The Survivor Newsletter: Spring 2001

A few words from the Editor ...

Dear Members

Jim has asked me to produce the Spring Newsletter before the AGM - and as Jim’s second name is “He Who must Be Obeyed “- here it is! Seriously, he is right of course - because there is so much going on, our members have to be kept informed, and as the AGM is approaching fast, there is a lot to be done.

They are very busy at Head Office at the moment, see Jim’s letter on Page 3, for some insight into this.

Many members are looking for information re the Disabled Person’s House Grant - there is an article on this on Page 6. I hope you find it interesting. Many thanks to members who helped with this article.

Mary McEvoy, our Treasurer, has asked me to remind you to post off your annual subscription as soon as possible. The form and return addressed envelope is enclosed for your convenience. As you know, we keep the sub to £5 so that it is affordable to everyone, but if you wish to make a donation of more than that sum, it would of course be gratefully received.

We have a new Social and Personal Section (See page 12) and also a Section on Around the Regions (See page 4). If you have interesting things happening in your region, or if you would like to publish greetings, notices or obituaries, please send them to me. See you all at the AGM (31st March in the Green Isle Hotel)

Paula Lahiff - Editor

From the Chairperson ...

Another AGM is approaching and I don’t know where the last year has gone. Joan and I, along with the rest of the Committee, are pleased to have Aisling at our Head Office, now coping with the day-to-day affairs. This gives us some time to evaluate our present position and plan for the future.

We hope to form the Group into a Limited Company and by now you should have received all the necessary documents and information regarding this matter.

During the coming year we are going to update all our leaflets, booklets and stationery, and also produce a new poster. We will then be circulating all the Health Boards with leaflets and posters, as this has not been done for some time. We will also be asking the members to assist with the distribution of this material in their local areas.

As our Southern members are aware, we had a very successful local event in Cork last year. Following on this, we hope to have similar meetings in every Health Board area throughout the country during the coming year..

I look forward to seeing you all at our AGM on 31st. March, so if possible, please make the effort and come along on the day.

Jim Costello

News From The Regions

Joan Naddy has taken over as South Eastern Regional Rep from Sandra McCormack who is taking time out for the moment. (See “Congratulations” Page 12).

Joan’s phone number is 056—26550 (H) or 056 20516 (W).

All Regional Reps have been asked to host a local meeting for members in each Health Board area before the end of the year. In this way, members can get a chance to meet their local rep and also get to meet new friends and/or renew friendships with the members in their area. If you have any suggestions as to what you would like at a meeting such as this, please let Aisling know at Head Office. There will be more details about this in the next newsletter.

As part of Sligo Equality Week, PwDI (People with Disabilities in Ireland) hosted an afternoon entitled Equality Issues for People with Disabilities. The afternoon was attended by Minister Mary Wallace T.D. This meeting was attended by Paula Lahiff on behalf of the Post Polio Support Group, where she made good contacts for our group and gave out information and brochures on our group.

A series of two-day workshops on ‘Choices and Rights’ - an intensive training course for disabled people on their rights and entitlements under the equality legislation—will take place in Limerick (5th and 26th May), Portlaoise (19th May and 10th June) and Leitrim (2nd June and 23rd June). Further information and application form my be obtained from Aine Bhreathnach, Centre for Independent Living, Carmichael House, North Brunswick Street, Dublin 7. As places are limited, early booking is advisable.

DFI have been hosting a series of information days on the new service providers for the services previously provided by the NRB. This information was listed in the Autumn 2000 Issue of the Post Polio Support Group Newsletter. If you do not have this information, please contact Aisling at Head Office and she will post it on to you.

Barbara McDonagh attended a DFI meeting in Galway, and made good contacts and passed on relevant information to Head Office.

Maureen O’Sullivan has great plans for a local meeting in the Southern Health Board Area in the Autumn. More details later. Enjoy your holiday in the States, Maureen! Also happy motoring in your new motorised chair to Donal Walshe, also in the Southern Region.

