Within This Issue
The theme for this issue is the environment. From the great outdoors to small corners, from cathedrals to cafes, this subject focus has invited a breadth of contributions about different environments and the overarching commitment to inclusion in all its forms. There are no boundaries to providing access when there are people who are determined that every possible obstruction can be overcome, literally where there’s a will there’s a way! Articles cover community environments: the pleasure to be found in making music with a band in a café; the vast space of Westminster Abbey for a totally inclusive event; the BT Murrayfield stadium in Edinburgh and the celebration of the one hundredth Changing Places toilet in Scotland. Some articles celebrate outdoor education for pupil but also indoor multi‐sensory environments. Equally enthusiastic about accessing all areas are the managers of a community hub in Northern Ireland and a beach and water sports centre in Wales. You can read about BikeAbility Wales (where it seems that just about everyone can get on a bike!) and the potential of powered wheelchairs. There is also practical information about flying with people who need supported access and seating in an aircraft. Other articles include: the Bag Books’ Tall Stories project to takes multi‐sensory storytelling into adult services; photographic evidence, how the school day may look from one young man’s perspective; and a sibling’s experiences of Circles of Support and Person Centred Planning. A historical reviews shows that people with multiple disabilities did indeed live into adulthood in previous centuries and how they and their families experienced positive support and negative attitudes that are familiar still today. In sharp contrast is a comment piece on how we never seem to hear about what it must be like for people with learning disabilities in places where their environment has been severely disrupted or destroyed as in Iraq or Syria. The final article is from the late Penny Lacey: it explains and reflects on the value of Action Research, an ongoing review of what is happening in any setting and how it could be made even better.
