It was really saddening to read about the destruction of the beach wheelchair in Cornwall a couple of weeks ago.

With having such a wet August everyone has been able to enjoy a glorious September so far with temperatures well above average and some relatively long sunny days.

Beaches in Devon and Cornwall have remained fairly busy with folk enjoying the sun and the sea. So to learn that special beach wheelchairs and other items were burned in Polzeath was terrible. What is wrong with some folk ?

It seems that vandals smashed their way in to the local councils storage shed and removed several items including surf boards and the wheelchairs, dragged them down the beach and set alight to them.

The wheelchairs are the type with the balloon tyres that help them cope with the sand and shingle found on beaches. The wheelchair frames are made using stainless steel to prevent corrosion. They cost approximately £3000 each making it very costly to replace them.

Lets hope the police catch those responsible and the wheelchairs are replaced !

Does my electric wheelchair need a new battery ?

An electric wheelchair or power chair is for most users an invaluable tool to enable freedom and allows users to get out and about and be more self sufficient going about everyday routine like our able bodies friends and family do.

But your electric wheelchair is only as reliable as its battery and it is this time of year that this can become more apparent, as temperatures start to cool down and batteries have to work harder to keep you and your power chair moving. So we are looking at a few ways that you can maximise the life of your battery and get the most from your electric wheelchair.

The first tip we learn from the battery manufacturers is not to continually charge new batteries as it will reduce its long term life. If you look after a new battery in the early days it will provide you with a longer stronger performance. The best way to do this is to make sure you give it a full charge but don't leave it plugged in after this period.

Second tip is to only charge the battery once it is mostly discharged. Never be tempted to charge the battery when it is only partly used as this will reduce its capacity to accept the charge and the journeys in your electric wheelchair will become shorter in between charges.

Our third tip is to try to get in to a regular charging routine to keep your battery in tip top condition. If, like most, you use your electric wheelchair or powerchair in a fairly routine manner this is all the more easy. Most users use their powerchairs by day and charge them at night. If you do not use your power chair one day don't be tempted to charge it as this will ultimately reduce the performance.

Our biggest and best tip is to have a spare battery at all times and when you buy one get a durable battery. Electric wheelchairs tend to be used more hours of the day than scooters as users are dependant on them. For this reason powerchairs are sold with gel batteries generally which provide greater durability, allowing more miles from a single charge.

If you are able to follow these tips then you should get at least 18 months from a battery or more if you are fortunate.

This story was brought to my attention by a customer of ours in Cornwall and it's a touching tale of a local Cornish man being helped by two celebrities to enable him to buy a new and rather special wheelchair which will extend his freedom in to the more remote and beautiful parts of Cornwall.

Disabled 24 year old Luke has spina bifida and hydrocephalus and is paralysed from the waist down.
It all began when Luke saw an all terrain wheelchair on Dragons Den and it really caught his eye. Before too long Luke's mum tweeted Stephen Fry and told him how the specially adapted off road wheelchair that he had seen on Dragons Den would help Luke to get out and see more of the Countryside. Likes mum is a keen tweeter and has previously had replies from celebrities but even she could not believe what happened next.

Luke's mum, Mrs Thomas, asked Stephen Fry to re-tweet the message to his 6.5 million followers and before too long donations were received in their hundreds. So much so that Paypal encountered technical problems with the account and they apologised and donated a further £250 towards the wheelchair fund.

Donations came in from literally hundreds of people both in the UK but also overseas. Other celebrities that were interested in supporting the specialist wheelchair fund included Jonathan Ross and the cast of Eastenders ! But it wasn't just actors many local resident from Cornwall were also heavily involved in the fund raising with the original appeal on social networking site Facebook.

The icing on the cake occurred when one television present had seen that the total required had been reached he donated a further £2,000 to help to pay for the excursions that Luke is keen to make. The presenter who wished to remain unnamed sent Mrs Thomas a personal message stating that the money was for her and her son Luke to enjoy the beautiful countryside together.

Isn't technology wonderful ! where might it stop ? I read today with interest about the exciting new developments being made by researchers and engineers combined at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the US.

The US team has been looking in to ways of using the body's tongue to control devices and now have a working example of an electric wheelchair that is controlled entirely by the human tongue ! This is surely going to revolutionise the way people can interact with the world in general following paralysis.

The recent advancement involves the use of a tiny magnet that is embedded within a tongue piercing. The magnet is detected by a number of sensors and the data is converted in to commands allowing the control of a range of electronic devices. It has long been known that the human tongue is both incredibly sensitive but also very deft and capable of making very precise and controlled movements. Once these are captured and interpreted they can lead to an enormous potential for control of other devices.

Because the tongue is invaluable to speech, the brain allocates a large proportion of resource to the tongue to enable the high level of communication that we enjoy, over and above its other uses of touch feel and taste. The key to this successful development is that the tongue is not dependant on the spinal cord for passing information to the brain. In fact it has its own hotline direct to the brain !
So far, this amazing technology has been deployed i no less than 23 able-bodies people, 11 with tetraplegia. On average, people with tetraplegia were able to perform tasks three times as fast and with the same level of accuracy as with the other technologies available. The scientists reckon that they can apportion a task for every tooth in the mouth allowing users to have upper most control of a selection of electronic devices which will help them to regain some mobility, independence and most of all quality of life !

