Inclusive Technology Prize…

Near enough every day, disabled people will come across a problem in their lives that needs to be resolved. The issue is that unless you’re wealthy or make a successful pitch on Dragons Den, the idea will never make it off the ground regardless of how brilliant the product is. Nesta (the UK’s innovation foundation) have recognized this so have set up a £50, 000 prize fund for any entrepreneurs who have a clever and novel idea for a piece of technology, product or service that will greatly improve the lives of disabled people.

As with all competitions, there will be a rigorous judging panel made up of a mixture of people including comedians and successful entrepreneurs. The winner won’t be announced until March 2016 (almost as long as an EastEnders storyline) but the entries must be in by Friday 16^th January, which is just over two and a half months away.  The process takes so long because there are various stages and prototypes with detailed plans need to be produced. More information can be found by visiting: http://www.inclusivetechprize.org.

One of the judges is comedian Jess Thom who says that the panel will be on the look out for “new ideas that will have a long lasting impact for the 12.2 million disabled people in the UK.” I share the overall vision of the competition to help create a more equal society through assistive technology and/or products. Constance Agyeman, Programmes Manager for the prize, echoed my thoughts: “Nesta is looking for entries that are co-produced with disabled people and will improve the lives of the everyday person experiencing day-to-day challenges. He concluded by saying that  “The Inclusive Technology Prize is about making that vision a reality.”

Sometimes, you search the web and find that products designed to help are already available to buy but the cost is absurd. For example, after our holiday in Spain last year, it emerged that we needed a portable shower chair. A quick search showed that we could order one from the US but it would cost in excess of £200 plus the relevant postage and packaging fees. Way too much for something I’ll use once or twice a month. My mum came up with a more cost effective way. Buying a cheap foldaway wheelchair for a quarter of the proper shower chair would suit my needs just as well and so has been the case.

That smart idea cost nothing and actually saved us money. However, there are quite a few ideas I have to make life for disabled people easier and more bearable. Having financial backing and support from the right people is the main thing preventing me from turning these concepts into working products. Therefore it goes without saying that I’ll be submitting an idea but I thought I’d promote the prize on here in case any of you have some genius ideas. To enter, please click on this link: http://www.inclusivetechprize.org and remember the closing date for applications is Friday 16^th January at midday.

I should say as a footnote that the Inclusive Technology Prize is brought to you (sounds like I’m introducing a film) in partnership with Nesta, Innovate UK, the Office for Disability Issues, Irwin Mitchell and the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills.

May the best man, woman or disabled person win.

Bye for now!

That’s what they think…

Lately, I have been busy with other commitments and have felt lethargic/ultra tired so haven’t been able to fit in a blog. When I do get the time to write a post, it’s either me telling you about an event in my life (i.e. when I attended the Access All Areas conference a couple of weeks ago) or an issue that I desperately want to air my views on. Today is the latter and as you may have predicted, the subject I want to discuss is Lord Freud and his, some might say, controversial views on disabled people.

In case you don’t know, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Work and Pensions was secretly recorded at a fringe meeting at the Conservative Party conference last month saying that “There is a group - and I know exactly who you mean - where actually, as you say, they're not worth the full wage”. He then suggested that scrapping the minimum wage was a sound idea that the Tories would look into because “if someone wants to work for £2 an hour, and it's working, can we actually?”

My first issue with what the great grandson of Psychologist Sigmund Freud is that he brandishes disabled people as a mere “group”, thus implying that they are a problem that he could do without. The most offensive part of his comments was obviously when he said that “they are not worth the full wage”. I do not need to go into detail about why that particular phrase is out of order and almost a throwback to the days when sexism and racism were rife within employment. Also, nobody within their right mind would want to “work for £2 an hour”, so if people do that would suggest that maybe they have mental illness and it is wrong for employers to exploit that.

This may come as a surprise but I am so glad that Lord Freud made those comments and it has come to the public’s attention. Perhaps people will realise that the majority of politicians (not all), regardless of party, feel that disabled people are a useless drain on the British economy. Like I have said before, it is only the fear of a public backlash that prevents the government from rounding up the worthless and exterminating them. Minority groups have been killed on mass before for ruining the economy so there is no reason why disabled people cannot be made the scapegoats.

What annoys me though is whenever the subject of disability is raised, David Cameron brings up his dead father and son who were both disabled as if that makes his attack on the less-able members of society more acceptable. It would be like ‘Wheelchair Boy’ slapping someone around the face and then saying “in my defence, I am disabled”. The Prime Minister’s stringent cuts on social care and the NHS, as well as the infamous bedroom tax, make it clear that he does not care about hitting disabled people the hardest. Emotively speaking about disabled members of his family is two faced and shows that he is simply trying to manipulate the electorate into thinking he is Mr. Nice Guy.

