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A Chance To Work |
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Mencap has launched a twin-track campaign of support to press for more and better job opportunities for people with learning disabilities. |
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It has published a guide - Taking Care of Business - to encourage employers to hire people with a learning disability. At the same time Mencap has also launched a Charter of Employment Rights. |
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Taking Care of Business shows the benefits of employing people with learning disabilities, outlines support and financial assistance employers can call on and gives examples of good practice and people in jobs. |
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The Charter of Employment presses politicians and policy makers to do more to open the route into work and to protect people against exploitation. It says that disabled employees are entitled to equal rights. In particular, they have the right to be free from discrimination and exploitation and to receive the same pay and conditions as others. |
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Viewpoint July 2000 |
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NEWS |
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Carers Cut Back on Food |
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The Carers National Association reports that one in five carers who responded to a survey cut back on food because of poverty, while one in ten could not afford their rent or mortgage. |
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The association says that almost six out of ten carers in the survey had to give up work as a direct result of their commitments. |
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Viewpoint July 2000 |
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Heddell asks for broader approach |
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Mencap Chief Executive, Fred Heddell, has urged the EU to broaden its approach to fighting discrimination. |
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Giving evidence to the EU Social Affairs sub committee of the House of Lords, Mr. Heddell welcomed non-discrimination package proposed under Article 13, especially the Directive on equal treatment in employment. |
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Viewpoint May 2000 |
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Vulnerable people need support in the House |
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People with learning disabilities or mental health problems often need more than just a roof over their head. Sometimes they need support to help them live more independently. |
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Support is funded in many different ways, through housing benefit, through social services and through local authority housing departments. Government is set to change all this by bringing in a single, national grant to provide for all forms of housing support. These plans are being debated in the House of Commons. |
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Mencap has joined forces with the mental health charity, Mind to remind MPs of just how important housing support is to the welfare of potentially vulnerable people. We want to make sure there’s enough money for local authorities to be responsive to individual needs. |
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Viewpoint May 2000 |
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Microwave Danger - Words of Warning |
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Anyone who uses a microwave oven to heat water should be made aware of the following: |
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A 26 year old man decided to have a cup of instant coffee. He took a cup of water and put it into the microwave to heat it up. He set the timer for 4 minutes as he wanted to make sure the water boiled. When the timer shut the oven off, he removed the cup and he looked into it to check if the water had boiled. Unfortunately, the water ‘blew up’ into his face due to a build up of energy. This is caused by the temperature of the water going above boiling point. He suffered facial injuries that left scarring and partial sight loss in one eye. The doctor who attended him at hospital said that this was a common occurrence and water (alone) should never be heated in a microwave oven. A wooden stick or tea bag should be placed in the cup to diffuse the energy. It is much safer to boil a kettle! |
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Newsletter for the Blind and Partially Sighted |
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John Says: |
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The doctor’s explanation is only partially correct. The water ‘blew up’ was because no bubbles of steam had formed during the heating process, then when the cup was disturbed, all the bubbles formed at once, and the cup boiled over. The wooden stick or tea-bag does not diffuse the energy, but provides somewhere for bubbles to form. ANY liquid can be superheated, there have been many occurrences of cold tea or coffee being re-heated, then boiling over after they were taken from the microwave. Stir any liquid immediately BEFORE heating in a microwave, and NEVER look directly into a container of hot liquid. |