Disability issues in GE2019

There is a hustings organised by Hereford Mencap in Hereford today.

Today! 3 December 4.30-6 at Life & Soul Kitchen, Unit 1, Three Elms Trading Estate, Hereford, HR4 9PU. Organised by Mencap.

Mencap is a charity addressing learning disability and learning difficulty issues. Suggested reading:

1. The Green Party 'Easy Read' manifesto was released at the same time as the 'mainstream' manifesto. It can be obtained via https://www.greenparty.org.uk/assets/files/Elections/EasyRead%20Manifesto%202019.pdf
2. Access to Citizens Income/Unconditional Basic Income has long been Green Party policy and is immensely different from terms and conditions of claiming Universal Credit. Universal Credit terms and conditions are made especially worse for adults with learning difficulties who cannot use computers, because Universal Credit is 'digital by default', as instanced at https://www.katebelgrave.com/2014/09/learning-and-literacy-difficulties-no-computer-but-do-your-jobsearch-online-yourself-thanks/ and https://www.katebelgrave.com/2017/10/learningliteracy-difficulties-and-cant-use-the-online-universal-credit-erm-find-a-friend-to-help-says-dwp-so-much-for-support-this-is-dire/
3. In 2004 while volunteering in teaching [other] adults with learning difficulties very basic computing skills, I was commended for “endless patience with slower learners.” Yet there was no paid future in that for me, as Learning & Skills Council prioritsed  NVQ Levels 2 and 3 — with no extra investment overall — so as to implement the London 2012 Olympics agenda. I, and the trainees I supported, and their Guardian/Channel4 Teacher of the Year Award Winning paid teacher, were let down yet again! (“Learning & Skills Council [existed] to help make England better skilled and more competitive,” according to their website.)
4. In 2013, Prof. Peter Beresford wrote "Why welfare literacy is vital: lack of knowledge about state support services is putting the system at risk." That message is more important today, especially as Brexit would make our welfare state more vulnerable to outside interference. https://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/2013/jan/30/welfare-literacy-state-support

Green Party Basic Income would make life easier for adults with learning difficulties especially,
than Universal Credit.
More at https://www.greenparty.org.uk/assets/files/Elections/EasyRead%20Manifesto%202019.pdf

Accessible Housing

Wednesday 11 December, 7.30-9.30pm at Left Bank Hereford. Not an official hustings but a chance to discuss 'what should the council's core strategy say about housing?'. In association with the Herefordshire Centre for Community-led Housing.

Housing is an important issue in relation to disability. See, for example, https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/?s=housing