Bye for now! 

Promising for once…

I’m not actually sure when I signed up but I’m on the Transport for London database so get regular e-mail updates about everything to do with TfL from tube strikes to road closures. Most of the messages are pretty irrelevant to my life but seems as I travel into London quite often (mostly for the football), I thought there might be some important information occasionally so I shouldn’t unsubscribe. I’m glad I didn’t because the other week, I was invited to attend ‘Access All Areas’ at the London Excel Conference Centre where I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw and heard.

The exhibition took place on Thursday and gave an opportunity for those at Tfl to communicate with disabled transport users and answer any queries. I know most events like this are normally put on just to make it seem that the organization listen to the people and are taking on board all the feedback but in reality, do not care one bit. ‘Access All Areas’ felt different though and I left the Excel believing that the future is bright when it comes to accessibility on public transport.

You’ve all read about my previous issues on transport (if not where have you been?) and for that reason I steer clear of public transport, particularly in London. I have used a taxi recently but I did not have the confidence to use other modes to get about. I was therefore going to the conference expecting arguments but I was satisfied with what they said and have a new found confidence.. Back in 2012 was the last time I used both the Tube and a bus because there were some problems. Not major but still annoying and put me off.

The London Underground was first built over 150 years ago so obviously access for wheelchair users was not considered at all. Therefore, complaining to TfL that they should completely change the whole system to accommodate disabled passengers is unreasonable and quite frankly ludicrous. That being said, reasonable adjustments can be made so that, for example, other passengers do not have to help my carer lift me on board. I was relieved to find out that most of the stations accessible from the street now have members of staff on hand to assist with ramps. Some stations such as Leicester Square are completely inaccessible but like I said, old Victorian architecture cannot be changed overnight.

Buses have also never been the easiest to get on. I used them all the time when I was at University (for that short stint) and had a few difficulties. The ramp wasn’t that wide so my electric wheelchair was a tight squeeze. One size certainly does not fit all. On board, some wheelchair spaces are quite small so it can prove difficult to turn. Getting off was also sometimes a problem as the ramp would be set down in line with a post. Impractical or what? However, they had a few buses to try out at the show and they definitely have improved over the past two years.

From speaking to various people and reading the leaflets, it became clear to me that the Paralympics is the main reason why TfL suddenly care about disabled people and want to improve access on public transport. I’m glad that finally the legacy of those games is becoming visible for all disabled people, not just those involved in sport. It’s not just what they have done since 2012, TfL are also planning ahead and hope for the situation when it comes to access to get better every year.

Bye for now! 

Thanks Aaron for sharing this with me...

Call me Coach…

After a 35-hour course and assessment at the end, I can now officially announce that I am a certified FA Level 1 Football Coach. That basically means I am now qualified and equipped to teach children up to 16 years old everything they need to know about the beautiful game. I’m quite ambitious and have mentioned before that I would like to climb the management ladder in the adult leagues with my realistic aim being Conference level eventually. However before I can even think about doing Level 2 and progressing further, I want to gain some coaching experience by developing those who are the future.

The main issue I’m currently wrestling with in my head is how I would be able to overcome adverse weather conditions and get across a muddy field for example. One solution would be to coach a Futsal team (basically an indoor version of the game with 5 players on each side) so I’ve contacted the Herts FA to see what their advice is and I’m currently waiting for their response. Also, I’m not sure what age group to begin with. Under 8’s won’t listen or want to learn whereas most teenagers are moody know it all’s so 9/10/11 year olds might be best.

People who know me and have heard me speak will be curious as to how I am able to give out clear instructions. I didn’t actually think it would be an issue until the course. To be honest, I thought people might pay attention more as they’d have to concentrate on my voice to hear. It was okay when the group were in a close semi circle but it became difficult for them to hear me out on the pitch. I realised that I would need a whistle to start/stop the drill and maintain a level of control. It also became apparent that I would need an assistant coach to set up, do any shouting that may be required and perform demonstrations to illustrate training exercises.

It soon became clear from the course that the FA is doing everything in it’s power to improve player development in grassroots football. The common misconception is that old school defensive tactics are still being used but I’m pleased to say they are not encouraged (unfortunately some managers think negative football works). Both Spain and Germany have proved that if the children are taught the correct methods from an early age, the National Team will bear the fruits in the future. Germany began a similar overhaul in 2001 and won the World Cup 13 years later so maybe England will be successful in 2026.

