Activists have attacked newspapers and the government over “appalling” coverage of the release of statistics on the number of people claiming out-of-work disability benefits.

Their anger came as a committee of MPs criticised campaigning charities for not doing more to promote the “opportunities” offered by the government’s controversial reassessment of incapacity benefit claimants, and for “fuelling anxiety” among disabled people.

Meanwhile, disabled people across the UK are being urged to take part in a series of protests across the country against cuts to services and benefits. The local and regional protests will take place this autumn as a follow-up to May’s hugely successful national Hardest Hit protest in London.

The government’s commitment to supporting disabled people in employment has been questioned again, after a prominent disabled leader had his application for workplace support through the Access to Work scheme rejected.

The revelation came after government figures confirmed a dramatic slump in the number of disabled people granted Access to Work funds.

The BBC has been accused of turning its back on reporting the crucial issues affecting disabled people, after admitting it will not be replacing its specialist disability news correspondent.

And the care regulator faces further serious questions over its failure to root out evidence of abuse and poor standards, after publishing a series of reports into services run by the company at the centre of a major care scandal.

Meanwhile, angry disabled activists have launched a website to highlight the “shameful” failure to put access and inclusion at the heart of next year’s London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. They have focused their anger on the mayor of London, Boris Johnson.

The industry regulator Ofcom has proposed measures that would see significant improvements to telephone “relay” services for people with hearing and speech impairments.

New government guidance aims to boost the number of personal assistants, and make it easier for disabled people to employ them.

And campaigners have called for car manufacturers to be forced to adapt their near-silent electric vehicles so they no longer pose such a serious threat to the safety of blind pedestrians.