Hate Crime – Legislative changes soon?
The Law Commission has now finished taking evidence on Hate Crime and Disability. If if it keeps to its schedule, the Law Commission will produce its final report in early 2014, after which legislative changes may follow. This project came to the Law Commission by a reference from the Ministryof Justice, following the Government’s publication […]
Cumulative impact assessment petition
The Government has agreed to consider for debate a cumulative impact assessment of cuts and changes that affect people with disabilities and their family carers – if the number of signatories reaches over 100,000. Around 44,000 more signatures are needed before the petition closes on 12th December this year. The petition also calls for an […]
Courts Fees: Changes effective from 7th October 2013
On 7th October, HM Courts and Tribunal Service, now an agency of the Ministry of Justice, introduced new regulations on the payment of courts fees, and on remissions and exemptions. Full details may be found on the ‘Justice’ website in a section entitled Court and Tribunal fees. Here you will find a link to the […]
Eye tests for adults with learning disabilities
Adults with learning disabilities are 10 times more likely to have serious sight problems than other people. Yet, fewer than one in 25 adults with learning disabilities in England have access to eye health services designed for their needs. As a result, thousands of people may be missing out on simple and low-cost treatment that […]
Who runs Britain? An army of unregarded unpaid carers…
A frequent observation is that ‘people don’t understand what it’s like to be a carer until they become one’. Now read this article from the Mail on Sunday about Andrew Marr and the effect of his stroke upon himself and his wife, Jackie, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2401611/Who-runs-Britain-An-Army-unregarded-unpaid-carers-Now-time-cared-says-Andrew-Marr-wife-nursed-stroke.html. They reflect on their experiences and their new circumstances: “People don’t […]
A landmark ruling…but no green light…
A man with significant learning difficulties has been ordered to undergo a vasectomy to prevent him from having further children in a landmark legal ruling by the High Court. This headline on August 17th introduced an important article by the Daily Telegraph’s legal correspondent Victoria Ward. The case raised obvious legal and moral issues… Angus […]
T4 Memorial – rebuild underway
This Rescare blogger is not only the parent of an adult with Asperger Syndrome, and someone with an ‘interest’ in learning disability; I also have a degree in European Humanities, and a passion for languages and history. On my occasional visits to Berlin, I always make a point of visiting the ‘Aktion T4’ memorial on […]
Judicial review of Worcestershire’s Maximum Expenditure Policy decision fails…
12th August brought a judgement in the judicial review of the lawfulness of Worcester Council’s consultation on its Maximum Expenditure Policy: the judicial review failed. The full text of Mr Justice Hickinbottom’s jusdgement is available here . It will no doubt provoke comment from many observers and interested parties in coming weeks. Two commentators were […]
Giving evidence to the Select Committee on the Mental Capacity Act…
The British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) has issued an excellent and comprehensive ‘unofficial guide’ on how to submit evidence to the Lords Select Committee on the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Download the document via the link on this webpage: http://bihr.org.uk/news/new-guide-bihrs-unofficial-guide-to-the-select-committee-on-the-mental-capacity-act-2005 Details of the Select Committee consultation are available here:
What happens when people with learning disabilities need advice about the law?
What happens when people with learning disabilities need advice about the law? This was the question considered earlier this year by the Norah Fry Research Centre, based at the University of Bristol. Having been interviewed during this research (principally in my ‘role’ as the parent of an autistic adult), the writer of this blog was […]