The government has commissioned a review of services for severely disabled adults with learning difficulties. The review of services for people with “profound and multiple intellectual disabilities”, commissioned by the Department of Health, will be carried out by Professor Jim Mansell. […]
Equality bill ‘gives green light to homophobic bullying’
Campaigners say the exemption of sexual orientation from part of the new equality bill will give a “green light” to those who subject lesbian and gay disabled people to homophobic harassment. Regard, the national organisation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender […]
Young activists quiz disabled pupils at schools across England
Teenage campaigners are hoping a major consultation will provide a national snapshot of the experiences of disabled children in state schools. The consultation was devised by 12 young disabled people from the mobility charity Whizz-Kidz, who are aged between 13 and […]
Police were warned on hate crime ‘five years before death’
A disabled people’s organisation pleaded with Leicestershire police to take disability hate crime seriously five years before a woman was driven to kill herself and her disabled daughter after a sustained campaign of harassment. Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living (LCIL) has […]
Disabled high-fliers need mentoring to succeed, finds survey
A ground-breaking national survey has revealed a significant talent pool of high-flying disabled managers despite the “massive disadvantage” disabled people face in developing such careers. The survey, by the disability campaigning network RADAR, uncovered many high-achieving disabled managers, with 110 earning […]
Guidance aims to cut exclusions of pupils with SEN
New government guidance will aim to reduce the high proportion of children with special educational needs (SEN) who are excluded from school. The children, schools and families secretary Ed Balls said the statutory guidance would make “tackling exclusions of SEN pupils […]
London 2012 ‘provides unique chance to improve access in capital’
The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London provide a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to improve access, inclusion and attitudes to disability, a conference has heard. David Morris, who coordinates inclusion and access for LOCOG, the organising committee of the […]
Cautious welcome for free personal care pledge
Older people’s charities have given a cautious welcome to the prime minister’s pledge to provide free personal care for some older disabled people who live in their own homes. Gordon Brown made the promise during his speech to the party’s annual […]
Hate crime failure by police was ‘institutional disablism’
The authorities’ failure to protect the family of Fiona Pilkington from a ten-year hate crime campaign was “a staggering betrayal of trust”, according to disabled campaigners. An inquest jury found that Pilkington committed suicide and unlawfully killed her 18-year-old daughter, Francecca, […]
Police watchdog will investigate whether force failed on hate crime
The independent police watchdog is to investigate Leicestershire police’s failure to treat the ten-year campaign of abuse and harassment against Fiona Pilkington and her disabled children as disability hate crime. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has also launched an […]