News

Websites suffer in comparison with decent access standards

Posted on 20. Apr, 2012 in News

Leading price comparison websites are ignoring their legal obligations to make their sites accessible to disabled people, according to a new report.
The disability charity AbilityNet, which analysed the accessibility of five sites for its report, said disabled people should be a significant market for any retail website, because they “often have less cash and less [...]

Phillips to leave equality watchdog

Posted on 02. Apr, 2012 in News

The head of the equality watchdog, Trevor Phillips, is to leave his post after six years, it has been confirmed.
Phillips has faced repeated criticism during his two three-year terms as chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).
His decision not to seek a third term was revealed in a foreword to the commission’s new [...]

Special school to close after teenager’s padded room ordeal

Posted on 30. Mar, 2012 in News

The mother of a teenager with autism who was repeatedly confined to a padded room at his residential special school has spoken of the “remarkable” progress he has made since a court ruled his treatment was unlawful.
The 19-year-old was often prevented from leaving the so-called “Blue Room” at Beech Tree School, near Preston, which is [...]

Heathrow trial could provide quick fix for broken wheelchairs

Posted on 28. Mar, 2012 in News

A decision by Heathrow Airport to trial a new wheelchair repair service in time for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics has been welcomed by young disabled campaigners.
The move was mentioned last week by BAA, which runs Heathrow, at a meeting of the all- party parliamentary group for young disabled people.
Two years ago, research by [...]

Boris refuses to test accessible version of cycle hire scheme

Posted on 19. Mar, 2012 in News

London’s mayor could be breaching his Equality Act duties by refusing to trial an accessible version of his cycle hire scheme, it has been claimed.
Boris Johnson launched his high-profile cycle scheme – which is sponsored by Barclays – in 2010, allowing anyone to hire a bike from one of hundreds of “docking” points across the [...]

Remploy factories have no place in modern world, says disabled MP

Posted on 16. Mar, 2012 in News

A disabled MP has backed the government’s decision to withdraw funding from the remaining sheltered factories run by Remploy.
The government announced last week that 36 of the 54 Remploy factories across the UK would close by the end of 2012, with the loss of more than 1,500 disabled people’s jobs, while there would be further [...]

Remploy closures: DPOs back move away from segregation

Posted on 09. Mar, 2012 in News

Disabled people’s organisations have backed government plans to withdraw funding from the remaining sheltered, segregated factories run by Remploy, but have called for as many of them as possible to emerge as new user-led social enterprises.
Maria Miller, the Conservative minister for disabled people, announced this week that 36 of the remaining 54 Remploy factories across [...]

Minister steps back from new scooter laws

Posted on 04. Mar, 2012 in News

The government appears to have backed away from introducing new laws that could have forced users of mobility scooters and powered wheelchair to take out insurance, undergo training and take proficiency tests.
Two years ago, the previous government launched a consultation on possible reforms aimed at modernising the law on mobility vehicles.
The consultation document pointed to [...]

Freedom Guide calls for an end to ‘blatant discrimination’

Posted on 27. Feb, 2012 in News

The European Union (EU) must act to halt the “blatant discrimination” that prevents disabled people working, studying or travelling in other countries, according to a major new report by Europe’s leading disabled people’s organisation.
The Freedom Guide, or Paving the Way Towards Free Movement for Persons with Disabilities, is a key part of the European Disability [...]

Workfare controversy: Charities think again on government scheme