Poetry and Motion

Yesterday I heard that Andrew Motion, the current poet laureate in the UK, will come to the end of his term at the end of the week. Wikipedia describes such a post in the following way:

A Poet Laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for State occasions and other government events. The plural form is poets laureate.In United Kingdom the term has for centuries been the title of the official poet of the monarch, since the time of Charles II. Poets laureate are appointed by many countries. In Britain there is also a Children's laureate and in the United States there is a Student Poet Laureate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poet_Laureate

This lead me to thinking about poetry and Conductive Education, and a poem I had read written by a mother whose child had benefited greatly from Conductive Education. A search on the internet for this brought up not only that, but an amazing number of references to Conductive Education and poetry. Here I will mention just the two.

REAW, an American parent has written An Ode to Conductive Education, and this is the first verse:

How have you changed me...let me count the ways.
Are you kidding? I can’t count that high yet, nor is there enough praise…
That could even begin to accurately describe,
How I found Conductive Education…and then “came ALIVE.”
A center opened near me, making history in my state,
It changed my life, my world, my fate.

Further verses can be found on her blog, A life changing experience, at http://www.disaboom.com/Blogs/reaswaiss/archive/2008/05/02/a-heart-felt-poem-about-a-life-changing-experience.aspx

The second poem was written by an adult who had received Conductive Education at the ING Centre in Australia, and wrote the verses about his experiences in the Parkinson's group run there. Here is a brief extract:.

As our horizons now enlarge
Of our illness we’re in charge
So to this method we’re inducted
As we are so well conducted
And further points we hope to earn
As throughout our lives we learn.

The complete poem by Don Wilcox, was published in the ING Centre for Conductive Education Newsletter, volume 5, no.1, May 2004, and can be found at http://www.tscnsw.org.au/services/conded/info/newsletter/2004/may.pdf

Yesterday Andrew Motion described his experiences over the past ten years, and emphasised what a good opportunity it had been to increase awareness and appreciation of poetry. Neither of these people could be a poet laureate, but their poems certainly help to explain, appreciate and acknowledge the benefits of Conductive Education and hopefully raise awareness levels through desciption of their own experiences.

Comments impossible?

The petition re ensuring keeping the services and functions of the National Library going, which can be found at

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/help-save-our-library/index.html

has nearly 250 signatures now, but there are problems at the moment with adding a comment. The petition provider has said:

There seems to be some problem with accepting comments on the petition. We are investigating what has caused it and why it occurred. Apparently, the comments that contain apostrophes or single quotes do not get accepted every time. It seems to be a random problem, so it might take a while to determine what is going on. We can offer you to remove your signature, and you can sign again, without using the apostrophes. You are not obliged to pay for signing, you can simply leave the donation page after signing, and your signature will be recorded.
We apologize for the inconvenience.

So if you have experienced this and would like to make sure your comment appears, do contact them at support@ipetitions.com

good news

This is a quick update to CE news on the internet. Paces School in High Green, Sheffield has been praised for its teaching of children with cerebral palsy.

Go to

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/School-praised-for-teaching-children.5188934.jp

Well done, Paces, particularly to Norman, who has worked so hard for this.

News on the Internet, no.1

I hope to publish regular lists of news items relevant to Conductive Education published on the internet. This is the first such list. Comments and suggestions for future listings will be very welcome.

Cerebral palsy

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/feb/26/cerebral-palsy-child-death

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/4862250/Ivan-Cameron-one-mother-offers-insight-into-the-suffering-of-cerebral-palsy-victims.html
A number of articles appeared in the UK press after the death of Ivan, son of David Cameron, leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7980144.stm
Phil Neville, captain of Everton football team talks about life with his daughter who has cerebral palsy.

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=284920&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16
Study to examine brain damage in newborns announced in Quatar

http://www.kfyrtv.com/News_Stories.asp?news=29108
Story and video entitled After cerebral palsy diagnosis from KFYR TV

Conductive Education

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/golf/golf-news/2009/03/03/children-s-charity-boost-as-stars-come-out-to-play-92534-23047860/
Fundraising for Rainbow House in Cheshire, UK

http://claytsincircles.blogspot.com/2009/03/please-sponsor-me-my-charity-in_04.html
Individual running a marathon in aid of brain injured children calls for sponsorship to cove costs of CE sessions.

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/features/4180101.Mobility_matters/
Conductive Education at Heel and Toe Centre in the North of England

http://www.livingwithcerebralpalsy.com/blogger/2009/03/mobility-matters-northern-echo.html
More about the Heel and Toe Centre

http://www.looktothestars.org/news/2228-signed-celebrity-photos-on-offer-for-good-causes
Auction of celebrity photos for Rainbow Centre in Hampshire, UK

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=131506

http://lightnur.blogspot.com/2009/03/no-special-teacher-for-our-special-kids.html

Places lost at Kindergarten offering CE In Australia due to lack of funding

http://www.loughboroughecho.net/news/loughborough-news/2009/03/26/memorial-garden-joy-thanks-to-cash-boost-73871-23238345/
Cash boost helps memorial garden project at STEPS CE Centre, Leicestershire UK.

http://www.newsguardian.co.uk/latest-news/Store-hands-over-2000-to.5119608.jp
Tesco supermarket gives cash to help adult CE outreach project in Northeast England

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0903/S00432.htm
Paper on CE to be read at Early Intervention conference in New Zealand

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/future-of-special-needs-school-hangs-in-balance-14266673.html
Future of Buddy Bear School is still uncertain.

http://news.scotsman.com/health/Council-denies-funds-for-Ellie39s.5180126.jp
Edinburgh council denies funds for child to go to Craighalbert Centre outside Glasgow


Disability Issues

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25262629-5012694,00.html
The difficulties and stresses of caring for a disabled offspring once they reach adulthood is reported here.

