St Bernard’s School caters for over 60 students aged 2-19 with a wide range of learning difficulties and encompassing associated difficulties, such as autism, communication difficulties, physical disabilities, profound and multiple disabilities and sensory impairment.

Multi-sensory rooms feature a relaxing and stimulating variety of lights, sounds and textures, which help children with physical and learning disabilities to engage in a learning environment that suits their educational needs. The rooms can result in dramatic benefits to children with sensory impairment, helping enhance development of senses such as hearing, sight, smell and touch.

BT’s partnership with the Lord’s Taverners, which began in 2010, will see multi-sensory equipment installed in at least 26 schools in the UK. With BT pledging to maintain the specially-adapted classrooms until 2020, the lives of more than 18,000 young people with severe disabilities and communication difficulties across the country will be improved thanks to the partnership.

On the opening of St Bernard’s new multi-sensory room, Jonnie Peacock MBE, said: “I am immensely proud to be aBT ambassador for this project, which is incredibly important in helping to improve the lives of thousands of youngsters with severe disabilities across the UK. I’ve witnessed the positive effect BT Sensory Rooms can have and it’s great that BT and the Lord’s Taverners are helping to create these opportunities for young people with disabilities in Lincolnshire.”

Mark Wolfe, regional board member for BT in the East Midlands, said: “I am delighted that our partnership with the Lord’s Taverners continues to flourish, with today’s BT sensory room at St Bernard’s school in Lincolnshire opening another step on our journey to improving the lives of thousands of young people with disabilities.”

Paul Robin, Chief Executive of the Lord’s Taverners, added: “The Lord’s Taverners is dedicated to giving young people a sporting chance so we are delighted to work with BT to try and reach our goal of helping over 18,000 young people with disabilities across the UK by 2020. This new sensory room will benefit the teachers, carers and families of St Bernard’s School’s students and enhance the learning experience and future development of its pupils.”

Greater Manchester RDA are a community equestrian club that relies on the commitment and dedication of volunteers in order to support its riders and members. The group plan to use the prize money to improve facilities at the club and improve accessibility for it’s members.

 Disabled Access Day

The event aims to encourage disabled people, their friends and families to visit somewhere new and over 50 venues across the UK, including Westminster Abbey, Tate Modern and The Scottish Parliament, have already signed up with almost six months still to go until the day.

Today, Disabled Access Day 2016 will be launched at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh with Maureen Watt MSP, Minister for Public Health, in attendance.  This will mark the beginning of the lead up to the second annual event, building on the fantastic result of 2015 which saw over 200 companies and venues taking part, including VisitScotland, BT, Caffè Nero, Caffé Concerto and Barclays and attracted over 1,000 disabled people and their families, friends and carers.

An overwhelming 94% of disabled people would revisit a venue that has good accessibility, according to a survey carried out by Euan’s Guide the main sponsors of Disabled Access Day. With the UK’s 12 million disabled people estimated to have a combined spending power of over £200 billion, venues with poor disabled access or information are potentially missing out on gaining a significant amount of revenue.

Venues can take part in the 2016 event by hosting an event or simply opening their doors to show that they welcome disabled visitors and their friends and families. Whether it is a cinema, hotel or visitor attraction, there are plenty of ways for businesses to get involved. For further information on how to get involved, please visit: http://www.disabledaccessday.com/get-involved/

Fergus Ewing MSP, Minister for Business Energy and Tourism, said: “The Scottish Government remains fully committed to ensuring that everyone should have a chance to enjoy all that Scotland has to offer.  That is why I am delighted to be here today to launch the Disabled Access Day – an initiative that continues to position Scotland as a country with world-class tourism facilities, offering more choice as well as excellent customer service.

“Last week I announced that the Scottish Government is providing VisitScotland with a further £38,000 to boost the engagement of disabled and older people in the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design.  These funds will support a series of new and enhanced partner projects, each of which will contribute to the wider Accessible Tourism Drive, contributing to the Innovation and Architecture themes of the 2016 year and creating a legacy whose benefits will be felt well into the future as the accessible tourism project rolls-out.”   

Simon Milne MBE, Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, said:  “As the number of visitors to our Gardens continues to grow, we are committed to offering the very best welcome to everyone, no matter what their specific needs.  Disabled Access Day is a great opportunity for us to invite even more people to visit us and it’s an honour for us to be hosting the flagship event in Scotland.”

Chris McCoy, Head of VisitScotland’s Accessible Tourism Programme, said: “We are delighted to lend our support to next year’s Disabled Access Day as part of our ongoing Accessible Tourism Programme. I would encourage businesses to sign up to take part as we look to make this country a fully accessible destination. Earlier this year, we worked in partnership with the Royal Yacht Britannia and a number of assistance dog charities to demonstrate the invaluable support these amazing animals provide, and we are looking forward to supporting an equally successful event at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh next March.”

A spokesperson for Caffè Nero, said: “Following the success of Disabled Access Day earlier this year, Caffè Nero is delighted to once again be a part of the national initiative created to raise awareness of the importance of disabled access. We welcomed the feedback received last year which highlighted our stores that have great accessibility, along with the stores where change was required to improve. We took on board all of the response we received last year and we now look forward to seeing lots of new visitors in conjunction with Disabled Access Day in March 2016!”

Euan MacDonald, co-founder of the disabled access reviews website, EuansGuide.com, the main sponsor of Disabled Access Day said, “The success of last year’s event has given us a firm foundation to build on. Not only are we raising awareness of disabled access, but also showcasing the venues with good accessibility and highlighting the commercial value held by the UK’s 12 million disabled people and their family, friends and carers.”

