A campaign to stop bars and restaurants using plastic straws could cause huge problems for disabled people who struggle to lift mugs and glasses, according to an access consultant and activist. The Straw Wars campaign, run by the website Myoo, aims […]
Government has ‘built a nuclear power station on a fault-line’, suggests disabled peer
A disabled peer has told a minister that her government’s failure to assess the impact of its policies on disabled people was like building a nuclear power station on a fault-line and then waiting for an earthquake. Baroness [Jane] Campbell asked […]
Miller accused of fiddling with her disability strategy ‘while Rome burns’
The minister for disabled people has been accused of delaying action to support disabled people while “Rome is burning” because of her government’s reforms. Maria Miller was answering questions about progress on her delayed disability strategy at a packed meeting of […]
Minister bans charities from PIP meetings
A coalition minister ordered civil servants to prevent two disability charities from attending meetings on how to improve personal independence payment (PIP), the government’s new disability benefit. Officials ensured that representatives from the National Autistic Society (NAS) and Mind did […]
Charity boss resists calls to quit ‘fitness for work’ committee
A disability charity boss has resisted calls to resign from a committee that advises the government on its controversial “fitness for work” assessment, even though GPs have demanded that the test be scrapped. Simon Gillespie, chief executive of the MS Society […]
‘Serious concern’ after EU leaders remove transport access measure
European Union (EU) leaders who have removed a vital measure promoting transport accessibility from new guidelines could be breaching the UN disability convention, say campaigners. Omitting the measure – article 43 – would mean that the accessibility of large-scale transport projects […]
Charities seek witnesses for ‘crucial’ benefits evidence session
Campaigners are seeking disabled people who can explain how the government’s new “universal credit” benefit reforms could see other people like them losing out financially. Three charities – Disability Rights UK, Citizens Advice and The Children’s Society – fear thousands of […]
Mayor’s step-free access spending set to plunge to zero
The decision of London’s mayor to invest nothing in improving step-free access to the capital’s tube network for the next three years has been described as an “insult” to disabled and older people. Accessible transport campaigners have discovered a Transport for […]
DWP admits talks with doctors over safety of ‘fitness for work’ test
The government has admitted it is discussing with GPs how to introduce a way for them to report cases in which the controversial “fitness for work” test has caused serious harm to their patients. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) […]
Plans for festival hit by drop in support for disability culture
A major international disability arts and human rights festival set to take place during this summer’s Paralympics could be forced to scale back its plans because of a drop in private and public sector support for disability culture. Organisers of the […]