Disability not Inability: access to Cross Flatts Park
Anyone with mobility problems will know that our streets are littered with obstacles. They (mostly) have a good reason to be there, they serve a purpose and cause no inconvenience – provided you are able bodied. But once you need a stick, a wheelchair or mobility scooter to get around
Disability not inability: Misconceptions about autism
April is Autism Awareness Month and although we push for acceptance in the community, there are still many things people misunderstand about autism. I’ve enlisted the help of my two neurodivergent children to breakdown what they feel the biggest misconceptions are. Autistic people don’t make eye contact – one of
New lease of life for Cottingley Community Centre
An exciting partnership has been launched between Cottingley Community Project and Health For All, a well-established local charity created to meet the needs of people in South Leeds. Cottingley Community Project was created in 1982 by local churches and the community working together with Leeds City Council and is now
Cottingley residents demand the Council improves refuse collections
Cottingley residents vented their frustrations about the long running poor refuse collection service on the estate at a recent meeting of the Inner South Community Committee. Using the Open Forum section of the meeting, Christine Smart asked the Councillors: “This week the binmen told our residents that they were not
Navigating South Leeds with mobility aids
If you are an active social media user and are members of any South Leeds groups, you will have seen discussions about how irritating road works can be and the inconvenience is infuriating. Browsing down my timeline I then spotted a post about how a path was resurfaced in another
Adaptations aren’t just for pandemics
Disability Awareness has had a surge due to the pandemic and feeling that disabled people got an exceptionally rough ride while simultaneously watching their able counterparts enjoy adaptations. Offices became unsafe environments for everybody, so working from home became the norm. Many companies supplied staff with the tech to make
Autism – from awareness to acceptance
In the 11 years since Amber was diagnosed, my family has learnt a lot. Firstly, that although hers was an early diagnosis compared to others, we left with lots of might dos and might nots. This was unusual as many diagnoses end with a forecast of what will happen next,
Christmas is different with autism
Christine Smart explains how Christmas has to different when your child lives with autism: The one thing my neurotypical (NT) brain struggled to get round was that my girls’ autism did not allow for seasonal events. I mean what child doesn’t throw themselves into the magical notion of free presents
Returning to school when your child has Special Educational Needs
It is not unusual for both parents and children to feel a degree of anxiety at the beginning of the academic year; however September 2020 brings a unique experience for all those who return to school and education. It will be a challenging time ahead for teachers and schools who