THIS week (June 9-15) staff and volunteers in the Scope shop in Halesowen will be marking the disability charity's Time to Get Equal Week - to celebrate disabled people's rights and raise awareness about disablism - the discrimination faced by disabled people.

We would like to invite all our supporters and customers - and indeed any interested members of the public - to visit our store during the week and come and join in the celebrations.

We will also be inviting all our customers to sign our petition book, urging the Government to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in full. The Convention, once legally binding, would give disabled people additional legal rights and assert their equal human rights and it is important that the Government does not drag its feet or opt out of this important landmark recognition of disabled people's rights.

We would also like to take the opportunity to thank the residents for their generous support and remind people that we are always looking for donations of stock, which are vital to Scope's work to achieve equality for disabled people.

Shirley Stevenson Shop Area Manager