Help with finding work : UK

Jobcentres Jobcentre Plus is responsible for the national network of Jobcentres. These give skilled advice at every stage of your search for a job. They will also make sure you know which benefits or allowances you are entitled to claim.
They can also support you if you are concerned about the impact of your disability on your existing job.
Your local Jobcentre can help and advise you regardless of your situation. They can also help and advise you if you've not had any work experience or not worked for a long time.

Disability Employment Advisers

You and your Jobcentre Plus adviser may decide that getting further specialist advice would be helpful for you. They can arrange for you to have an interview with a Disability Employment Adviser (DEA).
The Disability Employment Adviser will find out about your abilities and the sort of job that would suit you. Then they draw up a plan of action with you to help you get closer to or into work.

• Disability Employment Advisers

Advisers for people receiving incapacity benefits

Most Jobcentres have a specialist adviser who can support you. They can refer you to further specialist help, if you are claiming Employment and Support Allowance or incapacity benefits.

Work schemes and programmes

If your disability affects the kind of work you can do, you may be eligible to join some programmes open to long-term unemployed people.

• Work schemes and programmes

Work experience placements

A work experience placement can be a great way of trying out a career you are interested in. The Disability Discrimination Act covers people who are on practical work experience undertaken as part of their vocational training.

• Disability and the Equality Act 2010

Working and receiving disability and incapacity benefits

Disability Living Allowance

Disability Living Allowance is a benefit that can be paid whether you are in or out of work or training. This is also providing you have a level of care or mobility needs which meets the entitlement conditions.
Your Disability Living Allowance will remain the same if:

• you're about to start work
• return to work
• your care and/or mobility needs have not changed

If your care and/or mobility needs have changed you must report this change to the Department for Work and Pensions. Your benefit award can be reviewed and, if necessary, a new decision made. This could result in either an increase or a decrease in the amount of Disability Living Allowance you are entitled to.

• Disability Living Allowance - your circumstances

Employment and Support Allowance and 'Permitted Work'

If you receive Employment and Support Allowance you may be able to do some limited work. This is called Permitted Work. If you get Employment and Support Allowance and you work, this could affect income-related benefits you receive, like Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit.

• 'Permitted Work' - working while claiming Employment and Support Allowance

• 'Permitted Work' - working while claiming Incapacity Benefit

for more details visit  Help with finding work UK

Booking rail tickets online : Disabled people

           Soon, differently abled people can book rail tickets online at concessional fares that they are entitled to. At present, differently abled people have to go to railway reservation counters to book tickets if they want to avail the fare concession given by railways.

           "The railway board is ready with the plan to facilitate online ticket booking for its special passengers," a senior official said.

            The plan is to issue identity cards with specific numbers to each differently abled person which will be built into the computerized passenger reservation system ( PRS) across the country. "This will ensure that differently abled persons can avail fare concession even while booking tickets online," the official said.

             Under the proposal, the board plans to set up specific offices in zones and divisions where differently abled people can get their fare concession card made after producing a medical certificate.

              Physically challenged people get fare concessions, have special reservation counters at railway stations and even special coaches on trains but cannot avail fare concessions while booking an e-ticket. They can book full fare tickets through the internet.

                The move came after railway board received several complaints from differently abled passengers and social activists. The issue was also raised with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation ( IRCTC), the PSU handling online ticketing operations.

                The railways' argument was that in purchase of concessional tickets, the physical document needed to be verified at the time of booking before extending the concession.

                However, the railway board realized that e-ticket booking facility was much more essential for physically challenged persons than other passengers. Under the plan, the physical verification of the document will be done at the time of issuing identity card, an official said.

Saving Plan : Disabled people

         Parents saving for college tuition can put money in a special tax-advantaged savings fund and now Congress is considering creating a similar fund for parents of children with disabilities.

         "Instead of the account paying for college tuition, it helps cover expenses related to an individual's disability and that individual's long term care," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat.

          The Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE) would allow families to create accounts similar to 529 education savings plans to set aside money for education, medical care, support services, housing and transportation for individuals with disabilities.

          More than 28,000 people in the Capital Region, including 1,440 children with autism, would be eligible for the fund, Schumer said.
          Eligibility for the fund would be extended to people who qualify for supplemental security income through Social Security, a benefit for disabled adults and children who have limited income and resources.

