News & Events
MPs survey provides new evidence of care cuts
Ofcom criticised after clearing Channel 4 over Gervais hate routine
The broadcasting watchdog Ofcom has come under attack again after ruling that an offensive, disablist routine by comedian Ricky Gervais did not breach it broadcasting code. See full article
Alarm after council straps direct payments support service
Disabled activists are warning that local authorities could try to copy a council that has withdrawn funding from a direct payments support service. See full article
New concerns over London 2012' search for disabled volunteers
A leading user-led arts organisation has raised new concerns over the search for volunteers to take part in the opening and closing ceremonies of the London 2012 Paralympics. See full article
New work test stats 'show reforms are working'
New figures show the number of disabled people found eligible for unconditional support under the much-criticsed "fitness for work" regime has doubled since its introduction by the Labour government in 2008. See full article
Budget airline faces legal action over website access
A disability charity has begun legal action against a budget airline over its failure to make its website accessible to blind and partially-sighted customers. See full article
Slight improvement in Access to Work figures
The government has welcomed new figures which show a slight rise in the number of disabled people granted funds to make their workplaces more accessible. See full article
Passion pays off a DaDaFest scoops prestigious prize
The world's biggest disability and deaf arts festival has won a prestigious annual award, a £10,000 prize, and a huge vote of confidence from regional business leaders. See full article
Government admits failing to analyse results of DLA consultation
The government has admitted failing to carry out any statistical analysis of the results of its controverisal disability living allowance (DLA) consultation. See full article
DLA reform: DPOs could boycott government consultations
Leading figures in the disability movement say they could stop cooperating with the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) if the government's welfare reform bill becomes law. See full article
London 2012 criticised over opening ceremony volunteer call
The London 2012 organising committee's appearl for volunteers to take part in the opening and closing ceremonies of the Paralympics has been criticised by leading diasbled artists and performers. See full article
DLA reform: Government concessions 'are victory for activists'
The disabled activists behind a ground-breaking report that accused the government of misleading parliament over its welfare reforms say major concessions agreed by a coalition minister are a victory for disabled people. See full article
DLA reform: Disabled peers secure concessions from government
Disabled peers have secured a string of key concessions from the government on its controversial disability living allowance reforms (DLA). See full article
DLA reform: Dame Anne set to probe DWP's Spartacus evasions
A senior disabled MP is to examine the government's failure to respond to allegations that it misled parliament over its disability living allowance (DLA) reforms. See full article
DLA reform: Nearly half a million set to lose support
Government cuts to vital diasbility benefits will be even harsher than the coalition previously admitted, with nearly half a million people set to lose their right to disability living allowance (DLA). See full article
Disabled US actor highlights UK hate crime at Golden Globes
A disabled American actor has caused an internet sensation after using his acceptance speech at a televised US awards ceremoney to offer support to the British victim of a disability hate crime attack. See full article
CPS barrister to be quizzed over hate crime sentencing failure
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is reviewing a barrister's decision not to call for stricter sentences for three people who took part in a "degrading" hate crime attack on a disabled man. See full article
Minister denies social care crisis
A health minister has refused to accept the existence of a huge gap between the care and support disabled people need, and the funding made available to pay for it. See full article
NEWS RELEASE
Welfare Reform Bill: Government must listen to disabled people now
Today, the Welfare REform Bill enters the Report Stage of the House of Lords. This is the last opportunity for the Government to listen to disabled people and make much-needed improvements to the Bill. See article
New Year Honours: Activist pledges to use OBE to fight cuts
A leading disabled activitist recognised with an OBE in the New Year Honours is to use the aware to campaign against government cuts to disability benefits See full article
Disabled people 'must play part' in fighting blue badge abuse
Disabled people must play a part in efforts to cut the misuse and abuse of blue parking badges, according to leading activitists. See full article
Politicians and DWP combine to block answers on Unum links
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the three main political parties are refusing to say how often ministers have met with an insurance company set to make huge financial gains from incapacity benefit reform See full article
Report uncovers scores more NHS 'discrimination deaths'
A new investigation has uncovered evidence that NHS failings have caused or contributed to the deaths of more than 70 people with learning difficulties See full article
New Year Honours: Activist pledges to use OBE to fight cuts
