The results of a recent YouGov survey, believed to be one of the largest ever undertaken for the UK disability market, may offer £6bn worth of hope to the 10 million disabled people in the UK. Commissioned by Centaur Exhibitions, a survey of 2,047 people with a disability has shown that 30% have had at least one application for financial benefit refused with a staggering 90% of these individuals feeling that a fair assessment of their situation was not made by the Government with their application.
Centaur, organisers of enABLE 08 - the UK’s only national consumer show for people with disabilities, has vowed to address the situation at the unique two-day event which takes place in the Jaguar Exhibition Hall at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry on 28/29 November 2008. Working in partnership with Leonard Cheshire disability, a leading seminar programme has been developed for enABLE in which what is believed to be the UK’s largest piece of research into the needs and aspirations of the disabled community will be covered.
Among the topics to be addressed is Financial Entitlement, a procedure often seen as highly complicated and intimidating, which has resulted in an amazing £6bn of disability benefits being unclaimed in the UK each year. The seminar will guide visitors through the maze of grants and payments that may be available including Incapacity Benefits and Disability Living Allowances to people with disabilities and their carers.
Show Director Nick Noble explains; “The whole thinking behind enABLE 08 is inclusion. It is therefore important for us to look at all areas of need and concern for the 10 million people in the UK with disabilities. One of the primary concerns was financial entitlement and in these days of the credit crunch and with a massive £6bn of unclaimed disability benefits each year in the UK alone, it’s imperative that people with disabilities are given the opportunity to gain the financial support to which they’re entitled to improve their quality of life.
“Before we had the results of the YouGov survey we felt we had made the right decision in our choice of venue, seminar topics and the types of exhibitors we’re attracting. The results of the survey simply reinforces that those decisions were the right ones and we are determined to provide all the help, advice and guidance that people with disabilities deserve.
“Everybody knows someone with some kind of disability or physical impairment. We must encourage them and their carers to seek the financial aid they are entitled to. We at Centaur Exhibitions are confident that the topics of our seminars, some of which will be held by government representatives, some by high-profile disabled people, and others simply by everyday individuals with a disability or physical impairment will offer everything required.”
With more than 10 million disabled people in the UK, interestingly only slightly more than one in four (27%) of the 2,047 respondents actually consider themselves as having a disability. Half of them agreed that overcoming their disability to get more out of life was a major issue, 37% wanted simply to maintain the lifestyle they had before they became disabled and 40% wished to increase their mobility.
Over half of the total surveyed felt that the government does not provide enough support for their particular disability with a quarter of those claiming not to be informed about the services that are currently available from the relevant charity or organisation. More than four out of five (82%) of the total people surveyed have never received any assistance from an organisation or charity concerning their disability. At enABLE some of the UK’s major charities, offering expert advice, will be on hand to give the disabled community a showcase to address and tackle such key issues.
Other seminars being held at enABLE 08, including Work & Careers, Education, Holidays, Health & Support and Family Life will establish enABLE as the UK’s leading consumer disability show and credible information event.
Notes to Editors
To be held in the Jaguar Exhibition Hall at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry on 28-29 November 2008, the very first enABLE show will be free to attend and will meet the information needs of visitors while offering an engaging seminar programme. The Ricoh Arena, which offers the most disabled-accessible exhibition halls in the UK and thousands of parking spaces also boasts excellent travel links by car and train. Around 120 exhibitors will be at the show covering a wide range of areas from aids to holidays, from fitness equipment to health and beauty and training and recruitment to education. Visit the official website at www.enableshow.co.uk for further details.
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2047 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 4th - 8th September 2008. The survey was carried out online. The figures are unweighted.
For further information contact:
Emma Spearing
Tel: 01202 862 410 Mobile: 07736 341 828 E-mail: enABLEpr@hazelpr.com
Cathy Metcalfe
Tel: 01327 352 199 Mobile: 07802 332 398 E-mail: enABLEpr@hazelpr.com