A Purposeful Step: Birds of Paradise dance company raise awareness of the disability dance scene in Scotland

Speak Of The Devil: Actress, Sam Renke, reveals all about her new film Little Devil

One Step At A Time: The inspirational Corinne Hutton tells the story of how her quadruple amputation led to helping others

Broken, Shattered and Reborn: How Marc Brew turned his life around and became a ballet choreographer

Disabled Access Day: Exploring new accessible venues around the country

Rebuilding Independence: How TV show, DIY SOS, transformed Richard Ford’s life after his stroke

Kickin’ It: Richard Seedhouse implores kids to get involved with Frame Football

And much more . . . .

Our Hot Stuff product section is filled with amazing innovations to help people live more independently. Bringing the latest selection of products in the market from daily living aids to major mobility products for both adults and children. The Kids’ Corner in this issue we speak to Sense on the importance of play.

PosAbility Magazine is a fresh and innovative disability lifestyle magazine. Focusing on the opportunities available to disabled people, in sports, careers, education, relationships, holidays or activities and experiences that are accessible to all. Subscribe to PosAbility Magazine here or contact 0141 270 8085.

Over 250 companies and venues, across eleven countries, have pledged their support for Disabled Access Day on 12 March 2016, an initiative that aims to encourage disabled people, their friends and families to get out and about and visit somewhere new together.

The Queen’s former floating palace, The Royal Yacht Britannia, permanently moored in Edinburgh, is one of the UK’s Top 3 Attractions (TripAdvisor) and Scotland’s Best Visitor Attraction for 10 years’ running (VisitScotland), as well as an exclusive evening events venue. Britannia’s tour of 5 decks is accessible for wheelchair users, with lifts and ramps throughout, and is classed as Category 1, the highest level for wheelchair access, without assistance, by VisitScotland.

On Disabled Access Day, visitors to The Royal Yacht will be able to take advantage of a 20% discount on admission, to be downloaded from Britannia’s website, and carers go free.

Chief Executive of The Royal Yacht Britannia, Bob Downie said, “As Scotland’s Best Visitor Attraction for 10 years’ running, delivering excellent customer service is at the heart of everything we do and is driven by the ambition to provide the highest possible standards of customer experience to everyone, regardless of age or ability.”

The latest development for 2016 is the creation of a tour for those with Autism and Learning Disabilities and Britannia is currently working with a specialist consultant on aids which can be used, prior to visiting, and also when on board.

Other Edinburgh attractions taking part on the day include the National Galleries of Scotland, Camera Obscura and the National Museum of Scotland.

For more information and for a full list of partners, locations and events, visit www.disabledaccessday.com.

Independent events, promotions and activities being held around the UK and beyond.

Disabled Access Day 2016 returns to the UK and to locations worldwide this Saturday for a day of exploring accessible venues and discovering what’s out there. The annual event which is in its second year will take place on 12 March and hopes to encourage disabled people, their families and friends to choose new places to visit and to gain confidence in accessing unfamiliar venues that have piqued their curiosity.

Following on from the success of last year’s pilot, Disabled Access Day 2016 is set to be even bigger and better! This year’s event will feature over 240 different venues which will be showcasing their accessibility on the day. Alongside hundreds of exciting independent venues taking part are national chains including Caffe Nero, Strada and Barclays, as well as other major companies including John Lewis and the mobile operator Three.

The event has gathered large supporters in the lead up to 12 March including lead sponsor of the day, Euan’s Guide, this disabled access review access and app. Other supporters include VisitEngland, VisitScotland and Visit Wales. In addition to these supporters, a lot of the success at last year’s event was down to the enthusiastic people who took part and who helped to spread the word about Disabled Access Day.

Hub cities with lots of activities going on this year include London, Edinburgh, Leeds, and Newcastle. There are over 40 venues taking part in London alone including popular sites of interest such as Tate Modern, Cutty Sark, National Theatre, Borough Market and more. Individuals taking part can also look forward to free activities and events all across the country, including games with the Disability Sports team at Leeds City Museum, free entrance to the Glasshouses at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh or a tour and a dram at Tomatin Distillery near Inverness to name only a few.  To find out more about events in hub cities and elsewhere, please visit the website at www.disabledaccessday.com/event-search.

