latimes--2019-12-22--California disaster planning continues to forget people with disabilities, audit finds

California emergency officials are continuing to overlook the state’s most vulnerable people, including those with disabilities, as they make preparations for inevitable wildfires, floods and other disasters, according to a state audit released this month.  Residents who don’t speak English have been unable to find information in their language. Individuals who use wheelchairs or rely on electricity to power lifesaving equipment have found themselves unable to move and cut off from the outside world, trapped in part, the audit suggests, by state and county leaders’ inability to think ahead for emergencies.  The 145-page audit focused on the emergency alert, evacuation and shelter plans in place for the California Office of Emergency Services and Ventura, Sonoma and Butte counties ahead of their respective wildfire disasters in 2017 and 2018.  “Given the weaknesses we identified in the three counties’ plans and the struggles local jurisdictions have had in assisting people with these needs,” the audit said, “the state must take a more active role in ensuring that local jurisdictions maintain effective plans for responding to natural disasters.”  All three counties were found wanting, but the audit paid particular attention to California emergency services because of the office’s role in disseminating information downstream to counties and cities.  On that front, the state is not doing enough to protect its most vulnerable, the audit found.  “Although Cal OES has issued some guidance and tools for assisting local jurisdictions in developing emergency plans to meet access and functional needs, it has not done enough to fulfill its mission with respect to protecting these vulnerable populations,” the audit stated. “Specifically, Cal OES has not taken key steps to provide support to local jurisdictions.”  In general terms, support from the state to local jurisdictions takes the form of guidance before a disaster and then on-the-ground resources, if needed, during one. If there’s enough planning before a disaster occurs, the logic goes, there will be less stress on resources when it eventually unfolds.  But history has shown that California’s counties are not up to the task of preparing for disasters by themselves and that a standardized approach is needed. When plans fail, the most vulnerable citizens bear the brunt.  In last year’s Camp fire in and around Paradise, the overwhelming majority of the 86 people killed were senior citizens. The audit noted that people with certain access and functional needs are two to four times more likely to die as a result of a natural disaster, according to the United Nations.  So far, the audit suggests, vulnerable communities — such as non-English speakers or individuals with physical limitations — are being treated as an afterthought.  “I don’t think it’s any sort of nefarious plan, I think it is more implicit bias and not including vulnerable communities in the process,” said Belén Lopez-Grady, housing protection and policy analyst for the North Bay Organizing Project in Sonoma County, a grass-roots group with the mission of empowering marginalized communities. Disasters, she said, are exacerbating the hardship of people who “already were bearing the brunt of inequality.”  The audit pointed out that since 2013, Cal OES has been expected to update its State Emergency Plan to detail how local governments and nongovernment agencies should mobilize and evacuate people with disabilities or other access and functional needs. Those steps, or “best practices,” according to experts, should include advising counties on identifying and locating their vulnerable citizens before a disaster occurs, so precious minutes aren’t spent doing that during the emergency.  Instead, the audit said, Cal OES merely advised counties on how to mobilize their vulnerable residents without explicit guidance on locating and counting those residents beforehand. The guidance was also posted on the Cal OES website, but the state never notified anyone it was there.  The audit also faulted Cal OES for not doing more to help cities develop disaster registries of vulnerable residents, a recommendation that dates back 30 years. California’s three biggest utilities work off similar lists when shutting off power in order to ensure that those who need power keep it.  The audit’s findings weren’t a surprise to representatives from these vulnerable communities or one of the agency’s former employees.  “Cal OES has reduced itself to a low-performing paper mill, lining its shelves with ‘guidance’ documents but avoiding any attempt to improve the realities on the ground,” said Art Botterell, the agency’s former emergency services coordinator who retired in 2018. “How Cal OES addresses local emergency management practices reflects its leadership’s attitudes about the public they claim to serve.”  Defending itself, Cal OES argued that its State Emergency Plan is broad enough to cover all hazards and all people, so individuals with access and functional needs don’t require a specific carve-out.  “Rather, it addresses [vulnerable citizens] throughout the entirety of the document,” the agency said.  To underscore how seriously Cal OES considers vulnerable communities in its plans, officials pointed out that in 2008 — a year after deadly wildfires ravaged Southern California — it created the Office of Access and Functional Needs “to identify and integrate whole community needs before, during and after disasters.” The head of that office was also assigned his own support staff, Cal OES pointed out.  The problem, according to the audit, is that the state is relying on the person who leads the Office of Access and Functional Needs to represent all vulnerable communities on six of the seven state committees that handle emergency guidance. No matter how good that representative is at their job, they “cannot provide the same depth of insight” on specific needs as individuals with those actual needs, the audit stated.  “It’s really a very involved process when we pay attention to people with disabilities. It’s not a one-size-fits-all disability,” said Lillibeth Navarro, executive director of Communities Actively Living Independent & Free, a network of independent living centers serving people with disabilities in Los Angeles County. “Self-sufficiency is fine; I think it should be the norm for everybody. But we need a helping hand in terms of planning preparedness from the government side.”  Cal State Northridge professor Flavia Fleischer, chair of the university’s department of deaf studies, agreed with Navarro’s view.  “If we had the opportunity to provide input and if our input was readily incorporated, the communications issues … could be avoided,” she said.  The audit also criticized the state’s approach to multilingual messaging.  In January, a state law took effect requiring Cal OES to develop emergency guidance and notification templates in the state’s two most commonly spoken non-English languages: Spanish and Chinese, including Mandarin and Cantonese. The state finished translating messages into Spanish in September and released messages in 17 other languages in October.  The problem? It did not include an English translation for those messages, so county workers had no way of interpreting what the 17 messages said if they didn’t already speak those languages. To boot, the messages were highly specific, and the state did not provide translations for words such as “wildfire” or “earthquake” that could be put into templates for other kinds of scenarios.  Though the audit focused on three counties’ and the state’s approaches to emergencies, failing to consider vulnerable communities is a national and global problem, said Richard Skaff, executive director of Designing Accessible Communities. He became paralyzed in 1978 when a branch he was standing on while trimming a tree snapped and he fell to the ground. His first big action toward promoting inclusion was pushing for access for disabled riders of public transportation in San Francisco in 1987.  “I’ve spent the last 40 years trying to figure this out, and I’m probably going to die before I get an answer,” said Skaff, 75. “I don’t know what the answer is, and I’m sad about this. It shouldn’t have been this hard.”


liveaction--2019-08-11--Amazing Texas AM introduces program for students with disabilities

Amazing: Texas A&M introduces program for students with disabilities

People with disabilities have another pathway to future success, thanks to a new program launched at Texas A&M. The Aggie ACHIEVE program will give students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, like Down syndrome, the ability to experience the first inclusive four-year postsecondary education program in the state.  The program, which is residential, gives these students the chance to live on campus, attend classes, and join clubs and organizations — just like their typical peers. Dr. Carly Gilson, assistant professor of special education, was one of the people who pioneered the program.  “This is not meant to be a place to come get the college experience and then go back to what you were doing before,” she said in a statement. “The intention is to provide a rigorous education, academics and employment experience that will prepare these young adults to go out and work in the community in a job they are interested in that matches their strengths.”  Gilson wanted to make sure that Aggie ACHIEVE students would be included fully on campus. “We have a campus community of 60,000 students and we want to make sure that the students in Aggie ACHIEVE are going to be integrated fully into that campus community,” she said.  According to the university, the first two years will help students acclimate to Texas A&M through seminars helping them learn about independent living, career awareness and self-determination. They also will be required to audit credit courses. The final two years will be more career-focused, with career development and field specialization, including internships in the career field students are interested in.  WATCH: Pro-Life Replies counters the claim, ‘Babies with disabilities are better off aborted’  The students will also have ACHIEVEmates, current Texas A&M students who will build relationships to help further foster inclusion, and guide them through their college experience. ACHIEVEmates can work in four different areas, helping the students with academics, social skills and healthy eating, fitness, and organizational skills. But ACHIEVEmates aren’t being put into place solely for the benefit of the students with disabilities; it’s also to benefit the neurotypical student body, most of whom have little to no interaction with people with disabilities. “We want this to be something that, in addition to the direct population it serves, it also provides leadership and training opportunities for our current students,” Gilson said.  Through this inclusion, students — both neurotypical and with disabilities — will be able to forge relationships that will, hopefully, lead to the beginning of the end of ableist mindsets that lead people to see a life with disability as one that is not worth living.  Courtney Osburn is one of the students who will be entering the Aggie ACHIEVE program. Deprived of oxygen at birth, she was left with brain damage and an occasional stutter. She dreamed of going to Texas A&M, where her family has attended college for generations. “I hate when people say I can’t do something,” Osburn said to KVUE. “In my gut, I knew college was right for me. I’m ready to find out who I’m meant to be in life.”  Osburn’s mother, Beca, is likewise thrilled for her daughter to have this chance. “As a mother I am proud and I am grateful she has this opportunity to experience the world and figure out what it is she wants,” she said. “It means that she’s got an opportunity to blossom and follow her dreams.”  Currently attending a summer camp for people with disabilities on the Texas A&M campus, Osburn is working on preparing to begin college, already living in a dorm. “I love it,” she said. “It feels like family. I’m the one that gets to carry on my family tradition. It’s home.”  “Like” Live Action News on Facebook for more pro-life news and commentary!


liveaction--2019-10-08--‘A place to belong:’ Virginia bakery offers jobs for people with disabilities

