The government should produce new evidence that demonstrates the benefits to smaller businesses of becoming more accessible to disabled customers, according to a new report. The report by consultants Atkins was commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) […]
DPTAC and ILF set to be thrown on quango bonfire
The coalition government looks set to scrap its advice body on accessible transport and the Independent Living Fund (ILF) as part of its programme of spending cuts, according to a leaked government document. A leaked list of quangos set for abolition […]
Evidence grows of cuts to support
Disabled people are providing growing evidence that councils across the country are cutting the support they need to live independently. Disability News Service has spoken to a succession of disabled people who say that their local authorities are cutting support packages. […]
Anti-euthanasia message ‘is getting through to politicians’
Disabled activists believe they may be winning the argument against a proposed new bill that would legalise assisted suicide in Scotland. About 25 campaigners protested outside the Scottish parliament on Tuesday as a committee of MSPs heard evidence on the end […]
Government fails to back EU bus and coach laws
The coalition government is refusing to back proposed laws that would provide new rights for disabled bus and coach passengers across Europe. The government’s failure to back the measures has been fiercely criticised by the National Federation of the Blind of […]
European ruling gives hope to disabled tenants
Disabled social housing tenants should now have greater protection from eviction, following a ruling from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The ECHR found that courts should take the personal circumstances of tenants into account when deciding whether a social […]
Labour conference: Begg paints bleak picture on cuts
A prominent disabled Labour MP has painted a bleak picture of the impact of the coalition government’s spending cuts on disabled people. Anne Begg told a fringe event at the Labour conference that her constituency in Aberdeen had already been through […]
Labour conference: Funding of care and support is ‘at top of agenda’
The funding of care and support for disabled and older people is now firmly at “the top of the political agenda”, according to Labour’s former health secretary. Andy Burnham told a Labour conference fringe event organised by the Care and Support […]
Labour conference: Balls says free schools will be ‘socially divisive’
Coalition government policies on setting up new academies and free schools will be “deeply socially divisive” and unfair to disabled children, according to the former children’s, schools and families secretary. Ed Balls told a fringe meeting at the Labour conference in […]
Labour conference: Miliband’s tacit approval for welfare reforms
Labour’s new leader has resisted the opportunity to criticise the coalition government over its incapacity benefit (IB) reforms. In his set-piece speech to the conference in Manchester, Ed Miliband said that many people were in “genuine fear” about the “impact” of […]