Clarky Blogs
A DISABILITY IS A ABILITY TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Changing places awareness day 25
Sunday, July 13, 2025
Communicating to the world in a different way
We live in a
world where communication is the key to everything but not everyone realizes
that everyone communicates differently from everyone and I am just one of them.
About me
My name is
Jill Clark and I am 33. I have a
physical Disability called Cerebral Palsy which affects my movement, muscles
and my speech. So, I am in a wheelchair all the time.
How do I communicate to the world?
Even though
I don’t have any speech I get my word across clearly!
I use an AAC
device or in other terms a communication device.
AAC stands
for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, it is just different ways of
communicating.
My communication device is called an Accent
1000; it is just a computer which it speaks out.
I use a tracker dot to access my programme on
my device. The dot is on my head; it is like infrared.
How does it feel to communicate in a
different way?
Like
everything, communicating through an AAC device it has its ups and downs but mostly it is great.
The ups are:
My device gives me a voice, with which I can
express myself and tell people how I feel or what I want.
It is great
that I can have just a normal conversation with people which makes me more
included in the world.
Even though
my device is my voice, it is my hands too as I can use a mobile phone and a computer through my
device too.
The down
sides are:
As my device
is a computer it can break down and I hate it!
The best way
to describe how it feels when it breaks down is imagine you have tape over your
mouth and you can’t talk!
Another down
side is how some people talk to me. We
live in a world where everyone is quick to judge by just looking at the people.
That happens
to me a lot.
Some people
see me and my wheelchair and just think “she is in a wheelchair she mustn’t
understand so I need to talk to her as a baby, this is my pet hate!
Over time I have learnt how to explain myself
to people and show them that even though I communicate in a different way I can
still talk to the world!
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Monday, April 7, 2025
New funding for Changing Places toilets in Scotland
It has been a while since I wrote about changing places toilets, but as the Scottish Government has announced the £10m funding for changing places toilets across Scotland, I thought I would write something about it.
For the
people who don’t know me well, my name is Jill and I have Cerebral Palsy,
therefore I use a wheelchair all the time and I require a hoist to get in and
out of my wheelchair. I have another name; this is The Toilet Woman as
I campaign for Changing Places toilets. Standard accessible toilets do not meet
the needs of all people with a disability. Over ¼ million people in the UK with
a disability need extra equipment and space to allow them to use the toilets
safely and comfortably. These needs are met by Changing Places toilets. So, a Changing
Places toilet has the all right equipment in it such as a hoist, a changing bed
and it is very big to move around for a wheelchair user and 2 carers.
On Thursday
the 20th of March I was at Glasgow Science Centre getting interviewed by BBC, STV
and Scottish Government’s media, as a £10m funding was announced by Scottish Government
for a lot more changing places toilets in Scotland. Just now, there are about
270 CP toilets in Scotland and this should increase by 50% thanks to this
funding. Maree Todd MSP, Minister for
Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport was there too on the day. I spent time talking to Maree about Changing Places
toilets and my campaign work, it was nice and she is lovely.
What are my
thoughts of the funding? As a changing
places user and a campaigner who experiences a lot of barriers due to lack of CPT,
I think this is fantastic news. Even
although there are a lot of more changing places toilets from when I started my
campaign, many areas don’t have a CPT, like small towns. Even though I live in
a big city, I would love to see Glasgow getting more of these toilets in coffee
shops, restaurants, hospitals, hotels and parks.
In 2025, I still
worry if I can get to the toilet when I am out and about, but with this funding,
I hope I don’t have to worry any more.
Thursday, March 13, 2025
Clarky dancing diaries 13/03/2025
Welcome to
another Clarky dancing diaries, I know it has been a while but life has been
busy!
For my other
Clarky dancing diaries check them out on my Website Clarky Blogs
Well, training
is going really well.
Our first training
was the last Wednesday in February. We never
danced at first training, we just talked through things and decided on our
music. I am not saying what it is but it
is mix of 3 songs. The people who know
me can guess 2 of songs but I am not saying any more just wait and see 😊
The 2 last Wednesdays
we have been starting to put our dance
together and it feels good to dance! I
am really loving dancing, even although I listen to music every day, I don’t dance
about but on a Wednesday night I do.
Leah and
Chloe have been great to work with. They
have come up a great routine and I have come up with some ideas too. Even although I am loving it, I am finding it
a bit hard remembering all of the moves but I will get there. Everything takes
time!
I am really
looking forwards to the event. Only 44days to go until Strictly All Ability!
Thanks for
reading and keep dancing
Here is a
link about Strictly All Ability, if you have any questions just ask. Buy
tickets – Strictly All Ability - 2025! – DoubleTree by Hilton, Cambridge St
Glasgow
Sunday, February 9, 2025
Clarky dancing diaries 08/02/2025
Happy Sunday everyone, I hope you had good a
weekend 😊
Welcome to another Clarky dancing diaries. If you missed my other Clarky dancing diaries
go to the Website Clarky Blogs
Well, the
launch happened yesterday and what a great day.
Yesterday morning I was a bit nervous to meet my partners but it turned
out to be nothing to be nervous about. While we were waiting for the launch to
get started, we were sitting about. I noticed two girls across the room and I
said to my carer I think these girls are my partners.
The launch
got started and there was a buzz in the room with the Strictly Come Dancing music
playing in the background. It was great to see all of the dancers meeting their
partners. When it was my turn to meet my
partners I was Right my partners are the two girls that I noticed. I was delighted to meet them. They are called Leah and Chloe and they are lovely
girls.
Once
everyone got to meet their partners, we had time to talk to them. This was nice to have a chat to them to get
to know each other and about our dance then we got interviewed (watch out on
The Advisory Group social media for the interviews)
Our training starts on the 26th of
February for 8 weeks. Can’t wait to
start and see what we come up with 😊
I am really
excited to get my dancing journey started
Have a nice
week everyone and keep dancing!
Here is a link
about Strictly All Ability, if you have any questions just ask.
Buy
tickets – Strictly All Ability - 2025! – DoubleTree by Hilton, Cambridge St
Glasgow
Monday, January 27, 2025
Clarky dancing diaries 27/01/2025
I hope
everyone had a nice weekend and got over the storm. Did everyone jump out of their skin when the alarm
went off on your phones about the weather warning? I did!
Thanks everyone who read my first Clarky dancing
diaries, if you haven’t seen it yet check it out here: Clarky
Blogs : Clarky dancing diaries 23/01/2025
As I said in
my first diary, it was supposed to be the launch for Strictly All Ability on
Saturday there (25th) but because of weather warning and a lot of
travel was still affected on Saturday they had to change it so the launch is next Saturday the 8th.
Even although I was disappointed that the launch
didn’t happen my Sunday was better as I went to the Strictly Come Dancing tour
which was a fantastic show.
I had the
best seats where I could see everything
and all of the dancers which was amazing!
When I was
watching the show, I was thinking, dancing looks so fun! You must get a buzz
from dancing. Can’t wait to do it myself.
I can’t remember who said it in the show and the Right words but it was
something like “It doesn’t matter how perfect
the dance is, it is all about how it makes you and everyone feels. I thought that’s right! I know my dance at Strictly All Ability won’t
be perfect but I know for a fact that it is going to be a lot of fun!
I am a T
shirt person; I like to buy a T shirt everywhere I go. So yesterday I needed to get this T shirt 😊 (see the picture below)
Well, I hope
the weather is OK next Saturday to let us have the launch 😊
Have a great
week everyone!
by Jill
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It has been a while since I wrote about changing places toilets, but as the Scottish Government has announced the £10m funding for changin...
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