Disabilinet.com

Formed in 2012, the Disabilinet online team encompasses a select group of individuals who have been brought together to deliver a new concept in social media especially for disabled people.

This unique and knowledgeable online team has vast experience in both disability and the Internet and is led by successful global entrepreneur Mike Simmonds.

Mike has pioneered internationally for over 20 years in the commercial field of mobility products with a keen personal interest in ensuring less able people gain more from life.

With the support of a committed specialist team, he is fully focused on providing a fresh and dynamic social media community website which will make a real difference to all lives touched by disability.

As founder of Disabilinet, Mike is dedicated to the website becoming the platform to establish a charitable foundation which donates specialist assistance and mobility equipment to a variety of disabled people across the world.

Disabled victims of bedroom tax granted urgent judicial review

Posted by Disabilinews Reporter on March 28, 2013 at 12:38pmView Blog

Disabled victims of bedroom tax granted urgent judicial review

Disabled people who are set to be hit by the government’s controversial “bedroom tax” have won the right to an urgent judicial review of the new rules.

Lawyers acting for the 10 individuals and families taking the legal action say that the changes – due to come into force on 1 April – will have a far greater impact on disabled people than non-disabled people.

They say the regulations breach the Equality Act and the Human Rights Act, as well as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The judicial review of the decision to cut housing benefit for those judged to be “over-occupying” their social housing will be heard in early May.

Sue McCafferty, a member of the We are Spartacus grassroots network of disabled campaigners, said: “The policy and the legislation underpinning the ‘bedroom tax’ are fundamentally flawed and it was evident from the government’s own equality impact assessment that the regulations would have a disproportionate impact upon sick and disabled people.

“We are Spartacus are delighted that the flaws of this policy will be examined and, we hope, that the profound distress caused to those affected will soon be over.”

Ugo Hayter, from solicitors Leigh Day, who is representing two of the claimants, said: “This is an excellent result and the first step in over-ruling what we believe is an unfair piece of legislation which has disproportionate negative consequences for disabled people and is therefore discriminatory.”

The new regulation will see a working-age single person or a couple with no children in social housing having their housing benefit reduced by 14 per cent if they occupy a two-bedroom home and by 25 per cent if they occupy a home with three or more bedrooms.

The two claimants represented by Hayter, Jacqueline Carmichael and Richard Rourke, came forward as a result of work by We are Spartacus.

Carmichael lives in a two-bedroom housing association flat with her husband, her full-time carer, and has to sleep in a fixed position in a hospital bed with an electronic pressure mattress.

Her husband cannot share her bed for safety reasons, and there is no space in the room for a second bed, so he sleeps in the second bedroom.

The Carmichaels say they cannot afford the 14 per cent benefit reduction in their housing benefit.

Rourke, a wheelchair-user, lives in a three-bedroom bungalow, with substantial adaptations.

He has a disabled daughter, also a wheelchair-user, who is studying at university but returns home for holidays, and often at weekends. The third bedroom is a tiny box-room used to store mobility and care equipment.

Rourke cannot move home because there is no wheelchair-accessible, two-bedroom social housing available. If forced to move, he risks losing access to his support network.

National Housing Federation figures released earlier this month showed that 230,000 disability living allowance (DLA) claimants would lose an average of £728 per year in housing benefit as a result of the new regulation.

Even if all the extra £30 million funding allocated by the government to help foster carers and disabled people in adapted properties was given to DLA claimants hit by the tax, they would each receive just £2.51 per week, compared with an average £14 a week loss.

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Disabled victims of bedroom tax granted urgent judicial review

Disabled victims of bedroom tax granted urgent judicial review

Disabled people who are set to be hit by the government’s controversial “bedroom tax” have won the right to an urgent judicial review of the new rules.

Lawyers acting for the 10 individuals and families taking the legal action say that the changes – due to come into force on 1 April – will have a far greater impact on disabled people than non-disabled people.

They say the regulations breach the…

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Added by Disabilinews Reporter on March 28, 2013 at 12:38pm — No Comments

Ministers ridiculed over Spartacus snub

Ministers ridiculed over Spartacus snub

Two ministers faced ridicule and anger tonight after trying to use an “extraordinary” and “ludicrous” excuse to explain a refusal to meet a delegation of disabled activists.

The Conservative minister Mark Hoban had been told to come to the House of Commons to explain why he refused to meet members of the Spartacus network of disabled campaigners to discuss the much-criticised “fitness for work” test.

