Do any of these apply to you? Are You a Dog Lover? Do you have a challenging condition or disability? Could you give a rescue dog a permanent home? Have you ever considered that a dog could transform your life? If so, Channel 4 need you! This new series on Channel 4 will see abandoned [...]

Did you know that if you employ a PA (Personal Care Assistant), you can ask for a grant to pay for training and qualifications for both you and/or your PA(s)? This funding comes from Skills for Care’s individual employer fund and easy read guides, full details and application forms can be found on their website [...]

The disability research team at the University of East Anglia (UEA) are researching the experiences and attitudes of Personal Care Assistants. To be a participant in their confidential telephone interviews and for more information (including the voucher), just visit their website here.

No doubt you’ll have seen the recent news articles of Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson in the press highlighting how few disabled people are being provided with the right wheelchairs to meet their needs by the NHS.  But have you pledged your support yet for the new Charter? [row] [column md="6"] The Wheelchair Leadership Alliance (WLA) has [...]

This month we’d like to introduce you to the charity WheelPower. WheelPower is the national organisation for wheelchair sport in the UK, and aims to help people with disabilities improve their quality of life through sport, and of course its also a great way of meeting new people! You might be more familiar with its [...]

The transfer of the ILF (Independent Living Fund) to local authorities is due to take place at the end of this month. In the meantime, the ILF, ADASS (the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services) and the LGA (Local Government Association) have updated their guidance to local authorities. If you are an ILF recipient, [...]

The longstanding and extremely popular Mobility Roadshow will be returning to Donington Park in Derbyshire from Thursday 25 to Saturday 27 June 2015. The Mobility Roadshow is a really friendly and well-attended event, providing you, your carers and your families with the opportunity to talk to a variety of suppliers and test drive a wide [...]

The new Care Act came into force this month - April 2015. Norman Lamb, the current Minister of State for Care and Support at the Department of Health, is responsible for older people, adult social care, carers, and mental health services, amongst others. Lamb described the new Act as, “the most significant reform of care [...]

Now in its 40th year, the new Disability Rights Handbook (Edition 40) is now available for pre-order from £18 and will be published in April 2015. Its regarded as the number one guide to both disability benefits and independent living. The Handbook provides a clear and concise guide to information on the benefits and independent [...]

We have recently been introduced to the CEA Card – a national scheme set up in 2004 for participating cinemas in the UK - and wanted to help share the word, so that more people can benefit from this offer. You can visit the CEA website here to find out more. The CEA Card allows [...]

You’ll no doubt be aware that we’ve got a general election coming up in May – Thursday 7th to be precise. The polling booths will be open between 7am and 10pm. The likes of bedroom tax, ILF (independent living fund), learning disabilities and welfare cuts, to name just a few, are all regular features in [...]

Our founder Katy Etherington has designed a range of unique Christmas Cards for PA Pool.  Visit the website to find out more and to place your order here. All proceeds from the sale of Katy’s cards go towards helping support the PA Pool website.  Our dedicated online resource for disabled and elderly people recruiting PA [...]

We have been contacted by Ricochet, one of Britain's leading independent television production companies with regards to their new TV series intended to challenge perceptions of disability and care. Are you young, disabled and stuck in a rut? Would finding the right carer broaden your horizons? Do you wish there were more young people like [...]

“I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul." These are words from William Earnest Henley's 1875 Invictus Poem which has become the anthem of the Invictus Games, and Prince Harry wasn’t the only one to be visibly moved on Wednesday evening!  One couldn’t fail to be inspired by the [...]

The personal assistance cafe provides support and information to disabled people, personal assistants and their families and carers. "I know I’m going to have a real conversation in the PA Cafe, not someone patronising me, and that conversation is going to point me in the right direction with the issue at hand." Independent Living Alternatives [...]