Urgent final call to support campaign for Great Yarmouth

[wendy]

Urgent final call to support campaign for Great Yarmouth accessible toilet
Urgent final call to support campaign for Great Yarmouth accessible toilet
Norfolk Carers is urging local people, including carers, disabled people, businesses and organisations to beat the deadline and back a campaign to bring a fully accessible disabled toilet with hoist and changing table to Great Yarmouth.
People have only until 1st December to sign up to an e-petition, posted on the Great Yarmouth Borough Council's website, that needs more than 900 individual signatures for the issue to be debated by the full council.
Glenys Bright, 60, cares for her husband, Keith, who has Multiple Sclerosis. She is championing the campaign and says that the lack of accessible toilets in the town is preventing wheelchair users from spending any length of time out shopping, enjoying local events and from going out for a meal or entertainment in the evening.
“It stops people going out,” she says. Keith and I have to plan ahead if we're going out of the house for any length of time because we won't be able to access the toilets.
People with disabilities and carers, shouldn't have to stay at home or restrict what they do because of this issue - they should have high expectations of leading independent and enjoyable lives; to be able to go out and about in the town, to go shopping, to enjoy hobbies, social and leisure facilities and local public events."
She says that attempting to lift someone in an ordinary toilet puts both the carer, and the disabled person at risk, and can be degrading;
"I have injured myself and had to have multiple operations and I fear that we could be finding more carers, who are injured because of having to lift someone onto the toilet. This could be avoided if there is an accessible toilet, with a hoist."
Norfolk Carers is the lead organisation providing individual information, advice and support for unpaid carers in the county, and promoting carers' rights. Julie Izzard Support Lead from the service says:
"Signing this petition is very simple and will make a huge difference to carers and the people they are caring for."
Kevin Vaughan from Norfolk Carers says:
"It is the number of signatures that count, so Norfolk Carers is urging everyone to sign up; local businesses, organisations, and individuals, whether or not you are carer, somebody with a disability or a family with a disabled child, to support this important issue."
The petition is posted on the Great Yarmouth Borough Council website and needs at least 450 signatures for a senior officer at Great Yarmouth Borough Council to give evidence at a public meeting of the relevant committee, and more than 900 individual signatures for the issue to be debated by the full council.
For more information on carers' rights and Norfolk Carers' range of services including: individual support, breaks for carers, details of grants and benefits, Norfolk Carers Handbook and a free Advice Line, contact the service:

T. 0808 808 9876
Text only: 07497 002864
Website: norfolkcarers.org.uk
Facebook: Norfolk Carers
Twitter: @norfolkcarers