C.E. Jottings

Catching up on some good news

Life as Paces CEO has been a bit hectic over the past couple of months or so. Which explains why I've not posted as often as I would have liked. Funny thing that - the more stuff happens, sometimes, the less easy it is to write about - never quite reaching the moment when there's something to say. I'll maybe have some time to give it a go when we are in Pembrokeshire this week. That's not a promise -... Read more →

Next week we are going to Pembrokeshire

"Where are we going?" "I don't know. I thought you knew." "No. I don't know. Maybe he knows." "No. He definitely doesn't know." [Pause] "Maybe no-one knows." [Pause] "Oh well. I hope it's nice when we get there." Next week we are going to Pembrokeshire, Dru, Sarah and I. A few days holiday. Between St Davids and Fishguard, though we often go a little way up the coast to Newport. A favourite place. I wonder where Conductive Education in the... Read more →

"Spending shockwave" looms over school transport

"Local councils will bear a large share of the cuts, which could raise questions about the services they deliver. There will be a cut of £311 million in the money handed to local authorities for education services like school transport." ( Spending 'shock wave' just the start, ministers warn) Who are the big users of school transport? Read more →

If I cease to exist, he said, then I will enter into someone as a phoenix.

In an article for RACE, the occasional journal of conductive education, in 2003, jointly authored with Erzsébet Majorvics, we wrote: "András Pető was a doctor, mentor, teacher, entrepreneur in one person, who never accepted money from the patients but funded himself through various enterprises. `If I cease to exist,' he said, `then I will enter into someone as a phoenix'". Does anyone remember Peto having said this, or perhaps Dr Hari repeating it, or anything similar? Read more →

Debt, cuts and special needs

"The Treasury has drawn up plans to accelerate deep spending cuts over the next two or three years to reduce the £164 billion deficit." ("Coalition is urged to move fast with deep spending cuts": The Times today) You will make your own mind up whether this is the right course of action depending on your personal political loyalties. Apparently Canada is the model for the pro-acceleration view. Canada, though, may have a warning for us in the UK: "....education cuts... Read more →

Can disability be sexy?

Can disability be sexy? I wonder how many of us find just asking the question makes us uncomfortable? Thanks to @GlendaWH's Re-Tweet on Twitter directing me to a remarkable post by Michelle Diament on DisabilityScoop Take a look for yourself and make up your own mind. Meanwhile, I'm going to take a look at DisabilityScoop - "the first and only national news organization serving the developmental disability community including autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, fragile X and intellectual disability, among... Read more →

Just a little grumble

Just a little grumble. Why should someone who is permanently disabled - with cerebral palsy for instance - and on Higher rate Invalidity Benefit have to prove every three years that they are still entitled to a Blue Badge? Step 1: Make an application to the Council to renew Blue Badge. Days go by. Step 2. Make follow up enquiry. Learn a form is required from Dept of Work and Pensions. DWP not allowed to speak directly to Council. Request... Read more →