A leading disabled activist recognised with an OBE in the New Year Honours is to use the award to campaign against government cuts to disability benefits. See full article
New Year Honours: Awards recognise 2012 trio
Three disabled people who could play significant - but contrasting - roles in this year's London 2012 Paralympics have been recognised in the New Year Honours See full article
Politicians given New Year rebuke over care funding reform
Four leading disabled figures have backed a call for politicians to "seize" the latest opportunity to reform the funding of adult social care. See full article
Assisted suicide report is 'attack on disabled people
Disabled activists have condemned a new report - funded by pro-ethanasia campaingers - that suggests assisted suicide could and should be legalised in England and Wales. See full article
Government's Crimestoppers campaign 'could fuel disability hate crime'
Outraged campaigners ssay a new government-backed benefit fraud campaign could expose disabled people to hostility and violence in their own communities. See full article
Government caught out on DLA statistics ... again
Serious doubts have emerged about crucial statistics used by the minster for disabled people to justify the government's sweeping disability living allowance (DLA) reforms. See full article
Care scrunity measures fail to mask new concerns over funding reform
New government proposals to "shake up" the scrutiny of adult social care have failed to mask growing concerns that the coalition is planning to postpone the long-awaited reform of care and support funding. See full article
Tanni's Lords bid to derail cuts to disability beenfit falls just short
A disabled peer has failed by just two votes to overturn plans that will see a steep cut in financial support for many failities with disabled children. See full article
Discrimination advice cut will be catastrophe for disabled people
Government proposals to remove funding from organisations that provide expert legal support for discrimination cases will have a catastrophic impact on disabled people, experts have warned. See full article
Welfare reform bill 'could breach human rights'
A committee of MPs and peers has suggested that parts of the government's controversial welfare reform bill could breach disabled people's human rights. See full article
Disabled student barred from using accessible parking space
A university has prevented one of its disabled students from using an accessible parking space that was allowing him to carry out vita work experience, and has now painted over the bay's markings. See full article
DWP snubs Harest Hit's Christmas greeting
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has turned away disabled activists who wanted to deliver a campaigning Christmas card on behalf of 23,000 people who signed a petition calling for urgent changes to the welfare reform bill. See full article
Mobility component u-turn: Fears over how DWP will fund decision
The government has refused to say how it will fund its decision to abandon plans to remove a key mobility benefit from disabled people in residental care. See full article
Mobility component u-turn: Government access of 'incompetence'
The government has been accused of 'incompetence' after it finally abandoned plans to remove mobility support from disabled people in residential homes. See full article
Minster seeks ideas for coalition's disabilty strategy
The government is urging disabled people to suggest measurs they would like to see included in its new disability strategy. See full article
Government rewrites history for UN report
The government appears to have left out any mention of the brutal cuts to disabled people's benefits and services in a crucial report abouty how it is implementing the United Nations (UN) disability convention. See full article.
Progress has been made on 'fitness for work' test, says review
Disability organisations have welcomed the second annual review of the government's much-criticsed "fitness for work" test, but have warned that progress on improving the assessment has been too slow. See full article
Self-advocacy campaigner takes organisations's fight for survival to high court
A disabled activist with one of the country's leading self-advoacy organisations has spoken of her pride in taking her council to court over its decision to remove their funding. See full article.
DPOs set to submit evidence on media hostility to Leveson Inquiry
At least three disabled people's organisation (DPOs) plan to submit evidence to a major inquiry to draw its attention to how some newspapers are stirring up hostility towards disabled people. See full article
DAN sends messages to coalition: We are coming for you
The radical disabled people's network DAN has wrned the government to expect an imminent regturn to the kind of high profile, non-violent, direct action protects last seen in the 1990s. See full article
Hate crime linked to newspaper stories of fraud
Disabled activists have linked the conviction of a man who called his disabled neighbour a "benefit scrounger" to hostile stories and comments that have come from the media and the government. See full article
Fears over sickness absence report
A government-backed report is set to make it harder for disabled people to claim out-of-work disability benefits, while potentially delivering another lucrative assessment contract to the private sector. See full article.
EHRC calls for gonverment to close 'legal loophole' on home care
A legal loophole is derpving hundres of thousands of older people who receive care in their own homes of protection under the Human Rights Act, according to the Equality Rights Commission (EHRC). See full article.
