Disability Rights UK - E-Newsletter Thursday 7th January 2021 - Milton Keynes Centre for Integrated Living

Happy New Year – News Round-up

Clinically Extremely Vulnerable Guidance – Updated

Government guidance for people who have been identified as ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ has been updated today (Thursday 7th January 2021). Please click here to access it.

Letters will be sent by post over the next week to everyone in this group.

Women and Equalities Select Committee: pandemic has had “profoundly adverse effects” on disabled people’s access to services

Disabled people have suffered a range of profoundly adverse effects from the pandemic, including starkly disproportionate deaths, says a report published today by the Women and Equalities Committee.

Committee Chair, Caroline Nokes MP, said “Disabled people who already faced substantial barriers to equal participation in society have suffered a range of profoundly adverse effects. Our inquiry heard extensive evidence from disabled people of the profoundly unequal adverse effects: our report makes the case for an independent inquiry into the causes.”

You can read more by clicking here.

Shaping Our Lives Publish Report Highlighting Disability Issues raised by COVID-19

Lived Experience Alliance members Shaping Our Lives have published a series of key reports highlighting the disability issues that COVID-19 raises. “The voices of disabled people were getting lost, even while their “vulnerabilities” were mentioned almost daily in the news” This article highlights the need for action, and for a louder collective voice, which the Alliance are actively developing, along with our partners and allies.

You can read more here.

COVID-19 Vaccination: What do people with sensory and physical disabilities most need to know?

Lucy Wills, our new Lived Experience Alliance Manager, has written a blog on the vaccination roll out and key information for disabled people.

https://disabilityrightsuk.blogspot.com/

Rail Replacement Vehicles: extension of non-accessible period to 30 September 2021

The government has agreed to allow coach and bus operators who provide rail replacement services, to apply for time limited special authorisations for a period of up to 9 months from 1st January 2021 to 30th September 2021.

Disability Rights UK’s new Rail Policy Adviser, Stephen Brookes, said “I think everyone saw this coming. We seem to be busy saying ‘I told you so’ over so much going on particularly with Covid creating a reoccurring theme where accessibility is a growing victim of policy change and cost cutting. This is just not acceptable.”

You can read more by clicking here.

Blue Badge Permit ‘Shocking Disparity’ Revealed

A BBC investigation has revealed that people with hidden disabilities and conditions such as Autism and Parkinson’s Disease are much less likely to be approved for a Blue Badge. Of 109 councils who responded to a BBC Shared Data Unit Freedom of Information Request, 80% had higher approval rates for physical conditions. In ten councils the disparity between physical and hidden conditions was more than 50%.

Disability Rights UK’s Head of Policy, Fazilet Hadi, said “The unequal treatment of disabled people with non-visible impairments in the blue badge application process is truly shocking. Councils need to urgently review their processes.”

“The current failure to provide blue badges to people with non-visible impairments is discriminatory and causing real hardship”.

You can read more by clicking here.

Government recruiting Disability and Access Ambassadors

The Cabinet Office has announced it is recruiting Disability and Access Ambassadors to “help ensure businesses are doing all they can to support their disabled customers”. The fourteen posts will support government with their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and also feed into the National Disability Strategy. You can read more and access information on the application process by clicking here.

Get Involved

Seeking Views on Consultation on Rural Transport

The government aim to make technology underpin radical changes in transport in the next 10 years, with profound implications for transport users and businesses including those living and working in rural areas.

At Disability Rights UK we want to advise Government on the challenges and opportunities for our towns, villages and more remote areas – making it easier for people to access jobs, education or healthcare. However, these changes will not happen without partnership between industry, government and local communities, especially disabled people. We insist that new transport policies are inclusive and practical for all who live in our villages, towns, and more isolated locations.

We are contacting academia, industry, new mobility operators, local authorities and other stakeholders to understand the challenges facing rural areas, and to identify existing good practice.

We need you to help us ensure that we are able to gather and present the views of all those with the barriers you face, and how you feel our rural communities can benefit from transport innovation. So, please email Stephen Brookes, our new Rail Policy Adviser, at railpolicyadviser@disabilityrightsuk.org by 25th January.

