You can download a copy of my presentation here, although previous resources from other talks might be useful. Talbot_School_Presentation_CJesson_26_November_2011

Thanks for looking

Copies of the presentations can be found here to download.

Case study of dealing with group work CJesson

CJesson AS in HE blog post October 2010

University of Derby Student Presentation CJesson 15-09-2011

Thanks for looking,

Chris

I was always a fan of the leather upholstery/walnut dash combination of the Rovers and while overall tastes have changed, today’s motoring world looks a bit of a void without mainstream ‘roverising’ of the dash, door cards and upholstery. Most car buyers now seem to prefer the relentlessly monotonous cowled dial/chrome/metal fascias look, or even worse the solemnly black interior. I argue that in order to look sumptous, more traditional combinations still take a beating, even on the cheapest of cars. Take a look at the 2004 Rover 25 interior for example (below – photo taken from www.mg-rover.org). Do you get small car interiors like this in 2011?

What superminis STILL lack: interiors that are inviting.

Alternatively, the Rover 75 look is still missing from others, or is poorly executed elsewhere

Celebrating Love Parks Week’s fifth year, the organisers, GreenSpace, want to double their numbers by gathering one million people into parks and green spaces across the country. The aim is to showcase the benefits that are obtainable from parks which are free, local resources to encourage further promotion and reinvestment into these valuable and often forgotten assets.

Activities taking place in North East Lincolnshire include:

Saturday, July 23, 12 noon to 7pm

Family Sports Fun Day

Meridian Park, Kings Road, Cleethorpes, DN35 0LP

North East Lincolnshire Council’ssports development team

(01472) 323379

Saturday, July 23, 12noon to 7pm

GreenSTAT promotion – Tell us what you think about your park!

Meridian Park,Kings Road,Cleethorpes, DN35 OLP

North East Lincolnshire Council’s environmental improvement team

(01472) 325812

Saturday, July 23, 2pm to 7pm

Summer Festival with activities and side stalls

Butt Lane Play Area, Butt Lane, Laceby

Residents Association of Aylesby, Laceby and Irby

Sunday, July 24, 10.30am to 11.30am

Forces Fit – taster outdoor exercise session

Weelsby Woods Park, Weelsby Road, Grimsby, DN32 8PL

Neil Wicks, Forces Fit Outdoor Military Fitness

www.forcesfit.co.uk

Monday, July 25, 12noon to 4pm

Promotional trailer for GreenSTAT

People’s Park,Park Drive,Grimsby,DN32 0EH

North East Lincolnshire Council’s environmental improvement team

(01472) 325812

Tuesday, July 26, 12noon to 4pm

Promotional trailer for GreenSTAT

Cleethorpes Country Park, Park Lane,Cleethorpes,DN35 0UG

North East Lincolnshire Council’s environmental improvement team

(01472) 325812

Wednesday, July 27, 12noon to 4pm

Promotional trailer for GreenSTAT

Haverstoe Park, Aldrich Road,Cleethorpes,DN35 0DP

North East Lincolnshire Council’s environmental improvement team

(01472) 325812

Thursday, July 28, 12noon to 4pm

Promotional trailer for GreenSTAT

Weelsby Woods Park, Weelsby Road,Grimsby,DN32 8PL

North East Lincolnshire Council’s environmental improvement team

(01472) 325812

Saturday, July 30, 10am to 3.30pm

Cadet Sailing Training – closed session. Spectators welcome.

Cleethorpes Country Park, Park Lane,Cleethorpes,DN35 0UG

Humber Mouth Yacht Club

Sunday, July 31, 2pm to 7pm

Fun Day- activities and side stalls

Homestead Park, Washdyke Lane, Immingham

North East Lincolnshire Council’s youth team

(01469) 516035

Sunday, July 31, from 1.30pm

Model Boat Show

Sidney Park, Brereton Avenue,Cleethorpes,DN35 7RL

Grimsby and Cleethorpes Model Boat Club

Sunday, July 31, from 2pm

Merlin’s Keep celtic folk-rock band supported by Jabiru. The Earthbound Misfits will also be performing.