For people with disabilities, meaningful employment that offers fair pay can be difficult to find. But slowly, businesses across the country are changing that. The latest example is Tablespoons Bakery in Richmond, Virginia.  The Next Move Program is a non-profit organization that partners with businesses to provide jobs and training for people with developmental disabilities. But their next big project is getting a lot of attention: a bakery that will serve as a training and employment site, and will also host community educational events and workshops. The bakery is scheduled to open in 2020, but already, the baking program has been launched.  Twice a month, Tablespoons students work with professional bakers, and are responsible for every step of the process, from taking inventory and ordering supplies, to baking the goods, selling them, and organizing catering. As the Next Move website explains, “They are exposed to many critical work and independent living skills like financial literacy, teamwork, customer service, kitchen safety, and measurements, all while making friends and having fun.”  It may seem like a small step, but these businesses are increasingly making a difference for people across the country. Amy Wright, founder of coffeeshop Bitty & Beau’s, was named CNN’s Hero of the Year for her work advocating for people with disabilities. Both of her children — Bitty and Beau — have Down syndrome, and she was inspired to take action when she learned that 70 percent of people with disabilities are unemployed, while even more are paid less than minimum wage. Other businesses, like Sweet Jordan’s and John’s Crazy Socks, are likewise paving the way to provide employment for people that society often overlooks. “We have something to contribute to society and our lives have value and meaning, just like everybody else,” Jordan St. John, of Sweet Jordan’s says on their company website. It is businesses like these that will not only lead to a better future for people with disabilities, but a more inclusive world — and that benefits everyone.  “We tell anyone who will listen about our program and our dreams of having our own bakery,” Cheyenne Jones, a student at Tablespoons, told CBS6 News. “A place to belong, grow, get, and give back. You cannot buy acceptance, friendship, love or community, but a cookie can open the door and the crumbs can lead the way.”  “Like” Live Action News on Facebook for more pro-life news and commentary!


npr--2019-02-25--Walmart Is Eliminating Greeters Workers With Disabilities Feel Targeted

Walmart Is Eliminating Greeters. Workers With Disabilities Feel Targeted

If you ask John Combs what his biggest worry is, he'll say: "How will I feed Red?"  Red is actually white. He's a labradoodle rescue, just tall enough for Combs to pet if he reaches over the armrest of his wheelchair. Combs, 42, has cerebral palsy. He has difficulty speaking. But he has no difficulty saying the line most Americans have heard at least once: "Welcome to Walmart!"  Combs has one of Walmart's trademark front-door jobs: He's a "people greeter" at a store in Vancouver, Wash. But, he was told, come April 25 his job is going away. And he is not alone. According to Walmart, greeters are being removed at about 1,000 stores around the country.  NPR has found that Walmart is changing the job requirements for front-door greeters in a way that appears to disproportionately affect workers with disabilities. Greeters with disabilities in five states told NPR they expect to lose their jobs after April 25 or 26.  Walmart is the largest private employer in the U.S. and has a large workforce of workers with disabilities. And the job of greeter has been a particularly attractive fit, as it isn't physically strenuous and is easy to learn.  But Walmart has been eliminating greeters and replacing them with "customer hosts," who have expanded responsibilities, such as taking care of security or assisting shoppers. The change is going into effect at the end of April. It is the latest wave in a policy that Walmart started in 2016. It has already affected about 1,000 stores.  According to interviews with workers and documents reviewed by NPR, to qualify for these new host positions, workers must be able to lift 25 pounds, clean up spills, collect carts and stand for long periods of time, among other things — tasks that can be impossible for people with disabilities. Workers say they've been told they must be able to climb a ladder to qualify for some of the other jobs at the store.  "I don't want to lose this job. This is a real job I have," says Combs, as he lets out a deep sigh. Four days a week, he wakes up at 6 a.m. to make it to work by 10. In October, his family threw him a party to mark his two-year anniversary at Walmart — even his sick mother celebrated.  Including Combs, five Walmart greeters with disabilities who fear they will lose their jobs in April have now spoken to NPR, either directly or through a family member. They are in Florida, Pennsylvania, Washington, Alabama and Maryland. The workers also said the changes were affecting their co-workers who are elderly or have disabilities.  In response to NPR's inquiry, Walmart acknowledged the effect on workers with disabilities. Spokesman Kory Lundberg said on Monday that the company will now give greeters with disabilities more time beyond April 25 to find new accommodations:  NPR has also learned of several complaints against Walmart with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, as well as a lawsuit — all by greeters with disabilities who previously lost their jobs after demands changed.  Walmart has reportedly filed a statement in two of the EEOC cases but had not provided a copy to NPR as of publication time. The company has not yet responded to the allegations in the lawsuit.  One EEOC claim was filed in October by two cousins in Michigan, both of whom use wheelchairs and say they lost their greeter jobs last year. Another has been filed in Wisconsin, where a former greeter says that last year, she was forced into a worse-paying and more physically demanding job. A third claim is pending in Texas, where a greeter with cerebral palsy says she has been on an extended leave of absence since her job changed in mid-2017. One more greeter, who lost his job in Utah in 2016, sued Walmart in January.  "We had heard isolated incidents in the past, maybe two in the last three years, but starting on Monday, we got an influx of calls," said Cheryl Bates-Harris, senior disability advocacy specialist at the National Disability Rights Network. That was Feb. 18, when the story of a greeter in Pennsylvania went viral on Facebook.  As of Friday, at least a dozen Walmart workers in seven states had reached out to local groups for help, Bates-Harris said. All of them had been told their job descriptions had changed recently or in the past.  None of the workers, their legal guardians or lawyers have seen any paperwork that explains the policy or its timeline, they told NPR.  Walmart had broadly explained its plan to eliminate greeters in a 2016 post, "Offering Customers More at the Door." Walmart says it expects more than 80 percent of affected greeters to be able to find new positions. (Note: Walmart is one of NPR's financial supporters.)  "It's been very stressful," said 32-year-old Mitchell, who says his job as a greeter is being eliminated in Alabama. He has done the job for four years. "It gives me a place to go every day, where I'm not sitting at home. I'm not one of these people in the wheelchair that want to draw Social Security. I'm able to work; I want to work; I want to be out in society."  NPR is not sharing Mitchell's last name because of his fear of retribution from management. Two other workers and their guardians similarly spoke to NPR only anonymously for fear of upsetting local managers.  The most widely shared story has been in Pennsylvania, where Adam Catlin, a Walmart greeter with cerebral palsy, is facing job loss after 10 years. Almost 4,000 comments have poured onto his mother's Facebook post, which asks people to call Walmart's corporate line to advocate for Catlin's employment.  "They told me that the job code would be changing, and I have to be able to stand up and lift 25 pounds," Catlin, 30, told NPR last week. "I asked them for suggestions and the manager said he didn't know what to tell me."  The legal implications are complicated and depend heavily on each store's response to each affected greeter.  The Americans With Disabilities Act does not preclude companies from changing their job descriptions and expected job functions as they see fit for their business goals.  Retailers are under a lot of pressure to keep down costs, and Walmart in particular has been jockeying for dominance against one of its biggest rivals, Amazon. In the last quarter, a notable chunk of Walmart's profits came from its online grocery business. And the chain does rely on the staff at the front of its stores to help shoppers load bags into their cars.  "An employer can change the nature of the job given its business needs, but then you still have the requirements to help a person, who's disabled, do that job," said Jonathan Mook, an employment lawyer at DiMuroGinsberg who specializes in the ADA.  He said an employer could offer the displaced worker an "equivalent" job, find ways to adjust the requirements to the worker or even grandfather in the long-term employees. But it's all at the company's discretion.  "What [the ADA] requires is an interactive process," Mook said, "some type of dialogue with the person with a disability, in terms of seeing whether or not there's something that could be done to help or enable that person to do the newly designed or newly configured job."  The ADA's requirement is for companies to provide "reasonable accommodations" for workers with disabilities facing changing job demands, as long as the worker can perform the "essential functions" of the job. And the question of whether stores satisfy this standard will have to be answered on an individual basis.  In the case of Combs in Washington, his sister Rachel Wasser said the store has not offered any new positions or severance. As for Catlin from Pennsylvania, Walmart has met with him and his family, but they have not reached any resolution yet.  In the lawsuit filed in Utah, former greeter Manase Yokwe alleges that in mid-2016, greeters were asked to raise their hands if they couldn't work while standing — and those who did were later asked to consider severance agreements. Yokwe's lawsuit also alleges that at least two other greeters with disabilities did not get new jobs at the store.  In Michigan, cousins John and Joe Wirth, both of whom use wheelchairs and have filed an EEOC claim against Walmart, say their local manager did not help them find new jobs at the store when their greeter positions were phased out.  They also claim they were pressured to sign papers saying their departure was voluntary, to receive their final paychecks. In Joe Wirth's separation notice provided to NPR, an inscription says he was leaving for "career opportunities."  The Wirths also provided a statement from their former co-worker, a third greeter with disability, who also lost his job last April after 12 years at the store.  "I don't think they're really invested in the greeters, and that's a shame," said John Wirth, 36. On his last day at Walmart in April, he said he took his usual two buses to clock in, only to discover his badge didn't work. He was told to turn in his yellow vest, badge and five-year pin. "They maybe said good luck with whatever you decide to do," he said. "And that's after almost 12 years."  Walmart has had a complicated history as an employer of people with disabilities. It has had a "Diversity and Inclusion" initiative since 2003 and has executives dedicated to disability inclusion. In a 2017 report, it said it received a top score on the "Disability Equality Index" for two years in a row. The index is assessed by a group of disability advocates and business leaders. Walmart also said it was "named a 'DEI Best Places to Work,' in recognition of enterprise-wide initiatives focused on advancing disability inclusion."  But the company has also historically faced a slew of ADA lawsuits and in 2001 reached a $6.8 million nationwide consent decree with the EEOC as it settled 13 ADA cases related to disability-related questions it asked job applicants in a "pre-employment questionnaire." In 2005, Walmart faced outcry over a leaked internal memo that proposed cutting soaring health costs by, among other things, requiring that all jobs include some physical activity.  The workers and their families feel devastated by the latest eliminations of greeter jobs. Fred Wirth — Joe's father — said his son felt stabbed in the back after serving six years at Walmart. "I'll tell you our view is we think it's just a systematic way of getting rid of all the disabled people," Fred Wirth said. "Whether that's right, wrong or indifferent, that's how we kind of saw it."  NPR researcher Will Chase contributed to this report.