The day also aims to raise awareness of the importance of sharing disabled access information. A recent survey* by Euan’s Guide revealed that for 82% of respondents, the decision to visit new venues was a result of searching for disabled access information online. Provision of relevant access information is a crucial factor for many disabled people, their families and friends who want to visit somewhere new. Disabled Access Day aims to encourage people to explore new places and gain new experiences by highlighting the good accessibility that is already to be found in towns and cities across the UK and beyond.

Venues themselves will also benefit by ensuring good access. The survey discovered that 98% of disabled people, their friends, families and carers would be likely or very likely to return to places that are accessible as opposed to those that are not. This opportunity is not to be missed by businesses who are looking to engage with this market worth an estimated £212 billion according to DWP figures.

Euan MacDonald, co-founder of the disabled access reviews website EuansGuide.com, the main sponsor of Disabled Access Day, said: “We hope that Disabled Access Day 2016 surpasses last year’s and continues to raise awareness of accessibility across the UK. There are some fantastic events taking place in some great venues so we hope everyone gets out there to try something new and see what is on offer to disabled people, their friends, families and carers.”

Temporary Theatre Foyer, Saturday 12 March, 11am – 3pm

 This Saturday 12 March, the National Theatre will be taking part in Disabled Access Day, a nationwide event which encourages disabled people to visit somewhere with friends and family that they’ve never been before. This is the second year Disabled Access Day has taken place, and the second time that the National Theatre has taken part.

This year, the National Theatre has even more on offer, as part of a commitment to making the very best theatre and sharing it with as many people as possible.

Throughout the day, there will be an opportunity to experience first-hand the various access facilities available at the National Theatre: demonstrations of captioning and audio description used in theatre performance and the opportunity to view access materials and tactile model boxes of show sets. There will also be BSL interpreted tours of the building taking place throughout the morning. Assisted performances of wonder.land in the Olivier Theatre and The Solid Life of Sugar Water in the Temporary Theatre will take place at 2pm and 3pm respectively. Further, at 1pm Amit Sharma, director of The Solid Life of Sugar Water will host a BSL interpreted talk examining the creation of accessible theatre.

Disabled Access Day Assisted Performances: 

wonder.land – The Olivier Theatre

A new musical inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, wonder.land is a coming-of-age adventure that explores the blurred boundaries between our online and offline lives.

A Touch Tour at 12.15pm will precede an audio-described performance of wonder.land in the Olivier Theatre at 2pm. The Touch Tour will involve an opportunity to visit the stage, handle the props and meet members of the company.

Suitable for 10yrs+

The Solid Life of Sugar Water – The Temporary Theatre

Graeae Theatre Company and Theatre Royal Plymouths’ The Solid Life of Sugar Water will begin at 3pm in the Temporary Theatre. The show is a fully accessible production, integrating captions and audio description at all performances.

Contains strong language and scenes of an adult and sexual nature.

At 1pm, Amit Sharma, associate director of Graeae Theatre Company and director of The Solid Life of Sugar Water, will present a 30 minute talk about creating accessible theatre and the Graeae mission to create compelling performances which engage disabled and non-disabled audiences. The talk will be BSL interpreted.

Disabled Access Day is sponsored by Euan’s Guide, the disabled access review website and app, and has the support of VisitScotland, VisitEngland and VisitWales.

For further information please contact: Emma Hardy on 020 7452 3231 or ehardy@nationaltheatre.org.uk

Access All Rooms understands the struggle that can come with trying to visit somewhere new when you have extra access requirements. This is why the website hosts a unique global rating system, Global Access Award Scheme (GAAS) which works as a 5 tier rating display based on how readily accessible the hotel is. Grading’s and listings include an unparalleled accessible content database for the entire hotel, including access into and around the hotel or resort. Adapted bedrooms and bathrooms also featuring access specific photographs which no other hotel booking website has.

To celebrate Disabled Access Day Access All Rooms is encouraging everybody to take the step towards a new adventure and book the trip of a lifetime. Whether this be for shopping in New York or sunbathing in Spain, Access All Rooms has the perfect hotel to suit all of your accessibility requirements.

James Price, Managing Director of Access All Rooms, said: “I am delighted to be supporting Disabled Access Day and hope that our hotel offering inspires you to visit one of our accessible rooms in Morocco, South Africa or even Malta to celebrate this fantastic day.”

Find and book your perfect hotel here www.accessallrooms.com

 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

Disabled Access Day is a tourism initiative from Visit Scotland aimed to promote those with disabilities, their families and friends to get out and about to visit a venue they have never been to before, such as a museum, cinema, sports venue or coffee shop.