the country's only news agency specialising in disability issues
A long-awaited government promise to introduce stricter minimum accessibility standards on new homes does not go far enough, say disabled campaigners. Ministers have now pledged to introduce new rules that will force all new homes in England to be built to the […]
The government’s advisers on accessible transport have told ministers they do not believe that their proposals for reforming the rail system will be enough to deliver an accessible railway. The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) says in its response to a public consultation […]
Thousands of disabled customers of the Motability scheme are facing many months of delays before they can take delivery of the vehicles they ordered, because of problems in the global car industry. Many disabled customers are even being told that the cars […]
Six leading disabled people of colour are to play a key role in an inquiry that aims to hold the government to account for failing disabled people during the Covid pandemic. The commission will gather evidence and examine how the worst impacts […]
Two campaigners are seeking the high court’s permission to challenge the government’s refusal to ensure disabled people can evacuate safely from high-rise blocks of flats in emergencies. Three years ago, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry called for all owners and managers of high-rise […]
More than half of the care homes inspected in the last month were found to be inadequate or to require improvement, but the care watchdog has refused to say if it is concerned by the figures. The figures show that of 423 […]
Campaigners who spent years exposing the deaths of countless benefit claimants have spoken this week of the “abysmal failure” of MPs who refused to question the minister for disabled people about research linking her government with those tragedies. The draft version of […]
Staffing levels on a section of the rail network are “completely inadequate to deliver an accessible railway”, according to a report by the government’s own accessible transport advisers. The Rail Workforce Reform report by the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) found […]
The human rights watchdog is threatening to take legal action against the government for failing to “go far enough” in its plan to cut the number of disabled people inappropriately detained in secure hospitals. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said […]
Disabled people have backed up an MP’s claims that government contractors are deliberately putting lifts out of order and attempting other “covert” attempts to trick claimants waiting to be assessed for their disability benefits. Last week, Conservative MP Dr Ben Spencer said […]
Information released by work and pensions secretary Therese Coffey suggests that failings within the universal credit, personal independence payment and employment and support allowance systems have all contributed to the deaths of benefit claimants in the last three years. In a letter […]
Years of lobbying from disabled people’s organisations (DPOs), backed up by research and evidence, appears to have persuaded a local authority to adopt a new, rights-based approach to addressing the social care crisis. A report by Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Future […]
The minister for disabled people has rejected most of the recommendations from a report from her department’s own advisers that called for “culture change” in the way it engages with disabled people. The report by the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) was […]
A union has published a booklet filled with tributes to the life and work of the “unique and irreplaceable” disabled activist Seán McGovern, who died two years ago. The booklet, Remembering Seán McGovern (PDF)*, by Mark Metcalf, is being launched today (Thursday) […]
MPs have refused to quiz the disability minister about new research that brings together more than 30 years of evidence linking her department with the deaths of countless disabled benefit claimants. The draft version of the Deaths by Welfare timeline features more than […]
Private sector contractors are deliberately putting lifts out of order and removing cups from beside water coolers as part of “covert” attempts to trick disabled people waiting to be assessed for their benefits, MPs have been told. Conservative MP Dr Ben Spencer […]
The minister for disabled people has told MPs it is too expensive and too much effort to produce statistics about key parts of an assessment system linked to hundreds, and probably thousands, of deaths over the last decade. Chloe Smith told the […]
The Treasury is refusing to release information that would show the impact on disabled people of spending decisions in March’s spring statement because it could be too “complex” for the public to understand. The Treasury has told Disability News Service (DNS) that […]
Ministers have ignored calls from their own consultants to invest more money in cutting the number of people with learning difficulties and autistic people in inpatient mental health settings, despite new figures showing progress has ground to a halt. The figures show […]
A new £3 million fund is set to provide a “really exciting” and “radical” opportunity to transform the disability movement in London. The new Disability Justice Fund aims to strengthen the foundations of the movement in the capital, strengthen the ability of […]
Disabled politicians and allies are calling on the government to end the “discriminatory” laws that prevent local councillors from taking part in council meetings remotely. The campaign is being led by Green party politicians, including the party’s only MP, Caroline Lucas, and […]