About Did You Know?

13,500 disabled people in Guernsey

Did You Know? was the result of a think tank meeting with Lloyds Bank UK where we shared our challenges around raising awareness around disability in Guernsey. Because we are around the figures, members stories all the time we realised maybe we weren’t sharing this enough locally as there was a misunderstanding about the number of people affected by Disability 13,000+ Carers 4,000+ the diversity of hidden disabilities and things like 1,200+ wheel chair users.

It ran deeper with the lack of knowledge about the discrimination that takes place, lack of access and understanding of the barriers to a full life. the Result is our advent calendar style project called Did You Know? please feel free to share widely.

1 December

There are 13,500 disabled people in Guernsey

Did you know? People experiencing significant difficulty are part of an estimated total 21% of the population in Guernsey and Alderney with a long term condition that affects their day to day life.

There are 4,000 Islanders (est. 6% of the population) in Guernsey and Alderney with a long-term condition and who experience significant difficulty in everyday life

One in four households (27%) contains at least one person with a disability, and this equates to an estimated 7,352 households across Guernsey and Alderney

Source: States conducted a Disability Needs Survey. 2012 Prepared by: BMG Research and the University of Nottingham

Although the survey is nearly 10 years old, disability increases with an aging population so the figures will be similar or even higher. In 2022 an attitude survey is due

2 December

There are more than 4,000+ unpaid carers in Guernsey

Did You Know? There are more than 4,000 unpaid carers in #Guernsey. @CarersGuernsey are an independent charity providing support to anyone who cares unpaid for a friend or family member who due to illness, disability, mental health problems or addiction.

CarersGuernsey particularly welcomes that carers are being recognised as a protected ground, in their own right, in the new discrimination legislation. Carers often experience social exclusion & financial hardship. 72% have suffered mental ill health as a result of caring

Did You Know? 61% of Carers have suffered physical ill health as a result of caring.

With 1 in 9 employees thought to be carers of someone who is older, disabled or seriously ill, it makes sense for employers to proactively support carers to juggle work with their caring responsibilities and thereby improve their recruitment and retention and employee morale

After a long wait & years of campaigning, @Govgg approved anti-discrimination legislation proposals in July 2020. @CarersGuernseybelieves this represents an important step forward in recognising the rights of carers, who are often isolated & forgotten members of our society

Carers Guernsey wants a society that respects, values and supports carers: where we can all care for loved ones without putting our own lives on hold and where no one has to care alone

Visit www.carers.gg or Email: info@carers.gg for more about Carers in Guernsey

3 December

The 3rd December is IDPwD

Did You Know? #Guernsey is one of the only countries in the world with no disability discrimination legislation and not signed up to the UNCRPD!

The annual observance of the UN IDPwD aims to: promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life

António Guterres ‘I urge all countries to fully implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, increase accessibility, and dismantle legal, social, economic and other barriers with the active involvement of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations’

4 December

That hidden disabilities are 80% of all disabilities

4th Dec – Did You Know? that hidden disabilities are 80% of all disabilities but because they are unseen they often go unrecognised and supported. From today until 9th December we will highlight some of our local #HiddenDisabilities charities.

We also work closely with the Hidden Disability Sunflower Lanyard scheme to raise awareness and change attitudes about disabilities. You can find out more about their great work and training at https://hiddendisabilitiesstore.com/about-hidden-disabilities-sunflower

Check out our Hidden Disabilities campaign videos https://matter.gg/hidden-disabilities/

5 December

1 in 4 people experience a mental health issue

Some of the facts from Mind UK:

  • 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England (Mind UK)
  • 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem (like anxiety and depression) in any given week in England
  • 31% of the UK workforce have been formally diagnosed with a mental health issue
  • Yet only 13% of staff felt able to disclose a mental health issue to their workplace.

Check out the amazing work of Guernsey Mind

website https://www.guernseymind.org.gg

6 December

One in 100 people are on the autism spectrum

Did You Know? Autism is a lifelong developmental disability which affects how people communicate and interact with the world. One in 100 people are on the autism spectrum and there are around 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK. (NAS)

Locally Autism Guernsey states: Autism is a neurological-developmental condition and it is not uncommon for people with Autism to experience emotional health difficulties, especially anxiety.

