News Archive

 Video travel diaries from Roads for All Conference now online

I am on incapacity benefits, and I am scared

EHRC Formal  Inquiry into Disability-Related Harassment

New fees planned for disabled drivers in Inverness

 Vulnerable adults win carer campaign in Edinburgh BBC news

Equality and Human Rights Commission,  Appointment of Scotland Commissioner

Politicians must recognise that people with learning disabilities have a right to vote too Article in The Guardian

50 years on, an apology to thalidomide scandal survivors Article in The Guardian

 Special needs system shake-up to improve support of pupils  Article in The Guardian

 Scottish Wheelchair Users' Voice - first bulletin

 Unique project tackles disabled access to justice  Article in The Guardian

 Coffee 'may reverse Alzheimer's' Article in The Guardian

 Appeal from BBC - Case Studies wanted

 Learning Disability Alliance Scotland Newsletter

 Help for disabled homeowner

 People with severe sight loss will get higher rate Disability Living Allowanc

Illegally left out of the loop Article in The Guardian

 The support worker  Article in The Scotsman

 Wheelchair service wins £1000 award  Article in The Scotsman

18/01/09

10/12/08 

5/12/08

29/10/08

25/10/08

 22/10/08

Firm action needed to remove stigma Article in The Guardian

8/10/008

Olympic golden boy Hoy urges cyclists to get on their bikes for RNID... all the way to Paris! - 20 August 2008
Britain’s Olympic hero Chris Hoy MBE is calling on cyclists to get into gear for RNID, the charity for deaf and hard of hearing people, and enjoy their own golden moments cycling from London to Paris.

Ethnic minority Scots up to six times more at risk from blindness
Many Scots most at risk of losing their sight are least likely to access eye-care services, the Royal National Institute of Blind People Scotland is warning.

Laurence Clark: Spastic Fantastic!
Following his sell-out show 12% Evil, a hit at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2007 and the Adelaide Comedy Festival 2008, Laurence Clark, a comedian with cerebral palsy, is returning to Edinburgh with his new show Spastic Fantastic!

Single Equality Bill must give citizens more power to demand fairness 
Trevor Phillips, Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, has today warned that Britain’s ‘hour-glass’ economy is bringing dangerous social division and that there is a need for a ‘new deal on fairness’ for Britain to be a successful global nation. Economic success for many people should not be bought at the expense of a growing number of people who are ‘shut out of prosperity’, he said.

Aberdeen City to scrap Dial a Bus Service
Aberdeen City council are withdrawing their support for the Dial a Bus Service from November making a saving of £30,000 this financial year.

Drug succeeds in Alzheimer's trial
A Russian clinical trial has found that the drug dimebon significantly improves the symptoms of Alzheimer’s patients.

People needed for a new BBC TV series
Are you in the process of applying for benefits or have you recently been accepted for benefits? Has the MS Society helped you with the process?

Young disabled people in West Lothian enjoy a big taste of sport
Young disabled people aged 17 to 24 in West Lothian will have the opportunity to try out a range of sports and physical activities at Linlithgow Sports Centre this month.

Britain’s six million carers get new rights after mother’s legal victory in Europe 
The mother of a disabled child was celebrating yesterday (Thursday 17 July) after judges in the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg upheld the earlier opinion of the Advocate General (AG) that treating employees less favourably because of their association with a disabled person was unlawful.

Publication of DWP research report: Mental Health and Employment
A research report was published yesterday on Mental Health and Employment.

'Parents use forced marriage as care option for learning disabled'
Some parents are using forced marriage as a long-term care option for people with learning disabilities, a parliamentary meeting heard last week.

New information of the cause of Rett Syndrome
Scientists at Edinburgh University have uncovered new information into the cause of Rett Syndrome.

Doctors call for Royal Commission to review co-payments
Doctors attending the BMA’s annual conference in Edinburgh yesterday said they believed that patients should have the choice to purchase treatment that is not available on the NHS while still continuing to receive the rest of their treatment and medication on the health service.

