The government has agreed plans for a national audit of hospitals for people with learning difficulties, just five years after a similar investigation was carried out by two care regulators. The audit was approved by care services minister Paul Burstow in […]
Panorama abuse scandal: Revelations ‘show little has changed’ since 1990s
The abuse of disabled people uncovered by a BBC investigation shows little has changed since the exposure of an even more horrific regime 17 years ago, say campaigners. The undercover investigation revealed a catalogue of abuse at Winterbourne View, a private […]
Anger after Met clears itself over tuition fees protest complaint
Disabled campaigners have raised serious questions over the Metropolitan police’s decision to clear the officers who dragged an activist from his wheelchair during last December’s student tuition fees protests in central London. Jody McIntyre had lodged a series of complaints with […]
Supermarkets ignore government call to clamp down on bay abuse
Major supermarket chains have been criticised for failing to do more to stop the abuse of accessible parking bays despite a government minister asking them to tackle the problem. Liberal Democrat transport minister Norman Baker wrote to supermarkets earlier this year […]
Europe ‘must act’ on freedom of movement
Members of the European disability movement have called for new laws to guarantee freedom of movement for disabled people across the Europe Union (EU). They were speaking at the 15th annual general assembly of the European Disability Forum in Budapest, Hungary, […]
Hopes still high for changes to welfare reform bill
Disability rights campaigners say they remain optimistic that changes can still be made to the government’s hugely unpopular welfare reform bill before it becomes law. This week, the Commons committee that was examining the bill in detail finished its deliberations, with […]
Obama’s comments fail to ease McKinnon extradition threat
The future of a disabled computer hacker threatened with extradition to the United States remains unclear despite his case being discussed by Barack Obama and David Cameron during the US president’s state visit. The president told journalists that Gary McKinnon’s case […]
TUC disability conference: Activists draw parallels with Nazi Germany
Union activists have drawn disturbing parallels between the hostility being experienced by disabled benefits claimants and the events that led to the murder of tens of thousands of disabled people in Nazi Germany. Delegates to the TUC’s annual disability conference were […]
TUC disability conference: Cuts are ‘threatening disabled people’s work support’
The future of the support that allows disabled people to find and keep work is under serious threat as a result of the financial crisis and government spending cuts, disabled trade unionists have heard. The TUC’s annual disability conference heard from […]
Independent living inquiry: Welsh government ‘must sign up to independent living’
The Welsh government must join the rest of the UK and draw up its own national strategy for promoting independent living, a parliamentary committee has been told. The joint committee on human rights was hearing evidence from disabled people’s organisations from […]