As the term ‘Autism Spectrum’ implies, the degree to which people are affected by their condition varies significantly. Each individual will have different and specific challenges, but there are four key areas in which many people with Autism are likely to have some degree of difficulty. These include:

  • Social communication
  • Social interaction
  • Social imagination (i.e. putting yourself in someone else’s shoes)
  • Sensory difficulties

Local support NAS Guernsey and Autism Guernsey

7 December

One in 14 people over 65 have dementia

Did You Know? one in 14 people over 65 have dementia

As the population ages and people live for longer, Dementia has become one of the most important health and care issues facing the world.

  • There are currently around 850,000 people with dementia in the UK. This is projected to rise to 1.6 million by 2040.
  • There are around 540,000 carers of people with dementia in England. 1 in 3 care for someone with dementia in lifetime Half of them are employed and it’s thought that some 66,000 people have already cut their working hours to care for a family member, whilst 50,000 people have left work altogether.
  • 70 per cent of people in care homes have dementia or severe memory problems.

Source https://www.dementiastatistics.org/statistics/numbers-of-people-in-the-uk

Locally there is support via:

Dementia Friends website 

Guernsey Alzheimer’s Association website

Alzheimers Society Guernsey website

8 December

1 in 6 people are affected by hearing loss

Did You Know?1 in 6 people are affected by hearing loss

  • When hearing loss is unassisted, those with a mild hearing loss are twice as likely to develop dementia as people without hearing loss, whilst those with moderate hearing loss are three times more likely to develop dementia and those with severe hearing loss are five times more likely to develop dementia.
  • Hearing loss increases sharply with age – nearly 42% of those aged over 50 years have hearing loss, increasing to about 71% of people aged 70+.
  • There are at least 50,000 children who are deaf in the UK
  • Unassisted hearing loss have a significant impact on older people leading to social isolation, depression, reduced quality of life and loss of independence and mobility
  • It is estimated that there are 151,000 people in the UK who use British Sign Language (BSL)

Recently (November 2021) Rose from Strictly Come Dancing has made massive inroads to raising awareness about hearing loss and sign language.

Locally charities supporting hearing loss:

  • Hard of Hearing website
  • Deaf Children’s Society Children website
  • Hearing Dogs for Deaf People website

For more information

9 December

Around 5-9% of the population has a learning disability

Did You Know? Around 5-9% of the population has a learning disability Approximately 2.16% of adults in the UK are believed to have a learning disability.

Approximately 2.5% of children in the UK are believed to have a learning disability.

A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability and difficulty with everyday activities – for example household tasks, socialising or managing money which affects someone for their whole life

People with a learning disability tend to take longer to learn and may need support to develop new skills, understand complicated information and interact with other people

Local support:

#HiddenDisabilities

10 December

UN Human Rights Day

Did You Know? 10thDec is UN Human Rights Day

2021 Theme: EQUALITY – Reducing inequalities, advancing human rights – website

Human rights are a set of internationally agreed rights and freedoms that belong to every person. These rights are based on principles of equality, non-discrimination, fairness, self-determination, independence and respect for the dignity and rights of others.

In Europe, Human Rights have been split into:

(1) civil rights and

(2) social, economic and cultural rights.

Civil rights mostly deal with things that governments must not do to citizens or must not stop citizens from doing (freedoms).

Guernsey recognised the European Convention on Human Rights in 1953 and then introduced Guernsey’s Human Rights Law (mirroring and giving effect to the European Convention) in 2000

Find out more locally:

  • Equality Guernsey
  • Guernsey Disability Alliance website

11 December

1 in every 2,500 babies are born with Cystic Fibrosis

Did You Know?

Cystic fibrosis is a life-limiting, inherited condition caused by a faulty gene that disrupts the movement of salt and water in the body’s cells, causing the mucus that naturally occurs in the body to be thicker and stickier than in people without cystic fibrosis. This sticky mucus causes many problems, slowly destroying the lungs and digestive system.

You can’t catch cystic fibrosis, or develop it later in life. For someone to have CF, they must inherit two copies of the faulty gene – one from each of their parents.

CF is very much a hidden disability, with sufferers managing a relentless and time consuming daily treatment regime.

The faulty gene is carried by 1 in 25 people across the UK and there are approximately 10,500 people living with CF in the UK and Channel Islands alone.