The odds are looking good for Capability Scotland’s Evening at the Races
Capability Scotland, one of Scotland’s leading disability organisations, is holding an Evening at the Races at Perth Racecourse on Tuesday 29 July 2008. The event, which is sponsored by Scotbet, promises to be a glamorous and fun evening set in beautiful surroundings.

Chris Hoy champions RNID’s capital cycling challenge
The multiple World Champion and Olympic gold medalist is urging cyclists to use their pedal power to change the world for deaf and hard of hearing people by cycling the 300km between the two capitals on 26 – 29 September 2008.

ParalympicsGB name cycling squad for Beijing Paralympics
ParalympicsGB has today named the ten British cyclists set to represent Britain at this summer’s Paralympic Games in Beijing.

Directory of Opportunities for Disabled People in Fife
The 2008 edition of Fife Employability Network's Directory of Opportunities for Disabled People in Fife is now available so don't miss out on this essential pocket guide. 

Beating depression for cancer patients
A new treatment programme for cancer patients with clinical depression can significantly boost their quality of life according to new research published in the Lancet on Friday 4 July.

British football teams selected for the Beijing Paralympics
Britain may not have had any football teams at this summer’s European Championships but two football teams will travel to Beijing to represent Britain at this summer’s Paralympic Games in Beijing.

Carers can't afford to be ill.  New survey highlights health risks for the UK's six million carers, with significant problems on the horizon, both for carers and those they care for.

Smoking and weight-gain linked to hearing loss - major new research
Smoking is a risk factor in the development of age-related hearing loss, one of the largest ever studies into risk factors for hearing loss has found.

Equal Opportunities Committee launches ‘Removing Barriers’ Report at Donaldson’s
Donaldson’s School in Linlithgow hosted the launch of the Equal Opportunities Committee’s latest report on 17 June 2008. ‘Removing Barriers and Creating Opportunities: Review of Progress’ scrutinises the Scottish Government’s implementation of the previous Equal Opportunities Committee’s disability inquiry report.

 Public authorities failing to address disability and race discrimination in housing

Carers UK has welcomed Gordon Brown's announcement of a new Standing Commission on Carers

Vulnerable elderly people are being subjected to neglect, abuse, discrimination and ill-treatment in the hospitals and care homes  Article in The Guardian

Council told to pay family for disabled woman's care Article in The Guardian

Attacks on disabled people are hate crimes, too  Article in The Guardian

European Air Rules improve disabled passengers’ rights – but still leave gaps

Former minister raises fear of HIV blood cover-up Article in The Guardian

Self-directed support - new national guidance The new guidance builds upon Direct Payments legislation

Review of free personal care for the elderly reveals disparity between local authorities and confusion over what constitutes care.

It's 25 years and counting. Despite great advances in the treatment of Aids since Terrence Higgins died, ignorance still threatens to escalate the epidemic Article in The Guardian

From arthritis to diabetes: scientists unlock genetic secrets of diseases afflicting millions

Scotland's National Transport Strategy launched

A future review of the concessionary fare scheme will give consideration to extending the scheme to include flexible, demand responsive and community transport.

Identity crisis

According to some activists, the disability movement is focusing on all the wrong issues and has lost its way. So where next?

Report of the Disability Working Group

The report of the Disability Working Group sets out their recommendations for the Scottish Executive, local authorities, employers, educators, community care providers etc. Recommendations in the report provide both an agenda for immediate action and a platform to build onto improve equality for disabled people in Scotland.

New edition of Well? magazine

In this edition of Well? we are looking at how mental health affects our everyday lives at home, school, work, in the media and in our communities because no matter who we are, positive mental health and well-being is essential for good overall health.

Availability of Transport Accessibility Information for Disabled People - Scottish Executive research publication

This study aimed to determine the availability of information which is required by disabled people when planning a journey using public transport. It confirmed the findings of the Department for Transport study with regards to the existence of 'essential' pre- travel information for disabled people, some of which, depending on mode, is not currently being provided by the Traveline community. Regardless of slight differences, eight categories of essential pre-travel information were found to be required for all modes of transport. They are: Staff Assistance, Physical Accessibility of Stops, Physical Accessibility of Vehicles, Help Facilities; Stop Infrastructure;Timetable & Service Communication; Lighting; and Surface. The report is available on the Scottish Executive website.

