From February 2022 I revisited some of the organisations and people that have been featured in SCAN’s newsletters over the last 30 years.

There have been serialisations such as extracts from the advertising campaign, on behalf of Leonard Cheshire Disability, that was launched on line at www.creaturediscomforts.org and in print in November 2007.  Based on the Aardman Animations‘ Creature Comforts series, the ‘Creature Dis-Comforts animations have the voices of disabled people describing, in their own words, the negative attitudes and barriers they experience. Each animation ends with the message “Change The Way You See Disability.

The first of the special issue newsletters was sent out at the end of February for March 2022.  Any contributions for future issues will need to be submitted no later than 24th of the preceeding month. Space in the paper newsletters will be limited, but anything that can’t be included in the paper newsletters each month can  still be entered on our web site pages.

One of our blind former SCAN members gave his ‘light hearted’ thoughts on the seemingly haphazard distribution of lamp posts in 1994.  He said "I imagine a day, far back in the mists of time when a great bird had flapped its way lazily towards its nesting site after it had been scavenging and had collected some rather tasty seeds. However, it had over-filled its beak and consequently seeds dropped at random and in the fullness of time they grew into fine young lamp posts".

Richard , another former member of SCAN and a regular contributor to SCAN’s early newsletters, had sustained a severe brain injury in a motorcycle accident.  During his recovery he documented his feelings and thoughts as a form of therapy, and they were compiled into a book in 1988. Some, he later updated for SCAN’s early newsletters and wrote new pieces through the 1990’s

Former SCAN member Darren Swift was injured by an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) in Belfast in 1991, which resulted in both legs being amputated above the knee. He’s an Ambassador for BLESMA and a volunteer for the Not Forgotten Association where he mentors other injured service personnel.

At our AGM in October 2022, information was received that enabled another early member of SCAN to be traced.  Jimmy Wright was filming reconnaissance in Italy in WWII when the bomber that he was in crashed on take off and he received serious burns to his eyes and other parts of his body. He was treated by pioneering plastic surgeon Archibald McIndoe in one of the burns unit wards at the Queen Victoria hospital in East Grinstead as he became one of McIndoe's Army and one of the Guinea Pig club.

Jimmy Wright founded Anglo-Scottish Films at Shepperton Studios. Then later he launched Film City Productions. He worked enthusiastically for the Guinea-Pig Club fellow members and the RAF Benevolent Fund. He was appointed an OBE in 1980 in recognition of his numerous charitable activities, including the Spelthorne Talking News (now incorporated into Elmbridge, Runnymede and Spelthorne Talking News (ERSTN). In 1981 Jimmy received a Bafta award for his film work many of which highlighted issues.  Jimmy died in 1993, but his widow still lives in Shepperton

Anyone who has a connection with disability is welcome to send me their comments on any of the articles published or to send me details of your own experiences. If necessary, I can anonymise any stories. Either email me on info@spelthorneaccess.org.uk, fill in the ‘Contact SCAN’ form on this page or visit the Forum Page on this web site and post a new 'Discussion'.