather disappointed because I was not a member of her constituent she did not respond but to be honest with you I was writing to her because of her job title. On Wednesday I was looking forward to hearing what she had to say plus I did think when she held her Q & A session I would be able to ask again. However she spoke about all the good things that the Conservative Government have done for the disabled community (personally I didn’t agree and rather liked the tee shirt a fellow disabled person was wearing which said F*** the torries) and at the end she left the stage and handed over to Naidex personnel who said she had a prior engagement and had to scoot off – at the time I was so annoyed as were plenty of other people who had questions to ask. Now in the cold light of day and yesterday’s news it is obvious, although hubby did say to me she could have just said I cannot discuss anything to do with the current situation but I’m happy to field individual questions about disability access and services.
Moving on to points that I did find useful and ones that could be beneficial to others.
First we went to the stand that was promoting the Access Card.
By signing up to the Access Card for three years at a cost of £15 this will give automatic access to events in your area who have signed up for the scheme and as all the information is taken at the point of application you will no longer have to provide documentation when going to the theatre/cinema or gig. For me personally I have told them that I’m a wheelchair user and I need a carers ticket automatically. If not a wheelchair user it doesn’t matter because they cater for all disabilities. This is a worldwide scheme and below is a map of all the areas which have signed up to the scheme. The website is:
It might not be beneficial to everyone but I really do think it will help those that visit the cinema/ theatre regularly.
One area that really interested us was holidays, my bestie and her hubby are coming over from Australia next year and they really want to go to Wales for a few days. It’s so important to find accommodation that not only has a ceiling track hoist but also a profile bed and the ability to hire an air mattress for the bed. Although I have been recommended one company by a lady I know at the Chilterns MS Centre it’s always good to speak to others as well. The company I spoke to at Naidex was called Enable my Trip. They can be found at:
I don’t know about you but my own personal experience is it might be written in the blurb that accommodation is accessible but as we know everyone is different. This company is a registered charity and it recognises that some companies do not fully understand the requirements of disabled travellers and have treated accessibility almost as a feature and not a real need. That is why they have also introduced a symbol system detailing exactly what facilities are available in each location. As well as these details they are in collaboration with other groups world wide they include the MS Society, MND USA, Accessible Accommodation Australia and so many more. Further details and information can be found on their page at:
On display was also an accessible camper van which proved of interest to many people.
We spent sometime discovering:
Who are a company that work with assistive technology both hardware and software. It’s worth taking a look to ensure that you are getting the most out of your tablet/computer, although personally I find a combination of my iPad and Alexa Show I am able to do most things. Interestingly enough social services in Buckinghamshire provided me with the Alexa Show and a Ring door bell in order to maintain my independence. I now have Smart light bulbs and a Smart television so I can turn on the lights, change the tv channel without asking my hubby I just need to ask Alexa. It also means when somebody rings the door bell I can see who is at the door because of the Alexa Show. The Ring door bell has proved invaluable when it comes to deliveries because I have been able to prove the company have not called at my door!
While we were browsing around the exhibition we came across a stand called:
Research Helper provide research support services to businesses in the UK. They always need people from a wide range of background’s, experiences and circumstances to help test and research how well products, websites and services work.
I don’t know how much benefit it will be but I have signed up and will give it a go.
There was such a variety of activities available for people to sample, it’s probably best to put these in picture format.
All in all it was a very informative day and I do like keeping up to date with what’s available for people living with a disability. I find once again it’s all about what you can do and not what you can’t.
Wow Julie - that certainly sounded an informative day. Great to hear that Alexa has helps you. I totally agree with you - it’s about what you can do not what you can’t. Hope this hot weather is not proving too much a problem for you. Hugs Michelle xxx
ReplyDeleteIt certainly was Michelle, next year you could always come with us, they have scooters there that you can borrow xx
DeleteBrilliant Julie, I can't wait to hear more about it at our next meeting. Xx
ReplyDeleteLol, I will tell you at the next meeting but you will have to tell me who you are 😂 xx
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