There have been some rocky patches on the road to Rio: the announcement of a £60 million hole in the budget, the money having apparently been subverted to plug an Olympic deficit; a Channel 4 promotional video that ruffled a lot of feathers, by suggesting (as far as some viewers were concerned) that people with disabilities could all be superhuman; not to mention Vogue's Brazilian edition using able-bodied models with photo-shopped disabilities in a Paralympics feature...

However, that hole in the budget has now been filled; ParalympicsGB are at their training camp in Brazil, and the anticipation levels are beginning to mount. I for one am very much looking forward to some high-quality sporting competition, and was really pleased to have the chance to talk to wheelchair racer Ben Rowlings before he set off for the games. We touched on how to get motivated; finding a sport that suits you; and the financing of athletes, among other things.

Read the Q & A here

 

The latest intriguing article from our resident nutrition expert, Mary Farmer, looks at cholesterol, which has had a bad press, not to put too fine a point upon it – but is it deserved?

Given other examples of dietary advice being reversed, you probably won't be surprised to find out that the one-time bogeyman, blamed for causing heart attacks and strokes, is currently being re-evaluated. A long-term US study showed that people with the greatest reduction in blood cholesterol levels actually had a higher rate of death, and in people aged over 70, cholesterol may actually have a protective effect...

You can find out more on this fascinating subject, and decide whether there is any merit in following a low-fat diet, in:

Cholesterol: friend or foe?

 

It's that time of year again – the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation and Leonard Cheshire Disability are looking for the new generation of disabled entrepreneurs and businesses which employ or support disabled people.

The 10th anniversary Stelios Award has new criteria, which will allow more businesses to apply, and the prize money has also been increased, to a total of £70,000.

Last year's winner, Geoff Holt, of Wetwheels is shown here receiving the cheque from Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou. He has no doubt about the benefits of the competition, and says that winning it has helped his business to grow faster and employ more people.

More details here

 

There was supposed to be an Olympic and Paralympic legacy from London 2012, which would see more of us involved in sporting activities ourselves, as opposed to sitting on a sofa admiring other peoples' efforts. Sadly, this hasn't been delivered as expected. More than a quarter of the general population is classified as "inactive", doing less than 30 minutes exercise (including walking) in a week. The situation is even worse for disabled people.

Perhaps the fact that local council budgets have been cut, leading to the closure of essential facilities, such as swimming pools and playing fields, is playing a part. Maybe also, the targeting of investment by UK Sport only in those sports where medals were sure to be won. It has been fantastically successful in delivering said medals, but ignores sports such as basketball, which may not deliver Olympic gold, but could surely engage many urban youngsters in healthy activity, where equestrianism, for example, probably never could.

Whatever the reasons, there are always some projects bucking the trend, and providing a good example. Parallel London is one. Taking place this Sunday, 4th September, in the Olympic Park, the world's first fully inclusive run/push race which everybody can join in with (but today is the last day for registering) – you can find out more here. And next week, I'll be bringing you information about Whisbee – that's wheelchair Frisbee, and sounds like a blast!

 

Henry Ford used to say of his cars "You can have any colour, as long as it's black". From that example of a complete absence of choice, to one where black represents the widest imaginable range of colour choices: how about a black bath?

Astor Bannerman specialises in assisted baths and changing benches, which they can supply in over 160 different shades, including black. A new installation at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool features their Phoenix bath in deepest black, which will not be discoloured by any treatments used for the dermatology ward patients.

You can see more details of the Phoenix bath here

If you provide high quality products and services, and you would like to reach our site visitors and newsletter readers, please email derek@independentliving.co.uk

 

Specialist bed and mattress supplier, Nexus DMS, has launched a new YouTube channel, where you can view helpful videos showing how their products – notably, the Rota-Pro rotating chair bed - actually work. If you've ever wondered whether it would be helpful for you or someone you care for, you can check out the workings of the bed, how it can be adapted to suit different users, mattress options, and more.

A reminder of our Readers' Letters area on Independent Living – where you can share your opinions with other visitors. The latest to do so is Derek Coggins, who would like to know why wheelchair manufacturers use poor quality bolts and bearings which lead to an uncomfortable ride, and often need replacing?

As always, there are various ways you can get in touch with Independent Living: email me; visit our Facebook page and leave a message there; or if it's short and sweet, Tweet!

Previous newsletters are archived here.

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Until next time, all good wishes,

Frances