Until recently we were only able to manage the symptoms of CF but new ‘precision medicines’ are now beginning to correct the fault in the cells significantly slowing the progression of the disease and improving quality of life, giving new hope for the future and increasing the potential for a cure

https://cysticfibrosis.org.gg

12 December

1 in 6 people will have a stroke in their lifetime

Did You Know?  1 in 6 people will have a stroke in their lifetime

An acquired brain injury (ABI) is an injury caused to the brain since birth. There are many possible causes, including a fall, a road accident, tumour and stroke.

A brain injury can lead to a wide range of effects

. While many people recover quickly after a minor head injury(often known as concussion), this is not always the case and people may experience longer-term effects

To get support locally in Guernsey there are two charities

Guernsey Stroke association

A Guernsey charity helping stroke sufferers locally and promoting awareness in the community

The GSA offers support to people with strokes, their families and carers through a range of detailed information. They meet every Wednesday from 2.30 to 4.00pm at PEH

Headway Guernsey

Headway Guernsey is a local charity supporting islanders and their families who are living with the long-term effects of a brain injury. They provide a range of services that bring people together in a supportive environment helping them on their road to recovery to a life back into the community.

https://headwayguernsey.com

13 December

Nearly 1,500 people in Guernsey have macular disease

Did You Know? Nearly 1.5m people in the UK have macular disease.

It affects people of all ages. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common condition, generally affecting people over the age of 55. AMD is the biggest cause of sight loss in the UK, affecting more than 600,000 people.

A group of rare inherited conditions called macular dystrophies can affect much younger people. Some of these rare conditions can appear in childhood, although some are not diagnosed until later in life.

Guernsey support group Meet monthly second Wednesday from 1.30 to 3.30pm at St Martins community centre

14 December

There are more than 1,200 wheelchair users in #Guernsey

Did You Know? There are more than 1,200 wheelchair users in #Guernsey

If this figure shocks you, it does most people, ask why? If wheel chair users cant access our work places, shops, restaurants, sports and culture facilities you won’t see them and their families around the community as much as if it was more accessible.

Improving accessibility

Access for All website

Accessible Sports

Guernsey Mobility, Lets Go (GMLG) website

The Guernsey Sports Association for the Disabled website

15 December

75% of disabled people and their families have left a business …

Did You Know? 75%of disabled people and their families have left a business because of poor accessibility or customer service

Find out how your organisation can become more accessible and improve customer service through our Purple Tuesday campaign

Improving accessibility

Access for All website

16 December

75% people clicked off a website due to accessibility issues

Did you Know? 75% people clicked off a website due to accessibility issues

In 2021 we celebrated GAAD for the 1st time The purpose of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is to get everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital access and inclusion

  • 98.1%Home Pages With At Least One WCAG 2.0 Failure
  • 60.9Average Number of Errors Per Home Page
  • GAAD website

Find out how your organisation can become more accessible and improve customer service through our Purple Tuesday campaign

Improving accessibility

Access for All website

17 December

Purple Pound is worth £274 million in Guernsey

Did you Know?The Purple Pound is worth  £274 million in Guernsey

There are more than 14.1 million disabled people in the UK who have a combined spending power of £274 billion and are fiercely loyal to disabled friendly organisations. Source: Purple

There are more than 13,500 disabled people in Guernsey with a combined spending power of £274 million

Improving accessibility

Access for All website

18 December

The GDA partnership programme offers information and training options

Did You Know? The GDA partnership programme offers information and training options to support your organisation.  We Partner with the States of Guernsey and other bodies to offer support around disability confidence, Hidden disabilities, access and more.

Improving accessibility

Access for All website

Purple Tuesday is one of our biggest events which raises awareness of the work:

  • Physical (site) access
  • Online accessibility
  • Digital accessibility
  • Customer Service training

We also offer Hidden Disabilities training. Running webinars with the founders of the Sunflower lanyard @sunflr

And face to face options for local organisations.

https://matter.gg/hidden-disabilities-2021/

19 December

The States offer free online disability training

Did You Know? the States provide on line training for Disability Awareness. The training consists of six modules which take about 10 minutes each to complete. The topics covered are disability etiquette, physical and hidden disabilities and also guidance about how you can assist those with different disabilities.

