Hi Clive, That's a fair point. OK, if you all feel it's a useful discussion to have on here I'll let it go-ahead. Barry List Admin > -----Original Message----- > From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On > Behalf Of Clive.Lever@xxxxxxxxxxx > Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2011 1:47 PM > To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: [access-uk] Re: Charity for blind hits out at Bromley council > (From News Shopper) > > The implication is that if others tackle spending the way Bromley do, > we > could all find it harder to get access to equipment that we regularly > discuss on here. > > Best, > Clive > > > > > > Clive Lever > Diversity Advisor > 01622 221163 (extension 7000 1163) Room 1.15, Sessions House, County > Hall, Maidstone, ME14 1XQ. > Diversity is a strength and we will value and harness difference for > the > benefit of all service users, the individual and KCC. > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On > Behalf > Of Ankers, Dave (UK) > Sent: 11 January 2011 12:00 > To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: [access-uk] Re: Charity for blind hits out at Bromley council > (From News Shopper) > > Clive, > > Is this really the forum for a political debate? > > As much as I like politics, and as someone who is being directly > affected by current decision making, this isn't the place to discuss > it. > > Cheers > > Dave > > Hi all, > > I was at a conference on digital inclusion in December for B C A B. The > Cabinet office were bigging up the Big Society. The charities were > dubbing it: "Big society, little money!" For those of you who know the > term, the approach of sloping the responsibility off onto the charities > could put progress on adopting the principles of the social model of > disability back a decade or two. This is the model where we get away > from the idea of disabled people as passive recipients of care and > charity, and move towards empowerment of disabled people to control > their own lives and to be viewed as independent citizens. > > Best, > Clive > > > > > > Clive Lever > Diversity Advisor > 01622 221163 (extension 7000 1163) Room 1.15, Sessions House, County > Hall, Maidstone, ME14 1XQ. > Diversity is a strength and we will value and harness difference for > the > benefit of all service users, the individual and KCC. > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On > Behalf > Of John G > Sent: 11 January 2011 10:37 > To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: [access-uk] Re: Charity for blind hits out at Bromley council > (From News Shopper) > > the idea being that government funding is replaced by donations from > fellow citizens, probably the same people who can't afford to pay off > their utility bills. > big society, big con more like. > At 10:21 11/01/2011, you wrote: > >What's this got to do with the "Big Society"? > > > >Regards > > > >Dave Ankers > > > >Here we go then, the big society - my arse! > > > > > > Site Logo<http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/resources/images/1000734/> > > > > > >Charity for blind hits out at Bromley council > > > > > >1:18pm Monday 10th January 2011 > > > >By David Mills > > > >A CHARITY which represents the blind and visually impaired has hit out > >at Bromley Council <http://www.bromley.gov.uk/Default.bromley> for > >temporarily suspending equipment provision. > > > >Services which include the talking books, as well as equipment such as > >walking canes and liquid level indicators, are all under review by the > >council. > > > >Kent Association for the Blind (KAB), which has a sight centre in > Blyth > > >Road, Bromley, will be pressuring the council to continue providing > >funding. > > > >Dick Groves, aged 65, of South View, Bromley, said: "Visual impairment > >is the most feared of all sensory impairments. Provision in Bromley is > >extremely patchy." > > > >Mr Groves, who is blind, said: "This is a classic example of the way > in > > >which action has been taken without consultation and without > information > >being given to one of the weakest sections of society and least able > to > > >respond." > > > > Kent Association for the Blind's Bromley > >branch<http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/resources/images/1536532/> > > > >A KAB spokesman said: "We are currently in contact with our service > >users to explain the service has been temporarily suspended by the > >London borough of Bromley. > > > >"We are sharing other providers of these services such as the Calibre > >audio library, a completely free service, to ensure users are not > going > > >to go without talking books. > > > >"We at KAB are going to be making representations to the council to > >press the case that it would be more cost effective to continue to > fund > > >provision because we believe withdrawing that service represents a > real > > >risk to people's safety and their ability to get out and about. > > > >"The costs that could be generated by injury would far outweigh the > cost > >to the council of providing equipment." > > > >A council spokesman said: "We have a strong commitment to providing > >talking books in our libraries with no plans to cut the service and we > >will continue to make special concessions to waive charges to people > >with a registered visual impairment. > > > >"We have however moved from cassettes to CDs and downloadable material > >over the years but we still keep a large collection of older cassettes > >in our Home Library Service, which supports customers who are > physically > >unable to get into a branch. > > > >"There are also free national talking book service and as well as our > >library service we will be assisting people to access the talking > books > > >from the national Calibre service together with the equipment provided > >by the British Wireless for the Blind Fund. > > > >"To make sure we make the best use of our resource we wanted to avoid > >duplication and whilst we no longer fund the KAB talking books > service, > > >KAB is pointing people to our library and to these free services. > > > >"In terms of equipment supplied by the KAB on our behalf such as > >portable lamps, talking clocks and mobility aids, again we want to > make > > >sure we use resources as efficiently as possible and have suspended > this > >KAB while we carry out a review. > > > >"However we do continue to fund KAB to provide assessment and > >rehabilitation services for people with visual impairments." > > > >Back <javascript:history.go(-1);> > > > >(c) Copyright 2001-2011 Newsquest Media Group > > > >http://www.newsshopper.co.uk > > > > > > > >******************************************************************** > >This email and any attachments are confidential to the intended > >recipient and may also be privileged. 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