Accessible Iris - a campervan for disabled children and their families

27/06/2024

If you are wondering what each party is promising for the environment then look no further....

Not sure who to vote for? See how our experts ranked and rated the main parties' green policies.

24/06/2024

Are you, or do you know, a new parent of a medically complex parent in the Bristol area? We have two nurture and support sessions coming up in July for new parents.

To book your tickets click on the links below
2nd July https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/918861458357?aff=oddtdtcreator

16th July https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/918881839317?aff=oddtdtcreator

You are welcome to come to both sessions.

07/06/2024

Iris still has a couple of weeks free during the school holidays and we would love to fill them with parties where there is a disabled group member.

Iris can hold up to five passengers, or four passengers in seats and one in a wheelchair. She sleeps up to five and has a range of accessible features to enable disabled people to experience vanlife in an environment that meets their needs.

Feel free to share this post or get in touch with any questions! x

https://www.quirkycampers.com/uk/campervan/362403/

31/01/2024

Looking for the opinions of Disabled children aged 11-15....

At the Disabled Children’s Partnership we campaign to make the lives of disabled children, young people and their families better.

25/01/2024

"I rarely get the opportunity to review something unique, but today I am going to review a campervan that may be the only one of it's kind in the UK....

What a great introduction to a very positive review the The Camping and Caravanning Club kindly did about Iris...! Thank you! x

Candy Evans casts her eye over a unique rental campervan, converted with accessibility for wheelchair users in mind, after a crowd-funding campaign.For every...

24/01/2024

Are you thinking about going away in Iris over the summer?

Bookings are filling up fast. At the moment you can ONLY book Iris during the school summer holidays if you booking through the Accessible Iris page (ie. one of your party is disabled).

We are going to open Iris up to all types of bookings over the summer holiday in the next week, so if you are thinking about booking as a group with a disabled family member then please consider booking soon. I might be wrong but I think we will be pretty booked up in advance of the summer.

Cody or I are very happy to talk through how Iris might work for your group if you are wavering. Please email us at [email protected]

At the moment the Feb half term is still free as well...

Book here: https://www.quirkycampers.com/uk/campervan-b/362403/

31/12/2023

Just a reminder for any parents of disabled children in Bristol that there is a consultation out about how to reduce the Disabled Children's Team budget by £54,000 and it's about to finish.

It's particularly important to fill this out if you have a complex disabled child or you work with families that have a complex disabled child/ren. It's likely parents like this (like me) won't manage to fill out this consultation AT ALL because it's complicated and they are too busy just trying to keep their head above water. As families like ours need the most money for services it is quite likely that families who don't use the more specialist services (Overnight breaks and Direct payments) will very understandably vote to take the money from the pot for more complex children as it is the biggest. To me this consultation therefore feels weighted against parents of more complex children. I'm writing this redress the balance.

As I say it's complicated, and no easy answers at all. I don't want ALL the money to be taken from any one service. I know how important all the services are for all the families whose children use them. I've voted for some to be taken from all. All I would suggest, if you have children receiving a Direct Payment or an overnight break, to strongly disagree that the whole lot should be taken from the "Specialist Short Break Service".

Mark Machin, Laura McArthur, Steph Bean. Helen Rose, Helen Hinds, Bill Brisley

And if you have a disabled child in Bristol that doesn't get any support from the local authority feel free to have a chat with me when I am working and I can explain a bit about the options. Just pm me and I'll give you my work email address. x x x

It ends on the 2nd January so not much time left. This is the link:

About Short Breaks Short Breaks are supportive, family services that allow parents and carers to have time out from their caring responsibilities looking after children who have additional needs and/or disabilities. They also give children and young people with

20/09/2023

I mean, really....?

BREAKING: The government has just announced plans to set fire to several vital climate policies. The government’s own climate advisors said its existing climate plans aren’t good enough – with less than one in five of its planned emissions cuts being credible. Now Prime Minister Sunak says he ...

