LAW AND BENEFIT REVIEW

[part of the 'Disability Matters' & 'Law and Benefit Review' Group]
'for all disability issues’
disability.matters@yahoo.co.uk
www.lawandbenefitreview.co.uk
[01285-861752]
REVIEWS, ARTICLES, COMMENT, UPDATES, LEGISLATION, BENEFITS, PENSIONS, CARING, NHS, BILLS WATCH, ETC.

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UK Disability Forum for European Affairs, National Centre for Independent Living [NCIL] Royal Association for Disability Rehabilitation [RADAR] National Centre for Independent Living [NCIL] British Council of Disabled People [BCDP], SCOPE, Help the Aged, Guide website, Disabled Ramblers Association, Countryside Rights of Way South Cerney [CROWS], Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, BBC Action Line, Blue Badge Network, Disabled Drivers’ Motor Club/Disabled Drivers Association now Mobilise Organisation, Cirencester Chamber of Commerce.

WELCOME to Disability Matters and the Law and Benefit Review. Some of you may have had difficulty in trying to find us, this is due solely to the incompatibility of many computer web browsers systems to Microsoft. Microsoft users should have no problem at all by using their web page address box normally to be found at the top of the computer screen but in order to ease access to our website, may we suggest that you download free of charge the web-browser Mozilla Firefox 1.5. or future updates Commonly known as Firefox which can be found at www.firefox.org.uk. This web-browser will show our website in the form that it is presented to our webmaster with logos and the introduction of ‘colour’ onto our website.

Firefox 1.5 or future updates delivers easier navigation for everyone, including those who are visually or motor impaired. Firefox is the first browser to support DHTML accessibility, which, when enabled by Web authors, allows rich web applications to be read aloud. Users may navigate with keystrokes rather than mouse clicks, reducing the tabbing required to navigate documents such as spreadsheets. The Firefox 1.5 version [windows version] is also the first browser to meet US federal government requirements.

There may be a need to remind people that when ever attempting to find a website, any website, it is often advisable to insert the full web address into the address bar of their web browsers and not the search engine box. Our website address should for instance be entered as https://www.lawandbenefitreview.co.uk to ensure a first time hit. May we also suggest that you turn to our Website Accessibility page two which will further assist users to view all websites. This page also contains details of the national and international compliance guidelines and standards which we are trying to achieve.

Although the LAW AND BENEFIT REVIEW can be found on most well known web browsers such as Microsoft Internet Explorer and Yahoo, you may not find us on Goggle although our web page, which is relatively new among the millions of world wide websites, has been registered with them so it will appear on Goggle in due time. By logging onto Yahoo and Microsoft websites you will be able to view just plain ordinary text that many of you I know would prefer. The choice is yours of course - black/white or colour.

DISABILITY MATTERS were formed on April 6 2006 by a somewhat disheartened group of disabled people who were being continually frustrated by difficulties in obtaining accurate and up-to-date information from government agencies, local authorities and many organizations in the world of disability who fail to regularly update their websites. It was decided that it was time to take a fresh look to see what information is available on the world-wide-web for both disabled and elderly people all in one place. We could not find any website other than www.disabilitybenefits.co.uk which tends to concentrate its efforts on the UK state benefits system with other interesting information on assorted issues so this ultimately lead to the formation of Disability Matters and the continuation of the Law and Benefit Review on our own website rather than by mailing it. Incidentally, www.disabilitybenefits.co.uk is well worth and visit.

Our opinion is that there is a clear need for as much information as possible relating to disabled, infirmed and elderly people to be made accessible in one place rather than trudging around from place to place, telephone number to telephone number, letter after letter to different people and getting no-where. It our intention to provide up-to-date information and changes on matters such as state benefits and pensions, social security, care, mobility, access, independent living, community care, accessible transport, disabled parking, accessible housing, etc. We think that such information will benefit all disabled, infirmed and elderly people.

It was therefore decided to compile a website which we have named www.lawandbenefitreview.co.uk. This will be accessible to all and consisting of up-to-date information and amendments being constantly updated each month from information we obtain from United Kingdom, European and other International data-bases. All aspects of disability will be included on the website including mobility, sight, hearing, speech and other disabilities including child issues.

The Law and Benefit Review has been in existence for five years or more as a monthly hardcopy publication and originated from our Chairman’s experience from being associated with such organizations as the Disabled Drivers Motor Club, Disabled Drivers Association, former Trustee of Living Independently in Gloucestershire, former Chairman of Cirencester and South Cotswold’s Access Group, former Patron of the Blue Badge Network, the British Broadcasting Disability Data Base, Cirencester Shopmobility Steering Group, Joint Chairman of Crows, etc.

The Law and Benefit Review has previously been circulated around Gloucestershire to disability groups throughout the county with much acclaim. Now the publication has been transformed into a website for the whole world to view.

We will welcome telephone enquiries on all matters and if we can assist you then of course we will or place you in contact with the most appropriate person, authority, organization or government department we may think appropriate. We shall also be able to supply information to you on almost any subject matter through our data bases and connections so please do not be afraid to ask.

Disability Matters is already appearing as a ‘link’ on local authority information websites, disability organizations and association websites, Parish Councils, the BBC Action Line, Gloucestershire Beehive, Guide and the London Police Pensioner magazine which we are taking as an approval of our aims.

Both Disability Matters and Law and Benefit Review operate within the criteria set down by the Information Commissioners Office and the Data Protection Act 1998

Please enjoy our website, it is there for your convenience and enjoyment and hopefully will save you unnecessary journeys to benefit offices and job centres who have or are closing down and moved away without informing you.

Our on-line magazine - Law and Benefit Review - comes on line via our webmaster on the 1st of each month with all the latest news on all matters relating to disability, infirmity and old age as we have previously explained. In order for you to view almost instantly all changes in the world of ‘disability’, we also personally operate web pages with the much appreciated assistance of Beehive Gloucestershire at www.beehive.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk where we can instantly inform you briefly of all changes almost as they are announced. These brief references will be enhanced in the following months Law and Benefit Review. A good example of this was the changes in the law in respect of Blue Badges in September 2006 when it was announced that the inspection of all Blue badges was due to become law on September 29 2006. This news was posted in the ’beehive’ site within eighteen minutes of the announcement.

Alan de Derval et de Moisdon [Chairman of Disability Matters]