Latest news with #disabilityRights
BBC News
6 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Disabled Londoners campaign to stop Pip changes
"Pip goes some way to recognising that we are not on an even playing field," EastEnders actor and disability advocate Lisa Hammond has north Londoner is one of many signatories on the campaign to urge the government to stop the proposed changes to Personal Independence Payments (Pip).Deaf and disabled people are asking the prime minister in an open letter to adopt a different approach, after the Department for Work and Pensions announced what it called the biggest shake up to "rebalance" the welfare proposed changes from the government include changing the eligibility criteria for Pip, which campaigners said would be "catastrophic" for those who need support most. More than 140 celebrities including activists Liz Carr and Jack Thorne have signed the open letter, which was released on Tuesday. Comedian, actor and author, Samantha Baines, is an advocate for hearing loss and has signed the letter. Ms Baines, from Southwark, told the BBC: "This is a huge issue."Thousands of households are going to be driven into poverty or further into poverty because of this."For every pound cut from Pip, that's going to lead to £1.50 in additional costs for local authorities. This has been viewed as a human rights violation by the UN."Ms Hammond added: "We are not benefit scroungers, we are human beings who are trying to get by and live our lives." The proposed changes from the government to the welfare system include reintroducing reassessments for those who have the capability to work, changing the eligibility criteria for the Pip, rebalancing payment levels in Universal Credit and delaying access to the health element of Universal Credit until the claimant is campaign Taking the Pip stated that if the plans went ahead "700,000 families already living in poverty will face further devastation". 'Human beings, not statistics' Ms Hammond told the BBC: "The government's narrative is all about getting disabled people back to work but Pip has nothing to do with working, it's a benefit to support the things around our lives."Under the proposed changes, claimants would not qualify for Pip unless they scored a minimum of four points in a single daily living activity. Benefits expert Lee Healey, who has worked with disabled people for more than 30 years, said the proposed system was more likely to drive disabled people into poverty than work. Mr Healey told the BBC: "On the face of it that might not sound a lot, but it's a bit of a sneaky way of cutting support for people."He added the government needed to create working environments that disabled people could thrive in first."The key thing is a culture change. Show compassion, respect, that's going to make a massive difference to disabled people. They are human beings not statistics," he said. 'People's lives and dignity' The government said it believed the changes would end "years of inaction" when it came to one in eight people not currently being in work or also said the number of people receiving Pip had become "unsustainable and has more than doubled since the pandemic".A government spokesperson said: "We are determined to support people in all parts of the country by tackling poverty and creating secure, well-paid jobs."Pip is a part of the way that we support disabled people and people with long-term health conditions. But it's right that we rebalance the system to ensure support is targeted to those who need it most."But the signatories of the campaign believe that proposed cuts will prevent disabled people from contributing to society. Ms Baines said: "It's going to cost us more money in the long run and affect individual people's lives and their dignity."
News.com.au
22-05-2025
- General
- News.com.au
‘Do better': Blind Aussie refused Uber ride
In a clip posted to social media, Balinese-born Australian Kadek Artayana showed the 'frustrating' reality that blind and disabled people face in Australia. The two-minute footage shows Mr Artayana waiting for an Uber X with his guide dog, Livinia. As a red Toyota Camry pulls up, the driver can be seen rolling down his window, immediately saying 'Dogs are not allowed.' 'She's a guide dog. It's a service dog,' Mr Artayana responds. 'It's not allowed,' the Uber driver responds. 'It's a guide dog. It's the law mate,' Mr Artayana says. A neighbour chimes in, telling the driver, 'I think you have to take him.' 'You can do the pet,' the driver says, presumably referring to the 'Uber Pet' option which allows riders to book a pet-friendly driver. The option usually costs upwards of $10 more than an Uber X and is not required for assistance animals, as laid out in Uber's policies. 'This is not a pet, this is a guide dog,' says Mr Artayana while he offers to provide his service animal ID card. 'I say no,' the driver bluntly replies. 'Well, the government says yes,' Mr Artayana says. Towards the end of the clip, the Uber driver states he's 'not going to take (the ride)' as he rolls up his windows. 'I will be reporting you, my friend,' a fed-up Mr Artayana says. The heartbreaking incident signals just another week for Mr Artayana as he recalls the increasing refusals of service dogs. 'Another week, another refusal. People like this don't belong in our community when we're trying to make it welcoming and inclusive. This is what blind people have to deal with every single day when we're just trying to live our lives and go to work like everybody else,' he wrote in the caption of the clip. The 34-year-old remedial massage therapist, Brazilian jiu-jitsu athlete, advocate and public speaker lost the sight in both of his eyes in two separate incidents when he was aged 10 and 20. He is now completely blind. He has been living in Australia since he was 10 years old and lives alone with his guide dog and 'best friend' Livinia, in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda. In a heartfelt post to social media, Mr Artayana said that Livinia gave him back the freedom he thought was lost forever when he lost his sight. 