Scores of disabled activists have come together to plan the next stage of the fight against the government’s cuts to disability benefits and services. Members of Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) heard from activists, politicians and celebrities and discussed their campaigning […]
Young athletes will mirror Paralympians’ quest for gold in 2012
Some of the UK’s most talented young disabled athletes are to take part in Paralympic-style events in key London 2012 venues, just weeks before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. The events will run alongside those for non-disabled young people […]
Access concerns over ‘2012 ticketing glitch’
A software glitch may have prevented older people from ordering wheelchair-accessible spaces for next year’s Paralympics, it has been claimed. The application process for tickets for the London 2012 Paralympics closed on 26 September, with organisers describing demand as “unprecedented”. But […]
Union ridiculed over defence of Atos members
Disabled activists have ridiculed a union’s claims that its members have been unfairly criticised for the way they test disabled people’s “fitness for work”. Prospect believes criticism by disabled benefits claimants and in the media of healthcare professionals who carry out […]
Access to Work figures underline worrying downward trend
Government figures have revealed alarming new evidence of a slump in the number of disabled people granted funds to make their workplaces more accessible. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) figures show that just 2, 320 “new customers” were helped […]
Cuts court challenge fails
Two disabled people have lost their high court challenge over a council’s decision to slash spending on social care services. They had sought a judicial review of Manchester City Council’s plans to cut spending on adult social care by a […]
Government finding far fewer claimants ‘fit for work’
The number of disability benefits claimants found “fit for work” by the government has fallen sharply over the last two years, according to new figures. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) statistics show the monthly proportion of people found ineligible […]
ALLFIE seeks volunteers to help tell a century of school stories
Researchers are seeking volunteers to take part in a project that will trace how the educational experiences of disabled people have changed over the last 100 years. The Alliance for Inclusive Education (ALLFIE), which is working on the What Did You […]
Disabled peer challenges minister over involvement of disabled people
A disabled peer has challenged a minister over whether she is taking account of the views of disabled people in developing new policies. Baroness [Jane] Campbell told Maria Miller, the minister for disabled people, that there had been a “great deal […]
New assessment ‘repeats mistakes of fitness for work test’
Trials of the assessment for the benefit that will replace disability living allowance (DLA) show the test is worryingly similar to the government’s discredited “fitness for work” assessment, say campaigners. The government has been trialling questions for the test it plans […]