thedailycaller--2019-01-27--People With Disabilities Are Coming Back Into The Workforce

Disabled persons are entering the workforce as overall unemployment rates drop and companies consider an expanded pool of potential job applicants for entry-level and essential positions.  Persons with disabilities have long been sidelined and unable to find employment, due in part to stigma and from an inability to perform tasks as quickly or accurately as their able-bodied peers. That trend has steadily changed since 2011, marking a significant change in the makeup of the American labor force.  A tight economy with an extremely low unemployment rate is benefiting all workers, but especially workers with disabilities, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday. The unemployment rate in the U.S. is currently 3.9 percent, the lowest reported rate since 1969, according to WSJ. Those unemployment numbers have allowed a large swath of disabled persons to seek and find work.  The monthly rate of unemployment for disabled persons fell nearly 5 percent between 2014 and 2018, according to data from the Labor Department. Unemployment rates for both disabled and non-disabled persons have dropped significantly since 2011, tracking similarly, the data reveal.  The unemployment rate for the disabled is dropping more precipitously than the rate for able-bodied persons, according to WSJ. The number of U.S. workers applying for and receiving federal disability benefits is also dropping as employment rates for disabled persons increase.  “This is really quite a dramatic turnaround,” said Harvard Medical School economist Nicole Maestas, WSJ reported. “Employment among people with disabilities had been declining for a really long time — now it’s not. And it’s not transitory. It’s been increasing for a few years,” Maestas added.  A dearth of Social Security disability benefits granted to applicants has also pushed disabled persons to seek employment. “A smaller share of people are getting on the program, and that is causing people to not apply and instead to seek alternatives,” Massachusetts Institute of Technology economist David Autor said, according to WSJ.  As the marketplace continues to grow, companies are increasingly needing workers to fill entry-level positions that other more qualified able-bodied persons won’t apply for. “For many of our entry-level positions, there’s not enough people going into those roles,” said Jill Day, a senior talent acquisition leader, WSJ reported. “There’s an enormous number of people with disabilities who are hungry to work and want to contribute,” Day said.  “In a tight labor market, employers who usually might not hire some of these people are reaching [deeper] in the queue,” Georgetown University professor Harry Holzer said, according to USA Today.  Persons with disabilities can have “splinter skills,” or functions that they perform especially well. Persons with autism can focus extremely well on repetitive monotonous tasks, according to experts. (RELATED: Opinion: We Expect Too Little From People With Disabilities)  Disabled persons are also more likely to be self-employed than able-bodied workers, according to Labor Department data.  Black people, Latinos and those without a college education are also increasingly finding work, according to WSJ.  Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.


theindependent--2019-01-10--Stop sweeping poor-quality care for people with learning disabilities under the rug

The number of children with a learning disability or autism detained in institutions has more than doubled since 2015. We challenge the NHS’s explanation that this is due to changes in data collection – we’ve heard too many stories of people being restrained to believe it.  For far too long people with learning disabilities have been unnecessarily detained in institutions, denied access to the quality of care they deserve.  The steps taken to reduce institutionalisation since the Winterbourne View hospital abuse scandal have made only minor progress. A lack of clarity around leadership and accountability means the fate of thousands of people trapped in institutions lies in a delicate balance.  Unfortunately, sufficient funding from local authorities is a pipe dream until pressures on social care budgets have been resolved – for which we look to the much-delayed social care green paper.  The NHS England long-term plan does little to convince us that the needs of the people trapped in institutions will be met.  This is simply not good enough – especially when we know what the solutions are. We need to radically change the approach.  We urgently look to government to ring-fence funding to develop community services that fully meet the needs of the people they support. Many good providers and individuals are ready and waiting to provide this, but need upfront funding.  Until this becomes a reality, we will continue to go around in circles.  I disagree with Tom Peck’s argument in his article “We now know John Bercow is as out of control as Brexit itself”. The speaker rightly warned the prime minister at the time that cancelling the vote on the Brexit deal would have consequences.  Clearly, it was a ruse to bully MPs into compliance by running down the clock. Bercow has burst that bubble by sticking to the original timetable. I see this as the very height of good and brave speakership.  On the other hand, it is quite clear from the conduct of those both inside and outside the House of Commons who support the result of the referendum, despite its glaring illegitimacy, that ignoring the currently expressed will of the electorate and bullying anyone who stands in the way of their corrupt conduct, is fine by them.  For you to complain about the actions of the speaker, as you did yesterday, is breathtaking given how your government has behaved in the past two years as we navigate through Brexit.  Firstly you tried to ensure that parliament had no say before Article 50 was triggered.  You attempted to avoid publishing Brexit impact assessments and later legal advice on the draft withdrawal agreement.  Honours were offered to some truculent MPs in order to buy them off.  Finally, you pulled a vote on the deal in December having categorically told the country that there would be a meaningful vote before Christmas.  I therefore don’t think with respect that you are in any position to throw stones at John Bercow until your own house is put in order.  It is evident that Theresa May has reached her current impasse because from the start she has primarily sought to appease the hardline Brexiteers who, as they have shown, do not command anything close to a majority and yet still reject compromise.  Once the vote on her deal is lost and she returns to parliament she should declare that, in the absence of agreement, she now plans to actively and genuinely reach out to all sides: Remainers, Leavers, left and right with a view to seeking compromise and consensus.  In order to create time and space for sensible debate, she would have to temporarily withdraw Article 50 and her red lines. By doing so, she would show pragmatism and statesmanship and might just provide space for an agreement that the country finds acceptable to be reached.  Your leader “We should not allow the threat of violence to disrupt our democracy” stated that “no referendum can shut down debate or stop people thinking – and, for that matter, rethinking – their views”.  I am very tired of the 2016 referendum result being referred to as a “win” for Leave and a “loss” for Remain. It was an exercise in ascertaining the views of voters, not a football match to be won or lost.  Slightly more voters, at the time, were in favour of Leave. This does not mean that those in favour of Remain have forfeited our right to representation forever. We elect parliamentarians to represent us – all of us – not just the half who voted a particular way.  I want MPs to care about my views too. And I want an opportunity to restate them – a fair opportunity to restate them, alongside all the people who voted Leave. Equal representation. Fair. Democratic.     The Independent has launched its #FinalSay campaign to demand that voters are given a voice on the final Brexit deal.      Sign our petition here


theirishtimes--2019-10-07--Discrimination against people with disabilities ‘persistent,’ Logan says

Workplace discrimination against people with disabilities is “persistent, pernicious and prevalent in Ireland,” the head of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) has said.  Emily Logan, IHREC chief commissioner, said latest Central Statistics Office figures showed people with disabilities were more than twice as likely to be unemployed than those without a disability.


theirishtimes--2019-11-19--Schools to be banned from asking about children’s disabilities by 2021

Schools will be prohibited within the next two years from asking parents during enrolment whether their children have disabilities, Minister for Education Joe McHugh has pledged.  The move is aimed at helping to remove “soft barriers” which parents of special-needs pupils face when trying to find school places for their children.  It would represent a major change in enrolment policy for most schools who routinely ask parents for details of any special or additional needs.  Schools argue that this information is crucial in determining whether they have the expertise or capacity to cater to the needs of children.  The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) formally recommended the move to Mr McHugh in a report published on Tuesday. The measure is provided for under the Education (Admissions to Schools) Act 2018.  A spokesman for Mr McHugh said the Department of Education was consulting with education partners in relation to the move.  “The Minister has said that he intends to commence the remaining provisions of the Act so that they will apply to applications for enrolment for the 2021/22 school year,” he added.  In a radical move, the NCSE report also says the State should consider moving to a “total inclusion” model, where all children are placed in mainstream schools, regardless of their level of disability.  It says Ireland may be in breach of a UN convention by “segregating” up to 16,000 special pupils into special schools and special classes.  It says all children should be educated together, with the right supports in place, unless there is strong evidence to support a different approach.  It is to engage in further discussion and consultation before finalising policy advice for the Minister in June 2020.  Mr McHugh said any decision about whether to move towards greater inclusion of all students in mainstream requires “very careful consideration”.  “This is a long-term vision and it is important to say that if any change is to be made it will have to happen gradually and by putting the needs of children with the most complex needs at the heart of this,” he said.  The response to introducing a total inclusion approach has been very mixed.  Adam Harris, chief executive of the autism charity AsIAm, said while every child should be accepted in every school many children are not receiving the support they need either in mainstream schools or special classes.  “This is due to the fact that, without changing school culture, providing mandatory teacher training and changing how we assess outcomes, we will never have a universally inclusive system,” he said.  “We cannot close special schools and classes until we are satisfied that every child will have their needs met in mainstream settings, their rights enshrined and their support needs recognised.”  A policy of full inclusion has been in place in the Canadian province of New Brunswick, where there are no special schools and no special classes.  The province’s former minister for education, Jody Carr, said the roots of the policy extend back to the 1980s when legislation was enacted to phase out special schools.  He said research in Canada indicated that students in special settings achieved less favourable longer-term outcomes than their peers in mainstream.  In addition, he said research found that inclusion did not negatively impact on students without special educational needs.  “Fundamentally, it’s a human rights issue: having access to public school and education . . . everyone should have an equal opportunity to the same high quality education as all other children,” he said.


