Written by Siobhan Meade
Disclaimer: this is a personal blog by a BuDS member. The views expressed are personal, and don’t necessarily represent those of BuDS or our Trustees.
As a blind person living in the UK, I am deeply familiar with the numerous hurdles we face in the employment market. This journey is not just about personal determination; it’s also a continuous challenge to prove that a disability does not diminish one’s professional capabilities.
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The next Covid wave is growing very fast in England, with infection levels up by a fifth (21%) this week. Using all available data, we estimate that around 1 in 162 people in England are infected with Covid, as of 5 May. See below for more on how we calculated this.
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Are you interested in meeting other disabled people for some refreshments and helping BuDS learn more about what matters to you? You would also have the chance to be part of a BBC news interview if you like (not mandatory).
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There has been a lot in the media recently about bird flu or the H5N1 virus. What is bird flu? Do you need to worry? What precautions should you be taking now? BuDS has looked at the latest news and World Health Organisation (WHO) information and guidance to answer all these questions and more.
Read on for more.
This post was updated on 30 April 2024 to cover new information.
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A new Covid wave is probably coming in England. That’s our tentative view after looking at all the available data. At the moment, Covid levels appear to be remaining roughly the same, and the risk of meeting a Covid-infected person in your everyday life remains HIGH. Everyone still needs to continue to take precautions to avoid catching Covid, because Covid has not gone away. Around 1 in 200 people in England are infected with Covid, as of 21 April. See below for more on how we calculated this.
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BuDS knows that bus services are still inaccessible for many disabled people, and we welcome the Government announcement of further grants to help bus operators make their vehicles more accessible. Our member, Fiona, spoke to the media about how buses disable her in her everyday life.
She told Greatest Hits Radio that the system currently isn’t working.
She said: “Getting on the bus is fairly straightforward, most of the buses now have a ramp that flips out from the floor.”
“Getting past the driver’s cab and into the wheelchair spot is not so easy in some cases because some of the buses are designed with a very narrow gap.”
“It usually means I can’t travel on my own, I have to have my partner with me to physically take my power chair out of power mode and push it manually through the gap because it’s just too narrow.”
You can read the full article, and the Government announcement, using the buttons below.
Covid infection levels in England seem to be remaining roughly the same, and the risk of meeting a Covid-infected person in your everyday life remains HIGH. Everyone still needs to continue to take precautions to avoid catching Covid, because Covid has not gone away. Around 1 in 200 people in England are infected with Covid, as of 7 April. See below for more on how we calculated this.
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Covid infection levels in England have stopped reducing, and seem to be remaining roughly the same. The risk of meeting a Covid-infected person in your everyday life remains HIGH. Everyone still needs to continue to take precautions to avoid catching Covid, because Covid has not gone away. Around 1 in 158 people in England are infected with Covid, as of 17 March. See below for more on how we calculated this.
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Although Covid infection levels are declining in England, the risk of meeting a Covid-infected person in your everyday life remains HIGH. Everyone still needs to continue to take precautions to avoid catching Covid, because Covid has not gone away. Around 1 in 143 people in England are infected with Covid, as of 6 March. See below for more on how we calculated this.
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It is safest to assume that Covid infection levels in England are roughly the same as last week – Covid is NOT declining to a low level. The available data is unclear, but it is certainly safe to say that the risk remains Very High. Everyone needs to continue to take precautions to avoid catching Covid. There are different estimates available, but we are working on the basis that around 1 in 85 people in England are infected with Covid as of 19 February. See below for more on how we calculated this.
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