Participation of disabled children and young people in decision making within social services departments: A survey of current and recent activities in England

A survey of all social services departments in England was undertaken in order to identify and investigate current work concerning the participation of disabled children within decision making regarding their own care and in service development. Developing a culture of, and good practice in, children's participation is integral to government policy. Results demonstrate that disabled children are being involved in a range of decision-making areas; however, participation is not yet embedded or sustained across all social services departments, and the involvement of disabled children at a higher strategic level is still rare. The participation of disabled children needs further development including more evidence on which factors can support and promote disabled children's effective participation

Listening and responding? Children's participation in health care within England

This article examines recent health policy developments in England in relation to children's rights under Article 12 and 13 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). It draws on practice and research literature to explore evidence regarding: children's participation both within decisions about their own care and concerning the development of health services, their access to mechanisms that allow them a voice, the provision of and need for accessible information, and factors which prevent or facilitate children's participation. The paper does not explore in detail issues concerning children's consent or competence to participate

‘I am more than just my label’: Rights, fights, validation and negotiation. Exploring theoretical debates on childhood disability with disabled young people

Through the creation of safe spaces in which to explore and challenge dominant negative views of disabled children and young people, this co-written paper presents unique insight into the meaning and impact upon disabled young people’s lives of medical lenses and deficit models of disability. Bodies of work and dominant debates in medical sociology, disability studies and childhood studies have so far largely overlooked the experiences and positioning of disabled children and young people and have rarely involved them in the development or discussion of theory. Drawing on empirical data, and through a series of creative, reflective workshops with a UK-based disabled young researchers’ collective (RIP:STARS), this paper discusses areas of theoretical importance identified by the disabled young researcher collective—the validation of their lives, negotiation of their identity and acceptance in society. The implications, and possibilities, of platforming disabled children and young people’s voices in theoretical debates are deliberated and are achieved through the yielding of privileged academic voice and the development of a symbiotic, genuine partnership which resonates with disabled young people and recognises them as experts in their own lives

Radiofrequency Power Density Measurements of Telecommunication Masts around Some Selected Areas in Delta State

The health implication associated with exposure from telecommunication masts is demanding attention due to the expansion of networks and base station installation. This study measures the power density from various telecommunication masts of the different network providers using a radiofrequency meter, an Electrosmog from LESSEMF, USA at a radial distance of 360m around some selected areas in Delta State. The readings obtained ranges from 0.03 µW/m-2 to 5.66 µW/m-2 .Comparing the result with the recommended international maximum permissible exposure limit of 107µW/m2 reveals that the exposure levels in these areas are low and as such not able to produce significant health risks among the people of these areas. Keywords: Power density, Health risks, exposur

Effects of low level military training flights on wading bird colonies in Florida

During 1983 and 1984 the effect of low level military training flights on the establishment. size and reproductive success of wading bird colonies was studied in Florida. Based on the indirect evidence of colony distributions and turnover rates in relation to military areas (training routes designated to 500 feet or less above ground level and military operations areas). there was no demonstrated effect of military activity on wading bird colony establishment or size on a statewide basis. Colony distributions were random with respect to military areas and turnover rates were within 2% when military and non-military areas were compared. Colony distributions and turnover rates, however. were related to the amount and type.Les tuer-tne or freshwater) of wetland. respectively. During two breeding seasons the behavioral responses and reproductive success of selected species were monitored in a non-habituated treatment colony (military overflights) and a control colony (no overflights). Breeding wading birds responded to F-16 overflights at 420 knots indicated airspeed. 82-84% maximum rpm. 500 feet above ground level and sound levels ranging from 55-100 dBA by exhibiting no response. looking up or changing position (usually to an alert posture): no productivity limiting responses were observed. High-nesting Great Egrets responded more than other species, nestling Great Egrets and Cattle Egrets responded significantly (r <.05) more intensely than adults of their respective species, and adults responded less during incubation and late chick-rearing than at other times. In addition, no differences in adult attendance, aggressive interactions or chick feeding rates were observed to result from F-16 overflights. No evidence of habituation to overflights was noted. Humans entering the colony or airboats approaching the colony vicinity elicited the most severe responses (flushing and panic flights) observed at both sites. Since relatively little coastal military activity occurs at low levels ( ~500 ft) and only one Brown Pelican colony (5-6% of the breeding population) was located in such an area, the reproductive success of five, more lIexposedll study species (Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Tricolored Herons, Little Blue Herons, Cattle Egrets) nesting in interior freshwater colonies was studied. Reproductive activity including such factors as nest success, nestling survival, nestling mortality, and nesting chronology was independent of F-16 overflights but related to ecological factors including colony location, colony characteristics and climatology. The responses to and effects of F-16 overflights, as reported here, should not be considered representative of military aircraft at lower altitudes or greater noise levels. (194 pages

Smoothing of sandpile surfaces after intermittent and continuous avalanches: three models in search of an experiment

We present and analyse in this paper three models of coupled continuum equations all united by a common theme: the intuitive notion that sandpile surfaces are left smoother by the propagation of avalanches across them. Two of these concern smoothing at the `bare' interface, appropriate to intermittent avalanche flow, while one of them models smoothing at the effective surface defined by a cloud of flowing grains across the `bare' interface, which is appropriate to the regime where avalanches flow continuously across the sandpile.Comment: 17 pages and 26 figures. Submitted to Physical Review

Protecting disabled children : what the latest research tells us

A recent study of child protection practice in Scotland suggests that disabled children fare less well in child protection services than their non-disabled peers. A group of academics highlight the lessons for social workers from the latest studies of safeguarding disabled children