As we head into summer, many of us will be looking forward to travelling abroad for a much-needed holiday. In the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, UK residents made 23.8 million visits abroad in 2020, which was 74% fewer than the previous year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
But disappointingly, disabled passengers continue to suffer from poor levels of support at airports across the country, according to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Occupational therapists at the Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People recognise that flying can be a daunting prospect for disabled people. On pages 14–15, they share how they support them to make informed choices and be more confident in air travel.
RCOT is committed to leading innovative change to promote equity and social justice. Following discussions with representatives from the occupational therapy community's wider affinity group, a pilot project began last year to foster inclusivity and support for underrepresented groups. The pilot established three expert advisory groups, which act as idea and project sounding boards and critical friends to RCOT.
And to help celebrate 2023 Pride Month, on pages 20–23, we talk to RCOT’s LGBTQIA+ expert advisory group members about how and why they volunteered their time to be part of the pilot, the main priorities to date and the progress and impact they feel they’ve been able – and not able – to make.
That’s just a taste of what’s inside – we hope you enjoy the issue this month and if you have any feedback, or would like to share your service developments in the magazine, please email our Editorial and Design Manager, Tracey Samuels at editorial@rcot.co.uk. You can also read our issues online or in print.