Leisure public transport, tourism and university bosses are to be brought in front of a new group of MPs and “held to account” for their failure to make services accessible to young disabled people. Paul Maynard chair of the new all […]
MPs hear first-hand evidence of DLA fears
An influential committee of MPs has heard direct evidence from disabled people about their fears over the government’s disability benefit reforms. Dame Anne Begg the Labour MP who chairs the Commons work and pensions committee, had asked disabled people to take […]
Inquiry aims to expose impact of cuts on independent living
An inquiry by MPs and peers will investigate how the coalition government’s regime of spending cuts is affecting disabled people’s right to independent living. The decision by the joint committee on human rights – whose members include the disabled peer Baroness […]
Government ‘failed to consider equality in school building cuts’
Inclusive education campaigners have welcomed a court’s ruling that the government failed to take account of the impact on disabled pupils and other minority groups when it scrapped a string of school building projects. Education secretary Michael Gove has been told […]
Report’s author criticises government over weak response
The author of a report on services for people with “profound intellectual and multiple disabilities” has criticised the coalition government for its weak response to his recommendations. Professor Jim Mansell said the government had failed to describe how it would address […]
Blue badge reforms are ‘huge step forward’
The government has announced major reforms of the blue badge parking scheme for disabled people – the first on such a scale since its launch 40 years ago. Councils will be forced to use more independent mobility assessments – instead of […]
Minister defends decision to abolish ‘different era’ DPTAC
A transport minister has described the government’s accessible transport advice body as “a creature from another era”, as he tried to justify the decision to abolish it. Liberal Democrat Norman Baker was speaking as two members of the Disabled Persons Transport […]
Government advisers deliver fierce attack on work test
The government is set to ignore recommendations from its own benefits advice body, after it delivered a scathing assessment of the controversial work capability test. The social security advisory committee (SSAC) had been examining proposed changes to the work capability assessment […]
Cuts ‘will leave equality watchdog emasculated’
The equality watchdog’s commissioners are to be asked to approve a programme that will make more than half of its staff redundant. Union representatives who obtained the plans for the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) say the cuts would leave […]
BBC wins radio rights to 2012 Paralympics
The BBC has won the UK radio rights to broadcast coverage of the London 2012 Paralympics on its Radio 5 Live news and sports station. The BBC said it would broadcast an estimated 25 hours of programmes and news on Radio […]