Gervais sparks storm over disablist word
Comedian Ricky Gervais has sparked a storm of protest from disabled people and other campaigners after repeatedly using an offensive and disablist word in messages on the social media network Twitter. See full article
Wales secures long-awaited independent living strategy
The announcement of a long-awaited strategy for promoting independent living in Wales has been welcomed by disabled campaigners. See full article
Government is 'talking up' benefit fraud, says shadow minister
Labour-s new shadow minister for disabled people has accused the government of "talking up" the issue of disability benefit fraud as it attempts to push through its sweeping welfare reforms. See full article
Scope's DIAL UK closure threatens rift with movement
A disability charity's decision to close down a national advice organisation, just two years after they merged, has provoked anger amoung disabled people's organisations (DPOs). See full article
More news is bad news, says report
There has been a "significant increase" in the number of negative stories about disabled people in national newspapers over the last six years, according to new research. See full article
Motability rule change means disabled people must driver cheaper cars
Disabled people have reacted angrily after they were told they will no longer be able to drive vehicle worth over £25,000 through the Motability Car Scheme. See full article
Minister and mayor face angry hecklers over custs and Atos
The minster for disabled people and London's mayor faced repeated, angry heckling from activists when they addressed a conference held to discuss disability issues in the capital. See full article
Scheme brings MP's face-to-face with disabled constituents
More than 100 disabled people have raised campaigning issues around disability rights and equality in face-to-face meetings with their local MPs, thanks to a scheme tha aims to build relatiohships between policitians and thie disabled consitutents See full article
LIBERAL DEMOCRAT CONFERENCE NEWS
Quiet threat of electric vehicles 'will be addressed'
The government is seeking international agreement on rules that would force car manufacturers to reduce the threat of their near-silent electric vehicles to the safety of blind pedestrians, a Liberal Democrat Minister has announced. SEE FULL ARTICLE
Ministers hold out hopes over Welfare Reform Bill
A government minister has held out hope that some of the most unpopular measures in the Welfare Reform Bill could be removed or eased during its progress through the House of Lords. SEE FULL ARTICLE
New Fears over Care Funding Reform
A Liberal Democrat minister has warned that a government social care white paper due next spring may not include long-awaited measures to reform the funding of support for disabled adults and older people SEE FULL ARTICLE
Disabled members help overnturn Welfare Policy
Diasbled LIberal Democrats have helped force a major change to their party's policies on welfare reform, and the use of "fitness for work" tests to determine eligibility for out-of-work disability benefits. SEE FULL ARTICLE
New Scheme should see more disabled MPs
A new programme aims to help the Liberal Democrats increase the number of disabled people - and other under-represented groups - elected to represent their party as MPs. SEE FULL ARTICLE
Research Questions Improvements for 'Fitness for Work' tests
New research has raised doubts over whether changes to the government's "fitness for work" tests have made the assessments any fairer for disabled people SEE FULL ARTICLE
Inclusion fears over SEN pilot projects
Campaigners will try to convince local authorities testing out new government policies on special educational neeeds (SEN) to take an inclusive approach, despite the coalition's "hostile" stance on including disabled children in maintainnig schools. SEE FULL ARTICLE
Figures riase fresh concerns over work of Atos
New research by disabled activitist has produced fresh evidence of poor performance by the company paid to test disabled people's "Fitness for Work". SEE FULL ARTICLE
New Code could ease bus travel for scooter users - But not in London
Campaigners have welcomed new rules that should make it easier for some mobility scooter users to travel on buses. SEE FULL ARTICLE
Crown Prosecution Service to look again at abuse allegations failure
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is to investigate why it refused to prosecute any of the NHS staff accused of abusing 18 disabled people at a day centre. SEE FULL ARTICLE
Festival will put disabilty arts and rights near the centre of London 2012
Disabled People are to hold a major international disability art festival to run in parallel with the London 2012 Paralympics. SEE FULL ARTICLE
DaDaFest 2012 will look to Global talent
The world's biggest disability and deaf arts festival is to link up next year with the cultural celebrations around the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. See full article See full article
International Paralympic Day: Sir Philip calls for end to use of 'disabled'
The British head of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has defended his suggestion that the 2012 Paralympics should be used as a stepping-stone towards stopping the use of the words “disabled” and “disability”.
Survivors of alleged day centre abuse receive NHS compensation
A health trust has agreed to pay compensation to at least three disabled people who were allegedly abused by staff at an NHS day centre.
Protest highlights need for action on the buses
Disabled people converged on Westminster this week as part of a day of action to raise awareness of the barriers they face when travelling on London’s buses.
Survey will shine spotlight on impact of cuts on London's DPOs
New research aims to “make visible” the impact of the spending cuts on disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) in London, and so help their fight for survival.
Court setback just spurs campaigners on in fight against care cuts
Disabled campaigners have vowed to fight on, despite losing a High Court challenge to a council’s plans to make sweeping cuts to adult social care and support.