thesun--2019-12-28--Over 13,000 Brits with hidden disabilities have been granted blue badge parking permits

Thousands of people with hidden disabilities have been given blue badge parking permits since new rules were introduced, the Department for Transport (DfT) said.  The scheme's eligibility criteria in England were expanded in August to include people with conditions such as Parkinson's, dementia and epilepsy.  This was the biggest change to blue badges since they were introduced in 1970.  In the first three months under the amended rules, 12,299 new badges - around 130 a day - were granted to people who cannot walk as part of a journey without "considerable psychological distress" or the risk of "serious harm".  Depending on the location, the permits often enable holders to park free of charge in pay-and-display bays and for up to three hours on yellow lines, while in London they exempt holders from the Congestion Charge.  This helps people access shops and services by allowing them to park closer to their destinations.  Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said people with hidden conditions endure the "psychological worry that others may not recognise them as disabled".  He went on: "I'm proud that our reform is already changing thousands of people's lives, allowing those in need to carry on their daily lives with more confidence and helping combat loneliness and isolation."  Samantha Tomlin, whose son Henry has autism and is a new recipient of a blue badge, said: "When my son was younger sometimes I didn't go out because I just couldn't face trying to find a safe place to park near the shop or doctors."  "Having the blue badge just makes you feel slightly less anxious about the situation and feel your child is safer."  "It will make a huge difference to parents going through the early years and those with older children and adults that suffer with all the challenges autism brings."  DfT figures published earlier this month showed prosecutions of motorists misusing blue badges reached 1,432 in the year ending on March 31, up nearly a fifth compared with the previous 12 months.  Nearly all the cases involved someone using another person's badge. • GOT a story? RING The Sun 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP 07423720250 or EMAIL exclusive@the-sun.co.uk


hitandrun--2019-12-06--Although Teenagers Are 80% Less Likely to Smoke Than They Were in 1999, the CDC Insists No Progress

Although Teenagers Are 80% Less Likely to Smoke Than They Were in 1999, the CDC Insists No Progress Has Been Made

Brian King, deputy director of the Office on Smoking at Health at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), claims the latest survey data on teen tobacco consumption "indicate that past progress in reducing youth use of these products has been erased." That is true only if you define tobacco-free e-cigarettes as "tobacco products," which the CDC does, and if you ignore the enormous difference between the hazards of smoking and the hazards of vaping, which the CDC also does.  An article about the 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS), published yesterday in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, highlights the rising popularity of e-cigarettes among teenagers. The share of high school students who reported using e-cigarettes in the previous month jumped from 11.7 percent in 2017 to 20.8 percent in 2018. It rose again this year, from 20.8 percent to 27.5 percent, although the CDC cautions that the difference may be partly or entirely due to changes in question wording and survey methods. (The NYTS, previously conducted on paper, went electronic this year.) "Direct attribution of this change to actual increases in product use is not possible because changes made to the 2019 survey could also lead to higher estimates of use," the article says. The Food and Drug Administration nevertheless cited that possibly illusory increase in adolescent vaping as a justification for its proposed ban on flavored e-cigarettes.  Despite alarmist warnings about "a whole generation of young people" who supposedly got hooked on nicotine through e-cigarettes, just 9 percent of high school students reported vaping on 20 or more days in the previous month this year, while less than 6 percent reported vaping every day. Furthermore, frequent vaping is concentrated among teenagers who also have smoked. In the 2018 NYTS, just 1 percent of teenagers with no history of tobacco use reported vaping frequently. That fact suggests that teenagers who might otherwise be smoking are vaping instead.  Buried deep in the NYTS report is the fact that "in 2019, the prevalence of cigarette smoking among youths was the lowest ever captured by the NYTS since 1999," the first year the survey was conducted. During that period, the prevalence of past-month cigarette smoking among high school students fell from 28.5 percent to 5.8 percent. That downward trend not only continued but accelerated as vaping took off, which again suggests that e-cigarettes are replacing the conventional, combustible kind.  Today high school students are about as likely to vape as they were to smoke in 1999, but they are 80 percent less likely to smoke. Since vaping is something like 95 percent less dangerous than smoking (according to an estimate endorsed by Public Health England), that shift represents a huge improvement in terms of health risks. But according to the CDC, the situation is no better today than it was in 1999! The rise of vaping, the CDC's Brian King says, has "erased" all "past progress." That position makes no sense if the CDC is actually trying to prevent disease, as the agency's name implies.  King also insists that e-cigarettes "have no redeeming aspects among youth." But that is obviously not true for teenagers who would otherwise be smoking.  The CDC worries that "misperceptions about the harm from tobacco product use…remained prevalent in 2019." It is referring to the percentages of teenagers who believe that occasional use of tobacco products causes "little harm." Since that happens to be true, describing this belief as a "misperception" is rather odd. The CDC wants teenagers to say that occasional use of tobacco products causes "a lot of harm" (as most of them did), even though that is not accurate, especially as applied to e-cigarettes.  If anyone is misperceiving (or misportraying) the harm from tobacco product use, it's the CDC, which insists there is no meaningful difference, from a public health perspective, between a society in which 28 percent of high school students smoke and a society in which 28 percent of them vape. That position is scientifically indefensible and inconsistent with the agency's ostensible mission.


theguardianuk--2019-02-15--Giving teenagers condoms does not lead to promiscuity or cut pregnancy rates

Giving teenagers condoms does not lead to promiscuity – or cut pregnancy rates

Making condoms available to teenagers at school does not make them more promiscuous – but neither does it reduce teenage pregnancy rates.  According to a major review by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), giving out condoms in secondary schools does not increase sexual activity, or encourage young people to have sex at an earlier age.  The research, thought to be the largest review of scientific literature on the issue, found that introducing condoms to schools reduced sexually transmitted infections (STIs).  The review recommended further investigation into the impact of school condom schemes on HIV and teenage pregnancies. Many of the studies were conducted in wealthy countries where such rates were already low, or where teenagers had access to other forms of birth control, researchers said.  The researchers concluded that once condom programmes are in place in schools, students use them – and that this improves sexual health. If such schemes were introduced in countries where students face a higher risk of HIV and early pregnancy, the benefits were likely to be even greater, said Bidia Deperthes, senior HIV prevention adviser for the UNFPA.  The number of adolescents living with HIV rose by a third between 2005 and 2016. Aids is the leading cause of death among young people aged 10-24 in Africa, and the second leading cause globally.  Fears that condom schemes will increase promiscuity are misplaced, the study added. In some cases, students with access to condoms at school reported having fewer sexual partners.  Experts hope the review, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, will prompt more governments to introduce condoms in schools, as part of efforts to tackle high HIV, STIs and teenage pregnancy rates.  “We are struggling to [stop] the high increase of HIV among teenagers and mainly among girls,” said Deperthes. “Seven out of 10 young people who get infected happen to be a girl.”  Countries such as the Philippines have considered introducing condoms in schools, but faced opposition from religious leaders and parents.  “Policies can’t just be forced on to parents, on to communities, you need to be smart at it and engage in dialogue little by little to make changes,” said Deperthes. “Parental consent is very necessary, we’re talking about places where religion is very strong when it comes to teenagers having sexuality.”  The review looked at three measures to examine if condoms in schools promoted promiscuity: sexual activity, number of sexual partners and age of sexual initiation. It concluded that such programmes did not lead to an increase in the first two measures.  School condom programmes also did not encourage young people to have sex at an earlier age, according to the review, which included 29 articles from seven countries and was produced by the UNFPA and experts at Harvard and Yale universities.  Such programmes should be introduced alongside comprehensive sexuality education in schools, added Deperthes. “We found that when you make provision of condoms in schools, the impact on health outcome is even stronger,” she said. “Putting them in a corner and expecting it to do the job, is not going to happen.”


theguardianuk--2019-05-02--British teenagers able to apply for free EU rail passes despite Brexit

British 18-year-olds can apply for a free rail pass awarded by the European Union despite the looming Brexit deadline.  The European commission announced on Thursday that 18-year-olds in the EU could apply for 20,000 “DiscoverEU” passes that allow travel to one or more countries, a repeat of the oversubscribed ticket giveaway launched last year.  Successful applicants will have to take their trip, of up to 30 days, between 1 August 2019 and 31 January 2020. British 18-year-olds can apply for tickets, although the UK is scheduled to quit the EU on 31 October.  The latest competition is open to people born between 2 July 2000 and 1 July 2001. Applicants have until 12 noon central European summer time (11am BST) on 16 May to complete the online application, which includes a short quiz. An EU selection panel will rule on applications, which can be made by individuals or groups of up to five people.  In 2018, nearly 30,000 young people were awarded tickets, including 3,726 British teenagers. Successful applicants are expected to become “ambassadors” for the scheme and post about their travels on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Participants are also encouraged to write a travel journal.  While the EU pays for transport, it does not cover the cost of accommodation or travel insurance. Nor does it make bookings or arrange itineraries. People with reduced mobility or special needs may be awarded extra financial help, which will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.  Unsuccessful applicants will have another chance to apply for tickets in a second round later in 2019.  The latest ticket giveaway comes weeks before European elections that traditionally struggle to attract voters to the ballot box. Noting the timing, Tibor Navracsics, the European commissioner for education, culture, youth and sports, said he hoped that becoming part of DiscoverEU would “inspire young people to become engaged in their communities and become ambassadors for Europe. Whether it’s voting in the European parliament elections, encouraging their peers to do the same, or working with us to build lively societies”.  The EU executive wants to make the scheme permanent and is lobbying for €700m to be carved out of the next EU budget to pay for tickets for 1.5 million young people over seven years. The final decision will be made by EU leaders, with input from the European parliament.  Once the UK leaves the EU, British nationals will no longer be automatically eligible to take part in European programmes, such as the Erasmus student exchange. Commission sources declined to speculate about what could happen to British eligibility for free train passes after Brexit.


