Communication breakthrough

Communication breakthrough Aphasia is a communication disability which is usually acquired after a stroke. The Aphasia Advocacy for Access project recently launched its Communication Friendly Badge at Cup Café on Nassau St, Dublin. The project is a community engagement initiative of the Department of Clinical Speech and Language Studies at Trinity College Dublin, which aims to raise awareness of the condition by encouraging cafés, restaurants, museums and shops to display the badge. Customers with aphasia then know that staff understand the condition and have been trained to meet specific communication difficulties. See also page 24.

See ukconnect.org/about-aphasia.aspx

Getting back to work Getting brain injury survivors back to work is the aim of Work4You, a new neuro-rehabilitation programme that provides practical support for anyone with a brain injury who hopes to return to work, education or training. Run by vocational facilitators and occupational therapists with Acquired Brain Injury Ireland, Work4You is available for those receiving state benefit who want to return to full- or part-time work. Call 01-2804164 or see abiireland.ie for more details.

Healthy eating initiative Ten per cent of people in Ireland are

living in food poverty – defined as an inability to have a nutritious diet. Those most at risk are unemployed, people on low incomes and those living with an illness or disability. Community food initiatives encourage healthy eating habits through school breakfast clubs, cookery clubs and community gardens. The projects are managed level by Healthy Food For All, an all-island initiative promoting healthy foods for low-income groups. See healthyfoodforall.com.

Rare disease consortium The first conference of the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium was held in Dublin recently. The aim of the consortium is to diagnose most rare diseases, those that affect no more than one in 2,000 people and deliver 200 new therapies by 2020. See irdirc.org.

Strengthen your resilience Building Resilience, a leaflet with 12 tips to help build and strengthen your resilience, was launched by Mental Health Ireland recently with students from Loreto secondary school in Bray, Co Wicklow. The leaflet is available from Mental Health Ireland. Telephone 01-2841166 or email reception@mentalhealthireland.ie. Mental Health Ireland is a national voluntary organisation with 105 local mental health associations and branches throughout the country which actively support people with mental illness, their families and carers. See also mentalhealthireland.ie Clinical research fellowships The All Ireland Institute for Hospice and Palliative Care is offering four clinical research fellowships worth €10,000 each to health and social care professionals (including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, social workers, psychologists), working in clinical practice on the island of Ireland. The fellowships will help individuals to undertake a small-scale research project or activity in one of the following areas relevant to palliative care: symptoms or symptom management; psychosocial support for patients and/or carers; research focused on specific groups and populations; health service research or research informing policy and practice. The closing date for applications is 4pm on Monday, July 1st. See aiihpc.org. Ideally, applicants will commence by October 1st, 2013 and complete the work in 12 months. Creative writing HeadSpace is a new creative writing magazine that promotes positive mental health. Run by a group of volunteers as a not-for-project venture, the magazine will be distributed free to psychiatric wards and mental health support groups. Online orders are available for €5 including delivery on headspacemagazine.bigcartel.com.

Supported employment The European Union of Supported Employment will hold an international conference in Croke Park Stadium, Dublin, from June 11th-13th. Building an Inclusive Europe through Supported Employment is the theme of the conference, which will be addressed by 50 experts from 30 countries.

The Irish hosts are the Irish Association of Supported Employment and the sponsors are the Rehab group.

See eusedublin2013.com for full details. See also iase.ie.

National standards The first national standards for residential services for children and adults with disabilities have just been published by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA). These standards outline to public, private or voluntary providers what they must do to ensure safe and effective care for people living in or using residential or residential respite services.

They will give families a guide to what they should expect from residential services. All providers of residential services for children and adults with disabilities must now register their services with HIQA.

See hiqa.ie for full standards documents, a plain English guide to standards and easy to read versions for adults and children, Braille and audio versions.

Sail away Access Sailing Kinsale is a sailing programme for children and young adults with disabilities. Instructors accompany the young sailors in dinghies and those who learn the techniques can sail alone close to safety boats. The classes are held on Saturday mornings from May to September at the Kinsale Yacht Club, Kinsale, Co Cork. Kinsale Yacht Club will host the World Disabled Sailing Championships at the end of August. Young people with physical or sensory disabilities keen to give sailing a try can contact the Access Sailing class captain, Kevin Downing on 087-2546880 or email: info@sailforce.ie See also Facebook.com/KYCAccess.sailing