• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About DNS
  • Subscribe to DNS
  • Advertise with DNS
  • Support DNS
  • Contact DNS

Disability News Service

the country's only news agency specialising in disability issues

  • Home
  • Independent Living
    • Arts, Culture and Sport
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Housing
    • Transport
  • Activism & Campaigning
  • Benefits & Poverty
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
You are here: Home / News Archive / Conference ‘excluded disabled people in poverty’

Conference ‘excluded disabled people in poverty’

By guest on 1st November 2011 Category: News Archive

Listen

Organisers of a conference aimed at addressing disability poverty made it too difficult for disabled people experiencing poverty themselves to attend the event, it has been claimed.

The conference was organised by three leading disability organisations, Disability Alliance (DA), RADAR and the National Centre for Independent Living (NCIL), and was held at the central London offices of the international law firm Taylor Wessing.

But disabled activists criticised the failure to offer free places, or provide bursaries to cover the cost of travel to the conference, for disabled people on benefits, or to hold the conference in a more accessible part of London.

They also pointed to the lack of blue badge parking spaces or an accessible tube station near the venue.

A small group of activists had protested outside the venue about the government’s welfare reforms, and the presence at the conference of the minister for disabled people, Maria Miller, and executives from Atos Healthcare, which carries out “fitness for work” tests for the Department for Work and Pensions.

But the activists were refused entry to the conference when they asked to be allowed to attend the event after their protest.

Members of the three organisations had been charged £40 to attend the conference, while non-members paid £70 and “unwaged individuals” £10.

Linda Burnip, co-founder of Disabled People Against Cuts, who did attend the conference, said: “It’s a conference on disability poverty and the people excluded are disabled people on benefits, because they cannot afford the £10 to get in.”

Anne Pridmore, chair of Being the Boss, which supports disabled people who employ personal assistants, also attended the conference.

She travelled to London from Leicestershire with a colleague. They faced a total bill of £140 to attend, including transport costs, all of which they funded themselves.

Pridmore said: “What we are saying is that this conference wasn’t aimed at the people who have the most to lose.”

Neil Coyle, DA’s director of policy, said the event was “very accessible”, and there had been a need to charge delegates in order to cover the conference’s costs, which included hiring a British Sign Language interpreter, and paying for transport and overnight accommodation for one of the speakers.

But he said he hoped Disability Rights UK, which will be formed next year through a merger between NCIL, DA and RADAR, would take a “more systematic approach” to such conferences.

He also said he hoped Taylor Wessing would offer the venue free of charge again next year, despite the company’s concerns about repeat protests.

He added: “We will be planning events like this for the new organisation and will take on board the comments we have had on this.

“I think we have done a good job in limited circumstances to provide a debate that is so relevant to disabled people’s lives.”

He said material from the conference – including Miller’s speech – was being placed on DA’s website.

24 November 2011

Share this post:

Share on X (Twitter)Share on FacebookShare on WhatsAppShare on RedditShare on LinkedIn
A photograph shows an audience raising their hands in a BSL sign. The words say: 'BSL Conference 2025. The future starts with us. Leeds 17-18 July. Be part of shaping the future of Deaf cultures and identities. Get 10% off with BDA10'

Related

‘Muddled’ blue badge reforms ‘are to blame for renewal delays’
6th February 2015
UN debate will be reminder of true inclusive education
6th February 2015
IDS breaks pledge on PIP waiting-times, as tens of thousands still queue for months
30th January 2015

Primary Sidebar

On the left of the image are multiple heads of different colours - white, aqua, red, light brown, and dark green - all grouped together, then the words ‘Campaign for Disability Justice. Sign up to support. #OpportunitySecurityRespect’
A photograph shows an audience raising their hands in a BSL sign. The words say: 'BSL Conference 2025. The future starts with us. Leeds 17-18 July. Be part of shaping the future of Deaf cultures and identities. Get 10% off with BDA10'

Access

Latest Stories

‘Disastrous’ cuts bill that leaves legacy of distrust and distress ‘must be dropped’

Four disabled Labour MPs stand up to government over cuts to disability benefits

Silence from MP sister of Rachel Reeves over suicide linked to PIP flaws, just as government was seeking cuts

Disabled people receiving care were ‘ignored by design’ during the pandemic, Covid inquiry hears

Disabled activists warn Labour MPs who vote for cuts: ‘The gloves will be off’

GB News says it has nothing to apologise for, after guest suggests starving disabled benefit claimants

SEND inspections find services in just one in four areas usually lead to ‘positive’ outcomes for disabled children

Disabled MP who quit government over benefit cuts tells DNS: ‘The consequences will be devastating’

Disabled peers plan to ‘amend, amend, amend, amend, amend’ after assisted dying bill reaches Lords

Minister finally admits that working-age benefits spending is stable, despite months of ‘spiralling’ claims

Advice and Information

Readspeaker
A photograph shows an audience raising their hands in a BSL sign. The words say: 'BSL Conference 2025. The future starts with us. Leeds 17-18 July. Be part of shaping the future of Deaf cultures and identities. Get 10% off with BDA10'

Footer

The International Standard Serial Number for Disability News Service is: ISSN 2398-8924

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site map
  • Bluesky
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Threads
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2025 Disability News Service

Site development by A Bright Clear Web