A disability charity has called on the government to carry out a national audit to find out how many disabled adults in the UK have speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). Scope also wants the National Audit Office to discover what […]
News Archive
Home secretary refuses again to halt disabled hacker’s extradition
Outraged campaigners have attacked the home secretary’s latest refusal to halt the extradition of disabled computer hacker Gary McKinnon to the United States. Alan Johnson had been considering new evidence relating to McKinnon’s mental health, which suggested he was highly likely […]
Personal care bill ‘will squeeze services’
Government proposals to offer free personal care at home to disabled people with the highest needs will probably lead to a squeeze on services for those with lower needs, say campaigners. Deep concerns emerged after the government published its new personal […]
Mystery over appointment of equality watchdog commissioners
The government has been unable to explain why it has performed a U-turn on cutting the number of commissioners appointed to the board of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). Last week, the Government Equalities Office (GEO) announced the names […]
Amendment to bill ‘could lead to more disabled MPs’
Political parties should be required by law to publish information on how many disabled people – and other under-represented groups – are selected to fight parliamentary seats, according to a Commons committee. The recommendation came in an interim report by the […]
EastEnders scoops mental health media award
The TV soap EastEnders has been recognised at an annual awards ceremony for its commitment to tackling mental health storylines realistically and sensitively. The award was one of six won by the BBC in the Mind Mental Health Media Awards which […]
MPs and peers highlight discrimination faced by disabled children
A report by an influential group of MPs and peers has highlighted some of the discrimination experienced by disabled children in the UK. The report on children’s rights by the joint committee on human rights includes evidence of discriminatory attitudes towards […]
Disabled artists praise dancer’s avant-garde epilepsy experiment
A dancer with epilepsy who will try to induce a seizure in front of an audience has won praise from other disabled artists for bringing the condition “out of the closet”. Award-winning dancer and choreographer Rita Marcalo will spend 24 hours […]
Lifting of ban means athletes with learning difficulties will compete at 2012
Athletes with learning difficulties will be able to compete at the London 2012 Paralympics, after a ban was finally lifted by the world governing body. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) imposed the ban after the 2000 Sydney Paralympics, when nearly all […]
Bank loses appeal over ‘landmark’ access ruling
A bank will have to install a lift at a city centre branch after a disabled customer won an appeal court victory in a landmark discrimination case. The Royal Bank of Scotland will have to carry out the building work – […]