Hope & Resilience for Refugees & Asylum Seekers

We're exhibiting at the University of Leicester today, where a conference is taking place for Refugee Week (16-24 June): Hope and Resilience for Refugees and Asylum Seekers.

The purpose of the conference is to explore how hope and resilience can be fostered in the current climate through an emphasis on human rights, approaches to justice in psychological therapy and through building solidarity in the voluntary and statutory sectors.

The conference is being held in the South Wing of the Fielding Johnson Building, the second time in four days that I've attended an event here (see Building Shared Heritages: Cultural Diversity in Leicester on Equality & Diversity Officer). There are several organisations exhibiting today, in quite cramped space. Those on display cheek by jowl include:

• Action Deafness Cultural
• British Red Cross (Lincolnshire, Leicestershire & Rutland and Northamptonshire)
• The Centre Project
• Citizens' Eye Community News Agency
• Freedom from Torture
• LAMPdirect
• Leicester City of Sanctuary
• Leicester Council of Faiths
• Leicester Libraries
• Leicester Welcome Project
• NHS Leicester City Assist Practice
• The Race Equality Centre
• Refugee Action
• Somewhere_To
• Stamp It Out!

I'm looking after both the REDP display as well as that of Leicester Council of Faiths, just across from it in a shared space with Refugee Action. The photo below shows Gail Pringle, Independent Project Manager and Voluntary Sector Consultant with Refugee Action.

The conference is opened by David Sallah (Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust), Cllr Mohammed Dawood (Assistant Mayor, Leicester City Council) and Bob Burgess (Vice Chancellor, University of Leicester).

Keynote speaker is Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty. Her name has been attached to the event since it was first advertised several weeks ago. Shami is a big draw and I know from my conversations this morning that many people are here just to hear her. I speak with a couple of the conference organisers about that, and about having heard Shami speak at REDP's human rights event in Derby in March. I mention what an excellent contribution she'd made to that day and how I'm looking forward to hearing her speak again. I also say how I know that she tends to be on a tight schedule, that more often than not, she'll beam in, deliver her piece then beam out. I get a few blank looks in response. I wonder if I'm coming across as a bit of a name-dropper. At 1140 sharp, we're summoned back into the Peter Williams Lecture Theatre, where the plenary sessions are taking place. The person chairing this session bigs her up, using that well-worn phrase, "Our keynote speaker needs no introduction" before giving her one (at length and in detail) ending with a triumphant, "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you: Shami Chakrabati!" Since I can't see her anywhere in the room, I expect her to enter at that point, perhaps just having arrived at the last minute. There's vigorous applause, as if most everyone else expects the same thing. At that point, however, someone comes forward with a DVD, inserts it into the multimedia centre at the lectern and goes through the menu to cue it up. Now I don't know if I've took my eye off the ball, my attention has been wandering (more than usual, that is) but I've somehow managed to miss the fact that Shami has recorded her speech and it's to be delivered via DVD. Seems like I'm not the only one, as a handful of people huffily pack their bags, get up and leave. Can't fault Shami for not being here. She's obliged to stay in London today to play her significant and influential part in focusing attention on the second reading in the House of Lords of the Justice and Security Bill. The talk itself is as impassioned, informed and inspirational as you'd expect from her. Liberty's mission statement is visible on a poster behind her throughout:

We believe in fundamental rights and freedoms - shared values that protect every member of the human family and the society that we seek to build together.

On reflection, I should have twigged that Shami wasn't going to be here in person because Chino isn't here.

I can't let my post on this event end without mentioning the Zimbabwean Choir, who perform several times during the day.

Thanks to Kelly and Liz for bringing all the stuff - and for taking it away at the end of the day.

Benefits outweigh drawbacks

This letter is published in today's Leicester Mercury:

Benefits outweigh drawbacks

I am a disabled student at the University of Leicester and have just finished my first year.

As I am at the University of Leicester, I have to go to the Freemen's Common Health Centre for my medical needs. As a wheelchair user, I have found the health centre to be very inaccessible, to say the least.

To start with, I could not use the front door to the practice as there were steps inside and had to go round the back. I had to ring a bell next to the door to get attention but the bell didn't work.

Finally, I was let in and waited for my appointment. I then found that the doors to the doctors' rooms were not wide enough to fit my wheelchair through. This meant that the doctor had to see me in the corridor! Thankfully, I did not have a personal issue at the time; if I do in the future, God help me!

The health centre also does not have disabled toilets, which does not help. I have also had to have vaccinations in the back of a taxi before as I could not get to the doctors' rooms.

I think you'll agree that this is not the most hygienic of environments. I can't wait until a new doctors' surgery is built and, quite frankly, it can't come soon enough.

