John Pring's Disability News Round Up Week Ending June 1st 2012

6/06/2012 09:30:00 am BenefitScroungingScum 1 Comments

• A major international disability arts and human rights festival set to take place during this summer’s Paralympics could be forced to scale back its plans because of a drop in private and public sector support for disability culture.
• Government plans to slash the funding and powers of the Equality and Human Rights Commission and weaken equality laws have been condemned by disabled union activists who work for the watchdog.
• Disabled people are facing “unprecedented attacks” because of the government’s “austerity” measures, union activists have heard at their annual conference.
• A leading disabled activist has come under sustained attack from unions for writing a report they say has given the government the political cover it needs to close 36 sheltered factories.
• A Supreme Court judgment could make it easier for thousands more disabled people to access the care packages they need, legal experts have suggested.
• Key Labour figures have squashed hopes that the party might call for the controversial “fitness for work” test to be scrapped, despite GPs demanding that it “end with immediate effect”.
• The government is facing legal action over its failure to introduce a vital code of practice that would make it easier to protect disabled children from discrimination at school.
• A shadow minister has pledged to offer disabled people “direct access” to three key Labour figures as part of a new review of her party’s disability policies.
• The government has delayed the publication of its new disability strategy for at least three months, it has confirmed.