To register for the training, follow the link to create an account. Register for training.

https://training.disabledgo.com/profile

The training is being updated for 2022 but you can find out more here.

http://www.signpost.gg/improvingislandlife

20 December

49 business signed up to the GET charter

Did you know that 49 businesses have signed up to the GET Guernsey Employment Trust

Employers’ Disability Charter: Guidance for Employers

Find out more at https://www.get.org.gg/employers/charter

Did You know? In 2021 the GET team achieved :

  • 80 new job secured
  • 50 work experience placements

Supporting 208 disabled people through every stage of their employment journey

GET also offer an Employment and Disability: Good Practice Guide for Employers in Guernsey

Check it out at https://www.get.org.gg/employers/employment-guide

21 December

NICE TA drugs benefited 3073 islanders in 2021

After a comprehensive review published in August 2019, the States in January 2020 approved the recommendations of HSC to increase the range of drugs and treatments available to islanders. After delays caused by COVID-19 the work to begin the 2 year phased introduction of many new drugs and treatments began in October 2020.

  • Did you know these new drugs and treatments are estimated to benefit 3073 islanders in the first year and an estimated 678 per annum there after.
  • Did you know 46% of these new drugs and treatments will benefit cancer patients
  • Did you know that over 2000 patients within cardiac services will benefit from the new NICE TA policy
  • Did you know an estimated 95 mental health patients will benefit.
  • Did you know an estimated 100 patients requiring pain management will benefit.
  • Did you know an estimated 100 respiratory patients will benefit
  • Did you know an estimated 305 patients with endocrine conditions will benefit from the new NICE TA policy.
  • Did you know that the demand, or uptake, across the Bailiwick has been lower than expected. It is worth asking your GP or consultant if you are on the best possible treatment. It is likely that many more patients could experience better health outcomes if they took advantage of HSCs new drug and treatment policy

Contact Mike Read, Chair HEAL

Find out more about HEAL Health Equality for All on facebook

22 December

The GDA is an umbrella group for 39 member charities

Did you know that The GDA is an umbrella group for 39 member charities?

We have showcased the amazing work of a number of our charities through this campaign but you can view all our member organisations on our website

The GDA receives no Government funding. We are supported by grant bodies such as Lloyds Bank foundation and Social Investment fund and sponsorship. We are extremely grateful to all funders keeping us going the last 13 years

Through this funding we are able to provide 2 part time roles to focus on

  • Social policy advice to the States and drive equality of opportunity for people affected by disability
  • Raising awareness and changing attitudes around disability and access

Find out more about the GDA’s mission and goals

23 December

Guernsey has no law to protect against disability discrimination

Did You Know? In Guernsey there is NO protection on the grounds of disability in Employment, Goods and Services, accommodation or education

Although the Disability and Inclusion strategy was passed in 2013, progress on the Discrimination legislation has been slow

Find out more about the strategy http://www.signpost.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=98916&p=0

The Disability and Inclusion Strategy aims to improve the quality of life of disabled Islanders and their carers through changing attitudes towards disabled people and carers so that they can be active and engaged socially, economically and culturally.

It intends to do this by:

  • Improving opportunities for disabled people and carers to participate across society.
  • Promoting more positive and inclusive attitudes towards disability in the community.
  • Challenging instances of disadvantage facing disabled Islanders and/or carers.

Find out more about the strategy on the Gov website

The Gov website provides information for businesses: including guidance and checklists that will assist in making Guernsey more inclusive.

Awareness of disability and improving access are two key points that will enable both disabled people and their carers to be able to participate more fully in all aspects of island life. The information, guidance and checklists on this page will help to achieve this

24 December

2022 will be the year that discrimination legislation is finally enacted

Did You Know?

Its been a long 8 years since the Disability and Inclusion strategy was approved by the States in 2013 but next year, 2022 will be there year the protection from discrimination for the grounds of disability and carers will take effect

The GDA is also part of the Consortium, led by The Institute and Walkers, that will deliver Discrimination Legislation workshops over 2022.

We close the advent calendar project hoping you have learnt a bit more about disability in Guernsey, our amazing member charities and our key goals for 2022

Please get in touch to provide support for bringing bout equality of opportunity for disabled people and carers in Guernsey

Guernsey Disability Alliance website