News

Communication Matters

Communication Matters Road Shows give attendees the opportunity to keep up to date with the latest advances in the field of AAC.

These are interactive days supported and presented by our Commercial Member from the UK's leading suppliers of communication aids, equipment and symbol systems. Each day consists of five sessions which provide information and offer up-to-date knowledge on the range of AAC equipment and services available in the UK.

These full-day events are open to people who use AAC, parents, carers and professionals alike.

The Road Shows are free of charge to attend, but you must book a place in advance.

There is a rolling programme of Road Shows across the UK.

People who have benefited from the road shows include:

• People who use AAC, parents, carers and professionals new to the field of AAC and voice output technology
• Professionals specialising in this field who want to update their knowledge (counts towards Continuing Professional Development points) - technology changes fast!
• Everyone with an interest in communication technology
• Anyone who works with children or adults with severe speech, language or communication difficulties and are in need of some special support with communication

We are always looking for hosts for these events, so if you are interested in hosting a Road Show in your area, please contact Communication Matters for more information.

Kidz In The Middle

Disabled Living is delighted to be back at the Ricoh Arena for its 3rd year. There has already been a great deal of interest in this event primarily due to the success of the first two events and the overwhelming success of both Kidz up North and Kidz South. In additions the Ricoh Arena is a prestigious and easily accessible venue with the exhibition hall on the ground level: see website www.ricoharena.co.uk. For directions to Ricoh Arena please visit www.ricoharena.com/travel.htm

Many of the companies that exhibit at the ‘Kidz’ events do so year on year, as they have chosen our exhibitions to launch new equipment and products, so make sure you visit all the stands. The company representatives are often experts in their field and usually have solutions to what may seem like unmanageable problems. So, do take the opportunity to pick their brains.

Click here to view the list of exhibitors

A key element of the Government’s ‘Aiming High for Disabled Children’ programme is information for children and parents which is available, accessible, relevant and individually tailored. The new Government is committed to and continues to invest £340 million in equipment and wheelchair services, short breaks and palliative care for children with disabilities. Disabled Living totally supports the Agenda. In addition, the introduction of individual and personalised budgets may enable the children and/or parents to have a greater say in what equipment and services are most appropriate. The information you gather at the ‘Kidz’ events can ultimately improve the life of children, their parents and extended family. As funding equipment continues to be a major concern, the Kidz team have taken a proactive approach and introduced ‘The Funding Point’ to all our Kidz events where visitors can access information about alternative funding streams for equipment and more.

Working in close partnership with the commercial sector, the Kidz team continues to develop a comprehensive resource of information, developing new services and products relating to children’s equipment, which both public and professionals can access through our dedicated helpline 0161 214 4599.

Once again we have some excellent speakers presenting our free seminars sessions who can provide you with information on best practice, new research and good practical advice. For our professional visitors, certificates of attendance are available to support your continued professional development. Children and parents are more than welcome to attend.

Click here to view the timetable for the free seminars

Unique to ‘Kidz in the Middle’ we once again have a significant area solely dedicated to leisure activities, with a sports arena where children can participate in inclusive activities. In addition to the timetable of free seminars aimed at parents and health care professionals, there will also be a series of free seminars aimed at physiotherapists, P.E teachers and assistants, coaches and sports development officers, leisure centre staff and those with an interest in this area.

Children are invited to come along, try out the equipment and products, join in the fun and features and participate in the sporting activities sessions taking place throughout the day

Special Kids Launches "Alex's Big Mack Lending Service

In 2007, one of our members' children passed away suddenly. Alex was 2 years old. His parents asked for donations to be made to Special Kids instead of flowers for his funeral. As a result of the generous amount donated, we decided to use the money to do something specific to help others and launch a communication aid lending service in particular the BigMack and LittleMack ( a smaller version of the BigMack) called Alex's Big Mack Lending Service.

These items are often the first step to "communicating" for those children who have speech and language difficulties. They have a 20 second memory and can be used to record simple messages and instructions which the child can use in many situations. Our service will allow a member to borrow two for a few months to try out free of charge and thus not have to pay out unnecessarily if the item isn't suitable for their child. At the end of the trial, they can then decide to purchase their own or seek funding from the relevant source.

More detail can be found in the member only section of the website.

Postcards and Posters

We now have printed business postcards and posters. If you are from an organisation which would like to display either or both of these, please Contact Us with your details and approximate volume required and we will be happy to send to you

Special Kids supports SCOPE's In the Picture campaign

Special Kids in the UK have been working with SCOPE to promote their In the Picture campaign which aims to promote use of images of children with disabilities (both visible and hidden) within books. Several of our members have submitted pictures for their photo bank and been involved in photo sessions. For more information on the campaign, visit In the Picture.