I understand the planned health centre which may be built in Victoria Park has generated opposition. Apparently, the building would destroy areas of green space from its construction. I understand residents' concerns – I am an environmentalist myself. However, Victoria Park covers a large area and it is not the only park in the city.

Indeed, the developers say the building will make allowance for bats, for example. Assura, the developers of the planned health centre, say the building will be designed to achieve an "excellent'' BREEAM health care eco-rating.

This shows the building will be built so as to minimise its effect on the environment. The fact of the matter is a new health centre needs to be built.

If the quickest way to achieve this is to build on a relatively small area of Victoria Park, then I am all for this development. The health centre would provide healthcare for all students of the University of Leicester and members of the public as well. Yes, green space would need to be used; however, according to Assura, the building will be designed to minimise its impact on the environment.

Therefore I believe the benefits of the new health centre will far outweigh the drawbacks.

Alex Squire, Leicester

Wheelchair user provides food for thought

This is Alex Squire's First Person column published in today's Leicester Mercury:

Wheelchair user provides food for thought

Alex Squire thinks that the disability discrimination legislation should be tightened upI am a student at the University of Leicester and as a result I go on a number of social outings with my friends. I don't get blind drunk, but I still like to have a good time. I am not your usual run-of-the-mill student, you could say, as I have to use a power chair to get around.

On my outings so far I have encountered many places where wheelchair access is not up to scratch. My course Christmas meal was by far the most eventful, so far.

As it was a special occasion, everyone was dressed smartly, suits and bow ties for the men and dresses for the ladies. I turned up in my suit and was greeted by the sight of six large steps leading up to the entrance of the restaurant. After much deliberation on how I'd get in (including trying to physically lift my chair up the steps which is no easy task) we decided on a plan.

There was an advertising board standing on the pavement which had the menu written on it. We laid this flat over the steps to create a ramp. This, to date, has got to be one of the craziest things I've done.

I put my chair on full speed, hoped for the best, and drove up the "ramp" as fast as I could. Amazingly, I managed to get up the "ramp" first time! This was improvisation at its finest!

Although the health and safety people would not have agreed with this method, it was the only way in a million years I would have got into this restaurant.

Once I was finally in to the restaurant, I had a great meal and it was good fun. To get out, the manageress wouldn't let me use the same method as I came in.

After much deliberation again, they found some wooden boards from somewhere – I've no idea where! They used these to create a ramp and I managed to slide my chair down back to terra firma once again.

Things could have been so much easier if only they had a proper ramp.

Wheelchair accessible taxis have metal ramps which wheelchairs can drive up to get in. Why can't the restaurants which are "unable" to build a ramp buy these instead? This after all would be a much cheaper alternative. It would also satisfy the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) for establishments to make reasonable adjustments to allow disabled people to enter.

I believe the Act should be more legally binding and not just allow people to make their own minds up as to what constitutes "reasonable adjustments".

Good verdict in disability survey

This article is published in today's Leicester Mercury:

Good verdict in disability survey

An undercover survey has found Leicestershire is better than average when it comes to providing disabled students with the things they need to get the most out of university life.

Campaigners from Trailblazers carried out investigations at 77 UK universities to find out whether halls of residence, lecture theatres and bars had disabled access.

They also wanted to know whether the universities had societies for disabled students, disability guides and accessible transport.

The universities were contacted anonymously and asked 15 questions about what they provide for disabled students and then given a percentage score.

The average was 73%, but De Montfort University scored 88%, and the University of Leicester and Loughborough University both scored 83%.

The survey was carried out because Trailblazers, part of the Muscular Dystrophy Society, is concerned many disabled people are missing out on the best university experience – or even being put off going – because of a lack of the things they need when they are there.

Nick Willis, of East Midlands Trailblazers, said that while the Leicestershire scores were higher than average, changes still needed to be made.

He said: "Some universities fell well short of having the right facilities for disabled people but the Leicestershire ones were quite good.

"There is, however, room for improvement and hopefully our report will lead to that."

The investigation found none of the three Leicestershire universities have an accessible toilet with a hoist in every one of their buildings.

The University of Leicester was found to have no group or society for disabled students and its website was given nought out of five because it lacked information on disability access, while not all of Loughborough's teaching rooms had disabled access.

Mr Willis, 25, a graduate who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and uses a wheelchair, said: "Although the facilities at universities may be good, sometimes the social side lags behind. It's a culture thing that needs to change."

University of Leicester spokesman Peter Thorley said: "We were pleased to see the University of Leicester rated well, but we're not complacent."

A spokeswoman for De Montfort University said: "De Montfort University is leading the way in the region and we are proud of the work we do."