theindependent--2019-02-28--Generation Z teenagers have more mental health problems despite drops in smoking drugs and antisoci

Generation Z teenagers have more mental health problems despite drops in smoking, drugs and antisocial behaviour

Mental health problems and self-harm are on the rise among British teenagers despite significant decreases in antisocial behaviour and substance use, a long-running study has found.  Depressive symptoms among “Generation Z” – teenagers born at the turn of the millennium – are around two-thirds higher than the “millennial generation” born in the early nineties.  They are also more likely to self-harm, suffer from poor body image, skip sleep and be overweight, according to the research from University College London.  But other behaviours associated with poor physical and mental health, including smoking, drug and alcohol use, and vandalism have declined.  “It has seemed for a while that mental health difficulties in young people are on the rise, but this study really highlights the scale at which this increase might be occurring,” said Dr Suzanne Gage, co-author of the study.  The findings come from analysis of two studies, the Millennium Cohort, which follows 11,000 young people born in 2000-01 and the Children of the 90s study, which has followed 5,600 people since 1991-1992.  Both groups were asked identical questions at the age of 14 to minimise differences in how depression was measured, Dr Gage added.  The study found 14.8 per cent of 14-year-olds in 2015 said they were depressed, compared to 9 per cent in 2005. While 14.4 per cent of young people said they had self-harmed, compared to 11.8 per cent a decade ago.  The study comes in the wake of a government vow to crack down on harmful content on social media sites following the death of 14-year-old Molly Russell, who took her own life in 2017.  Her father has said Instagram helped to kill his daughter after he found she had been viewing graphic images of self-harm on the site. By some estimates one-in-four teenage girls have self-harmed in the past year.  While girls from both groups were more likely than boys to be depressed and to self-harm, the rate at which these problems were rising was the same for both genders, researchers said.  In 2005 more than 52 per cent of those born in the early 1990s had tried alcohol by 14, compared with less than 44 per cent in 2015. The study also found rates of 14-year-olds punching or kicking someone on purpose have dropped from 40 per cent to 28 per cent, and teenagers committing acts of vandalism have decreased from 6 per cent to 2 per cent.  “The increasing trends of poor sleep, obesity and negative body image might help explain rising mental health difficulties experienced by young people,” said fellow author Dr Praveetha Patalay.  “Where the trends are moving in opposite directions – decreasing substance use and antisocial behaviour – the interpretation becomes more complicated.”  Dr Bernadka Dubicka, chairwoman of the child and adolescent faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: “This study is a wake-up call to the different pressures today’s teenagers are under and the impact these may have on their mental health.”  She said there was an urgent need to increase mental health support staff to meet these growing demands.  We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view.  At The Independent, no one tells us what to write. That’s why, in an era of political lies and Brexit bias, more readers are turning to an independent source. Subscribe from just 15p a day for extra exclusives, events and ebooks – all with no ads.


theindependent--2019-06-21--UK teenagers far less likely to have underage sex than a decade ago study shows

UK teenagers far less likely to have underage sex than a decade ago, study shows

British teenagers are far less likely to have sex while underage than those born just a decade earlier, a study has found.  One in 30 (3.2 per cent) “Generation Z” 14-year-olds had engaged in “heavy” intimate activities, including oral sex and penetrative intercourse, the University College London research found.  “Previous studies have shown us that 30 per cent of those born in the 1980s and 1990s had sex before the age of 16, and that among those born in the early 1990s a little under one in five had done so by age 15,” said Professor Yvonne Kelly, lead author of the research published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.  But this study, albeit in a slightly younger group, “paints a rather different picture of this latest generation”, she added.  “Compared with previous generations it looks like fewer 14-year-olds are having sex,” she told The Independent. “We know from other studies that rates of teenage pregnancy have dramatically reduced in recent decades too.  The researchers used data from the Millennium Cohort Study, which is following 11,000 people in the UK born between September 2000 and 2002.  They also asked about less intimate acts, which it said form the “pathway” to sexual intercourse. They found that 59 per cent of respondents said they had engaged in “light” intimacy, such as hugging, kissing or holding hands with a partner.  Around 7.5 per cent of the respondents said they had engaged in “moderate” intimate activity, described by researchers as “under clothes fondling”.  The findings show the importance of comprehensive sex and relationship education, the authors said. Previous research suggests that only one fifth of girls and a third of boys are “sexually competent” at this age, meaning they both parties felt “ready”, enjoyed it, and weren’t pressured in to sex.  This is important because a negative first sexual experience “could affect them for the rest of their lives”, Professor Kelly said.  The rise of smartphones and social media has led to fears that online relationships are squeezing out the traditional teenage window for experimentation.  NHS data has also shown that British schoolchildren are less likely to drink or take drugs than ever before and some research suggests they now prefer “family time to sex”.  “Experimentation and pushing boundaries is all part and parcel of growing up,” Professor Kelly said.  “Young people who push many boundaries at once – those who drink, smoke or stay out late, for instance – are more likely to engage in early sexual activity.”


themanchestereveningnews--2019-02-06--200 secret internet terms teenagers use - and parents need to know

Police have revealed more than 200 terms teenagers have been using online to communicate - many of which will be unknown to parents.  The huge list has been divided into three different categories - ranging from 'Fun' terms, to 'Warning flags', Nottinghamshire Live reports.  Nottinghamshire Police released the 228 total terms that include acronyms, hastags and abbreviations which may be a "cause for concern".  The police say it is hoped this list will allow parents and guardians to understand more of what is happening under their noses, particularly as rooming has become "easier" in the technological age.  Police published the list on Safer Internet Day and advised parents that they are "aware of the risks of some of the main social networking sites".  A lot of them will already be know to parents and kids alike, but there will be plenty more that you may never have heard or seen before.  Read all three lists below:  Safer Internet Day is co-ordinated in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre and hundreds of organisations get involved to promote the safe use of digital technology for children and young people.  Children's charity the NSPCC emphasised the importance of keeping up-to-date with online content.  An NSPCC spokesman said: “One of the best ways for parents to keep their children safe online and spot risks is to open up conversations about their online lives.  “It is important for parents to keep up-to-date with the type of content, features and risks, as well as know the minimum age of the sites and games their children are using.  "Particularly, when we know one in four young people have been contacted over social media by an adult they don't know, with a third of these children 13 and under.  “One of the ways we, in partnership with O2, are helping parents keep updated with their children’s online lives is through our Net Aware site which reviews the 50 most popular apps, sites and games their children are using.”


thesun--2019-04-05--British teenagers are taught about porn draw willies in class and play with glow-in-the-dark condom

British teenagers are taught about porn, draw willies in class and play with glow-in-the-dark condoms as part of new sex education test

Perhaps the most surprising was their visit to a primary school, in which children in Year One were talking about gay relationships.  Last week, MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of teaching about LGBT relationships as part of the new RSE - Relationships and Sex Education - coming into force in English schools from September 2020.  It is the first time the curriculum has been updated in nearly 20 years, and will mean pupils of all ages will be taught about sexual orientation and gender identity.  The idea of children as young as four learning about gay and lesbian relationships has sparked protests in the Midlands. And last week, The Sun met Muslim demonstrators outside Birmingham’s Anderton Park Primary School, whose leaflets read: “We do NOT believe in homosexuality. Parents do NOT want their children’s belief changed.” 'When I was six I thought sex was a swear word'  But in a class of six-year-olds in the Netherlands, the children are familiar with same-sex relationships. One little girl says her aunties are having a baby together. “They got a seed from the hospital from a boy,” she explains. They nod in agreement when the teacher asks if a woman can be in love with another woman. She says: “When the gay subject came up, it was surprising because I didn’t think they would know. And they were so accepting.” Munashe adds: “When I was six, I thought ‘sex’ was a swear word.” And Finn, 15, from Gloucester, who is gay, notes that the youngsters knowledge compared to their peers in the UK “puts us to shame.”  At the Nemo museum in Amsterdam, where they all take part in a Sex IQ test, pink-haired Mimi is gobsmacked when she incorrectly assumes the size of a man’s feet indicates the length of his willy. “Guys, I did not know it was a myth!” says Mimi, who is in a long-term relationship. “At school, we learned, ‘You can get pregnant, don’t do it, and stay away from boys.’” And when the teens are asked what a vulva is, there are blank looks all round. Confusing a couple of vowels, Lizzie says: “It sounds like a car company.” At Willem Blaeu secondary school, they are given plastic penises and asked to practise putting condoms on.  'Don't let them near your penis!' Two of the girls rather heavy-handed approach leads Joe to joke: “Don’t let them near your penis.” It’s all as familiar as windmills and clogs to the natives, though. One Dutch lad says: “We’re very chilled because we’ve already had a lot of lessons on this kind of subject.” And the teacher says that although there is often a lot of giggling in the first such lesson, it quickly dies down as they talk more about STIs and consent. Asked why it’s so important for teenagers to have such classes, she says: “It’s important you know how to protect yourself, so you have the information and it’s up to you what you do with it. I’d prefer to say wait until you’re ready for it, and if you’re not ready then just say no.”  At the school, the visitors host a “coming out party” complete with glitter, rainbow flags and a drag queen. It’s a chance for Alys, who identifies as pansexual, and Finn to celebrate. Munashe sits at the back, looking rather uncomfortable. He does, however, praise the Dutch approach to homosexuality. The Nottingham teen said: “I think teaching young kids about homosexuality is very important so that when they first come across any situation involving homosexuality, they can handle it positively. “I think the fact that they were taught at a young age that it’s fine to be homosexual means that it eliminates homophobia. It definitely shows a promising future.”  Mimi agrees. She says: “I feel like I grew up learning a lot of urban myths about sex. I missed out on sex education because I moved schools, and we don’t have that sort of open relationship to talk about it at home. What I learned was from talking to friends. “The internet is a fantastic place but it’s also a dangerous place. I think it’s important to get in front of the issue of sex by talking to children about it, rather than them finding out about it from the internet.” And then of course, there was the genitalia drawing class. It’s run by illustrator Hilde Atalanta (corr) who started The Vulva Gallery online in 2016 because she was so appalled at the number of girls and women considering labiaplasty to achieve the “perfect” privates.  Her idea is to celebrate our differences, and show young people that the bodies they might see in porn are not reflective of the larger population. Munashe says: “It taught us nobody’s body is the same, therefore you can’t judge yourself for not having the ‘ideal body’ because quite frankly there is no such thing as the ideal body.” By the end, those who had participated were proudly showing off their works of art. And they learned one final lesson: a vulva is most definitely not a car. Mimi On A Mission: Sex Ed, is available as a box set on Friday 5 April, exclusive to BBC iPlayer.


