Disability News Round Up By John Pring - Week Beginning 30/01/2012

1/31/2012 04:01:00 pm BenefitScroungingScum 0 Comments

• A senior government adviser has failed to declare freelance work carried out for the insurance giant set to make huge financial gains through the coalition’s incapacity benefit reforms.
• The government has admitted failing to carry out any statistical analysis of the results of its controversial disability living allowance consultation.
• The world’s biggest disability and deaf arts festival has won a prestigious annual award, a £10,000 prize, and a huge vote of confidence from regional business leaders.
• The government has welcomed new figures which show a slight rise in the number of disabled people granted funds to make their workplaces more accessible.
• A disability charity has begun legal action against a budget airline over its failure to make its website accessible to blind and partially-sighted customers.
• New figures show the number of disabled people found eligible for unconditional support under the much-criticised “fitness for work” regime has doubled since its introduction by the Labour government in 2008.
• A leading user-led arts organisation has raised new concerns over the search for volunteers to take part in the opening and closing ceremonies of the London 2012 Paralympics.
• Disabled activists are warning that local authorities could try to copy a council that has withdrawn funding from a direct payments support service.
• The broadcasting watchdog Ofcom has come under attack again after ruling that an offensive, disablist routine by comedian Ricky Gervais did not breach its code.
• Nearly two-thirds of local authorities in England have reduced their spending on support in the community for disabled and older people, according to a survey commissioned by a committee of MPs.
• It is “entirely obvious” that the government’s welfare cuts are “falling entirely” on disabled people and families with children, according to a leading academic.