A new post of Manager - Development of Disability Issues has been created in each Health Board Area.

Dr. Orla Hardiman was pleased with the number of Polio Survivors who offered to take part in her research as set out in the Autumn Newsletter. This research will be undertaken by Dr. Grainne Gorman, and will commence during the summer. If any of our members would like to take part in this research, further information can be obtained from Aisling at Head Office (01-8730338)

Thanks to member Peggy for her information on applying for the Primary Medical Certificate. It appears that a letter from a neurologist does lend weight to application for Primary Medical Certificate—but even with this, it is still a struggle to persuade Health Boards that Post Polio Support Group members need and should have this Certificate. There is a governmental committee at present reviewing the situation re disabled drivers’ tax concessions, to which the Post Polio Support Group has sent in a strong submission on behalf of our members, but no decisions have be published as yet.

Hello to Lorenzo - a faithful Italian member, who’s English is getting better with each letter he sends me!

For our computer buffs - don’t forget to have a look at the Post Polio Support Group website— http://www.ppsg.ie. There are many other interesting sites on polio—just key in ‘polio’ in the search engine. However, remember that anyone can put up articles on the internet, so that the information you read is not necessarily medically correct.

The Disabled Person’s House Grant

Information Officer, Assumpta Moran gives a step-by-step guide to applying for the grant.
Reprinted from Spokeout Jan. Issue -
with permission of the Irish Wheelchair Association

The grant scheme for people with disabilities is available to applicants who wish to undertake reconstruction or improvement works on a house in order to provide suitable accommodation for a member of the household who is either physically or severely mentally handicapped. In order to avail of the grant scheme, the intended works must be of specific benefit to the person with the disability.

How to apply:

Application for the grant is made to the local authority, who provide guidelines in relation to procedures and information on what will be grant aided. The address for the office nearest to you can be found in your local telephone directory.

The type of work that this grant would normally pay for includes:

Widening doors

Putting an extension on the house
Lowering light switches and door handles
Installing a downstairs toilet.

The maximum grant available is £14,000. You should note, however, that you may get less than £14,000. This is because the local authorities may not have enough in their budget to meet the demand from applicants. You must also occupy the house as your normal place of residence. If you live in a local authority house, the local authority will meet the full cost of approved alterations (up to the maximum grant of £14,000).

The Disabled Person’s Grant is not means tested, though the local authority may enquire as to how you intend to meet your portion of the cost of the adaptation. Application to the local authority must be accompanied by a detailed itemised estimate from the contractor, together with specifications of the proposed work. It is also necessary to get a registered builder to carry out this work; this means a builder who has been registered for VAT. The contractor’s Income Tax Number and VAT Number must be included.

You must not do any of the work until your application is approved. A grant application cannot be considered when work has already taken place.

When the local authority receives your application, it will ask your health board to arrange a call from an Occupational Therapist who will be required to provide a report back to the local authority.

The Disabled Person’s Grant is not available for the following works:

Replacement of windows
Repairs of any kind
Provision of non-residential accommodation (e.g. garage, utility/storage room, garden wall, etc.)
Works which are of general benefit to the household rather than specific benefit to the disabled person.

For further information on the scheme together with any assistance which may be required in completing the relevant application forms, contact:

Department of the Environment and Local Government
Housing Section
Government Offices
Ballina
Co. Mayo.
Tel: 096 70677 Fax: 096 70680

To get an application form for the grant you must apply to your local authority. All local authorities’ addresses and phone numbers can be found in your local telephone directory under Co. Councils and Corporations.

N.B. The amount of grant has increased to a ceiling £16,000 from 6th December 2000. If you in local authority housing, the full cost of the improvements will be covered, if you are in private housing, 90% of the total cost will be covered, also to a ceiling of £16,000.

With the help of some of our members, I have compiled a list of the pitfalls which you should be aware of when applying for this grant—Ed.

