the country's only news agency specialising in disability issues
“Devastating” new official figures showing how many disabled people have died from coronavirus demonstrate that the government has violated its obligation to protect their right to life, says a leading disabled expert. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show disabled people […]
Disabled activists say that government plans to allow NHS patients infected with COVID-19 to be discharged into care homes this winter will repeat the failings that led to thousands of deaths of older and disabled people in the early stages of the […]
The government is facing growing pressure to scrap “wholly unacceptable” and “discriminatory” emergency powers that have allowed public bodies to suspend disabled people’s rights during the coronavirus pandemic. More than 60 disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) and their allies this week signed a […]
The government has attempted to address some of the concerns about the abuse of disabled people’s rights to health and social care that emerged during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The policies come in a new adult social care winter […]
Disabled campaigners who have fought for years to challenge the disability hate crime failings of the criminal justice system have welcomed reforms suggested by the Law Commission, despite frustration at the slow pace of change. The reforms suggested in a new consultation […]
A disabled artist-activist yesterday attempted to “section” the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for being a danger to benefit claimants. In an action designed to highlight DWP’s lack of compassion, Dolly Sen delivered a printed heart to DWP’s Caxton House headquarters […]
Labour activists are pushing their party for a stronger commitment to plans drawn up by disabled people that would solve the social care crisis by setting up a co-produced National Independent Living Service (NILS). A motion based on the NILS plans became […]
The mayor of London is facing anger from disabled campaigners over his decision to set up a board of nearly 30 senior figures to oversee the recovery from coronavirus in the capital without including any members representing disabled people. The aim of […]
Campaigners have asked a local authority why it has taken the “inexcusable” step of increasing care charges for disabled people in the middle of a pandemic. Greenwich council was warned last year that planned increases to the contributions disabled service-users have to […]
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) appears to have performed a partial U-turn after disabled campaigners reacted angrily to an apparent ban on media requests from Disability News Service (DNS). Last week, DNS reported how DWP’s press office had failed to […]
The care regulator has been accused of prioritising the financial interests of home care agencies over the safety of disabled people, after refusing to release information that would show which of them have reported deaths of service-users linked to coronavirus. The Care […]
The TUC has angered disabled union activists after failing to ensure that its annual conference was accessible to people with hearing and other impairments who tried to watch it online. Many activists were not able to follow this week’s annual TUC Congress […]
Two disabled peers have called on the health and social care secretary to scrap powers given to local authorities that allow them to suspend some of their social care duties during the coronavirus pandemic. Crossbench peers Baroness [Jane] Campbell and Baroness [Tanni] […]
New rules published by the rail regulator could push the industry to take the need to provide accessible rail replacement vehicles more seriously, but they have been branded “too little, too late” by a leading disabled campaigner. The Office of Rail and […]
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has stopped answering questions from Disability News Service (DNS), and is refusing to explain why it has taken the “totally unacceptable” step. Since early July, DWP’s press office has failed to provide a meaningful response […]
The mayor of London has defended his decision to set up a board of nearly 30 senior figures to oversee the recovery from coronavirus in the capital without including any members representing disabled people. Membership of the London Recovery Board is made up […]
Disabled union activists have backed TUC calls for the government to take action to help disabled workers disproportionately affected by the coronavirus crisis. The TUC warned this week that disabled people were set to face some of the highest rates of job […]
A prominent disabled activist is calling for stricter controls on electric scooters after she was subjected to a terrifying ordeal that resulted in a violent physical assault which left her needing hospital treatment. Paula Peters was left with a fractured eye socket, […]
The coronavirus crisis has left disabled people feeling “abandoned, ignored and devalued”, according to a new report by user-led organisations and their allies in the north-east of England. The report, Manifesto for a Better Normal, focuses on four key areas that have […]
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been accused of “careless cruelty” after it mistakenly sent out letters to disabled claimants, telling them their disability benefits had been stopped for failing to fill in review forms. It is not clear how […]
The minister for disabled people is facing fresh criticism for failing to carry out “meaningful” engagement with disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) during the coronavirus pandemic. Three DPOs have this week criticised the failure of Justin Tomlinson and his new Disability Unit to […]