Drastic fall in income sparks call fro DPOs to work together
Disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) need to work together to raise their profile and find ways to cope with a drastic fall in their income, disabled activists have been told.
Liberty's future unsettled as new venue secures mixed reacton
The immediate future of the capital’s annual disability arts festival appears uncertain, despite an overwhelmingly positive response to the talent on show at this year’s event.
International Paralympic Day: Athlete set their own tragets for London 2012
Some of Britain’s finest disabled athletes – and former Paralympians – have spoken of their hopes for next year’s Paralympics in London, and the changes they hope it could bring in its wake.
Minister caught using accessible toilet after TV lecture on "right and wrong"
DELAYS TO WELFARE REFORM BILL GIVES CAMPAIGNERS MORE TIME
Campaigners have welcomed the government's decision to postpone the next parliamentary stage of its controverisal welfare reform bill.
GOVERNMENT OMITS HATE CRIM MURDER MEASURES FROM SENTENCING BILL
Government has failed to fulfil its pledge to end the glaring disparity between sentces for disability and other hate crime murders.
PROTEST DEMONSTRATES ANGER OVER COUNCIL'S MCDONALD COURT WIN
Activities were set to stage a protest this evening over the treatment of a disabled woman denied the night-time care she needs by her local authority - 21 July 2011
DISABLED WOMEN ASK COURT TO FORCE COUNCIL TO THINK AGAIN OVER CUTS
Two older disabled women have this week tqken their fight against council cuts to care and support to the High Court.
DPO FUNDING IS WELCOME BUT STILL "A DROP IN THE OCEAN'
The government has launched a scheme designed to support the growth of local disabled people's organisations (DPOs)
CONCERNS OVER REPLACEMENT OF ODI DIRECTOR
The government has replaced the disabled director of its Office for Disability Issues (ODI) with a non-disabled civil servant, without advertising the post externally.
DPO BOYCOTS CHARITIES 'INDEPENDENT' REVIEW OF MOBILITY NEEDS
The government has launched a scheme designed to support the growth of local disabled people's organisations (DPOs). Read full article on by clicking the link
CARE WATCHDOG DEFENDS FAILURE TO UNCOVER ABUSE EVIDENCE
The care regulator has defended the failure of its own inspectors to uncover evidence of serious abuse at a private “hospital” for people with learning difficulties. Click on the link for full article
THE BIRMINGHAM JUDGEMENT - NCIL WELCOMES BLOW TO SO-CALLED DEMOCRATICALLY ACCOUNTABLE DECISION MAKING BY LOCAL AUTHORITIE
In a judicial review against Birmingham - R(W) v Birmingham City Council - the High Court has considered the application of the public sector equality duties against the background of substantial cuts in public expenditure, i.e. limiting access to care services to critical needs only. On 5 April 2011 - after the challenged decision - the old public sector equality duties were replaced by a new unified duty under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010. The public sector equality duties that applied at the time of the judicial review (the PSED) were those set out at section 49A of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. That is, a public authority must give “due regard” to the need: to eliminate unlawful discrimination and harassment in the field of disability,
to promote equality of opportunity, to promote good race relations, to take steps to take account of disabilities, to promote positive attitudes to disabled people and to encourage them to participate in public life.
Birmingham sought to address the need to achieve spending cuts – imposed by central government – by proposals that would change the eligibility threshold from “substantial” to “critical only” so that only those whose needs were assessed as “critical” would automatically be entitled to have those needs met by the council. These proposals had been subjected to a consultation, and there was an Equality Impact Needs Assessment (EINA), which was available to be seen by members of the council’s Cabinet when they made their decision. The Cabinet approved the proposals on the basis of a “high level” report on the impact of the change in the eligibility threshold for adult social care, in particular for those with substantial needs.
This judgement strengthens the rights of disabled people to support from social care. Alternative approaches that could alleviate, or at least mitigate, the impact of the decision must be explored. The PSED is not just a formality which can be served in the form of a meaningless high level report – such as an EINA – to be read and signed off by councillors. On the contrary, elected members of a council’s Cabinet must be properly and fully informed by council officers and address their own mind to the statutory duty. In the past, Judicial Reviews often failed because decisions had been seen to have been approved by “democratically accountable bodies” – irrespective of how rigorous and open-minded that approach had been. In future, if the Localism Bill will be enacted, councillors will – for the first time – have a right to campaign and can therefore no longer shy away from taking positions and defending them openly and publicly.