I have spent quite a lot of the last month looking at bathroom products, both for the Independent Living product roundup on the subject, and my regular column for Disability Horizons.

A few notable features stand out: first – and perhaps counterintuitively – despite the proliferation of accessible showers, there is a lot going on with baths! Luxurious tubs which adjust in height or incorporate a transfer seat, allow people who need assistance in the bath to enjoy the benefits of a therapeutic soak.

Toilet technology is another area where developments are ongoing, both in automatic wash and dry toilets themselves, and associated lifters, supports and commode chairs to maintain their accessibility as users' needs change.

Generally – design considerations seem to be addressed equally with usability, making accessible bathroom facilities enjoyable as well as functional.

If you haven't already signed up to receive it, the IL product roundup can be accessed here

And you can read my DH article here

We have recently had a number of enquiries about various aspects of power chairs, so I thought it would be a good idea to run through some of the resources you can access on the Independent Living website – there's a lot of information; a great deal more than I can reasonably summarise here!

To begin with, we have an area dedicated to powered wheelchairs, where you can read about different power chairs and powerpack add-ons, which convert a manual chair to powered, in various different ways. You can find details of each component of the chair, and we have info about special function wheelchairs.

You can also read about NHS Wheelchair Services, and how they function.

I mentioned scooters in the heading, because we had an enquiry this week about the rules for people who aren't disabled using mobility scooters. It should be commonsense, but for the avoidance of doubt: the only times when someone who isn't disabled can use a scooter are for pre-sales demonstrations; training a new scooter user; taking the scooter to or from a maintenance/repair session.

I should have realised the game was up when I read a strongly critical article about the forthcoming changes to PIP in The Telegraph online: I'm not a regular reader, but I certainly couldn't recall anything comparable from the rightwards-leaning publication previously.

Then the outcry from the media and general public was joined by the most surprising voice of all: chief architect of welfare reform himself, Iain Duncan-Smith.

The new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Stephen Crabb, has confirmed that the cuts to the PIP daily living component won't now be proceeding, so that is one less battle to fight. Let's not forget, though, the cuts previously inflicted, from closure of the Independent Living Fund, to bedroom tax (which disproportionately affects people with disabilities), removal of PIP enhanced mobility component from those who can walk 20 metres rather than 50 metres, and the latest £30 per week cut in Employment and Support Allowance paid to disabled people who are judged to be fit enough to do some work-related activity...

Next weekend, the clocks go forward one hour, moving us onto British Summertime.

The longer evenings are wonderful, but many people also find that the change plays havoc with their sleeping habits.

So it seems like a good idea to look at the ways in which we can try and ensure a good night's sleep, from eating sensibly to banning electronic devices from the bedroom...

Click here for our top tips on sleeping well

The next monthly product round-up will be on beds and bedrooms, so look out for more news about new developments soon.

The march of dementia goes on unabated, with an estimated 800,000 people currently affected – a number that is only set to increase in line with the ageing population.

Most people, not surprisingly, want to maintain their independence and live their normal life for as long as possible. At the same time, their friends and family worry about possible mishaps occurring.

OwnFone's Footprint is being used by individuals and local authorities as a way to preserve independence while providing reassurance. A combined GPS tracker and simple mobile phone, with a single button to raise an alarm, the Footprint can also be integrated with a telecare system.

You can see a short news item about its use by Bracknell Forest Council, here

Tomorrow will see the publication of the Lords Select Committee report on the impact of the Equality Act 2010 on the lives of people with disabilities. We have been following their deliberations with great interest, in particular when they were interviewing people who had used the law to back up their claims of disability discrimination. Next week's newsletter will include more information about their findings and any recommendations they make.

Meanwhile, I recorded an interview last year with solicitor Jonathan Fogerty about the strengths and shortcomings of the existing legislation, which you can listen to here

Last week, I mentioned that although the Tribal Series mass participation sports events had been cancelled for lack of sufficient sponsorship, grassroots charity Arctic One was hosting a Para-Tri Festival in Windsor at the end of May. More information is here

If you have something you'd like to get off your chest, don't forget our Readers' Letters. Share your thoughts with the rest of the Independent Living community...

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Until next time, all good wishes,

Frances