thesun--2019-04-19--How to keep teenagers entertained over Easter from football to racing

IT can be hard to keep older grandchildren entertained during the Easter holidays.  We share tips and staycation ideas to keep everyone happy.  Q: I’M looking after my 14-year-old grandson for five days. Can you advise me on days out for him and his fairly fit granny of 66?  I don’t do theme park rides – but he is into cars and football. Patricia Wheatley, Durham  A: How about a trip to the ground where the England football team trains?  From just £9pp you can go on a behind-the-scenes on a tour of St George’s Park, the Football Association’s National Football Centre and world-class training facilities in Burton upon Trent, Staffs.  Highlights include a Sir Bobby Charlton Wembley replica pitch, access to elite changing rooms, the autograph wall signed by famous visitors, and a human performance lab. See thefa.com.  If you want to make a short weekend break out of your time together then why not head down to Beaulieu National Motor Museum.  And if you fancy getting active, Beaulieu-based New Forest Activities has a Woodland Adventure Day costing £60 per adult and £25 per child for a full day of activities including bushcraft, archery and high ropes.  What 14-year-old doesn’t want to get behind the wheel of a real car? At Newcastle Racecourse your grandson can do just that (just don’t tell his parents). There’s a road system with roundabouts, junctions, parking practice and manoeuvring areas, as well as big open spaces for beginners to master steering. Lessons are from £36.99.  If you really fancy spoiling him, they’ll even let kids upgrade to a Bentley. See youngdriver.eu.  For an epic evening out, the UK’s most spectacular historical show is right on your doorstep in Bishop Auckland.  Kynren: An Epic Tale of England is set across an outdoor seven-and-a-half acre stage, with dazzling pyrotechnics, amazing stunts and death-defying horsemanship.  Performances take place most Saturdays from June-September. Tickets are from £15 for kids at kynren.com.


thetelegraph--2019-01-14--Damage to teenagers from screen time is tiny major study suggests

Damage to teenagers from screen time is 'tiny', major study suggests

The impact of screen time on teenagers' mental health is so tiny that even wearing glasses has a bigger effect, researchers have concluded.  In recent years concerns have been raised that too much technology is damaging youngsters both physically and mentally.  But a study of 300,000 adolescents from Britain and the US found that, at most, only 0.4 per cent of the difference in well-being between youngsters was due to screen time, meaning 99 per cent was because of other factors.  In fact, technology only slightly surpasses the negative effect of regularly eating potatoes and is less impactful on welfare than wearing glasses or being left-handed, the research shows.


thetelegraph--2019-07-31--Gangs and sexual exploitation pushing more teenagers into care warns Childrens Commissioner

Gangs and sexual exploitation pushing more teenagers into care, warns Children's Commissioner

Gang violence, sexual exploitation and trafficking are forcing a rising number of teenagers into care, the Children’s Commissioner has warned.  The “explosion” in the number of older children entering the care system over the last five years has sparked concern that the stability of the care system is under threat.  The latest government data reveals how the profile and needs of children in care has changed over, driven by a growing share of older children and teenage care entrants who have more complex needs and potentially more expensive living arrangements.  The Children’s Commissioner’s annual Stability Index shows how the number of teenagers (aged 13 or over) in care rose by 21% between 2012/13 and 2017/18, while the number of number of 0-5 year olds fell by 15%.  Anne Longfield, the Children’s Commissioner for England is today warning that councils and the Government “have yet to catch up with this new normal” of an increasing number of teenagers “pin-balling around the system” - which she claims is “unsustainable”.  She warned that services are struggling to cope with rising numbers of teenagers being taken into care because they are experiencing issues such as criminal or sexual exploitation, going missing from home, and parents being unable to protect them.  There were 16,620 children aged 0-5 in care in 2012 however this dropped to 14,090 children in 2019. In contrast there were 37,730 children aged 10 and above in care in 2012 - a figure which rose to 47,040 in 2018. For those aged 16 and above, 13,580 were in care in 2012, and by 2018, this figure increased to 17,330.


thetelegraph--2019-11-25--Obese teenagers show signs of brain damage, MRI scans show

Scans comparing their brains those with adolescents of healthy weight found inflammation in the white matter, which may make it harder for them to control their eating habits. .  MRI scans of the brains showed changes in the areas related to control of emotions, and feelings of reward.  Such changes could encourage excess eating, scientists said,  The findings presented at the Radiological Society of North America meeting in Chicago are based on MRI scans of 12 to 16 year-olds.  Co-author Dr Pamela Bertolazzi, a biomedical scientist at Sao Paulo University in Brazil, said: "Brain changes found in obese adolescents related to important regions responsible for control of appetite, emotions and cognitive functions."  The scans were used to examine the condition of white matter in the 120 participants - 59 of whom were obese and 61 healthy.  Researchers assessed a measure called fractional anisotropy, which correlates with the condition of the brain’s white matter - with less of it indicating damage to the white matter.


cnsnews--2019-03-11--73 of Young Adults Want Govt-Provided Universal Health Care 79 Support Private Insurance

73% of Young Adults Want Gov’t-Provided Universal Health Care; 79% Support Private Insurance

Even though nearly three-fourths of Millennials and Generation Z Americans say the U.S. government should provide universal health care, an even greater percentage say the government should allow private insurance.  According to a Harris Poll of 2,035 adults, conducted Feb. 21–25, 2019 and provided to Axios, two-thirds of all Americans agree that the government should provide universal health care, compared to 73.2% of Millennial and Generation Z respondents.  But, when asked in the same survey if the government should allow private insurance, more than three-fourths of Millennials and Generation Z respondents agreed, as did nearly nine in ten of all respondents.  The Millennial and Generation Z contingents are comprised of those Americans 38 years old or younger, Pew Research explains:  “Anyone born between 1981 and 1996 (ages 23 to 38 in 2019) is considered a Millennial, and anyone born from 1997 onward is part of a new generation. “Since the oldest among this rising generation are just turning 22 this year, and most are still in their teens or younger, we hesitated at first to give them a name – Generation Z, the iGeneration and Homelanders were some early candidates.”


eveningstandard--2019-10-11--Middle-aged adults who walk slowly 'likely to have aged prematurely'

Middle-aged adults who walk slowly are likely to have brains and bodies that have aged prematurely, researchers revealed today.  They found that the walking speed of 45-year-olds was associated with physical and biological indicators of “accelerated aging”.  Walking speed was already a well-known indicator of functional decline and mortality in the elderly but this is the first study to link it with midlife health.  Senior author Professor Terrie Moffitt, of King’s College London, said: “Doctors know that slow walkers in their 70s and 80s tend to die sooner than fast walkers their same age.  “But this study covered the period from the pre-school years to midlife, and found that a slow walk is a problem sign decades before old age.”  The study of 45-year-olds found those who had the fastest walking speeds – without running – were in the best health. Those who registered the slowest speeds tended to have lower total brain volume and lower average cortical thickness, an indicator of neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders.  MRI brain scans also revealed slower walkers had less brain surface area and higher incidence of white matter “hyperintensities”, small lesions associated with cognitive decline and dementia.  Their lungs, teeth and immune systems also tended to be in worse condition, according to the study in Jama Network Open. Slower walkers also looked older to a panel of eight screeners who assessed each participant’s “facial age” from a photograph.  The data comes from a five-decade study of about 1,000 people born in 1972 or 1973 in Dunedin, New Zealand.  The 904 research participants in the latest study have been tested, quizzed and measured their entire lives, mostly recently from April 2017 to April 2019 at age 45.  The latest research also revealed that neurocognitive tests they took at the age of three helped to predict who would become the slower walkers.  Their childhood scores on IQ, understanding language, frustration tolerance, motor skills and emotional control were linked with their walking speed, or “gait speed” at 45.  Lead researcher Line Rasmussen, of Duke University, in North Carolina, said: “The thing that’s really striking is that this is in 45-year-old people, not the geriatric patients who are usually assessed with such measures.”  The researchers say that “lifestyle choices” may also have affected the differences seen in health and cognition in midlife.  MRI scans were not invented until the late 1970s and were not performed on children until some years later, meaning the researchers are unable to compare adult and child brain scans.  Dr Rasmussen said: “It’s a shame we don’t have gait speed and brain imaging for them as children. We may have a chance here to see who’s going to do better health-wise in later life.”  New: Daily podcast from the Evening Standard  Listen and subscribe to The Leader on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast or your chosen podcast provider. New episodes every weekday from 4pm.