15/09/2023

What a first summer with Iris! We've been booked up since June, met some incredible people and learned a lot about how to be hosts! Here is a review from one our Accessible Iris clients:

"We’ve had the best camping holiday in Iris! My son is a full time wheelchair user and I was a little nervous at first, but Iris is set up really well, so I didn’t need to be! It was straightforward to use the ramps to get the wheelchair in and out and use the tie downs. It has power for all the electrical essentials we need daily, a little cooking area, hot water and more! Best of all, we slept well and woke up to some great countryside views! I would love to book again!"

Book a holiday in Iris (or get in touch if you want to talk it through first): https://www.quirkycampers.com/uk/campervan/362403

05/08/2023

Iris now has an extra-large changing mat! Perfect for families caring for somebody that needs help with continence.

Thank you so much Lucy at Tiddletons for this beautiful changing mat. It's wipe clean and comfortable to lie on (I admit, I had a go). It's already been out with two families, the second one being ours, when we managed to grab four nights in the New Forest between bookings. Cali loves it and I'm sure so will the other families using Iris. x

27/06/2023

When I'm not busy with Iris I work for this lovely organisation. I'll be there with my colleagues at Trinity tomorrow to talk to disabled people and their carers about how WECIL can support them.

Worried about the cost of living crisis? Come to our community conference tomorrow where our team will be on hand to give you advice and help with applications for the Household Support Fund.

There will also be tea and cake and the chance to hear information and news about WECIL, what’s happening in your community and have your input.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wecil-community-conference-tickets-642897462617

26/06/2023

Interesting article about the experience of being the sibling of a child who is disabled/neurodiverse or has mental health challenges.

I am so often mindful of how my youngest might feel to have a sister who is medically fragile and has complex needs and a learning disability, and how it might affect her later in life. No surprises to read here that it does have an impact, sometimes a big impact, but there are a few suggestions at the end of the article.

We do try and do things together as a family as well as give both children time alone with their parents. But it’s not easy! Any tips welcome! X

Siblings of children with neurodevelopmental and mental health issues face complicated and conflicting emotions. How are they best navigated?

13/06/2023

Accessible Iris is now LIVE on Quirky Campers!

This is such a HUGE moment for our family. I don't want to go on again about what a journey it's been...no that's not true, I DO want to say that again, as I feel such a mixture of pride and confusion that we have got this far. Cody has produced such a beautiful, thoughtful space and I feel so much love, gratitude and admiration for him, he is an incredible partner and dad to both his children. He's given Iris so much of himself and I know he will be a friendly and patient person for potential families to talk to when figuring out whether this is the van for them.

Quirky details:
Iris is for ANYONE that wants to use her, she's not a van just for disabled people, anymore than a building with wheelchair accessibility and other accessible features is just for disabled people. But if you are a disabled person, or have a disabled family member and you would like to find out if Iris would be accessible for you then have a look at our webpage, then get in contact for a welcoming chat about whether Iris is the van for you to take a break in.

For people that don't need to read about the accessible features the webpage is: https://www.quirkycampers.com/uk/campervan/362401?van_id=362401&wb-start&wb-end

And for those of you that need to know how Iris is accessible, the webpage is:
https://www.quirkycampers.com/uk/campervan/362403?van_id=362403&wb-start&wb-end

09/06/2023

We're SO almost there with Iris! So we had a little party to say thank you to all the people that have given their time, skills and support to get us this far.

07/06/2023

Happy Carers Week! Sending love to all those people who care for family members (and friends), and particularly to those people who are no longer caring because the person they were caring for passed away.

When you are a carer it becomes a huge part of your identity and it's rare to feel fully off duty or like there isn't something you could or should be doing.

I nearly didn't mark this week, I have been ploughing on, telling myself that getting some things done would be a better outcome than taking time out to relax. Luckily I suddenly realised how illogic it is to work supporting parent-carers and not support myself, so tomorrow I'm going to a mini-retreat put on by Murmuration Community Therapy and Bristol Parent Carers.

x

29/05/2023

Those of you that know us might remember that our wish to be able to take Cali to the South of Spain, where Cody grew up, was the original seed of the idea that grew into Accessible Iris.