Benefits Training Courses

DR UK is pleased to offer two online courses in partnership with the Benefits Training Company. Each course costs £112.50 + VAT per person for DR UK organisational members. After booking you will receive a Zoom link and supporting materials by email.

These courses sell out fast so early booking is encouraged!

Introduction to Welfare Benefits will be held on 10 and 11 February. The course is aimed at professionals who work in advice or advocacy who need to know more about – or need a refresher on – changes to welfare benefits and social security.

As above, the course will be run in two parts, using Zoom and facilitated by an experienced benefits trainer.

Part 1: The structure of the system and the importance of health & disability benefits – Wednesday 10 February 9.45 – 12.45
Part 2: Universal Credit, the wider benefits system and maximising income – Thursday 11th February 9.45 – 12.45

Click here for more information and to book your place.

Preparing for an Appeal Tribunal will be held on 25th and 26th February. This course is aimed at professionals who work in advice or advocacy who need to know about how to prepare an Appeal Tribunal. A working knowledge of Personal Independence Payment and the Work Capability Assessment is assumed.

As above, the course will be run in two parts, using Zoom and facilitated by an experienced benefits trainer.

Part 1: Assessing the case, reviewing the DWP decision – Thursday 25 February 9.45 – 12.45
Part 2: Composing effective written submissions, preparing claimants for appeal hearings – Friday 26 February 9.45 – 12.45

Please click here for more information and to book your place.

#IncreaseDisabilityBenefits Survey

The Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC), of which DR UK is a member, have released a survey to support their £20 uplift to legacy benefits campaign. The survey asks for disabled people to share what the £20 uplift would mean to them.

You can share your story by clicking #IncreaseDisabilityBenefits Survey

Get Yourself Active has now released the timetable and is starting to post videos for the new Active at Home series that have been developed alongside Sense and Durham University. These are accessible pre-recorded videos developed from research to support disabled people to get active at home during the Coronavirus outbreak. The videos have been designed using the experiences and feedback of 450 disabled people and people with long term health conditions.

We would love for you to take part and also to share the timetable and YouTube channel with your network to ensure our videos reach as many disabled people as possible.

Visit the Get Yourself Active Youtube channel.

CQC Launches Strategy Consultation

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) have published a formal comsultation on their new strategy. Informed by more than 10,000 stakeholder interactions, the four themes of the strategy are People & Communities; Smarter Regulation; Safety Through Learning; and Accelerating Improvement. You can read more by clicking here.

Help Citizens Online research the impact of the pandemic on digital support for people aged 50-70

Apologies to our younger readers here for this age specific request. Isolation and disruption to care and health services have brought an increasing reliance on remote access and digital tools. While this has increased accessibility for some people, for others it has led to greater exclusion and difficulty – just when such services are needed most. These two surveys aim to uncover a better picture of who is being left out and how, and what would need to be done to address this:

https://www.citizensonline.org.uk/50-70research2020/

Participants required for Research Project

Serena MacLeod is a Trainee Sport and Exercise Psychologist, researcher and inclusivity advocate who provides sport and exercise psychology support to individuals of all abilities. As part of her research through the University of Roehampton, she is looking to recruit individuals with acquired disabilities (e.g. via spinal cord injury, amputee, stroke), who have been discharged from rehabilitation within the last six months. Participation consists of one 45 minute virtual interview, to discuss the barriers and facilitators of engaging in physical activity post-rehabilitation.

The aim of this research is to create a community-based physical activity, based on the findings of the interviews, to bridge the gap between discharge from rehabilitation and engaging in long term physical activity. If you feel you are appropriate to participate in this study, please contact Serena directly: serenamacleodsportpsych@gmail.com

Handbook and Updater price reduction

Handbook reduced to £18 and Updater reduced to £4Every aspect of life has been touched by the coronavirus outbreak. The benefit system is no different.

The changes wrought on it over the past few months have been unprecedented. In particular, the way that things are done has changed from one week to the next: offices close down; phone and virtual contact becomes the norm; support comes and goes; and policy is decided just before it is introduced.

Don’t panic! We can keep you up to date on all the changes to the benefit system through our Updater.

Every issue of Updater contains not just the latest amendments, but all the changes that have occurred since the Handbook was published in April. It’s never too late to subscribe!