• 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 / Archives for ATUs

ATUs

Disability minister says addressing DWP’s legacy of distrust and distress ‘is a big priority’

By John Pring on 7th October 2021 Category: Politics

Disability minister says addressing DWP’s legacy of distrust and distress ‘is a big priority’
Listen

The new minister for disabled people has said it is a “big priority” for her to address the legacy of distress and distrust created by a decade of deaths of benefit claimants that have been linked to the actions of her […]

Autistic activist tells MPs of ‘brutal… aggressive… sink or swim’ support system

By John Pring on 11th February 2021 Category: Human Rights

Autistic activist tells MPs of ‘brutal… aggressive… sink or swim’ support system
Listen

A disabled activist has told MPs that the government’s failure to replace the broken system of crisis support means sectioning, detention and abuse in assessment and treatment units (ATUs) remains a constant threat to her and other autistic people. Alexis Quinn […]

Round-up: Community funding, new special schools, Changing Places… and a new forum

By John Pring on 23rd July 2020 Category: Human Rights

Round-up: Community funding, new special schools, Changing Places… and a new forum
Listen

Health and social care secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed three years of funding that will help move people with learning difficulties and autistic people out of mental health hospitals and into homes in the community. The £62 million (£20 million this […]

Government faces legal action over failure to stop ATU ‘atrocities’

By John Pring on 13th February 2020 Category: Human Rights

Government faces legal action over failure to stop ATU ‘atrocities’
Listen

Disabled campaigners have welcomed the human rights watchdog’s decision to begin legal action against the government over its repeated failure to address the “distressing and horrific” treatment of people with learning difficulties and autistic people in mental health hospitals. The Equality […]

Care regulator faces ‘whitewash’ allegation by MPs and peers over abuse scandal

By John Pring on 13th June 2019 Category: Independent Living

Care regulator faces ‘whitewash’ allegation by MPs and peers over abuse scandal
Listen

The care regulator has faced accusations from a committee of MPs and peers that it ordered a “whitewash” of abuse allegations at a private hospital for disabled people that was later exposed by a BBC documentary. Two senior figures in the […]

Hancock announces ‘seclusion and segregation’ review… after 70 years of concerns

By John Pring on 8th November 2018 Category: Independent Living

Hancock announces ‘seclusion and segregation’ review… after 70 years of concerns
Listen

The government has announced a fresh review into prolonged seclusion and long-term segregation of people with learning difficulties and autistic people in hospitals, more than 70 years after concerns were first raised by civil rights campaigners. Health and social care secretary […]

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

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

This bill opens the door to scandal, abuse and injustice, disabled activists say after assisted dying bill vote

Timms says cuts must go ahead, despite being reminded of risk that disabled claimants could die

Absence of disabled people’s voices from assisted dying bill has been ‘astonishing’, says disabled MP

Timms misleads MPs on DWP transparency and cover-ups, as he gives evidence on PIP review

Ministers are considering further extension to disability hate crime laws, after pledge on ‘aggravated’ offences

Making all self-driving pilot schemes accessible would be ‘counter-productive’ and slow us down, says minister

Involve disabled people ‘meaningfully’ from the start when developing digital assistive tech, says report

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