A senior government adviser has dismissed calls for rights-based laws that would give disabled people a nationally-guaranteed entitlement to independent living support. Dr Steve Feast, a senior health and wellbeing adviser in the Department of Health, said he would be “very […]
News Archive
Minister avoids answering questions on threat to DLA
Care services minister Phil Hope has refused to say which disability benefits the government is considering scrapping and “integrating” into local authority social services budgets. The refusal came as he responded to a series of questions put to him about the […]
Disabled hacker fails in latest bid to avoid extradition
Disabled computer hacker Gary McKinnon has failed in his final UK legal bid to avoid extradition to the USA. McKinnon, who has Asperger’s syndrome has been refused permission to appeal to Britain’s new supreme court. His lawyers had wanted to appeal […]
Fit notes ‘need explicit reference to reasonable adjustments’
The government is likely to ignore calls for an explicit reference to the need for reasonable adjustments in the workplace to be included on its new electronic “fit note”. The government hopes the fit note will be more flexible than the […]
Activists hope for one million names on benefits petition
Disabled activists are hoping to secure one million names on a petition calling on the government to abandon any plans to scrap disability living allowance (DLA) and attendance allowance (AA). The petition has been launched by the campaigning website The Political […]
Concerns over Tory incapacity benefit plans
Campaigners have asked serious questions about Conservative plans to force hundreds of thousands of people off out-of-work disability benefits and onto the less generous jobseeker’s allowance (JSA). The Conservatives say they would subject the 2.6 million people currently receiving incapacity benefit […]
London 2012 launches £3 million disability arts programme
The organisers of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games have launched the UK’s largest ever disability arts programme, with £3 million funding to be spread over the next three years. Jenny Sealey, artistic director of Graeae Theatre Company and artistic […]
Fears over 2012 Paralympic TV coverage
Fears over 2012 Paralympic TV coverage Coverage of the London 2012 Paralympic Games could be restricted to the internet or subscription TV channels. Although the BBC has secured UK television rights to cover the 2012 Olympic Games, the rights for the […]
Children to have guide dogs for the first time
Children to have guide dogs for the first time Blind and partially-sighted children under the age of 16 will be able to “own” guide dogs for the first time from the start of 2010 after the charity that trains the dogs […]
Lib Dems would scrap disabled people’s minister
Liberal Democrat plans to cut costs across government would mean there would be no minister for disabled people if they won power at the general election. Nick Clegg, the party leader, outlined the move as part of his plans for delivering […]