eveningstandard--2019-11-26--Quarter of UK adults would not feel proud to have LGBT child, new research says

A quarter of adults in the UK would not feel proud to have an LGBT child, research has suggested.  Youth homelessness charity akt, formerly known as the Albert Kennedy Trust, commissioned a YouGov poll that asked how people would respond in a variety of scenarios if they had a child that came out to them.  Faced with the statement “I would feel proud to have an LGBT child”, 26 per cent of those polled disagreed.  Less than half (46 per cent) of more than 2,100 people surveyed agreed they would feel proud to have a child who had come out.  The survey also found that more than one in 10 (11 per cent) would be uncomfortable living at home with their lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender child.  Previous akt research found that 24 per cent of homeless people aged 16 to 25 identified as LGBT plus, with more than three-quarters (77 per cent) citing abuse and rejection from their family as the main factor in their homelessness.  A quarter of people (25 per cent) surveyed by YouGov said relationships and sex education should not include LGBT issues, with 59 per cent in support of including topics such as gender identity and sexuality at an age-appropriate level.  The poll also found that nearly three in 10 people (28 per cent) would not be willing to change the pronouns used for their child, such as he, she and they, if the child came out as transgender.  However, 46 per cent of people said they would be willing to change the pronouns – 52 per cent of women and 39 per cent of men.  Non-parents were more also more willing to make the change, compared with existing parents or guardians.  One in five gay or lesbian participants (20 per cent) also said they would not change pronouns used for their child.  In contrast, 72 per cent of gay or lesbian people surveyed said they were willing to change pronouns, along with 79 per cent of bisexual people.  More than half of respondents aged between 25 and 34 (55 per cent) would change the pronouns, compared with 41 per cent of those aged 55 and over.  Tim Sigsworth, chief executive of akt, said: “These figures barely capture the heartbreaking realities we hear every day from the young people that akt is here to support.  “People often talk about the ‘unconditional love’ that parents have for their children, however we know first-hand that in many cases, the act of coming out can result in parental rejection and abuse for many young people.  “akt is here to support LGBTQ+ young people into safe homes and better futures, and work toward a world where no young person has to choose between having a roof over their head and being who they are.”  YouGov carried out the survey of 2,109 people online in October.


fortune--2019-01-31--Nearly Half of All US Adults Have Some Form of Cardiovascular Disease

Nearly Half of All U.S. Adults Have Some Form of Cardiovascular Disease

Nearly half of all U.S. adults have some type of cardiovascular disease, with the vast majority suffering from high blood pressure, states a new report from the American Heart Association.  Over 121 million adults—or 48% of the population—had coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, or high blood pressure (hypertension) in 2016, according to the report, which was published Thursday in the AHA journal Circulation. Excluding high blood pressure, this figure falls to 9% of the population.  The rise in cardiovascular disease is due in large part to the redefining of hypertension. In 2017, the AHA and American College of Cardiology changed the definition of high blood pressure to be a reading of 130/80, a drop from the previous definition of 140/90.  “We’re becoming more and more aware of the importance of high blood pressure. Levels we used to think were normal we now associate with worse outcomes, and treating them makes a big difference,” said Dr. Emelia J. Benjamin, a professor of cardiology at Boston University and chair of the group that wrote the AHA’s recent report, in a statement.  High blood pressure—which can lead to heart attack, heart failure, stroke, or other issues—can sometimes be treated with lifestyle changes including more exercise, a healthier diet, and no smoking. Other patients can treat hypertension with medication.  The annual direct and indirect cost of cardiovascular diseases in the U.S. is estimated to be more than $350 billion, says the report. This includes more than $213 billion in direct healthcare costs and more than $137 billion in lost future productivity attributed to premature deaths.


naturalnews--2019-05-05--Only 12 percent of American adults are metabolically healthy

Only 12 percent of American adults are metabolically 'healthy'

# Get alerted on heavy metals and pesticide test results for foods and supplements  ![](Images/Health-Ranger-Suit-75x75.jpg)Natural News is about to begin releasing lab test results for off-the-shelf food, supplement and pet food products, covering heavy metals, nutritive minerals, pesticides and herbicides. These details will be released exclusively to Natural News email newsletter subscribers (FREE) and will NOT be publicly posted on the website. To be alerted, join our free email newsletter now, and watch for lab test results in the weeks ahead.  Enter your email address below to subscribe to our email announcement list (but don't use gmail). Your privacy is protected and you can unsubscribe at any time. If you don't join our email list, you may never see our valuable content again via Facebook, Google or YouTube. CENSORSHIP has now reached EXTREME levels across the 'net. The truth is being suffocated. Subscribe now if you want to escape the delusional bubble of false reality being pushed by Google and Facebook.


pinknewsuk--2019-11-27--More than a quarter of UK adults would feel ashamed to have an LGBT+ child, shocking study says

A participant in the LGBT+ march hands a row of children pride flags at Perthshire Pride, Scotland. (Stewart Kirby/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)  Around one in four adults in the UK would not feel proud to have an LGBT+ child, a shocking new study has revealed.  Adults across the UK were asked how they would respond to their child coming out as well as several other scenarios, from pronouns to education.  But the results stir a worrying picture of the nation, where 26 per cent of the 2,109 surveyed would not feel proud to have an LGBT+ child, an online poll by YouGov, on behalf of the queer youth homelessness charity akt, found.  The akt study also revealed that more than one in ten of adults would not want their child to bring home a same-sex partner, whereas one in five would worry about how family members would respond to them having an LGBT+ child.  Charity leaders stressed that these numbers “barely capture the heartbreaking realities” of the young people they support every day, while parent allies dubbed the results “saddening”.  Just less than half of UK adults would feel ‘proud’ to have a queer child.  Overall, researchers revealed that for an alarming number of UK adults, LGBT+ topics are a thorny issue for them.  Less than half (46 per cent) of those surveyed agree with the statement that they would feel proud to have a child who had come out.  And around 11 per cent of people would be uncomfortable living at home with an LGBT+ child.  Previous research from akt revealed that nearly a quarter of homeless young people identify as LGBT+.  Hostile home environments and familial rejection had been a major factor in forcing 77 per cent of them to flee their homes.  One “proud” parent of a gay child, who wished to remain anonymous, told PinkNews that she was “saddened and disappointed” by the results of the study.  “It’s heartbreaking knowing that there’s a group of children out there that haven’t received the love and support they deserve.”  She called on LGBT-inclusive education in schools “so we can move forward to a more caring, accepting society for future generations to come”.  ‘The act of coming out can result in parental rejection and abuse for many young people’, charity leader says.  These figures yawn the divide that young people face between “having a roof over their head” and being who they are, Tim Sigsworth, CEO of akt, said.  “People often talk about the ‘unconditional love’ that parents have for their children,” he continued.  “However, we know first-hand that in many cases [that] the act of coming out can result in parental rejection and abuse for many young people.”  After the notion of teaching about the existence of LGBT+ people sparked protests in primary schools – objectors picketing and pulling their children from schools – these figures capture the undercurrent of conflict campaigners are facing.  Similar backlash bubbled when lawmakers pushed ahead with introducing compulsory queer-inclusive guidance on sex and relationships education.  When asked about this, just 59 per cent of adults believed that education should include LGBT+ issues.  And almost 30 per cent adults said they feel uninformed on what it means to be LGBT+.  The problem of pronouns to parents.  Simply using a trans young person’s preferred pronouns can vastly increase wellbeing and reduce rates of suicide and depression.  Conversely, not doing so and burying a gender-diverse child’s identity under prejudice is harmful to their psychology, studies show.  Of those polled, almost a third were unwilling to change the pronouns used for their child if they came out as trans.  Furthermore, one in five gay and lesbian participants said they were not willing to change the pronouns used for their child.  This is in contrast to 72 per cent of gay or lesbian people surveyed said they were willing to change pronouns, along with 79 per cent of bisexual people.  In stark contract, younger people were more willing to change the pronouns, with 55 per cent of 25 to 34-year-olds willing to do so.  This compared with only 41 per cent of those aged 55 and older.


prepareforchange--2019-09-22--Weight Obesity Crisis is Getting Worse Study Finds 31 of American Adults Are Obese

Weight ‘Obesity Crisis is Getting Worse’: Study Finds 31% of American Adults Are Obese