New joint Legal Services Agency and Disability Rights Commission project to provide a new service to people with a disability

giveme5 Campaign launched to increase permitted earnings disregard

The campaign aims to enable people on benefits to work more hours for more money by raising the current limit for permitted earnings from £20 to £25 per week. For further information and to sign the petition visit the Richmond Fellowship website.

Funding of £4 million for projects to help the most excluded groups in society

The Multiple and Complex Needs Initiative will fund 14 pilot projects in a range of locations and activities across Scotland. The Initiative is part of the Scottish Executive's Closing the Opportunity Gap approach to tackling poverty and disadvantage.

As well as funding 14 projects over two years, the £4 million initiative will also fund a review of existing knowledge of good practice in this area and an evaluation of how to apply lessons to all public services in Scotland.

Nearly £4 million a year has been committed to improving disabled access in Scotland's railway stations

Transport Minister Tavish Scott said the money would ensure that disabled people have trouble-free access to rail services.

Improvements such as new lifts, escalators, ramps, signage, lighting and flooring at local stations will now happen. The funding comes from Transport Scotland's share of the Access for All fund, a GB-wide scheme led by the Department for Transport.

 Online Blue Badge parking-bay map service launched

A new interactive online service was launched yesterday on Directgov, which will make it much easier for disabled people to find Blue Badge scheme parking bays in 64 cities across the UK. This mapping facility is the first of its kind and will enable people to search by postcode or town/area name for designated Blue Badge parking bays, parking bays that fall on red routes in London and accessible petrol stations. The service will also outline any time restrictions or special notices that apply to individual allocated Blue Badge parking bays. Blue Badge map.  

Citizens Advice Scotland has published a new evidence report: Paying the price: The real costs of illness and disability.

The report is based on a detailed survey of clients claiming incapacity benefit or disability living allowance, and looks at their experiences in relation to benefit claiming, employment issues and finances and debt.

Red Shift to caption first-ever shows at Edinburgh Fringe!Red Shift, one of Britain’s most distinguished touring companies, is offering the first-ever STAGETEXT captioned performances at the Edinburgh Fringe in August.  Get Carter, Ted Lewis’ cult British gangster novel which runs from 3-28 August at Pleasance Beyond, will be captioned on 12, 19 and 26 August, giving deaf, deafened and hard of hearing people access to the production.

Welfare Reform Consultation                                                                          Secretary of State for Work and Pensions John Hutton has announced publication of the 'A new deal for welfare: Empowering people to work' consultation report and his response to the Work and Pensions Select Committee report on 'Incapacity Benefits and Pathways to Work'. Both papers set out proposals for welfare reform. The documents are available on the Department of Works and Pensions website.

Guide to Volunteering while on Benefits published
A new booklet published by the Department for Work and Pensions details the current guidelines regarding volunteering while on benefits.  To download a copy visit www.dwp.gov.uk/publications or contact Job Centre Plus.

IT Accessibility gap for disabled widens, warns British Computer Society

Voluntary and Private Sector to have role in deciding benefits  claims           Ahead of the expected Green Paper on Welfare Reform John Hutton has outlined how the voluntary and private sector might play a part in back to work interviews.                              

Hutton continues push on 2.7m incapacity benefit claims cutback      Pensions Secretary John Hutton is to step up the government's battle to push through incapacity benefit reforms, warning the long-term sick that they must make real efforts to return to work in exchange for their payments.

Disability Rights Commission warns of culture of complacency in public sector                                                                                            Ensuring ‘buy in’ from Chief Executive Officers and senior public sector managers to implement the Disability Equality Duty (DED) will be the aim of a campaign in the New Year, the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) announced today.

Using the publication of its Code of Practice, aimed at helping organisations understand the new law, the DRC also revealed results of a recent poll showing that low levels of understanding among senior managers could make all the difference between the DED’s successful implementation or failure

Scottish social exclusion report finds one in three disabled people in poverty                                                                                                                     One in three disabled adults of working age in Scotland is living in poverty - double the rate for adults without disabilities and above the poverty rate for either pensioners or children, according to a report by the New Policy Institute think tank carried out for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

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