There may be a long delay for the OT to come and assess your house - as there is a long waiting list and a shortage of OTs in some health board areas. If you decide to opt for the services of a private OT in order to speed up the procedure, be sure to enquire as to the fees beforehand. The cost of private OT fees can be as much as £50 for the assessment, £30 for the report, and a further £30 for any follow-up information required.

If you are not in local authority housing, you will need a Tax Clearance Certificate, which is obtained from the Tax Office. Having submitted your End of Year Returns you will receive a Notice of Assessment or P21 form. This must be submitted to obtain the Tax Clearance Certificate. This may take some time to come through, and a phone-call to the Tax Office may speed up the procedure.

Comhairle (Tel: 01 605900, Fax: 01 605 9099, email: comhairle@comhairle.ie), has a list of contractors who will carry out the specialist work of this nature. Make sure that your builder is registered for tax and that he also has a C2 Cert or a Tax Clearance Certificate. Get an estimate for all work that needs to be carried out—including making alterations which you may not need now, but may need in the future, because this grant is a once-off grant and can only be applied for once. If you have already applied for a disabled person’s grant for a new house —you may also apply for a grant for changes/improvements to your house after a 3-year period.

Be prepared to give documentary evidence as to how you intend to fund your portion (10%) of the alterations.

You will need a certificate from your Doctor, as to why you need these alterations/improvements. A doctor from the health board may also come to assess you.

Don’t start the work until you have received grant approval.

When the work is complete, you will have to submit all receipts marked PAID IN FULL to the Department of the Environment, then an engineer from the Department will come to inspect the work before any monies are paid out.

All this takes time and patience - but it is worth it in the end when you have a house which is tailored to your needs, where you feel safe and comfortable, where you can shower in comfort, get up off the toilet without assistance, get through doors if you are in a wheelchair, where the switches and door handles are at the right height, where you don’t have to negotiate stairs or steps, and where you feel independent and at home.

And once you have your house improvements made, or even if you are waiting for approval to come through, it is often the small things which make a difference. Things like a trolley on wheels to push things around, a bed and a chair which are high enough for you to get out of easily, a high stool at the kitchen work-top which you can sit on while preparing the meals and washing-up, and a seat and rails in the shower. Other gadgets that make life easier are a pick-up, a long-handled shoe-horn, elastic laces, a stocking aid, a cradle for your kettle, a portable phone .. And the list goes on.

THERE WILL BE A DISPLAY AND DEMONSTRATION OF AIDS AND APPLIANCES AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING—SO COME ALONG AND SEE THE THINGS WHICH MAY CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

OUR NEW ADMINISTRATOR AISLING O’LEARY - A PROFILE

As announced in the Christmas newsletter, the Post Polio Support Group has a new administrator, Aisling O’Leary. Aisling has been working with us since November 2000 and has found both the work of the group and the members themselves to be remarkable and stimulating. Aisling’s role as Post Polio Support Group Administrator is the first time that she has worked in the health field but is a natural evolution in her career and personal development.

If you have spoken to Aisling on the phone, you may have noticed a twang in her voice. Aisling grew up both in Ireland and in America (her mother is Irish and her dad American). Aisling was educated in both countries and graduated from UCD with a degree in History in 1991. She then began working in Boston for INTRAL, an international trade company, where she was responsible for Mexican and Central American projects. Following her marriage to Kevin, who like herself had grown up in Ireland and other countries, Aisling moved to Belgium. In Belgium, Aisling worked as a manager of European projects at Deloitte & Touche. She worked closely with the European Commission and other European Union government bodies.

Following the birth of their son, Eoghan, Aisling and Kevin decided to return to Ireland. They have since settled in Kildare. The return to Ireland and Eoghan’s birth prompted Aisling to consider how to make the best use of the skills she had gained over the years. Aisling was looking for more fulfilling work, where she could make a real contribution to community and life. At the same time, Post Polio Support Group was looking for someone with management, organisational and communication skills. Happily, the two met and got on well together.