          It also would be open to people who have medically determined physical or mental illness that severely limits their ability to function and will last for more than one year.

          "It's a great idea," said Jeffrey A. Covington, director of residential services for the Catholic Charities Disabilities Services in Albany. "It sounds like it will allow families a certain amount of flexibility in providing services for a loved one."

           Anyone can contribute to an account, including family and friends. Any interest accrued would not be taxed and withdrawals from the account for qualifying expenses would not be taxed.

          Qualifying expenses include school tuition from preschool to postsecondary education, transportation costs, rent, mortgage payments, job training, adaptive equipment and premiums for health insurance.

           Schumer said the impact of the accounts on the government's tax coffers has not yet been calculated. The bill, which Schumer supports, was introduced by Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa.

           The savings account could save a family thousands of dollars over the lifetime of the disabled person, Schumer said.

           "These plans reduce the overall tax burden for individuals and their families, making care significantly more affordable," he said.


Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Saving-plan-for-disabled-people-3547355.php#ixzz1uXt5wnsQ

Physically handicapped person stand as an example

The person who we are seeing in the picture is Thirupal. He lives in the village of Zillelapadu, gokulam panchayat,Veligandla mandal, Prakash District, Andhra Pradesh State, India.For a long time his life went on peacefully. Suddenly 25 years back when he is cutting a tree branch of the tree fell on his left leg. Doctor has to cut his left leg to prevent infection. Even though he lost his left leg he doesn't lost his confidence in life. He learned doing all works with the support as seen in the picture. He developed so much in the life. He married all his three children. Till Now he is working. He is working in the filed. He is doing the soil works, cutting tree branches in Government Employment Guarantee Scheme. His life is a great inspiration to the people who has perfect body without any irregularies to development in life.

The French Government has been working to improve the situation for disabled travellers

            The French Government has been working to improve the situation for disabled travellers. The 'Tourisme et Handicap' label provides disabled people with access to reliable, 

           consistent and objective information about the accessibility of tourist sites and facilities, classified into four major types of disability (physical, visual, hearing and mental).

            Hotels, restaurants and other sites have passed a number of strict requirements and standards. On your stay this will be clear as those that have passed will be marked as ‘Accessible norms handicapes’ – 

            although not an official rating this is helping to make France an easier place to visit for the disabled traveller.

            This logo ensures the accommodation, restaurant or attraction is accessible to disabled visitors. For more information visit  www.tourisme-handicaps.org

Disabled Man Crosses Russia in Wheelchair

            Despite being in a wheelchair, one Russian hero has covered 11,000 kilometers, right across Russia, with an electric buggy to draw attention to the plight of disabled people.

           It has been more than a decade since the accident that put Aleksandr Kashin in a wheel chair. An allegedly drunk American Consul General in Vladivostok was driving the car that collided with Kashin's vehicle.

            Because he was a diplomat, American Douglas Kent could claim immunity. Officials back in Washington refused to waive his rights as a diplomat so Aleksander had no chance of getting redress. 

         Alexander has been fighting for compensation ever since -- to pay for his specialist care and medical expenses. Ten years after the incident he is still determined to fight: "He walked away scot-free. But I will keep on seeking justice.

         That is why a decade after the accident it is important to Alexander to keep his case in the public eye. 

          Alexander's top speed is not much more than walking pace, but he has just finished a marathon of marathon proportions, driving his electric buggy 11,000 kilometers from his home to Moscow. 

          It has been a journey of discovery. "I was most surprised by the decency and generosity of our people.

          I never expected such help. Just imagine every set of stairs demands four people to get me up there," he says. Despite all the obstacles, he made it right to the heart of Russia. 

          Many people along the way told him: "Go to the Kremlin, tell them how we live", but Alexander is not the complaining kind. He strongly believes that no matter what the odds, everyone's destiny is in their own hands.

Employers' Disability Network

         The Employers' Disability Network is a group of employers dedicated to ensuring that people with disabilities get the same opportunities in life as the rest of us and, in particular, have access to jobs and work.

         It provides resources, concepts and ideas to explore and implement strategies in making workplaces an equal opportunity environment.