News

A leading not-for-profit business and disability organisation is calling on  the London Mayor disabled people to have better access to public transport, following the announcement that there will be a car-free day across London on 22 September to raise awareness of the air pollution crisis.

Angela Matthews, Head of Policy and Research, at Business Disability Forum, said:

Robert Walters Group UK has named the Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity as its official UK charity for 2019.

The charity supports under 5s with cerebral palsy and other motor learning impairments – focusing on helping children to realise their full potential.

The bulk of fundraising for the charity will take place on the Group’s annual Charity Day, taking place on Friday 11 October 2019.

All 400 of Robert Walters Group UK employees - across London, the South East, Midlands and the North West - will be taking a break from work for the day and will be tasked with raising as much money as possible for the charity. 

Prime Minister Theresa May has revealed plans to enhance the lives of those living with a disability in the UK, announcing the launch of an Equalities Hub in Parliament.

With around a fifth of the working-age population living with a disability, the Prime Minister also announced a new cross-government disability team which will sit alongside the Government Equalities Office and Race Disparity Unit in a new Equalities Hub.

This team will work closely with disabled people, disabled people’s organisations and charities to develop a new approach to disability, with their views and experiences at the forefront of any new policy. Further measures will be set out later this year.

A ground-breaking initiative from the University of Surrey is launching an inspiring innovation and digital enterprise academy, SurreyIDEA, to welcome individuals denied the opportunity of attending university due to social mobility or those looking to deviate away from the traditional academic route. 

People with hidden disabilities will soon be able to access Blue Badge parking permits, thanks to the roll out of new guidance today (Saturday, June 15).

For drivers or passengers with dementia, anxiety disorders or reduced mobility, anticipating difficulty travelling, such as trouble finding a parking space, can result in a build-up of stress on top of the stress of the journey itself.

The new guidance, which represents the biggest change to the scheme since the 1970s, will offer a lifeline to people who often find road travel difficult by providing better access to work and other amenities, while also helping combat loneliness by helping them stay connected to family and friends.

UCan2’s Jenni Meredith on the legacy of disability activist Professor Mike Oliver, and the future of disability rights in the UK under new Disabilities Minister Justin Tomlinson as Brexit looms...

In March this year, Professor Mike Oliver, a fiery disabled activist and the man who changed mainstream attitudes with his social model of disability, sadly died.
He was the person largely responsible for forcing the UK Government to adopt anti-discrimination legislation in the form of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), yet was disappointed with the Act when it finally appeared on the statue books.

An exciting new funding partnership will see dedicated investment of £270,000 ring-fenced specifically to help children with disabilities across the UK.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) and Newlife the Charity for Disabled Children have joined forces to offer talented post- doctorial researchers the opportunity to compete for a pioneering three- year fellowship award.

The partnership, launched earlier this week at RCPCH’s annual conference in Birmingham, will enable the chosen recipient to have a real impact on the lives and health of children with disabilities across the UK.

Blenheim is working with an Oxfordshire-based farming charity to host working visits for people with learning disabilities and autism.

A team of co-farmers from FarmAbility will be making regular visits to the Blenheim Estate to assist in a variety of hands-on animal and land-based activities.

The initiative is part of a series of community-based charitable programmes supported by Blenheim as part of its goal to double its charitable contributions within a decade.

FarmAbility is a farm-based programme for co-farmers, who are people over the age of 16 with learning disabilities and often also with autistic spectrum disorder.

WheelPower, the national charity for wheelchair sport, recently welcomed 136newly paralysed men and women representing 15 spinal injury units from across the United Kingdom and Ireland to the 32nd Inter Spinal Unit Games at Stoke Mandeville Stadium from 9-11 April 2019.

Some had never played sports before, and each person had a different story to share as to how they became paralysed, yet all were willing to give the 26 different sports and physical activity sessions a try, before entering competition sports between the Spinal Unit teams. The flagship event finally culminated in a gala dinner and awards ceremony for all the participants, sports leaders and supporters of the event to celebrate the achievements and effort of all the participants and winners.