By John Pring in Disability News Service. Three MPs – two of whom have long-term health conditions – have exposed the widespread discrimination faced by disabled MPs due to outdated House of Commons rules, both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 100 “very high risk” MPs are currently “excluded” from taking […]
Accessibility
Blue Badge Eligibility – Update September 2020
From Independent Living. If you are a Blue Badge holder, and you have been struggling to find an unoccupied disabled parking bay, it is probably not surprising. According to data obtained from Freedom of Information requests made by confused.com, there are 38 badge holders per parking space… Since the welcome extension of Blue […]
What Would A Truly Disabled-Accessible City Look Like ?
By Saba Salman in The Guardian. Most cities are utterly unfriendly to people with disabilities – but with almost one billion estimated to be urban-dwellers by 2050, a few cities are undergoing a remarkable shift To David Meere, a visually impaired man from Melbourne, among the various obstacles to life in cities is another that is less […]
Miles Without Stiles Easy Routes
From Lake District National Park. What are Miles without Stiles? These are 48 routes across the National Park suitable for people with limited mobility, including wheelchair users, families with pushchairs, and the visually impaired. Use the interactive map below to explore the routes available or choose from the menu on the left. Distances […]
Support For ‘Amazing’ Campaigner Whose Vital Legal Case Could Help Thousands
By John Pring in Disability News. Disabled campaigners travelled from across the country this week to show support for a fellow activist as she took on justice ministers in the high court over the ruinous costs disabled people can face when they take disability discrimination cases. If she wins, Esther Leighton could give hope to thousands […]
New App To Help Mobility Aid Users “Take Back Their Streets” By Reporting Illegal Parking
By Calvin Barnett in Thiis. A new app giving disabled people the power to report parking infringements to their local councils is hoping to stop situations where people using mobility devices are forced to make unsafe manoeuvres to get past illegally parked vehicles. Developed by brother and sister team Alex Mühlhölzl, Chief Operating […]
Disabled Actress Samantha Renke – What Does Accessibility Mean To You ?
By Samantha Renke in AccessAble. With almost 14 million disabled people living in the UK and as the fastest growing minority group, creating a world that is more accessible has never been more prevalent. Not to mention that excluding the disabled people from the consumer market is a big financial mistake as disabled people […]
What Is The NKS ?
NKS stands for ‘THE NATIONAL KEY SCHEME’! As the name suggests, located all around Britain, there are over 10,000 accessible toilets for disabled people, in public as well as commercial properties of all sorts, which are part of the scheme. The scheme also includes over 1000 Changing Places toilets, which have added specialist […]
‘People Aren’t Disabled, Their City Is’: Inside Europe’s Most Accessible City
By Emily Yates in The Guardian. When I arrived at Breda station last month to find out why this Dutch city was recently named the winner of the 2019 Access City award, I did something I have not done while travelling in a long time. Instead of taking a taxi, I independently pushed the two kilometres […]
Naidex 45
Company Praised For ‘First Accessible Parking Bay For Charging Electric Vehicles’
By John Pring in Disability News Service. Campaigners have welcomed the decision to install what is believed to be the country’s first accessible parking bay for disabled people who need to recharge their electric vehicles. Only holders of blue parking badges who also need to recharge their electric vehicles will be allowed to […]
Opinion: Disability Must Be Considered In Auto Development
By Henry Claypool In The Detroit News. Saturday marks the opening of the 2019 NAIAS Detroit Auto Show, led by its presentation series on the future of the automobile, Automobili-D. Conference attendees can expect panels on innovations such as vehicle to infrastructure connectivity, urban mobility, smart cities, building a mobility workforce, ride sharing, cybersecurity and […]
Disabled Peer Calls For ‘Heavy Fines’ For Air Travel Access Failures
By John Pring in Disability News Service. A disabled crossbench peer has called on the government to start handing out “heavy fines” to the air travel industry when it fails to ensure that its services are accessible to disabled passengers. Baroness [Jane] Campbell asked the government on Monday what action it was taking to encourage all UK […]
Nationwide Joins Purple Light Up Movement To Recognise Contribution Of Disabled Employees
By Sid Hayns-Worthington in the Swindon Advertiser. The society’s Employee Disability Network organised sessions at the HQ to have open conversations about obsessive compulsive disorder, dementia, understanding anxiety and stress, and also included a mental health resilience workshop. The company held around 35 events across the country, coinciding with International Day of Persons with Disabilities […]
Woman In A Wheelchair Reveals Ordeal Of Simple Tasks Like Buying New Clothes
By Tanveer Mann in Metro. Today is Purple Tuesday – and no, it’s not yet another day for crazy shoppers trying to bag a bargain. It’s actually pretty serious and is the first of its kind aimed at highlighting some of the challenges disabled people face while shopping. The national day was founded […]
Purple Tuesday: 6 Ways Disabled Shoppers Would Like The High Street To Change
UK’s ‘Most Accessible Region’ For Disabled Drivers Revealed
By Joe Peskett in Access & Mobility Professionals. Edinburgh has been named as the most accessible region in the UK for disabled motorists when it comes to refuelling at petrol stations, according to new figures produced by an assistive tech firm. The city district has, per head, the highest number of petrol stations […]
Accessible Wheel Friendly Canal Walk In Ripon
From The Outdoor Guide. Walk Details AccessTOG was asked by The Canal & River Trust to film a section of the Ripon canal walk, promoting wheelchair accessibility. Debbie North, AccessTOG’s Outdoor Ambassador was up for the project! This was my first proper visit to Ripon. Although I have passed through the area on […]
Have You Been Unable To Shop Due To Poor Accessibility ?
By Lottie Jackson in The Guardian. We want to hear from less-abled people who have experienced difficulties with poor access when shopping in high-street or luxury fashion stores. Britain’s 11.9 million disabled people represent a potentially large untapped consumer market with a perceived spending power of £80bn, yet many clothes shops are completely […]
Brazil’s Wheelchair Tourism Guru
Travelling With A Wheelchair: The Pros, The Cons, And How To Plan
By Adrienne Dellwo in Very Well. A wheelchair can be both a blessing and a curse when you’re travelling with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, or another debilitating illness. It might make travelling possible with far less pain, fatigue, or other symptoms, but it complicates things, too. Many of us who use a chair for travel don’t use […]