A teenage singer-songwriter who has one of the rarest conditions in the world has joined forces with the police to launch an access card for disabled people.<\/p>\n
Inspirational Gracie Mellalieu, 18, is championing the innovative scheme that\u2019s being unveiled in North Wales at the end of the month by social enterprise PIWS (Welsh for purple) that was set up to campaign to improve access for children and young people with disabilities at different venues.<\/p>\n
North Wales Police is the first force in the UK to adopt the card, although others in England and Wales are now also interested in signing up.<\/p>\n
The bilingual card includes up to nine symbols that summarise the disabled person\u2019s access requirements, with each one based on their rights under the Equality Act.<\/p>\n
It informs venues \u201cquickly and discreetly\u201d about the reasonable adjustments the disabled person needs so they don\u2019t have to go into lengthy detail about their access requirements.<\/p>\n
Gracie, who lives in Mynydd Isa, near Mold, is one of just 3,000 people across the world who has Morquio syndrome.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a condition where the body does not produce enough enzymes to break down materials the body cannot use and affects everything including\u00a0 her mobility.<\/p>\n
She has a weekly infusion of a manmade enzyme and over the years has had 11 operations to deal with a variety of issues, including straightening her trachea.<\/p>\n
Despite it all, Gracie has a vivacious personality and a winning, infectious smile.<\/p>\n
When she\u2019s not studying creative media at Coleg Cambria\u2019s Connah\u2019s Quay campus, the talented teenager is writing pop songs and has already released two singles, Breath of Fresh Air and On Hold.<\/p>\n
Gracie was originally recruited as an Access Ambassador by PIWS to \u201croad test\u201d\u00a0 venues to make sure they\u2019re up to scratch in meeting the needs of people with disabilities<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cI\u2019ve encountered quite a few problems with access over the years, I\u2019ve even struggled opening the doors of disabled toilets because they\u2019re too heavy. It drives me mad. Why?<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really proud that I am an Access Ambassador, and I can finally put my intelligence and lived experience to good use.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel I\u2019m making a difference in changing people\u2019s attitudes\u00a0 – it gives me a real sense of purpose and the fact that it\u2019s a paid role is great.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Access Card is another big step forward because it\u2019s a brilliantly simple and effective idea. By showing the card somebody will be able to help you do what you want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
PIWS was established by events and marketing expert Davina Carey-Evans, a mum of three who spent years seeking suitable leisure attractions to visit with her son, Benjamin, now 30, who has autism and a learning disability.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cI\u2019m very grateful to Gracie for agreeing to be the poster girl for the new Access Card. She\u2019s an absolute force of nature and an inspiration to us all.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe card was developed by Nimbus Disability in Derby as a communication tool that supports disabled people to show what their impairments are so that venues can respond appropriately.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery card has a membership number and is configured so that it provides access that meets the specific needs of the individual card holder.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe police are going to be launching a whole new blue light system onto the card so that all users across North Wales are going to be invited to click to confirm they\u2019re happy for them to access personal data, including who their trusted companion is.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor example, if there was somebody at a train station and they\u2019re waiting for a train that\u2019s delayed if you are somebody with autism or a learning disability you may not understand why that train has been cancelled and be unable to manage the frustration.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn situations like this, physical contact can make things worse, as the person is already experiencing sensory overload, and touch may heighten their distress.<\/p>\n
\u201cA far more harmful response would be placing them in the back of a police car and taking them to a station, as their reaction is simply a response to their immediate environment, not criminal behaviour.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the pilot with North Wales Police, the aim is to roll it out across North Wales with the support of PIWS Access Ambassadors like Gracie.<\/p>\n
Chief Inspector Rob Rands is a long-term supporter of what PIWS are doing in improving access for people with disabilities.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cThe concept of the Access Card is something that as a force we and as a wider police service as a whole in England and Wales should embrace 100 per cent .<\/p>\n
\u201cIt makes perfect sense that you should be able to walk into any place, present your accessibility needs, and have reasonable adjustments made accordingly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really proud that North Wales Police is the first force in the UK to adopt the Access Cards<\/span>. Having said that it\u2019s a common sense idea that we should all take on board.<\/p>\n \u201cFor too long, we have responded to everybody in the same way but this signposts and supports the appropriate action so that officers can improve their response so that it respects people\u2019s different needs.\u201d<\/p>\n Funding to launch the Access Ambassadors scheme was provided by North Wales Together, a Welsh Government project to transform the lives of young people with disabilities.<\/p>\n The organisation\u2019s Planning and Development Officer, Sioned Williams, said: \u201cIt\u2019s a fantastic new initiative and I\u2019m very supportive, particularly because I\u2019m a parent of a young person with a learning disability.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s important that we remember they are the experts, that they go to places to see whether they are accessible..<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very refreshing that North Wales Police are supporting this initiative and showing the way forward for everybody else.\u201d<\/p>\n It was a sentiment endorsed by North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin who provided funding towards promoting the bilingual Access Card that\u2019s about to be launched.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cI was very pleased to be able to support the scheme because it\u2019s about bringing people together and emphasises the values of North Wales Police.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s about responding differently to people\u2019s different needs \u2013 we need to treat everybody as individuals so that we break down barriers.\u201d<\/p>\n