Becoming disabled

These pages are arranged around themes that disabled people told us were important to them.

Housing
Information and communication
Leisure facilities
Money
Social care
Transport

Housing

Our Housing Choice scheme can help with property searches, financial advice and the move, if you are thinking of moving home.

If you want to stay living where you are but need a bit of help with maintenance - guttering, changing light bulbs etc. contact Helping Hands handyperson scheme.

There plenty of other support too - from home improvement, through equipment to sheltered housing.

Use the online service directory to search for groups and activities in the city. At the bottom of the page, you can find the first of our guides for people with a visual impairment. This is a short contact list of useful local and national support organisations.

Libraries all offer free internet access with some accessible computers. If you're worried about using a computer, ask about what training is available - either in groups or individually.

If your disability makes it difficult to use a computer, you should contact AbilityNet - a national charity to specialises in supporting disabled people to get the most from Information Technology. You may also want to contact the AIDIS Trust which provides information, advice and support to disabled people.

Leisure

A number of the Fit City centres across the city are accessible and Fit City Clarendon is Inclusive Fitness Initiative (IFI) accredited, offering fully inclusive leisure and fitness facilities. The IFI facilities include:

Automatic doors at entrance
Multi-level reception area with an integrated loop system
Accessible toilets and changing facilities (wet and dry)
Pool hoist
Fitness suite with modified pieces of cardio vascular and strengh equipment
Friendly staff trained in disability awareness
Weekend multi-sports club for young people

Many of the sport sessions in the Fit City centres are open to all and there are also a number of disabled sports clubs across the city.

Money

The directgov website has comprehensive information about financial support for disabled people. If you would like local advice about your benefits or you are having debt problems, you should contact our Welfare Rights and Debt Advice service.

Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert has recently launched a new forum - 'What discounts can I get when I am disabled?' showing how you can make your money go further.

Social care

If you have social support needs, contact the disability Service to find out about the support that is available. You may also want to ask about using a direct payment to give you the freedom to arrange your own support.

Transport

If you are a car driver or passenger, you may be eligible for a blue badge which lets you park closer to your destination. You can also ask about having a disabled parking bay near your home. You might be interested in joining Salford Disabled Motorists.

If you use public transport, you should contact Transport for Greater Manchester about the range of travel concessions available and about other services disabled people can make use of.