A transport minister has announced new funding of nearly £40 million to improve access to Britain’s railway stations. The funding is part of the 10-year Access for All programme launched in 2006 to provide accessible, step-free routes at 148 key stations, […]
News Archive
Movement mourns father of social model
The disability movement is mourning the death of one of its pioneers, an academic and anti-apartheid campaigner whose work “transformed people’s understanding of disability” and laid the basis for what became known as the “social model”. Vic Finkelstein’s ideas influenced a […]
Government’s £1 billion ESA headache
The government will be forced to spend an extra £1 billion a year, after over-estimating how many people would be found “fit for work” through a controversial new assessment. A report from the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) says the […]
Cinema bosses grilled by Trailblazers over access
Bosses from the country’s three leading cinema chains have been given a grilling by young disabled activists over their failure to make their screens more accessible. Leading executives from Cineworld, Odeon and Vue attended a parliamentary meeting as part of an […]
Survey provides detailed picture of social barriers
The first major survey to explore the barriers that disabled people face to participating in British society has produced a detailed picture of their experiences across work, transport and education. The Life Opportunities Survey compares how disabled and non-disabled people participate […]
Reports raise new safety concerns over institutions
New fears have been raised about the safety of people with learning difficulties, after the care watchdog published the first reports from a national programme of inspections. The programme of surprise inspections of more than 100 NHS and independent hospitals that […]
Protesters set Olympic Park tone for months of Atos protests
Disabled protesters furious at the involvement of two of London 2012’s major sponsors have targeted the first “test event” held to prepare for next year’s Paralympics. Protesters were denied access to the Olympic Park by LOCOG, the 2012 organisers, but were […]
Europe’s leaders ‘must take action on poverty and discrimination’
The European Union’s (EU) leaders have been urged to take action to ensure disabled people do not suffer more poverty, exclusion and discrimination because of the European financial crisis. The call came from Yannis Vardakastanis, president of the European Disability Forum […]
Legislation could solve council foot-dragging on personal budgets, say MPs
The government should consider introducing legislation to give disabled people a legal right to a personal budget according to a committee of MPs. The report from the Commons public accounts committee said that a small number of councils were “dragging their […]
Big Society ‘could open door to opportunities’
The government’s “Big Society” agenda could provide an opportunity to put into practice many of the “long-cherished principles” held by people with mental health difficulties according to a disabled journalist and activist. Mark Brown, editor of the mental health magazine One […]