Parkinson’s disease

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/health/4295377.Former_high_flyer__44__tells_of_Parkinson_s_disease_battle/
Former high flier tells of his battle with Parkinson’s disease

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/besttreatments/2009/apr/14/side-effects-of-parkinsons-drugs-include-gambling-and-compulsive-sexual
Side effects of Parkinson’s drugs include gambling and compulsive sexual behaviour

http://sev.prnewswire.com/health-care-hospitals/20090414/DC9850914042009-1.html
New website for young on-set Parkinson’s disease goes live

http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/2009-04-06-voa2.cfm
Transcript of radio broadcast on Parkinson’s disease

Multiple sclerosis

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/rowling-quits-multiple-sclerosis-charity-over-angloscottish-feud-1666842.html
http://thirdsector.co.uk/news/Article/898681/MS-Society-Scotland-investigation-OSCR/
JK Rowling resigns as patron of MS Society in Scotland

http://ms.about.com/b/2009/04/15/restless-legs-syndrome-in-people-with-multiple-sclerosis.htm
People with MS five times more likely to have Restless Leg Syndrome

Stroke

http://ms.about.com/b/2009/04/15/restless-legs-syndrome-in-people-with-multiple-sclerosis.htm
Older stroke victims suffer from ageism in English health service (NHS)

http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/4289477.Fact_files_on_elderly_could_help_their_recovery/
Stroke victim’s daughter urges families to create fact file on their relatives to help hospital staff treat them.

http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Former-Scotland-footballer-Jess-tells.5156366.jp
Former Scotland footballer tells how he suffered a stroke at 38

Thanks again

Over the past few weeks I have continued to receive more notes of appreciation for the National Library, its services and my contributions to them and I would like to say thank you again to all those who have taken the time and trouble to contact me. I have replied to each of you individually and hope I have not missed anyone out - if I have, please accept my apologies.

It is still my hope that the National Library of Conductive Education will become a ‘living’ library again, providing all established services and perhaps introducing a few new ones. Who knows? A new librarian, a new era, could bring fresh ideas. What is important to me is that the library goes on, carries on being an important resource for all those interested in Conductive Education.

Many of you have asked what I will do now, and all I can say is that I hope to stay in touch with the conductive world and though I am not retired in the full sense of the word, I am not 'working' either. So please do stay in touch and let me know how CE, and you, are in your neck of the woods.

Meanwhile I shall continue a skeleton news and information service here on http://www.ce-libray.blogspot.com/. Let me know if you think that there is any help that you would like from a 'librarian without a library'!

Another delay in new Conductive Education website

I have just seen that the new Conductive Education portal as been put back again until the end of April. Starting something like this is very time consuming and will involve co-ordinating a lot of material and people and there may be lots of unforeseen issues to deal with. Let us hope that the extra time will produce an extra good site.

Check http://www.conductiveeducation.net/ on 30 April and find out.

Who cares?

I have been following the powerful accounts and comments of Norman, Andrew, Judit and Emma re the awful lack of care, consideration and rights of the disabled, not only in the community, but also in the interpretation of the law.

http://www.conductive-world.info/2009/04/personal-and-political.html

I wondered what organisations had already been established that are, or might be able, to fight to change the current status quo and below is a list of what I have found after a short search today on the internet. Perhaps contacting these might generate some coordinated action. Or maybe that is a bit naive of me as this issue is not a simple one and has always been there like the elephant in the room.

There is not as much as I would have expected but a more prolonged search may produce more. If anyone knows of others please let me know and they can be added to the list.

Carers UK http://www.carersuk.org/Home

Offers a free newsletter . It has launched a survey:

Following the Government's announcement that it intends to ban discrimination against carers Carers UK have launched a survey to gather evidence of carer discrimination. Add your story to our 'discrimination dossier' to make sure carers get new protections'

Princess Royal Trust for Carers http://www.carers.org/

Also offers a free newsletter and discussion boards.

Patients UK http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/4/

Lists a variety of organisations connected with care

Disability Awareness in Action http://www.daa.org.uk/

This is an international organisation, set up in 1992, fighting for the rights of the disabled. Rachel Hurst, its director, has written a passionate statement on disability rights which can be found at http://archive.waccglobal.org/wacc/publications/media_development/archive/1998_2/forget_pity_or_charity_disability_is_a_rights_issue

Scope http://www.scope.org.uk/

A British charity originally set up to support those with cerebral palsy has a much wider brief now and campaigns for disability rights.

Conductive Education in Spain

The Job Centre on the Foundation for Conductive Education's website is still working despite some technical glitches which mean you need to keep scrolling down to reach the vacancies. There are a number of opportunities for conductors at the moment, which has to be good news in the current financial downturn.

http://www.conductive-education.org.uk/2008/job%20list%20latest.htm

On looking at this I see that there is a new organisation in Valencia, Spain advertising for English and Spanish speaking conductors for summer camps this year. There is a website http://www.fundacionfuvane.org/ for further information.

I am not aware of any other centres/organisations operating in Spain, since the demise of ASPACE a few years ago, but if anyone does know of any, please let me know, as I am trying to compile an up-t0-date list of centres employing conductors.

Update on Conductive Education portal in US

On 18 March I noted that there was a plan to set up a new website covering a whole range of aspects of Conductive Education. It was intended to launch this on 31 March.

http://ce-library.blogspot.com/2009/03/i-recieved-email-today-telling-me-about.html

The plans appear to have been delayed a little and it is now hoped to get it up, on or around 15 April. For further information and updates, go to

http://www.conductiveeducation.net/