The Centre for Welfare Reform has produced a guide for disabled campaigners called “Using the Law to fight the Cuts”.

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On Wednesday 27^th July disability rights campaigners from the anti-assisted suicide group Distant Voices, will stage a mock execution of a wheelchair user outside Parliament.

The Distant Voices stunt is aimed at giving greater publicity to a different view on assisted suicide.

A lot has been said in the press over the past through years by disabled people who want the right to die at a time of their choosing, without partners or friends getting punished for it; Distant Voices believes not enough thought is being given to the possibility that this might lead to the involuntary euthanasia of disabled people.

The protest will start at 1pm at Old Palace Yard from where campaigners wearing surgical masks will process by drumbeat to a scaffold where one wheelchair user will be doused in fake blood.

A new poll found 70 per cent of disabled people were concerned that a change of law to allow terminally ill patients to receive help to die would create pressure on vulnerable patients to “end their lives prematurely”.
This probably says more about disabled people’s feelings of not being treated as equal and valued members in society, than it does about assisted suicide.
Any change to the law, proposed by disabled celebrities like writer Terry Pratchet and campaigner Debbie Purdy would need to have strong safegaurds and recourse to independent advocates to protect disabled people’s rights to self-determination.

The excellent people who brought us www.theyworkforyou.com, the website that tells you what MPs have been saying and writing, have set up a website called “what do they know?” that helps you to make or explore freedom of informations requests to public bodies like the Government or your local council.

You can use their site to make the freedom of information request, or to read what other reqests have been made.

You choose the public authority that you would like information from, then write a brief note describing what you want to know. We then send your request to the public authority. Any response they make is automatically published on the website for you and anyone else to find and read.

the public body has to reply either giving you an answer or giving you a valid legal reason why the information is confidential.

The site is called what do they know

The Equality and Human Rights Commission published a guide on using the Equality Act for voluntary and community sector organisations in November, it includes a useful overview of some of the changes that have come into force since all the equality legislation was combined, like dula discriminations, the public sector duty etc.

One Voice Members and readers have asked for a link to it, so here it is>>

The Government has launched its new white paper on plans for a National Care Service.

The white paper comes after wide consultation with many people including disabled people in wolverhampton who came to our 3 consultation meetings to have their say and be part of our submission to the Government>>

They seem to have moved from their original position – opposite to the funding of the health services – that only individuals who need care will pay for it – taking notice about what many disabled people’s groups have said on the matter.

Minister Andy Burnham said:

“I feel very strongly that this is a responsibility we must all help to shoulder. And it’s clear from what we have heard from the thousands of people who have given us their opinions on this over the past twelve months, that people agree. That’s why we know that the fairest way to help everyone who is affected by a serious disease, illness or disability is for us all to pay into a system so we get free care when we need it.”

You can download your own copy of the white paper here>>

The head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Equality and Diversity Unit says the CPS needs to raise it’s game on disability hate crime.

This follows numerous reports on this site and eleshwhere of examples of the CPS failing to prosecute cases where disabled people have been bullied.

With a new spotlight on disability hate crime because of the recent widely-reported deaths of disabled hate crime victims, the police CPS and other agencies realise it’s time to do better for our disabled citizens.

Here in wolverhampton disabled people have had a patchy response when reporting hate crime and bullying to the authorities, ranging from people getting the support they need, to no response whatsoever, to being told to stay indoors to avoid bullying.

If you are a disabled Wolverhampton citizen who is being bullied or may be a victim of hate crime, contact One Voice for advocate support to help you to get a satisfactory solution>>

The Government has some draft regulations out to consultation.
these regulations will decide when people will be moved from Incapacity Benefit to Employment Support Allowance.

These regulations allow for the transition to begin in October 2010. It will start with a small test to make sure it works administratively, as the plans mean that in full swing up to 10,000 people per week will be transferred.
Most people will be transferred from February 2011 and all people who were on Incapacity Benefit will be on Employment Support Allowance, or off benefits and in work by the end of March 2014 according to the Governemtn plans.

you cannot appeal your transfer.

You can have a say about the transfer rules in the Government’s consultation, up to February 8th.
You can get the consultation papers and have a say by visiting the social security website>>>