The unusual site banners are to bring attention to the fact that Labour activists in Bexley are manipulating Facebook Groups with fictional posters. They deny it, threaten police action for ‘harassing’ a fictitious character and then demonstrate their willingness to impersonate by creating a false Administrator account in my name. The banner on display is chosen randomly from a selection of three, with a fourth bearing the familiar Bexley Council is Bonkers logo.
16 October (Part 3) - Deaf as posts v thick as planks
Ever since Councillor Peter Craske failed to use his microphone (and hence disabled the hearing loop) in the old Civic Centre and the Mayor said he didn’t have to, Bexley Council has been a little more responsive to the needs of the hearing impaired. Mick Barnbrook reported them to the Equalities Commission.
Human
Resources Manager Nick Hollier promised that a hearing loop would be provided
and to be fair it usually is. The main chamber has one ‘plumbed in’ and in
smaller rooms portable equipment is sometimes provided. Not that it is well
received by Mick or his friend Elwyn who both suffer from deafness.
At the Code of Conduct Committee meeting last Wednesday they complained about
being unable to hear anything despite the presence of the equipment pictured. I thought I
should do some research to find out why.
The portable panel includes a boundary microphone, which is good, and radiates
an electromagnetic field for the benefit of suitably equipped hearing aids.
Unfortunately it is unfit for the purpose to which it is put. The device shown radiates that field over a maximum
of one square metre - or 1·2 square metres if it is the latest top of the range model.
So now we know why Mick and Elwyn can’t hear at the small meetings, they are made to sit too far away. The
equipment is intended for use in one to one discussions across a small desk, an
interview with a financial adviser in a bank for example. Utterly useless in the
circumstances to which Bexley Council habitually use it.
Perhaps the Council should have bought some more (or better) hearing loop panels instead of
wasting our money on barriers. Their hearing loop is
£99 on Amazon.