I read with interest about the provision of wheelchair spaces at premier football league clubs. This was in the news some time ago and no real progress was made. It was mentioned and then discussed at a leisurely pace and then dismissed with no real news nor progress for us wheelchair users.

In general the facilities for disabled users has improved dramatically over the last 10 to 15 years with far more in the way of ramps and wheelchair-friendly toilet facilities but the number of spaces for viewing has sadly not been addressed until now it seems as Mike Penning, the minister of state for disabled people, has written to footy clubs about the provision of adequate wheelchair spaces.

A recent report reveals that only 15% of Premier League clubs are providing sufficient wheelchair space for disabled people despite obligations under law to provide adequate space for disabled supporters.

Shockingly the a survey revealed that only Swansea, Cardiff and Southampton provided enough space for spectators with wheelchairs. In theory the number of spaces should be a percentage of the ground capacity. The official line is::

The Accessible Stadia guide – published in 2003 in conjunction with the Football Association, Premier League, Football League and Sport England – states newly constructed grounds that have a capacity between 20,000 and 40,000 must have a minimum 150 wheelchair spaces, rising by three for every 1,000 seats above the 20,000 threshold. If the stadium has a capacity of more than 40,000, at least 210 wheelchair spaces should be made available.

After much discussion Mr Penning stated "We need a complete overhaul of grounds and of how disabled fans are supported at every level of the sport – and that should start at the very top. The situation is currently woefully inadequate and it is not only wheelchair access that falls short, but access for people with all kinds of impairments. Changes must be made now."

The knock on effects of this is the ability to get suitable tickets and most clubs don't make this very simple at all. Joyce Cook, the chair of Level Playing Field, added: "The experience of disabled football fans varies across the country. It can be hard to get tickets, especially for away games and if you're a wheelchair user. And when you get there, the sight lines can be so bad they would have got a better experience watching it on TV. That's not acceptable and it's time all football clubs took their legal obligations seriously."

Lets hope this recent focus on things improves the conditions for wheelchair users and brings as many clubs as possible in line with legislation.

It is always nice to see recognition where it is deserved and this man certainly fits the bill.

Malcom Kielty, a volunteer sports administrator helped introduce the Wheelchair Rugby League to England and has been appointed MBE in the Queen's New Year Honours list.

Malcolm Kielty is a regional rugby league development officer based in Halifax and has over the years introduced literally thousands of disabled people to sport.

Malcolm contracted polio at the age of just 16 which has left him in wheelchair but this has not stopped him from accomplishing much and is indeed a very active man. He commented on being very shocked to receive news that he was on the new years honours list.

The Wheels on ground game offers disabled and non-disabled players of both sexes the chance to play a five-a-side wheelchair-based game still recognisable as rugby league.

Mr Kielty, whose father Stan played more than 480 games for Halifax Rugby League Club, said: "I come from a family with a rugby league background and we don't get carried away.

"I've got plenty of work to keep my wheels firmly on the ground".

At the age of 17 Mr Kielty formed a junior rugby league club and in the early 1970s he established the Physically Handicapped, Able Bodied League.

In the 1980s he helped establish the Greetland Allrounders Rugby League Club.

Since 2003 he has led the Calderdale Community Coaching Trust and is involved in the Calderdale Volunteer Action Group, which encourages young people from under privileged backgrounds to become involved in sport.

He has raised thousands of pounds for the provision of specially-adapted sports wheelchairs.

Other people appointed MBE in the New Year Honours list include Peter Starling, of Collingham, for services to the arts, education and community in West Yorkshire.

Patricia Bleau, of Bradford, a foster carer and founder of the Chantelle Bleau Memorial Fund, was given the award for services to young children.

An MBE also goes to Stuart Cummings, of Ilkley, former rugby league referee and former match official director at the Rugby Football League for services to rugby league.

Simon Pilling, chief fire officer of West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, was awarded the Queen's Fire Service Medal.

Tatyana who has already won the London marathon and showed her tenacity during this event beating rival

Wakako Tsuchida from Japan by over 3 minutes.
The 10-time paralympic medallist who was born with spina bifida is the first person to win 4 major medals in one year including the Boston, Chicago, London and now new York marathons.

The recent victory in New York completes an unbeatable year for the 24-year-old Russian born American, who made history at the IPC Paralympic World Championships in July by becoming the first woman to win 6 gold medals at a global championship event.

Not content with her wheelchair accomplishments, Tatyana is also aiming for a place in the US cross-country sit-ski team at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi.

Marcel Hug of Switzerland won the men's wheelchair event in New York.

Here at UK-Wheelchairs we're all in favour of supporting virtually any type of sport particularly those that can be played in a wheelchair, which these days extends to so many different sports including; racing, marathons, basketball, archery, bowls, hand cycling, table tennis, fencing, rugby and of course wheelchair tennis.

