Human Rights

Ukur Yatani Kanacho speaking at a podium at the Global Disability Summit

July 26, 2018 0

Global Disability Summit: Mordaunt defends co-host Kenya despite its gay rights record

International development secretary Penny Mordaunt has defended the decision to co-host a major international summit on disability rights with Kenya, a country where it is illegal to be gay. The UK government was co-hosting the Global Disability Summit in east London this week with Kenya and the International Disability Alliance, with Ukur Yatani Kanacho,

Human Rights

Sue Bott giving evidence to a parliamentary committee

July 19, 2018 0

Brexit bill ‘will give ministers power to exchange trade deals for rights’

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The government’s trade bill – which will give ministers powers to give up disability rights protections in exchange for deals with other countries – proves disabled people were right to be concerned about the impact of Brexit, say campaigners. Disability and human rights organisations have written to trade secretary Liam Fox to express alarm

Human Rights

Street sign showing Parliament Street and Whitehall

July 12, 2018 0

MPs’ approval of Seni’s Law provides hope for traumatised service-users

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Traumatised disabled people who have been restrained in mental health units have spoken of their hope that legislation approved by MPs will lead to greater protection and support for other service-users. The mental health units (use of force) bill has been guided through the House of Commons by the Labour MP Steve Reed in

Human Rights

An overhead view of the delegates in the chamber in Geneva

July 5, 2018 0

Rival international summit aims to highlight government’s ‘global hypocrisy’

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Disabled activists and their organisations are to host their own international “solidarity summit” in a bid to highlight the hypocrisy of the government’s decision to co-host a major “global disability summit” in east London later this month. The solidarity summit will also be held in east London, on Sunday 22 July, two days before

Human Rights

Two women in wheelchairs in front of a series of white gravestones erected outside the Royal Courts of Justice

June 28, 2018 0

Relief after court rejects latest assisted suicide legal bid and highlights law change dangers

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Disabled activists have welcomed the court of appeal’s decision to reject the latest attempt to legalise assisted suicide. They spoke out after three senior judges yesterday (Wednesday) rejected the judicial review brought by Noel Conway, who is terminally-ill with motor neurone disease. Conway had wanted the court to find that the Suicide Act –

Human Rights

Sarah Newton speaking in the House of Commons

June 21, 2018 0

Minister for disabled people caught misleading MPs on cuts to support… again

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The minister for disabled people has been caught misleading MPs – again – as she tried to defend her government’s repeated breaches of the UN disability convention. It was the second time in five months that Sarah Newton (pictured) has misled MPs in a House of Commons debate about the support provided to disabled

Human Rights

June 7, 2018 0

Memorial and procession will highlight need for reform after brutal murder

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Campaigners will take part in a procession later this month to mark the murder of a disabled asylum-seeker and highlight the need for sweeping changes to the system that failed him. Disabled asylum-seekers and activists, grassroots groups, academics and policy-makers will come together for the event in Bristol, nearly two years after Kamil Ahmad’s

Human Rights

Delegates at the disabled workers' conference

May 31, 2018 0

TUC Disabled Workers’ Conference: UN convention ‘must become part of UK law’

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Disabled trade unionists have called on the TUC and unions across the country to campaign for the UN disability convention to be incorporated into UK law. Disabled members of 22 unions, who were at the annual TUC Disabled Workers’ Conference in Bournemouth (pictured), voted unanimously for a motion calling for a national campaign on

Human Rights

May 24, 2018 0

Office for Disability Issues staff levels have plummeted since 2010, DWP admits

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The number of staff working in the government’s Office for Disability Issues (ODI) has plummeted by more than two-thirds under the coalition and Conservative governments, new figures released under the Freedom of Information Act have revealed. In March 2010, just before the Tory-led coalition came to power, there were the equivalent of 48 full-time

Human Rights

May 10, 2018 0

EHRC appoints eight disabled people to advisory committee

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The equality and human rights watchdog has appointed eight disabled people to its disability committee, including leading activists, advisers and academics. The new appointments mean that all 14 members of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) disability advisory committee (DAC) will be disabled people. The committee was formed last year to replace the

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