People’s Park, Park Drive, Grimsby, DN32 0EH

Come and visit the roadshows and tell us what you think about your open space. Enter a GreenSTAT survey with us and you will be entered into a prize draw to win a £25 Freshney Place Shopping Centre voucher!

So, come and see the benefits of our green spaces by visiting a park in North East Lincolnshire.

Thanks for looking

Chris

What a delight it has been to be part of the first ever national Autism Show which has seen thousands of people attending the ExCEL exhibition centre over the weekend. As promised, my presentation on the University environment and coping strategies is attached to this blog post and can be accessed here The Autism Show presentation

Do get in touch using the contact me page for any queries.

Best regards,

Chris

Advert for the Autism Show

Don’t forget I’m on the Autism Matters Stage from 12.30pm-1pm on Saturday 25th June.

I have been doing a bit of research recently into play areas and wanted to share some thoughts on how they can be made more inclusive, both by design and by functionality. Please read and enjoy the blog post and submit any comments if you have some.

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While it is a legal requirement under the Equality Act (formerly DDA) and the Public Sector Equality Duty to construct play spaces that are accessible to all, there is more that can be achieved out of making a local play space inclusive. This requirement does not mean that play equipment will be less enjoyable to use, but because everyone can be a recipient there is so much more potential from disability compliant apparatus. There should be emphasis in making each item of equipment inclusive, rather than just new contraptions. That action only serves to maintain the divide between those who can and cannot use the play area, and therefore presents the provider back to the source of the problem rather than creating means to avoid it.

The Inclusive Play Good Practice Briefing states that disabled children and young people have the right to play and be included in their communities. The provider has the upmost duty to evaluate opinions made by local children and young people who have self-defined as disabled, as well as their parents or guardians to ensure they have been consulted and can feel proud to be a part of the development process.

Inclusion in play areas does not just consider disabled people; as part of the Equality Act 2010 it extends to all groups that have/are currently experiencing or have experienced disadvantage in the provision and quality of open space and facilities. With this in mind, consulting local community groups is vital so their representation and democracy rights are met. This has numerous benefits for the provider and installer of play facilities as it is indicative of their effort to include all in their work.

Criteria

For any area it is most important to consider the main principles of inclusive design, notably:

Diversity and difference: Catering for differences of personality, disability and culture. Good consultation methods are crucial.

Ease of use: Superior access to and within sites.

Freedom of choice and access to mainstream activities: Surveillance and help when needed and to those most vulnerable.

Quality: Matching or exceeding minimum standards. Being creative yet realistic at the design stage.

(Source: Inclusive Design for Play, KIDS and Department for Education, formerly DCSF)

HOW CAN PLAY SPACES BE IMPROVED TOWARDS INCLUSION?

Suggestions for sensory improvement – Items that compliment inclusive play equipment

To accomplish an inclusive play environment it would be helpful to take into account that the senses are vital for many disabled children and young people to interact with an open space. The guide ‘Inclusive Design: The principles in Practice’ encourages planting as a method of permeability to highlight routes around the space. In addition to this, children and young people may gain a sense of pride and enjoyment at having vegetation that contributes to the vibrancy of the play area. Most people appreciate the natural environment and like to touch, smell and in some conditions taste the surroundings. Planting can go some way towards meeting Inclusive Design principles of diversity and difference, quality and legibility/predictability.

Another item to consider is the request for enclosed areas, although we have to be careful here for reasons of privacy and segregation. This can still be achieved in many parks and play areas through partial enclosure. Items to consider include:

• How much of the site is covered by vegetation, including grass and lawns?
• How can existing vegetation be tailored to be more inclusive?
• Is the site well enclosed or is there scope for improvement in this respect?
• How much surveillance will the site need?
• What is the distance from the play area to other important amenities?
• Are routes to the play space sufficient for wheelchair users and people with mobility conditions?

Fencing is another item. Too much can create major access problems for disabled children and their families. Too little can heighten the risk of roaming animals. How far do we go to enclose play areas? Do we separate them into sections or look at partial enclosure as mentioned? As full enclosure can be considered excessive by the public, as well as limiting internal access routes, it would be more appropriate to look at the latter option. Fencing should still be particularly strong on the periphery to create a distinction between leisure space and other zones (residential, commercial etc).

