An equalities minister has caused bemusement among members of the disability movement after claiming it was illegal for them to reserve jobs solely for disabled people. Maria Eagle – a former disabled people’s minister – made the comments this week … Continue reading →

A disabled peer has hailed improvements to the public sector equality duty – the “holy grail” of the equality bill – as a “huge breakthrough” in the fight to maintain disabled people’s protection from discrimination. Baroness [Jane] Campbell introduced the … Continue reading →

The Liberal Democrats have become the first of the three main political parties to accept all of the disability-related recommendations of a committee set up to increase the diversity of MPs. The Speaker’s Conference on Parliamentary Representation made 71 recommendations … Continue reading →

The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) new lead on disability issues has pledged to help change the way it is viewed by disabled people, and to do more to explain and promote the work it is doing. Mike Smith, … Continue reading →

An independent report on income inequalities – commissioned by the government – has concluded that nearly a third of disabled people are living in poverty. Official statistics previously estimated about a quarter of disabled people were in poverty, but An … Continue reading →

An equalities minister has delivered a lukewarm verdict on the first two years of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), saying the watchdog “could do better”. Maria Eagle, a minister in the Government Equalities Office (GEO), said the EHRC … Continue reading →

Disabled campaigners have welcomed a new inquiry by MPs that will examine the extent of fuel poverty experienced by disabled people. The Commons energy and climate change committee announced last week that it was holding a short inquiry into the … Continue reading →

Disability organisations have had to line up yet again against any weakening of the law on assisted suicide, following two high profile court cases and the publication of proposed new laws in Scotland. Kay Gilderdale, from Stonegate, East Sussex, was … Continue reading →

A bill that would provide vital financial support to the disabled victims of the “worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS” has been approved by the House of Lords. The contaminated blood (support for infected and bereaved persons) … Continue reading →

Two new campaigns aim to boost the number of people with learning difficulties who will vote at this year’s general election. At the last general election in 2005, of the people with learning difficulties who use services run by the … Continue reading →