The public spending watchdog has had “discussions” with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) over concerns about a £184 million disability assessment contract awarded to Atos Healthcare. The much-criticised company won the contract last year to carry out assessments for […]
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Assisted suicide ruling risks ‘letting genie out of the bottle’
A new court of appeal ruling on assisted suicide has alarmed disabled activists, who fear it could “let the genie out of the bottle” by relaxing laws on euthanasia. Senior court of appeal judges decided by a majority of two to […]
DPO warns of possible closure after ‘disgraceful’ loss of funding
A hugely successful user-led organisation could be forced to close its doors for good in October – with the possible loss of 50 jobs – after two public bodies imposed a drastic cut in its funding. An estimated 150 people protested […]
Johnson’s humiliating climb-down after TV rail access blunder
London’s mayor Boris Johnson has had to perform a humiliating climb-down, after promising on live television that the seven inaccessible stations on London’s £15 billion Crossrail scheme would be made step-free. Johnson appeared to signal the sudden and major change of […]
Court ruling ‘gives green light to bedroom tax discrimination’
Campaigners are coming to terms with an “illogical” and “inconsistent” high court ruling, which appears to have given the government a green light to discriminate against disabled people who need extra bedrooms because of their impairments. Although the court suggested that […]
Double yellow plan could cause blue badge trouble
Government plans to ease the laws on parking on yellow lines could make it harder for disabled motorists to find spaces, according to worried campaigners. The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) suggested that the government could in future allow […]
British Paralympic Association admits it has just one disabled director
Shocked activists have criticised the British Paralympic Association (BPA) after its “astonishing” and “appalling” admission that only one of its nine directors is disabled. The organisation – which prepares and manages the British team at every Paralympic Games, and is responsible […]
Manifesto could provide ‘rallying point’ for disability movement
Four leading disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) are hoping a new manifesto will provide a “rallying point” for the disability movement in the lead-up to the next general election. A draft version of the Reclaiming Our Futures manifesto has been produced by […]
Court bid seeks independent probes into detention deaths
A mental health trust was guilty of discrimination by failing to ensure there was an independent investigation into the death of a leading disabled campaigner, the high court heard this week. Janey Antoniou killed herself in October 2010 while in the […]
DWP orders new ‘fitness for work’ providers, but Atos clings on
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is to bring in new companies to carry out its “fitness for work” tests, in addition to its controversial current provider, Atos Healthcare. DWP said the move was needed to provide extra capacity and […]