'Together, we've done so much — fundraising, advocating for the blind community, travelling, getting lost in the wilderness, and even standing by my side at my Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitions.' Mr Artayana, told 'We live in Australia. This should not be happening.' 'It's very frustrating when you want to be independent and you encounter these barriers.' Speaking of Livinia, he said, 'She's my eyes, she takes me to training, work, everywhere. I need her.' Mr Artayana wants people to know that the blind community is not looking for special treatment – just to be treated equally. 'Why should I pay double [for the Uber] to have an equal opportunity? We're just like everyday people,' he says. 'Livinia is clean, she's intelligent and incredibly well-trained.' 'Uber drivers are supposedly trained but they pretend they don't know what's going on,' he said. He revealed that a worrying amount of ride-share drivers have started claiming they are allergic to dogs, so as to refuse Mr Artayana service. However, Uber's Service Animal policy states, 'A driver cannot lawfully deny service to riders with service animals because of allergies, religious objections, or a generalised fear of animals.' Mr Artayana says that, like him, people come to Australia hoping to be 'welcomed and included.' He believes that with such a significant number of ride-share drivers being immigrants – who have shared his struggles – it is hard to understand why they would choose not to be inclusive. 'Uber expects it from the community but doesn't do it back. They should understand what it means to be included,' he says. He believes the government and public services such as ride-share apps have let blind communities down. 'There should be infringements. It's the law.' In Uber's Assistance Animal Policy, they reveal that a 'Driver-partner may be subject to a fine of up to $8,000, $1,650 and $3,000 for failing to accept a rider with an assistance animal.' In 2021, the company launched its Service Assistance Program in Australia which allows riders with a service animal to register to provide them with 'enhanced support, driver education, and proactive review of cancellations.' On their website they state that none of the program features will impact wait times or reliability of the service, however, Mr Artayana says he experiences wait times of up to 30 minutes. In response to Mr Artayana's clip, an Uber spokesperson told that they provide training for drivers upon signing up and ongoing education to reinforce these responsibilities. 'If a driver refuses service, they must pass a knowledge check with 100% success to regain access to the platform. A second refusal results in permanent loss of access to the Uber driver app. 'Uber's stance is firm on assistance animals; driver partners on the platform must comply with relevant laws on the transportation of riders with disabilities, including providing service to those with assistance animals,' they said. However, Mr Artayana says he has made dozens of reports and it 'does nothing.' He even revealed that he had to turn the comments off on his clip because of the amount of hate he was getting from ride-share drivers. 'They were telling me it's 'their car, their rules' and that 'I don't look blind',' he said. Mr Artayana reveals he doesn't want blind people to be put off the idea of having a service animal because of these encounters. 'I don't want people to do nothing in life because of this stress,' he says. 'They need to be better, I'm not leaving it alone.'
Irish Times
21-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
The Irish Times view on disability services: making promises is the easy part
The determination and commitment of a 14-year-old disability rights activist has once again embarrassed the Government over its inability to implement its own disability legislation. The law currently requires that the State provides a child with a disability with a formal statement of their needs within six months of making an application. The target is being missed by a country mile. There are currently 15,000 waiting for more than six months and the number is due to reach 25,000 by the end of the year. A similar campaign by Cara Darmody – who this week staged a 50-hour picket outside Leinster House – led to a commitment by the Government last year of an additional €10 million to the budget for assessments. This time the Taoiseach Micheál Martin and the Minister for Children and Disabilities, Norma Foley, have made a commitment to make unspecified changes in the law which should speed up the assessment process. The Government has also committed to training and recruiting more therapists, saying that money would not be a barrier to reforms. READ MORE If these commitments are met the result should be an improvement in the time taken to carry out assessments. Ensuring that the quality of the assessments do not suffer will be a challenge. But surely not an insurmountable one. The bigger and arguably more difficult challenge will be to ensure the delivery of the services required by the assessment of needs. The organisations that provide many of these services on behalf of the health service say that they are in crisis . The heads of 36 voluntary disability services providers have written to the chief executive of the Health Service Executive, Bernard Gloster, warning of an 'an extreme risk' to their ability to expand services or, in many cases, sustain existing operations. They say that funding has not kept up with increases in wages and other non-pay costs such as electricity. Several of them have said that they are on the verge of bankruptcy and should by law cease or curtail the services they offer to some 80,000 people with disabilities. The fact that so many disability services providers find themselves in this situation, despite the budget for specialist disability services having grown by €1.6 billion since 2020 to over €3.2 billion a year, is worrying. It reflects the difficulty that Ireland and other countries that have publicly-funded health and welfare systems face in getting out in front of demographic trends, such as population growth and increasing longevity. Making politically expedient promises to avoid negative publicity is the easy part. Delivering on them is another matter.