Aisling has found working with Post Polio Support Group and its members to be educational and challenging. She is looking forward to meeting as many members as possible at the AGM on 31 March.

CONGRATULATIONS!

It’s not very often that we have the pleasure of announcing the birth of a new baby to one of our members. So I am delighted to congratulate Sandra and Jim McCormack on the birth of their baby daughter Lauren, who weighed in at 8 lbs 11 oz on 19th October last. May I take this opportunity of thanking Sandra for her great work as Regional Rep in the South Eastern Health Board Area for the past two years. As she obviously has her hands full at the moment, she is taking a break from this position. We hope to have her on board again at some time in the future.

HOUSE MOVERS

Congratulations to Frank and Phil Prenton Jones who have finally moved into their disabled-friendly bungalow after experiencing much difficulty in obtaining the Disabled Person’s House Grant.

Congratulations also to Jackie Minnock and her family who have also moved into their new house.

With Frank and Jackie’s help I have compiled a list of things to look out for when applying for the Disabled Person’s House Grant.

A CITY SONG

By Joan Bradley

Brick and stone and concrete block
no soil or grass to take the shock
of walking in this wilderness,
where nothing grows, but stress.

Through the airwave came a sound,
all eyes lifted from the ground
scanning streets to find the source
of sound delivered with such force.

Buildings, windows, then at last
a blackbird on a T.V. mast.
a song so sweet and clear and pure
pouring through the traffic’s roar.

No fumes or smells had dulled his tone,
no screech of bus or blow of horn.
he sang his heart out on the mast
‘til spring and early summer passed.

A song of love to guard his mate,
all listening ears to penetrate,
to lift her heart and those around,
to raise al living from the ground

To soar o’er dirty brick and slate,
o’er worry, problem and debate,
to freedom far above the sky
where head and heart no longer sigh.

Oh blackbird never cease to sing
or cause the heart of man to ring
with thoughts that soar, that ever rise
and find a freedom in the skies.

TRAIN YOUR BRAIN

Some pairs of words are so similar in spelling that although they mean different things it is very easy to confuse them and use one word when you mean the other. In each of the sentences below you have to fill in the blank with one of a pair of frequently confused words.

This member is _____________ for a Grant.
(ILLEGIBLE, ELIGIBLE)

He escaped detection for years, but finally got his just ________
(DESERTS, DESSERTS)

The Post Polio Support Group Handbook is an excellent introduction to the basic ____________ of looking after yourself.
(PRINCIPLES, PRINCIPALS)

If you want to be a magician, you must be good at ___________ of hand.
(SLIGHT, SLEIGHT)

The OT asked many questions so that she could _____________ your requirements.
(ASSESS, ACCESS)

Whatever action you take, it will not _____________________ the decision of the local authority.
(AFFECT, EFFECT)

An experienced painter always mixes colour on the ___________
(PALATE, PALETTE)

ANSWERS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE

RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIPS

The National Disability Authority seeks to promote research on disability, rehabilitation and related matters of benefit to people with disabilities in Ireland, by offering a small number of postgraduate research scholarships in the 2001/2002 academic year. The scholarships will be open to postgraduate students from any academic discipline. The value of the scholarships will range from £4,000 to £8,000 depending the subject and nature of the research.

Further details and application forms are available from:

Ms. Miriam Mulloy
NDA
25 Clyde Road
Ballsbridge
Dublin 4.

Tel: 01 6080400 ext. 228
Email: research@nda.ie
Or from NDA’a website at http://www.nda.ie

Answers to TRAIN YOUR BRAIN: Eligible; Desserts; Principles; Sleight; Assess; Affect; Palette.

DISCLAIMER:

Whilst every care is taken to ensure accuracy, the Editor and the Committee can accept no liability. The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily their views.