This Easter that dream finally came true. We took Iris away for nearly three weeks, made it all the way to the very far South of Spain and thoroughly tested the van and her ability to provide an accessible holiday home for a family with a disabled child. It was an absolute triumph! Everything worked, nothing broke and we all had an incredible time.

Nearly three years of hard work, digging deep and support from family, friends and our local community has helped create this beautiful and accessible space.

Iris is nearly ready to rent! More details to follow soon...

28/10/2022

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/K2NXG5L

Any Bristol Parent-Carers out there? Would you be able to fill in this one question survey to help create a video to help teach education professionals in Bristol what best practice for children with SEND looks like...thank you. x

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

23/09/2022

We went away in Iris for the first time as a family, and on my birthday too! She was still a bit rough around the edges (no cupboard doors, curtains or flooring)...but she was ready enough for a trial run. It was incredible getting away as a family. We planned for failure ("Let's definitely not call it a holiday, it's an experiment. If we only make one night that's OK.") but it was a massive success and we were away four nights! Everything worked and we got lots of practical ideas about how to make the space as easy to live in as possible.

Our destination was the New Forrest and it was during the second heatwave. The night before I was wracked with anxiety about how Cali would manage the heat but it turned out to be a brilliant move. The campsite was shady enough for Cali to stay cool, it was very wheelchair accessible, there was loads of wildlife and it was dry enough for the oxygen concentrator and wheelchair to be outside the van...and everybody slept!

There was something slightly bonkers about being in a very basic campsite (it didn't even have toilets or showers!) and having a child who is ventilated, oxygen dependent and tube fed, but it also felt absolutely delicious - it showed what can be achieved if the set up is right.

06/09/2022

Iris has completed her maiden voyage!

When our friends Sally and Matt asked if they could take Iris for four nights in July, Cody was concerned that she wouldn't be ready enough for a family of five, including Sam, who has Downs Syndrome.

"I just want a van which is still dark when it gets light", Sally insisted, "We can sleep on the floor".

Since this conversation back in May it feels like so much has come together for Iris. All the months of hard work and head scratching from Cody, all the conversations we had late at night, when all I wanted to do was watch TV in bed, but knowing there was no other time they could happen. And all the long days Cody put in, often getting home as I was doing the bedtime routine....somebody stop me, I'm going to tear up soon!

The van Sally and Matt took away was so much more than a space that kept the light out. Iris now has hot and cold running water, electricity, working gas hobs, a fridge and, yes, beds. They coped admirably well without cupboard doors.

Here's a quote from Sally: "We loved Iris, we were camping at a festival, and we almost didn't go thinking it would be too stressful with our children. Having running water and electricity made the various aspects of complex childcare so much easier.

We were so grateful to be able to camp on site, with our friends, and join in."

Sally, Matt, and their three children, are amongst our favourite people in the world, and they have been massively supportive of the project. It was an absolute honour that they took Iris on her maiden voyage.

10/06/2022

The adjustable bunk beds are in! Both bunk beds can slide up and down so that they are the right height for changing a child or looking after them through the night without needing to strain your back.

Or if there's just you and your disabled family member and you can both sleep in the main bed, then the beds can be slid up out of the way leaving a great storage space!

20/05/2022

Iris has her first rainbow! It was a bit shocking at first for poor Cody who had gotten used to Iris' muted Scandi vibes, but we both love it now! "Iris" is short for 'arco iris' which is Spanish for rainbow. What do you think?

21/04/2022

We are looking for somebody to help us finish Iris. Either somebody who works with their hands for their profession- for example a carpenter, or somebody who has a good level of practical/DIY skills.

We would like to find somebody who is practical, reliable, who can work from their own initiative as well as follow instructions. Somebody who has an eye for detail but is also able to get stuck in. Self-employed ideally. (Hopefully you're not all rolling your eyes and thinking about moons on sticks if you have read this far...)

Hours, pay etc. all up for discussion. There's some flexibility but it will most likely be week days. Location is BS2, Bristol.

