The government has refused to rule out further cuts to disability benefits, after fresh plans to curb spending were announced in this week’s budget. The chancellor, George Osborne, announced there would be a new limit on a large part of what […]
Disability hate crime has been ‘left behind’ by the criminal justice system
Criminal justice agencies must work closely with disabled people and their organisations if they are to correct their failure to deal with disability hate crime, say campaigners. They spoke out as an independent report on the barriers to the identification, investigation […]
Disabled peer calls for DPOs to join fight for watchdog’s ‘fairness and dignity’ duty
A disabled peer has appealed to user-led organisations to join her fight to protect a legal duty that keeps the Equality and Human Rights Commission pushing for fairness, dignity and respect. Earlier this month, Baroness [Jane] Campbell secured her first victory […]
Funding means national disability arts archive starts to take Shape
A pioneering project to develop an archive for the disability arts movement has secured vital lottery funding. The National Disability Arts Collection and Archive (NDACA) will provide a home for some of the most influential and important work since the birth […]
Motability’s new driver rules ‘could breach Equality Act’
New insurance rules that effectively ban foreign personal assistants (PAs) from driving Motability vehicles are likely to breach the Equality Act, it has been claimed. The new rules, introduced in January, mean foreign drivers without a UK licence can only be […]
Minister promises to probe council demanding thousands for school support
The children’s minister has promised to investigate a local authority that is demanding thousands of pounds from mainstream schools towards the cost of pupils with high support needs. The mother of one of the disabled children affected by the new policy […]
Deaf activists mark 10 years since BSL recognition with call for fresh action
Deaf activists have used the tenth anniversary of the official recognition of British Sign Language (BSL) to call for it to be given the same legal status as Welsh. They want to see a named minister responsible for driving forward a […]
New equality tool will help with parliamentary staff’s ‘misguided assumptions’
A new online resource for the House of Commons should teach MPs and their staff how to improve their interaction with disabled constituents. Experts who developed the e-learning disability equality tool – which is also available to Commons staff – had […]
Government’s ‘secret plan to strip claimants of DLA’
The government appears to have a secret plan to reassess disability living allowance (DLA) claimants who have “indefinite” awards, in a bid to sidestep delays to implementation of its benefit reforms. Three disabled people, who all work or volunteer as welfare […]
Number 10 denies Cameron misled MPs on DLA spending
The prime minister has been caught out for the second time giving MPs misleading information about cuts to disability benefits. David Cameron had been asked last week about the impact on disabled people of the so-called “bedroom tax” – new regulations […]