The US national obesity crisis continues to grow, with a national average obesity rate of 31% among adults, according to a report published Thursday by Trust for America’s Health.  The report, based on data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, found that nine US states had obesity rates at or above 35% in 2018. In 2012, no US states had adult obesity rates higher than 35%.  West Virginia and Mississippi tied for the highest obesity rate at 39.5% last year, followed by Arkansas (37.1%), Louisiana (36.8%), Kentucky (36.6%), Alabama (36.2%), Iowa (35.3%), North Dakota (35.1%) and Missouri (35%). Colorado had the lowest overall obesity rate, with only 23% of the population considered obese last year.  The study also found that 33 US states saw statistically significant increases in adult obesity rates between 2013 and 2018. Statistical significance refers to the likelihood that “a relationship between two or more variables is caused by something other than chance,” according to Investopedia.com.  “These latest data shout that our national obesity crisis is getting worse,” Trust for America’s Health CEO John Auerbach is quoted as saying. “They tell us that almost 50 years into the upward curve of obesity rates, we haven’t yet found the right mix of programs to stop the epidemic. Isolated programs and calls for life-style changes aren’t enough. Instead, our report highlights the fundamental changes that are needed in the social and economic conditions that make it challenging for people to eat healthy foods and get sufficient exercise.”  The study also found that certain demographic populations have higher obesity rates. For example, 47% of Latinos in the US were considered obese in 2015 and 2016, compared to 46.8% of blacks. On the other hand, 37.9% of whites in the US were obese in 2015 and 2016, while 12.7% of Asians were obese during those years.  “Broader equity issues – like poverty and institutional racism – and community context shape daily life and available choices around healthy food, physical activity, education, jobs, financial security, etc. (together often called ‘social determinants of health’), which systematically affect people’s weight and health,” the report explains.  According to the study, individuals identified as obese are at a “significantly higher risk” for diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. Additionally, they are more likely to experience knee and hip problems, which can lead to chronic pain. Obesity also increases US national health care spending by around $149 million every year, according to Trust for America’s Health.  The study suggests that local governments can combat the issue by continuing to tax sugary drinks to deter people from buying unhealthy, high-calorie beverages. In addition, the report pointed out the obesity rates for children enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children saw a decline as a result of participants being provided with coupons that allowed them to be provided with nutrient-rich foods. Those rates decreased from 15.9% in 2010 to 13.9% in 2016.


sottnet--2019-01-31--Nearly half of US adults have heart or blood vessel disease

A new report estimates that nearly half of all U.S. adults have some form of heart or blood vessel disease, a medical milestone that's mostly due to recent guidelines that expanded how many people have high blood pressure.Measuring the burden of diseases shows areas that need to improve, the heart association's chief science and medical officer, Dr. Mariell Jessup, said in a statement.High blood pressure, which had long been defined as a top reading of at least 140 or a bottom one of 90, dropped to 130 over 80 under guidelines adopted in 2017. It raises the risk for heart attacks, strokes and many other problems, and only about half of those with the condition have it under control.Being diagnosed with high blood pressure doesn't necessarily mean you need medication right away; the first step is aiming for a healthier lifestyle, even for those who are prescribed medicine. Poor diets, lack of exercise and other bad habits cause 90 percent of high blood pressure.The report is an annual statistics update by the heart association, the National Institutes of Health and others.Other highlights:


sottnet--2019-05-05--Only 12 percent of American adults are metabolically healthy study finds

Only 12 percent of American adults are metabolically healthy, study finds

The prevalence of optimal metabolic health in American adults is 'alarmingly low,' even among people who are normal weight, a new study finds.The study presents the most updated United States data on metabolic health, which is defined here as having optimal levels of five factors: (1) blood glucose, (2) triglycerides, (3) high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, (4) blood pressure and (5) waist circumference, without the need for medications.In the last decade, the thresholds for common health measures - for example, those used to determine whether someone has high blood pressure or blood sugar (glucose) levels - have been lowered by respected professional medical societies. Researchers say these more restrictive guidelines may mean that a smaller proportion of people are meeting the optimal levels for the cardiovascular risk factors.The data showed that being more physically active, female, younger, more educated and a nonsmoker were factors associated with being more metabolically healthy. Being non-Hispanic black or having a higher body mass index (BMI) meant people were less likely to be metabolically healthy."We also looked at how health-related behaviors might play into metabolic health - and how the proportion of people who are metabolically healthy changes when BMI, physical activity or smoking are higher or lower," Araujo said. "For example, less than 1 percent of obese adults are metabolically healthy. On the other hand, people who exercise more appear to have higher levels of metabolic health."The authors call for further study to understand the mechanisms of risk factor development, with a focus on people of normal weight as well as heavier adults.The study, "Prevalence of Optimal Metabolic Health in American Adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2016," was published online Nov. 28 in the journal Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders Co-authors are Jianwen Cai, PhD , Cary C. Boshamer Distinguished Professor and vice chair of biostatistics, and senior author June Stevens, PhD , American Institute for Cancer Research/World Cancer Research Fund Distinguished Professor of nutrition and epidemiology.


sottnet--2019-12-21--Study: Half of US adults will be obese by 2030

There's no way to sugarcoat this news:It corrects for a weakness in previous estimates that may have made the problem seem not as big as it really is. Those estimates often relied on national health surveys and people tend to understate their weight in those.The new work used a decades-long federal study in which weight was measured to get a more accurate picture of trends and to project into the future."It's alarming," said a nutrition expert with no role in the study, Dr. Lawrence Appel of Johns Hopkins University. "We're going to have some pretty awful problems" medically and financially because so many people weigh too much, he said.The New England Journal of Medicine published the study Wednesday. It was led by scientists at Harvard and George Washington universities.Obesity raises the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and other health problems. It's gauged by body mass index, or BMI, a measure of weight relative to height. Underweight or normal is a BMI under 25; overweight is 25 to 30, moderately obese is 30 to 35 and severely obese is 35 or over.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 40 percent of US adults are obese.The new research predicts that by 2030, about 49 percent of US adults will be obese. In 29 states, more than half will be.the authors write.Severe obesity will become the most common weight category among women (28 percent), blacks (32 percent) and low-income adults (32 percent).Severe obesity will be the most common weight category in 44 states where average annual household income is under $20,000, but in only one state where income is over $50,000.The study was funded by the JPB Foundation, which focuses on poverty and societal problems.Despite this bad news, there have been some other hopeful signs. In May, the CDC reported that even though obesity rates were rising, new diabetes cases are declining, suggesting progress on recognizing and treating early signs of the disease.In June, the CDC reported declining obesity rates among preschoolers on government food aid. Obesity among these young children fell from 16 percent in 2010 to around 14 percent in 2016.


sputnik--2019-04-08--Study Finds About 25 Percent of Japanese Adults Are Sexually Inexperienced

Study Finds About 25 Percent of Japanese Adults Are ‘Sexually Inexperienced’

According to the study, which was published Monday in the journal BMC Public Health and was based on data from the National Fertility Survey of Japan, the percentage of heterosexual women in the country between the ages of 18 and 39 who had never had sex increased from 21.7 percent in 1992 to 24.6 percent in 2015.  The percentage of men in the age group who had never had sex increased from 20 percent in 1992 to 25.8 percent in 2015. By comparison, between 1 and 5 percent of heterosexual males and females in the same age group in the US, the UK and Australia are virgins, the study notes.  "The proportion of young Japanese adults with no experience of heterosexual intercourse had increased in the past two decades," the study says, defining heterosexual sexual experiences as vaginal intercourse between men and women. The study did not take into account LGBTQ or asexual people, and it assumed that people who were married or had been married had experienced heterosexual intercourse.  "Among adults in their thirties, around one in ten had no heterosexual experience. Unemployment, temporary/part-time employment and low income were associated with heterosexual inexperience among men," the study states.  "Further research is needed on the factors contributing to and the potential public health and demographic implications of the high proportion of the Japanese population that remains sexually inexperienced well into adult age," the study adds, not commenting on factors that might be contributing to lack of sexual experiences for women.  Japan has the lowest fertility rate in the world, and more than 20 percent of its population is older than 65.  "The gender stuff is pretty consistent with trends around the world — men are having a harder time," Anne Allison, a professor of cultural anthropology at Duke University, told the Atlantic in July 2017. "The birth rate is down, even the coupling rate is down. And people will say the number-one reason is economic insecurity."


sputnik--2019-11-14--Happy World Diabetes Day! Officials Say More Than 50% of Adults Are Undiagnosed

Releasing the new figures on the same day as World Diabetes Day, researchers also noted in their findings that 38 million more adults are estimated to be living with the chronic disease, compared to their previously published data from 2017.  The report explains that the increase in people suffering from Type 2 diabetes was driven by a variety of factors, including socio-economic, demographic, genetic and environmental components. It added that decreasing levels of fitness, greater urbanization and higher rates of obesity were found to be key contributors to the increase in Type 2 cases.  In regards to Type 1 diabetes - when an individual’s pancreas produces either very little or no insulin at all to sustain the body, which is treated by injecting insulin - researchers stated in their findings that cases were also on the rise; however, they did not provide an explanation for the increase.  An estimated 1.1 million children and adolescents under the age of 20 are living with Type 1 diabetes, according to the IDF’s 2019 edition of the Diabetes Atlas, which notes that cases are only predicted to skyrocket in the coming years.  "Diabetes is a serious global health issue that has a huge socio-economic impact that cannot be ignored," Professor Nam H. Cho, president of the IDF, said in a statement. "The rising prevalence of diabetes is a real cause for concern, especially when we consider the high number of people who remain undiagnosed.”  “We must do more to prevent Type 2 diabetes, diagnose all forms of diabetes early and prevent complications. We must also ensure that every person with diabetes has affordable and uninterrupted access to the care they need,” Cho added.  But it’s not all doom and gloom. Researchers explained in their report that diabetes prevention and management can be improved by providing individuals with information regarding the disease and through the advancement of health systems. The report also suggests measures like sugar taxes, food labels and awareness campaigns for communities could slow the growth of the disease.  The report’s release comes just one day after the World Health Organization revealed Wednesday its initiative to reduce the price of insulin and expand access to insulin for diabetics in low- and middle-income countries.