Please, please have a think if there is anybody you know that is looking for a bit of work who would fit the bill. Thanks. x x x

24/03/2022

It's been a while since I posted. These last few months have thrown up a lot of challenges, and whilst Cody has been working hard every day he can, there's been a fair few weeks when he's been needed at home.

After the unbearably sad death from the delta variant of a wonderful girl that we know with Cali's condition, we've had to take the covid threat to Cali really seriously, especially as Cali's lungs are not working well. In December we decided to take Alba out of school for a while and vastly reduce our contact with others. That's meant that Cody and myself were home schooling and managing most of the childcare needs, whilst also juggling my job, work on the van, the steady stream (and sometimes gush) of hospital and community appointments, as well as the extra responsibilities that come with parenting a child with complex medical needs. I won't lie, it's been intense.

In January I caught covid (source: still unclear, possibly inhaling at the wrong moment in the giraffe enclosure at the Wild Place, of all places!)...but with an big dose of isolation, some good masks and a lot of ventilation we managed to keep the infection away from Cali.

Cali has now had two doses of the vaccine, and as the dominant strain of covid is gentler on the lungs, we're now cautiously unbattening the hatches and stepping outside into the spring sunshine, blinking with the brightness as we try to return to a more normal life.

I share this as I'd like you all, who have been so supportive, to understand why things have been slowly than we thought. But that things are still very much going...Iris is taking shape!

I'll get some pictures up as soon as I can! But as a quick summary: the furniture is mostly made, there's tanks for water and waste water underneath the tank, there are solar panels on the roof, electrics in place and a there's new swivel seat in the front...the next challenge is the beds.

Thanks for bearing with us. Jemima ###

22/10/2021

Hello again! I want to apologise that there’s been no posts about Iris for so long. I hope none of you thought we’d scarpered after our successful crowdfunding campaign. The sad truth is that two weeks into our campaign Cody received the news that his mum didn’t have long left to live. He left for Spain soon after, only returning briefly once before Caroline’s death at the end of August. So Iris had to be mothballed for a few months.

If you know us, you are likely to know Cody's mum. When Cali was born she became our cavalry, flying over regularly to stay for a few weeks and providing laughter, support, veggie lasagne and a feeling that we are not alone with all the responsibilities we have. She helped us tirelessly in so many ways, always with a cheerful and positive attitude. Somehow she made the impossible seem possible.

And for that reason I know that it is thanks to her that the Accessible Iris crowdfunder happened. Without her example I would never have had the courage and determination to ask the world to support us.

And if Caroline was with us today, I have no doubt she’d be busily working on the curtains and spending days in the workshop making herself useful.

Cody is now back working on Iris and has made some great progress, I’ll post more about that shortly.

03/08/2021

We just wanted to say thank you so much for all your support and generosity over the last few weeks. We absolutely smashed it and raised £33,610 to convert Iris into a campervan for families with a disabled to use.

02/08/2021

So here we are at the end of a very exciting and eventful four weeks. Today is the last day of our crowdfunder to raise money to create an accessible campervan for families with a disabled child!

I'm so very proud of what we have achieved, especially given the extra challenges of multiple quarantines and the sadness of unwell family members.

463 people have generously donated to the project and we have raised an incredible £32,000! We've smashed all our targets with money left over to pay off some of the loan on the van.

If you were thinking about donating and haven't yet then the campaign ends at 7.30am on the 3rd August.

www.crowdfunder.co.uk/accessible-iris

01/08/2021

Off grid in Iris (1 day to go)

This whole project started with our dream of being able to regain a taste of the campervan holidays we had before Cali was born.

Back then, our holidays would be spent climbing mountains, striding along ridges and bathing in rivers and glacial pools. In the evenings we’d make a delicious meal which we would eat as the stars came out.

We’re not going to be able to climb mountains with Cali, but we'd love to be able to go off-grid with her, even if it just for a night or two, so that we can once again feel the peace of fully disconnecting from our busy lives. And at seven years of age, Cali has never looked up at the stars in a place far from electricity, and I think it's the kind of experience she would really love.