Anyway, I’m just eager to begin and put what I’ve learnt into practice. It’s one thing reading about how to be a coach, answering questions in a workbook, watching a couple of DVD’s and completing an assessed session but none of it feels real. I’m desperate to get a team and get them playing how I think football should be played (none of this Jose Mourinho rubbish). I also want to learn off other coaches so now watch Arsenal warming up before the match with added interest.

Bye for now! 

Fame at last (sort of)…

I have mentioned on here before that I listen to Richard Bacon on the radio (some might say that’s quite sad). Believe it or not, I don’t have the time to listen to the live 2-hour afternoon show and download the Daily Bacon podcast to hear the best bits. Richard recorded his final podcast yesterday though and is now going to work predominantly in America so I’m going to have to find a new podcast to assist with my procrastination. He wanted us regular listeners to e-mail in before the final programme so I decided to send a brief message in.

What I wrote was quite cringe worthy (you can listen below) but Richard read out my letter on the penultimate Daily Bacon thus illustrating that flattery and brownnosing does indeed work. You know what I’m like when it comes to promoting the blog so I mentioned the site in case anyone heard and was interested. I haven’t got a flood of new readers yet as I was hoping but even if I have made one person less ignorant about disability, I’m happy. I doubt it but if Richard does read this, thank you for helping to spread the word of ‘Wheelchair Boy’,

Anyone who is new will look at my recent posts and think that I am an infrequent blogger. While this might be true of late, I normally attempt to write on here about 3 times a week (sometimes more) but learning to be a football coach, fulfilling other writing commitments and supporting the Arsenal means fitting in the blog is sometimes impossible. I’ve also been ill which limits my brainpower and makes my writing not up to the usual standard. Hopefully the book will make my absence worth it so be patient (very, next summer perhaps). 

To hear my E-Mail being read out, please click the link (http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/dailybacon) and skip to 29:30 on the podcast titled ‘Toby Jones’.

Bye for now!

Back to school…

I’ve had a touch of man flu over the past week or so but I didn’t let a stuffy head stop me from getting to see my beloved Arsenal on Saturday. The only time I would miss a game that I had tickets to would be if I was in hospital and the doctor ordered me not to go (like when I missed a Champions League match in 2012 because I was in Hillingdon Hospital with heart trouble).  My family therefore urged me to have a much-needed rest on Sunday and concentrate on getting better. That was never going to happen though as I had my first football coaching course to attend.

I had been excited ever since I booked a place on the FA 1^st4sport Level 1 Certificate in Coaching Football and my imagination had run wild with dreams of managing at the highest level (what’s the point in trying something if you have no ambitions). I was under no illusion that I’d have to start coaching kids at grassroots level before I could even begin to think about taking to the adult game but I felt a tad inexperienced to say the least when I first entered the classroom. Most of the people on the course were already coaching teams and wanted the qualification to help them improve.

However, I soon realised that wasn’t a problem as I was just taking an alternative route; Doing the course and then becoming a coach instead of the other way around. I have still got three classes left before the assessment but the comparisons with school do not end there. I have been given a huge folder with sheets to fill in and information to read. We were also assigned some homework tasks (hence why I have been lapse on the blogging front) as well as being encouraged to learn more by going online, reading the handbooks and watching the DVD’s provided.

Right, Aston Villa away tomorrow for Arsenal and then another long day on Sunday to learn more about how to be a coach.

Bye for now!

Putting my money where my mouth is…

As you all know, I’m quite opinionated about many subjects but particularly forthright when it comes to football. That being said, I have nothing to back up my knowledge of the beautiful game with and people no doubt question how I can ever be right on football because I don’t even play. That’s why I have decided to start doing my coaching badges so that I have certificates to show that I have been on courses and studied the sport I am so passionate about. I’m not doing it just to show off in arguments though. I want to go into coaching and maybe one day manage a team.

From an early age, I wanted to get into football professionally and grow up to be a top player for the Arsenal like my boyhood hero Dennis Bergkamp. However when I discovered I had Friedreich’s Ataxia aged 9, that dream obviously died. It soon became apparent that I was a fairly good writer (please don’t take that as arrogance) so I ended up thinking that sports journalism was another way into football. I then realised I do not enjoy/find it difficult to be impartial so gave up on that career path. I now want to try and do what no wheelchair user has done in the history of professional football, manage a team of able-bodied players.

I have never coached before so my ambition of being the next Arsene Wenger is a long way off but you’ve got to aim high in life to achieve your goals. I might be rubbish at it and fail my assessment but it’s surely worth a try. The course begins on Sunday and consists of four tutorials followed by an assessment so hopefully by the end of September; I won’t just be a ‘Wheelchair Boy’. All going well I’ll have completed the FA 1^st4sport Level 1 Certificate in Coaching Football and will have that by name (a bit like how teachers show off their achievements).

Bye for now!