But Hoban’s plane was…

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Added by Disabilinews Reporter on March 27, 2013 at 9:51am — No Comments

TGA TO LAUNCH NEW SUPER-FLEXIBLE, FOLDING MINIMO MOBILITY 'CAR BOOT' SCOOTER AT NAIDEX NATIONAL 2013

The UK’s leading mobility scooter specialist, TGA, will be launching the innovative, folding Minimo at Naidex National (Stand B50, 30 April – 2 May 2013, NEC), which will deliver pioneering levels of flexibility, comfort and safety in the ‘car boot’ scooter class.…

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Added by Disabilinews Reporter on March 26, 2013 at 4:49pm — No Comments

Minister promises to probe council demanding thousands for school support

Minister promises to probe council demanding thousands for school support

The children’s minister has promised to investigate a local authority that is demanding thousands of pounds from mainstream schools towards the cost of pupils with high support needs.

The mother of one of the disabled children affected by the new policy had attended a joint meeting of all party parliamentary groups (APPGs), including those on disability, learning disability and…

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Added by Disabilinews Reporter on March 26, 2013 at 8:48am — No Comments

New equality tool will help with parliamentary staff’s ‘misguided assumptions’

New equality tool will help with parliamentary staff’s ‘misguided assumptions’

A new online resource for the House of Commons should teach MPs and their staff how to improve their interaction with disabled constituents.

Experts who developed the e-learning disability equality tool – which is also available to Commons staff – had discovered that many disabled visitors were “feeling let down” by a lack of awareness about their needs.

They had pointed to “misguided…

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Added by Disabilinews Reporter on March 25, 2013 at 9:01am — No Comments

Motability’s new driver rules ‘could breach Equality Act’

New insurance rules that effectively ban foreign personal assistants (PAs) from driving Motability vehicles are likely to breach the Equality Act, it has been claimed.

The new rules, introduced in January, mean foreign drivers without a UK licence can only be named on a customer’s insurance policy if they provide written proof of their driving history – in English – including details of endorsements and any disqualifications in their home country.

But foreign drivers can only…

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Added by Disabilinews Reporter on March 25, 2013 at 8:30am — No Comments

Daily Express backs 30th Anniversary Mobility Roadshow!

Daily Express backs 30th Anniversary Mobility Roadshow (27-29 June, Telford IC)

We are delighted to announce a new partnership with the Daily Express newspaper to promote this year’s Mobility Roadshow – our 30th Anniversary of showcasing the latest innovations to aid mobility and independent living..

As media partner the newspaper is providing a programme of editorial and advertising support in the run up to the show, in order to spread…

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Added by Disabilinews Reporter on March 22, 2013 at 9:16am — No Comments

SPECIAL MEMORIES CELEBRATING 30YRS OF MOBILITY ROADSHOW: Mik Scarlet - Broadcaster, columnist and performer

I view the Mobility Roadshow as The Door to Freedom"

Wheels have always been of vital importance to me. Without them making my wheelchair move I would have to live life a bit like a slug and without my car I would not know the joys of true freedom. I grew up in Luton in Bedfordshire, which was a real car town with a Vauxhall car plant smack bang in its centre. So having a car was a big part of growing up as teenagers for me and my friends, but I was unsure if I could ever get…

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Added by Disabilinews Reporter on March 22, 2013 at 9:03am — No Comments

STAFFORDSHIRE'S AMORCARE MOBILITY WINS REGIONAL RETAILER AWARD FROM TGA



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Added by Disabilinews Reporter on March 20, 2013 at 5:30pm — No Comments

Channel 4 wants to build on London 2012 ‘to bring disability into the mainstream’

Channel 4 is hoping to build on its acclaimed coverage of the London 2012 Paralympics by bringing its coverage of disability issues into the mainstream.

Channel 4’s chief creative officer, Jay Hunt, said the broadcaster wanted to “escape from the idea that disability issues are niche”.

She was speaking at a party at the broadcaster’s central London headquarters, held to mark its attempts to “lead a fundamental change in the way we feel and talk about disability”.

The…

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Added by Disabilinews Reporter on March 19, 2013 at 2:51pm — 2 Comments

Wheelchair-user to join Jarrow marchers on 300-mile trek to Westminster

A disabled campaigner is to play a leading role in a 300-mile march to parliament that will follow the historic path of the Jarrow Crusade and deliver a protest message about government cuts to parliament.

Angela Walker has volunteered to be pushed in her wheelchair along the route of the march from Jarrow to the Houses of Parliament, where she will hand over a petition.