We want to be able to offer a view of the stars to other families too.

At night Cali is reliant on an oxygen concentrator, an oximeter, a suction machine and a food pump. Cumulatively this is too large an electrical demand for the batteries of your average campervan.

So, with a lot of support from Rayne Automotive we have designed a powerful system that will have enough reserves to allow, even a family with a high electrical requirement, some time off-grid. Thank you so much Rayne Automotive for your expertise.

The ability for families with a disabled child to have an off-grid experience will be something that is totally unique to Iris. We’re sure there are other families who are longing to adventure beyond the confines of an electrical hook up in a campsite.

Tomorrow is our last full day of our crowdfunder, if you were thinking about donating and haven't yet, then now is the time! Or if you know of anybody else who might like to support our project then please share our crowdfunder link: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/accessible-iris

30/07/2021

3 days to go - www.crowdfunder.co.uk/accessible-iris

About Iris - Travel in a wheelchair

For those children that travel in their wheelchair, Iris will have wheelchair fastenings so that they can travel safely and comfortably.

And if the wheelchair isn’t needed, we can slot an extra standard single seat in, or else the single seat can be left out to make the campervan more roomy.

We’d really love to thank BraunAbility for donating the ramp and some of the essential hardware.

29/07/2021

4 days to go...www.crowdfunder.co.uk/accessible-iris

About Iris: Staying the right temperature

Iris is going to have a high-quality heating and hot water system, so that the temperature can be adjusted minutely. This is important for some children with neurodisabilities who can struggle to regulate their own temperature, and even become unwell if they get too hot or too cold.

So to keep the van warm we approached Whale Van Life as we knew their excellent heating systems could meet the spec we are looking for. They offer a quiet system, which is preferable to a diesel heater which can emit a ticking noise. We felt that this would better suit children who struggle with sensory overload .

And to keep the van cool we approached SEEKR by Caframo for their excellent and efficient fans. The fans in Iris will be on quick release brackets so they can be moved around the van strategically to create optimal airflow.

We’d like to thank both these companies so much for putting their faith in our project, donating their products and their expertise.

If you would still like to support our project and haven’t yet, our crowdfunder ends on 3rd August at 7.30am

28/07/2021

Cali and I returned to Gympanzees , the pop up activity centre for disabled children today, and I can't tell you how good it felt.

Pulling into the carpark and seeing other families wheeling, or lifting, their children out of their cars and strapping on hefty bags of medical equipment to themselves and the wheelchairs filled me with such a sense of belonging.

We all have so many roles in life; partner, parent, sister, brother, carer, employee, employer...and we often connect to others through our shared experience in these roles. My role as mother to a non-verbal, medically complex little girl, is not one that I feel I can share with many people, but when I go to the Butterfly sessions at Gympanzees, I find myself around people who have faced many of the same things as Cody and I have, and whose daily minutiae actually matches ours.

And it feels so good to be able to share the minutiae about tubes and meds without any explanation needed. It feels so relaxing to be with people who also live with the complexities, heartbreak, hysteria and hilarity of having a delicate and different child.

I still drive Cali to school twice a week, which takes a great chunk of my childfree time, in part because of how much I treasure the snatched chats in the playground with parents and carers, as we hastily exchange tips and empathy. Even a smile and a wave from another parent or carer as we pass in a car means so much to me. Sometimes I think this is quite sad, it certainly makes me realise how lonely I can feel in this aspect of my life.

Gympanzees is such a special place, because no matter what your child's disability, there is a session for them to attend. And because when I am there, Cali and myself are valued and our community is valued. All the volunteers and staff are so kind, accommodating and genuine.

When I was thinking about this (and well done if you are still reading) I realised that this is what I want for the families that stay in Iris. I want them to feel like they, and their child are valued, and that we will do our best to accommodate their needs without fuss or comment. The welcome I have received at Gympanzees is something I have internalised and want to pass on.

AND I was so proud to see they'd chosen this picture of Cali, from a former visit back in the pre-pandemic world, for one of their welcoming posters!