Are you a disabled parent or parent-to-be? Disability, Pregnancy & Parenthood International (DPPI) is currently looking for physically disabled parents to join a steering group for the Empowering Parents Initiative.
In April 2008 DPPI embarked on this three-year initiative (funded by the Department of Health) which aims to empower physically disabled parents and parents-to-be to make choices around pregnancy, birth and early baby care, by producing two new guides:
1. Pregnancy and birth; 2. Infant feeding and early baby care.
The guides are intended for disabled parents and parents-to-be and professionals working with them. They will be produced with input from disabled parents, health professionals and relevant voluntary sector organisations.

DPPI is looking for more disabled parents to join the steering group, in order to contribute their experience and expertise towards the development of these guides. The main role of the steering group will be to ensure that content of the new guide is relevant, accurate, and up to date, and covers the areas that disabled parents need to know about.

This would be done by commenting on drafts, and making suggestions regarding required content, corresponding mainly via email.

If you are interested and would like to find out more, please get in touch at info@dppi.org.uk.

Gill Lea-Wilson
Information Officer

DPPI is a small UK based registered charity, controlled by disabled parents, which promotes better awareness and support for disabled people considering, during and after pregnancy, and as parents. We publish a range of informative guides of interest to disabled parents, prospective parents, health and social work professionals and students; please see our website at www.dppi.og.uk for more information.

Well tht was a weird bit of spam!

But it had the desirable effect of bringing the call for disabled parents back to the surface. Now assuming that someone from DPPI is still checking in here from time to time, I would make the following suggestion:

Instead of (or perhaps in tandem) with your traditional group study approach, why not simply initiate a discussion here? I am confident that if you do, you will learn a lot more from a lot more people.

I for one do not feel motivated to enter a "steering group", but if the material were discussed openly, I would be unable to restrain myself from participation. And I'm sure others would react in the same way.

Time, perhaps, to adapt to the new realities of information sharing and group participation?

Just a thought,

Gordon

Yoooo Hoooo !

Nobody home? Seagull post ? (poop in the forum and fly away?)

Oh well...

I have no idea why you find this a weird bit of spam?

Lucy,

The spam I was talking about has been removed. I wasn`t talking about the DPPI post. Actually when I saw that I was quite enthusiastic. But it occurred to me, that the people at DPPI would do very well to simply initiate targeted discussions here. They would definitely get more input than trying to sign people up for formal studies.

And then, after my last post in which I outlined that idea, there has been no comeback from DPPI. Hence the seagull post. I mean really, there should be some kind of respectful outreach from such people beyond simply advertizing for recruitment. After all, it isn't as though there are thirty odd fourms like this one. There are just a very few. And the sci parents are here. So... One would expect a serious researcher to spend a fair amount of time here. Old research habits die hard, I suppose, the democratization of info exchange through the web has not quite caught up with everybody.

btw, I noticed that you have kids yourself. Four right? Four is my number also. Ten years of diapers. Primary caregiver. Probably has added twenty years to my life.

All the best to you Lucy,

Gordon

ahhhh i thought i must have missed something!

I guess Im sort of used to people just sticking a notice in and never reappearing, but it would be interesting if they made a bit more effort.

Yep Im soon to have number 4!!!! I love it really, but the nappies I could do without!
cheers
L

A rather belated reply but just to say thanks to Gordon for your point about different ways of using forums for gathering information. Of course discussions are what online forums are really for, although we sometimes do use them as a way of putting information out there.

The aim of this posting was about recruiting steering group members rather than gathering material, but I am sure you are right, though, and we could make better use of forums such as this one for gathering information. I read from your message that you would have been interested in contributing your experiences and ideas if we had done so- I am sorry to have disappointed you.

Just to update while I am here, the first drafts of the new guides are almost ready to be circulated via steering group. If the first review throws up a need for more information or ideas I will come back here!

Meanwhile I shall try to keep a closer (bird's perhaps?) eye on this site anyway, and if you or anyone looking would like to know more about the planned content and or just pass on any tips you have about caring for a new baby/becoming a disabled parent let me know!!

Best wishes,
Gill