She and other activists who plan to take part are protesting about the impact of government cuts and the…

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Added by Disabilinews Reporter on March 19, 2013 at 2:45pm — No Comments

Got a bright idea? Join us at the Mobility Roadshow's Design Zone 2013

An ingenious silicon cover that adapts to a variety of drinking glasses to prevent spillage while allowing drinking through a straw was voted most desirable product by visitors to last year’s Mobility Roadshow. Called Safesip, it is affordable and simple to use and provides a dignified solution for a disabled user and people with limited grasp, even when lying down, as well as being ideal for children.

The runner-up by just one vote was Wheelchair…

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Added by Disabilinews Reporter on March 18, 2013 at 8:37am — 1 Comment

Workplace violence research ‘shows need for social model’

Disabled employees are more than twice as likely to be attacked and injured at work as non-disabled members of staff, according to researchers.

Disabled members of staff experienced higher rates of 21 different types of ill-treatment at work – including persistent criticism, teasing and intimidating behaviour – their research found.

They were also more likely to be given impossible deadlines or be gossiped about or shouted at, according to the paper in the journal Work,…

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Added by Disabilinews Reporter on March 13, 2013 at 4:44pm — No Comments

Get Going Live! puts young disabled in the driver’s seat - 12 July, Donington Park

12 March 2013 – Registration is now open for an exciting one-day event that will help young disabled or newly disabled people to start driving and plan for their first adapted car.

Click image for larger version. Name: GGL.jpg Views: 0 Size: 55.7 KB ID: 533

Get Going Live! takes place on Saturday 13 July at the Donington Park Launch Pad, Derbyshire. Launched in 2011, this…

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Added by Disabilinews Reporter on March 13, 2013 at 8:09am — No Comments

NEW ACCESSIBLE KINTYRE OUTDOOR ACTIVITY CENTRE TO OPEN 29 MARCH WITH BBC TOP GEAR WINNING TGA MOBILITY SCOOTER



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Added by Disabilinews Reporter on March 12, 2013 at 5:00pm — No Comments

Dog agility Julie to participate on TGA mobility scooter in support of MS “Challenge60”

Julie Thomson, 53, who has Multiple Sclerosis, is to display dog agility prowess on her amazing TGA Breeze 3 mobility scooter at Ace Agility’s fundraising event for the MS Society at Braggons Farm near Glemsford, Suffolk, on Easter Sunday (10am, 31 March).…

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Added by Disabilinews Reporter on March 12, 2013 at 4:58pm — No Comments

Motability ‘shifting the goalposts’ with new foreign driver rules

Disabled people could soon find it almost impossible to use foreign personal assistants (PAs) to drive their Motability vehicles, because of strict new rules on driving licences.

Motability says that foreign drivers without a UK driving licence can now only be named on a customer’s insurance policy if they provide written proof – in English – of their driving history, including details of endorsements and any disqualifications in their home country.

But because this proof has…

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Added by Disabilinews Reporter on March 11, 2013 at 4:30pm — 1 Comment

Higher limit for elected office fund is ‘fantastic opportunity’

Deaf and disabled people seeking elected office have welcomed new rules that have doubled the potential financial support they can claim from a government fund.

The £2.6 million fund, open for applications until the end of March 2014, helps to meet the additional costs faced by disabled people seeking election, such as taxi fares and British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters.

The fund was previously offering grants…

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Added by Disabilinews Reporter on March 8, 2013 at 1:00pm — No Comments

SPECIAL MEMORIES CELEBRATING 30YRS OF MOBILITY ROADSHOW: Mary Doyle marvels at technology and innovation

I attended 2011, amazed at all of the aids available, the shiny cars and caravans, but I was stopped in my tracks upon seeing someone who was paralysed from the waist down walking around with those ‘assisted legs’.

All I could think of was how that must feel after spending years believing walking on your own two legs was never a possibility.

Isn’t technology a wonderful thing and the thought that medicine stands on the edge of a host of discoveries to at least…

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Added by Disabilinews Reporter on March 8, 2013 at 10:27am — 1 Comment

SPECIAL MEMORIES CELEBRATING 30YRS OF MOBILITY ROADSHOW: Peterborough 2012 - our first visit!

Our whole family had a fantastic time with lots of good experiences. We mainly came researching for new equipment to make my disabled son’s life more comfortable and enjoyable. We met very experienced conversion and adaptation specialists that helped us with choosing a new car.

I also particularly remember the painting exhibition stand outside, with paintings done by disabled painters. I was very moved by some of them and amazed by the quality of the work, so much so I purchased a…

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