More must be done to harness the power of a human rights culture to improve people’s lives according to a major independent inquiry. The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) human rights inquiry is the most comprehensive yet to examine the […]
Charity says court ruling is boost to employment rights
Campaigners have welcomed a “landmark” high court ruling in the case of a former council boss accused by her employer of withholding a history of depression. Cheltenham borough council lost its claim for a million pounds in compensation from its former […]
Spending watchdog calls for better autism services
Most councils and NHS bodies in England have no idea how many adults with autism live in the area they serve, according to a report by the public spending watchdog. The National Audit Office (NAO) report accuses the government, local councils […]
Autism bill clears Commons hurdle
The prospect of England’s first autism-specific legislation moved a big step closer after a private member’s bill passed its third Commons reading. Cheryl Gillan MP’s autism bill received government backing during its committee stage and now includes the government’s planned autism […]
Government seeks to close work gap for people with learning difficulties
A new government strategy aims to find more “real jobs” for people with learning difficulties in England. The Valuing Employment Now cross-government strategy will focus on efforts to “increase radically” the number of people with moderate and severe learning difficulties in […]
Court ruling increases housing protection for disabled people
Many disabled social housing tenants should now be protected by the Human Rights Act, thanks to a new court ruling. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) which had “intervened” in the case at the court of appeal, described the judgement […]
Care regulator’s teething trouble on user involvement
The new health and adult social care regulator has pledged that service-users will have a bigger say in improving the quality of the services they use than ever before. Launching Voices Into Action, a charter on involving people in its work […]
Peers say government must do more on disability hate crime
Disabled peers have called on the government to do more to tackle disablist hate crime. Lord (Jack) Ashley said in a Lords question that nearly half disabled people are victims of violence, and he called on the government to work more […]
‘Rogue’ mobility aids sellers under microscope as complaints rise
A government advice service has warned about the “sharp practices” of some companies selling mobility scooters and other independent living products, after a steep rise in complaints. Consumer Direct, which is run by the Office of Fair Trading, received more than […]
Honours for campaigners and Paralympic stars
Campaigners and sports stars are among the disabled people recognised in the Queen’s birthday honours list. The disability rights and equalities consultant Ann Macfarlane, who has a long-standing involvement with the disabled people’s movement and is a board member of the […]