As a nation we are at last beginning to embrace these sports and both
organisers and participants alike are producing some very impressive results.

New clubs are opening at an impressive rate all around the country and new members are being persuaded to come along and try there hand.

All to often there is no stopping newcomers to many sports and being
in a wheelchair certainly doesn't deter their enthusiasm, in fact i would
say that their determination often far exceed that of some non disabled
players.

The Paralympics has maybe had a lot to do with raising the profile of many
sports and subsequent funding and follow up enthusiasm has helped to keep
momentum up but there is no doubt what so ever it is the energy, drive and
commitment of the individuals themselves that has made the difference and
is making the UK a wheelchair friendly and sporty place to be.

Take golden girl Hannah Cockroft as a great example. Hanna who is 21 and
represented the UK in the Paralympics is a formidable wheelchair table
tennis player and not only that she is finding time to help the sport
along and encouraging new young players to the game.

On a recent visit to her home town of Halifax in west Yorks visited a
local school as the guest of honor where she met Megan, a 14 year old
wheelchair table tennis player who took the sport up 2 years ago and is
making fantastic progress. Megan is currently part of the British Table
Tennis Association for Disabilities Pathway Squad and is training on a
regular basis and has already sampled international experience where she
just missed out on a bronze medal.

Megan's attacking style is certainly catching the eye of fellow competitors
and before too long she will i'm sure become a forced to be reckoned with.
Read more at wheelpower.org.uk where you can keep up to date on many
wheelchair sports.

We were recently told of a forthcoming publication and blog site all created by one young man called Tony who is a very talented artist from Florida. Jimmy Torres-Vanga is launching his first illustrated book that is all about his experience of growing up with disability.

Growing up and coming to terms with Spina Bifida, the spinal cord condition that leaves various degrees of disability, gave Tony plenty to write about while being wheelchair bound. Jimmy decided to create a fictional character that he names Jimmy Wheelz. Through a journey packed with lively cartoon characters he encounters, the Minilights, Jimmy discovers that his skills and abilities are far greater than his limitations. He learns not only to help himself, but also to help others around him with similar disabilities.

The book and multimedia presentations are all about the things that Tony Torres-Vanga experienced as a child tackling the multitude of mental and physical challenges that he faced on a day to day basis including dealing with most issues that affect many young people including peer pressure, loneliness and forming friendships. Tony says “I believe that anyone can overcome barriers if they have the right attitude. And that’s at the core of Jimmy Wheelz. I want to pass on my own personal mantra – when things push you down, get up and push back harder.”

With his health being the major consideration all his life Tony realises that although being wheelchair bound he learned to adapt his attitude to allow him to face most situations and come out on top feeling good about himself and what he was able to accomplish with the right mental attitude.

We're looking forward to the publication of his book and hope that it goes well for him and helps others who find themselves in a wheelchair for life. For more please visit his new web site: http://jimmywheelz.com

As a keen rugby fan and having an unavoidable interest in wheelchairs i do find wheelchair rugby good to watch and can fully appreciate the skill and intricacy of the game played. It must take an awful lot of guts to play wheelchair rugby at any level so to watch at international level is to me very exciting.

It is therefore interesting and possible great news to read that next years World Wheelchair Rugby Challenge will be held at London's Copper Box Arena at the same time as the Rugby World Cup.

Sometimes called murderball, wheelchair rugby has previously attracted massive sell out crowds especially during the 2012 Paralympics and seems to have continued to grow in popularity since.

GB captain Mike Kerr has given his word that the sport will now get more coverage and more promotion due to its boom in popularity -

"Events like that are very important for the future of the sport," Scotsman Kerr, 32, told BBC Sport.

There is such a big interest in the Rugby World Cup so having this event in conjunction with it is a huge opportunity and hopefully it will have a snowball effect.
"The game was a huge hit at 2012 and each game we played in London was in front of 10,000-strong crowds so hopefully we can experience that again."

This is great news in itself as the competition is due to feature 8 of the worlds finest wheelchair rugby teams including paralympians from all over the globe.

Last week saw the launch of WWRC with good old Boris Johnson alongside England rugby union international Mike Brown, the GB ambassador for the sport. Boris in a wheelchair was quite a sight but as ever Boris remained calm and jovial and managed surprisingly well considering all.

So things are looking up for the sport and i am certainly looking forward to October when it will run between the 11th and 16th. The GB Wheelchair Rugby CE had this to say when he admitted although things are going well for the sport there is still plenty to do:

"We want the World Challenge to be a festival of rugby where people can see some top-class action but get as many people involved and also have it as a fundraising opportunity to take the sport on," he said.

"Our aim in the future is to give anyone the chance to experience the joy of the sport and allow as many people have a club near them where they can enjoy it but we need to raise more money to enable us to do that."

It is great news to see various wheelchair sports coming in to the spotlight albeit slowly. It would seem that the more exposure each sport gets the more benefit is seen and for most of these sports this is being passed down to local club level with more wheelchair users becoming involved.