For more information on Disabled Action Day, please visit: www.disabledaccessday.com

BT today demonstrated its commitment to disability sport and the development of the next generation of Paralympic talent with the appointment of two new athletes to its ambassador team, Julie Rogers and Ben Rowlings.

Julie and Ben were unveiled as the latest BT Ambassadors at a mentoring session at Loughborough’s High Performance Athletics Centre with Paralympic Gold medallists and BT Ambassadors Jonnie Peacock and Hannah Cockroft.

With all four athletes hoping to compete at the 2015 IPC World Athletics Championships in Doha in October, the mentoring session was an opportunity for Jonnie and Hannah to share their experience and knowledge of competing on a world stage, as well as provide expert training tips.

Julie Rogers was one of the youngest participants in the London 2012 Paralympic Games, representing Great Britain in the Sitting Volleyball team. She has since changed her sport to athletics, where she has become one of the fastest female single leg amputee sprinters in the UK. Julie was born with a congenital disorder and had an operation to shorten her leg at the age of five in order to be able to use an above-the-knee prosthetic limb.

Ben Rowlings is a wheelchair-racing athlete, competing in the T34 class. He won a Bronze medal in the 2014 European Championships and is the current British record holder over three distances. As part of the Team GB World Class Performance Programme, Ben is currently training for the 2015 World Championships in Doha and the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. He has Spastic Diplega Cerebral Palsy, which affects all four of his limbs.

Julie Rogers says, “I’m thrilled to be joining the BT Ambassador team. BT has done so much for disability sport and has helped so many athletes like me realise their dreams. The mentoring session BT organised today has been really valuable to me. Jonnie and Hannah are two athletes I look up to, so to have the chance to get some training tips is definitely going to help me going forward.”

Ben Rowlings adds, “Today has been an amazing opportunity to find out more about competing on a world stage. With the IPC World Championships and the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games on the horizon, hearing about Jonnie and Hannah’s experiences has been invaluable. BT’s long-term commitment to Paralympic sport is unrivalled and I’m excited to be joining their Ambassador team.”

Jonnie Peacock, who won a Gold medal in the 100m at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, explains, “BT has been supporting me as an athlete for four years now, so I know exactly how their support can help up-and-coming talent. If there is anything I can do to help nurture and develop the next generation of Paralympic talent so that we win more medals as a nation, then I am always up for it. Spending time with Julie and Ben today has shown me just what a great GB team we have. I’m looking forward to seeing how well they do and will be cheering them on.”

Hannah Cockroft, who won two Gold medals at the London 2012 Paralympic Games adds, “I’ve had a fantastic day here at Loughborough, swapping stories and training tips with Jonnie, Ben and Julie. Paralympic sport has come on leaps and bounds over the last few years, and a lot of that is down to BT’s support and commitment. With the IPC World Championships later this year and the Rio Paralympic Games next year, we’re all focused on making Great Britain proud and bringing home lots of medals.”

Suzy Christopher, head of brand partnerships at BT, says, “We’re delighted to welcome Julie and Ben into our Ambassador team, and will be following their progress, alongside that of Jonnie and Hannah, as the new athletics season begins and preparation for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games gets underway.”

BT is a long-term supporter of disability sport in the UK and leading organisation in inclusion and diversity as well as the founding partner of the British Paralympic Association.

Pistorius was one of the world’s most in-demand sports personalities for marketers who couldn’t get enough of his inspirational back-story, athletic success and boyish good looks. His sponsorship deal with Nike has received the most attention, following a series of other sportsmen backed by Nike who turned out to be brand liabilities. But his endorsements stretched well beyond the footwear giant, taking in British telecoms firm BT, sunglasses maker Oakley, and French designer Thierry Mugler, to name just a few.

When news first broke of the shooting of Reeva Steenkamp in uncertain circumstances, many advertisers seemed to be adopting a wait-and-see attitude. The only brand which responded quickly was local TV broadcaster M-Net, which took down billboards featuring Pistorius’s face – part of an ongoing campaign linking Pistorius to Oscar-winning movies – on the day that Steenkamp was confirmed dead. After a Nike ad proclaiming that Pistorius was the “bullet in the chamber” began to circulate rapidly on social media, Nike pulled this one particular ad, but initially took no wider action.

On Sunday, Pistorius’s agent, Peet van Zyl, told journalists that sponsors remained committed to the athlete despite the murder charge. But as further details of the shooting have emerged, it appears the marketers’ feet are feeling distinctly chilly.

Nike told Associated Press on Monday that Oscar Pistorius would not feature in future campaigns. Spokesman KeJuan Wilkins was staying mum, however, on the issue of whether Nike had previously planned to use Pistorius in imminent advertising, though it seems likely – Pistorius had a jam-packed year scheduled, including an appearance in Australia in March which has now been cancelled. Oakley took a more definitive step, suspending its contract with Pistorius.

On a local level, Pistorius was one of a number of South African celebrities featuring in the “It Gets Better” campaign, where high-profile figures give support to gay teenagers. Pistorius was shown in the video saying, “Just remember that you’re special. You don’t have to worry. You don’t have to change. Take a deep breath and remember it will get better.” On Monday the campaign’s organiser, UCT’s Andrew Barry, confirmed to Mambaonline that “given the recent circumstances, the video is no longer part of the programme.”

A spokeswoman for Thierry Mugler, the fragrance house for which Pistorius fronts A*Men, a men’s scent, declined to comment on the matter last week. But as of Tuesday, Mugler appeared to have removed Pistorius’s image from its website. In light of current circumstances, the brand may be regretting the blurb chosen to link the athlete to its scent: “Part man, part god and unchained by the conventional codes of seduction, he is defined by his interior strength and his desire to conquer… Oscar Pistorius possesses the masculine values which Thierry Mugler holds so dear.”

By BBC News