Irish Times
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Israeli soldiers fire near diplomats on visit to Jenin
The Israeli military said that it fired near a diplomatic delegation which had "deviated" from an approved route in the occupied West Bank. Video: Reuters Israeli attacks on Jabalia overnight have resulted in multiple fatalities and numerous injuries, mainly to children, according to reports. Caoimhe Ní Ghormáin, an expert in medieval Irish manuscripts, and John Gillis, who led the conservation, talk about the Book of Leinster. Video: Ronan McGreevy Gordon Manning speaks to members of the Dublin Senior Camogie squad ahead of this week's Camogie Association vote on the wearing of shorts. Video: Bryan O'Brien Conor Gallagher reports on Pravfond, set up by Putin, that intelligence agencies say does more than its stated goal of protecting the rights of Russians abroad 14-year-old Cara Darmody started a 50-hour disability rights protest outside Leinster House to highlight delays in children getting an assessment of needs. CCTV footage of a tractor being driven by 16 year old completely crushing a car in Graiguenamanagh. Amateur video footage captures the moment a sailing tallship crashed into New York's Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday, killing two people and injuring 17 others. Austria have won the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in the country's first victory since bearded drag queen Conchita Wurst won in 2014.
The Independent
21-05-2025
- The Independent
Wheelchair user misses train and branded ‘rude' by station staff after they refused to get ramp
A wheelchair user missed her train when staff refused to assist her with a ramp and called her 'rude' after she complained. Anna Landre, 26, had planned to travel to Cambridge from London Liverpool Street on Sunday, but was forced to cancel her plans when station staff were 'too busy' to help her on the train. She arrived at the station 15 minutes before her train was set to leave at 11am and went to the information desk to let them know which train she was getting and that she would need a ramp. 'Some stations are excellent, and you can arrive like any other non-disabled person five minutes before the train and they're happy, whereas others look at you and say, no, you're not here 30 minutes before, and won't even try,' the PhD student told the Independent. It got to five minutes before her train was scheduled to leave, and she was told the staff were 'really busy' and would not be able to help her. Ms Landre remained hopeful that platform or onboard staff would be able to help. However, she was told they did not have any ramp keys and could not assist her. When a member of staff from Liverpool Street Station eventually arrived to help her, it was too late and she missed the train. Frustrated, but still hopeful she could get the next train in 30 minutes, Ms Landre went back to the desk to request assistance again. Passengers with a disability can book assistance before they travel – like buying a ticket in advance, but this fails around a quarter of the time, Caroline Stickland, CEO of Transport for All explained. An alternative is 'Turn Up and Go', which allows people to simply arrive at the station and ask for assistance. 'Turn Up and Go can be piecemeal. Only 11 per cent of stations are staffed all the time, which can make turning up and going quite challenging,' Ms Stickland added. A few minutes after Ms Landre missed her train, a member of staff came over to ask if she had pre-booked assistance. 'I explained that I have the right to turn up and go, but he kept explaining that they were very busy and have to help people who are booked first,' Ms Landre said. 'I told him, I know my rights. I know the law. I don't need a lecture on it. He just kept going and I said it again. I'm just waiting for the next train, and he really didn't like that and said I was rude, and he would not help me.' The member of staff went to his manager, who then told Ms Landre she understood she was rude to a member of staff and was frustrated. Although Ms Landre agreed that she was frustrated for missing a train, she did not believe she was rude. Minutes later another manager stepped in with two security guards and Ms Landre claims she was told they would not be providing assistance to her, leaving Ms Landre no option but to cancel her plans and go home. A Network Rail spokesperson said: 'We are really sorry that Ms Landre had this experience when using our station. 'Our director for the Anglia region, which includes responsibility for Liverpool Street station, spoke with Ms Landre this morning and personally apologised for her experience. 'Our aim is to provide a positive experience for each and every passenger and she should never have been denied assistance to board a train and we know we let her down.' Network Rail will now be launching an investigation into what went wrong but for Ms Landre, the ordeal has left her feeling anxious to travel. 'I think for most wheelchair users traveling is very anxiety-inducing because the system fails us so frequently. Then we're painted as the irrational, anxious or unreasonable ones for reacting in a very rational way,' she said. Ms Landre explained she avoids taking trains to work or university because the 'Turn Up and Go' system is 'unreliable'. 'It's such an overlying just burden and cloud over a life that is already challenging because of the additional logistics necessary to live in an inaccessible world,' she said. Ms Stickland said: 'We all want the freedom to travel when we need to, but disabled people are often blocked from that by inaccessible stations and information. 'We hear about horrific experiences like Anna's every single day, but they are not recorded anywhere official. 'Companies have targets around leaves on the line or how many minutes late trains are, but nobody's measuring how often disabled people are stranded - we are erased from the data.'