Suggestion 2: Play apparatus

Thought must be given towards the use of tactile surfaces when considering different options for new inclusive play equipment. Also to factor in could be the following questions:

• What is the topography of the site?
• What surfaces are currently used?
• In what state of repair are the current surfaces?
• What equipment do local children and young people want in a play area?
• Can the desired equipment be adjusted for the purpose of inclusion?

A common misconception is that for play equipment to be inclusive, it must be toned down and would therefore be less successful as a recreational space. This does not have to be the case – considering that many surfaces and colours can be used to enhance the sensory experience of a play area, inclusive play spaces can actually be a more creative and original example of a play area. This suggestion complies with all six principles of Inclusive Design.

What may determine the success of an inclusive play space?

A number of factors are instrumental in achieving a good, well used play area. Most obvious is the proximity of a school which has significant weight on the number of children and young people using the play area for recreation. This is particularly the case if there are pupils disclosing a disability who rely on amenities close by due to a mobility condition or sensory impairment. Other factors include the size of the population around the site, and whether the play space has potential for use from residents outside the immediate boundary.

While it is important to ensure that apparatus and approach to the site is inclusive, careful consideration needs to be made towards potential obstructions in the way of users on their journey to the site. This also ties in with managing risk, itself another major component in the creation of new and refurbished play areas. A thriving leisure space will serve disabled chilren and young people well if the infrastructure is sufficient - dropped pavements, effective lighting and up to date signage in alternative formats are just three examples of how this can be achieved. The Play England guide ‘Managing Risk in Play Provision’ used an example in Wolverhampton of successful signage that encouraged children to read about the site as well as use it. It also provided good information to parents in the event of safety being compromised at the play area. What could be expanded here are the use of Braille and more details of the inclusive equipment. This does not mean that instructions have to be provided for each individual piece of apparatus, instead it clarifies to the user that the play area has been designed with the needs of disabled children and young people in mind.

I hope you have found this blog post insightful and interesting, please subscribe to the blog if you wish!

Thanks for looking,

Chris

In my first blog post in a while, I update you on a momentous occasion that is important for around 2 million people in the UK with a connection to the autism spectrum.

Friday 24th and Saturday 25th June sees the Autism Show arrive at the splendid ExCEL Exhibition Centre in the London Docklands. It is the first national event specifically for parents, carers, professionals, as well as people on the spectrum. The event is extremely important for visitors to obtain professional advice and support, develop personal awareness of the spectrum and gaining an insight into the personal perspective. Speakers include the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow MP, Jane Asher (NAS President), and Anna Kennedy (Daily Mail Inspirational Woman of the Year).

I am thrilled to also be speaking on June 25th in the Autism Matters Theatre at 12:30pm-1.00pm, giving a presentation entitled “Autism and Higher Education – a special insight into the challenges and coping strategies for someone on the spectrum within higher education”. This will focus on adapting to the academic and social worlds of University life, and crediting the experience as enlightening autistic people to engage in their interests more freely. Coping strategies in sensitive situations will be particularly useful for professionals, mentors and support workers who may wish to identify best practice when advising their students.

I will also attend both days all day as a delegate and hope to be a beneficiary from the show in gaining more knowledge and understanding of the spectrum, especially at the opposite function away from Asperger Syndrome. I too have never previously had access to such a widespread event and it is absolutely brilliant to be both a delegate and speaker at the show.

I would advise that you please come and visit the Autism Show in London – even if you do not have a connection to the spectrum it would be a perfect, low cost, enjoyable  opportunity to raise your own awareness. Tickets are available to book online from just £8 in advance at www.autismshow.co.uk

For the full visitor brochure and itinery please click on the following link: http://www.autismshow.co.uk/visitor-brochure/

Thanks for looking,

Chris

UN World Autism Awareness Day

The V&A Museum of Childhood, London

2^nd April 2011

11:00-11:30 and 13:00-13:30

As part of the UN World Autism Awareness Day celebrations on April 2nd, I spoke at the V&A Museum of Childhood about living with autism understanding the condition, including the role of environmental adaptation. Make a difference on April 2nd and beyond by making sense of autism.

You can download the transcript of my speech here:

UN Autism Day speech CJesson 2-04-2011

Thanks for looking,

Chris