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. The survey of welfare advisers by the Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC) comes nearly 10 months after the […]
News Archive
Inclusion fears over SEN pilot projects
Campaigners will try to convince local authorities testing out new government policies on special educational needs (SEN) to take an inclusive approach, despite the coalition’s “hostile” stance on including disabled children in mainstream schools. Sarah Teather, the Liberal Democrat children’s minister, […]
Figures raise fresh concerns over work of Atos
New research by disabled activists has produced fresh evidence of poor performance by the company paid to test disabled people’s “fitness for work”. The results come from an online survey form hosted by the campaigning website AfterAtos, and cover responses from […]
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. DaDaFest, the International Festival of Disability and Deaf Arts, which is based in Liverpool, will take place […]
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. The code of practice, drawn up by the industry body the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) and backed by the Department for Transport, […]
Liberal Democrat conference: 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. Two months ago, a report for the […]
Liberal Democrat conference: Minister holds out hope 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. The Liberal Democrat pensions minister Steve Webb was speaking […]
Liberal Democrat conference: 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. Paul Burstow the care services minister, told Disability […]
Liberal Democrat conference: 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. The Liberal Democrat leadership programme was launched by the party’s leader, Nick Clegg. […]
Liberal Democrat conference: Disabled members help overturn welfare policy
Disabled 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. The party voted this week for urgent improvements to the […]