From: AME [info@accessmadeeasy.co.uk]
Sent: 18 February 2011 19:28
To: DWP Consultation DLAReform
Subject: AME Disability

Disability Living Allowance reform – consultation questions
You can respond to the consultation questions in this document and send it to us at consultation.dlareform@dwp.gsi.gov.uk 

 

A response to 1 question.

 

An important part of the new process is likely to be a face-to-face discussion with a healthcare professional.

·        What benefits or difficulties might this bring?

·        Are there any circumstances in which it may be inappropriate to require a face-to-face meeting with a healthcare professional – either in an individual’s own home or another location? 

 

our response: 

 

A single health care professional sound worrying? One person would not know necessarily understand or know the effects of the clients symptoms.  For instance, for many people with a shunt, part of their symptoms is their readiness to agree with what the last person has said – they are open to suggestions and are really just repeating back what has been said to them. This is not obvious as they may sound as if they have understood.  Additionally they can get very  confused in some situations, are unlikely to be able to deal with numeric situations, sort papers, etc. and may well need some support from a carer for a few hours a week.  Additionally their balance could be bad and they may have epilepsy.  They would almost certainly have cognitive problems. 

 

However their visible or known symptoms could merely be partial sight

 

Many disabled people have several components to their disability.  Access to Work has recognised this and send assessors to the work place (in London we are the assessors) who can cover the multi discipline scenario eg hearing impairment, plus mobility needs, or technical help in the form of adaptive software, plus adaptations to premises – and more

 

So, our suggestion is a health professional plus assessors such as ourselves who can provide 1 or more consultants if we have been given an outline of the disability.

 

Paula MacGibbon

AME Disability Consultants

0208 507 8841: www.accessmadeeasy.co.uk

 

90 Longbridge Road

Barking

Essex IG11 8SF

 

 

AME Disability Consultants Ltd; Tel 0208 507 8841; 90 Longbridge Rd. Barking, Essex IG11 8SF. www.accessmadeeasy.co.uk. AME (Access Made Easy) does Workplace assessments: ergonomic, technical, sensory (hearing & visual, dyslexia, wheelchair, access to premises, OH. Training: adaptive software, disability awareness.Braille and audio transcriptions.