Stephen Unwin Toucan Diversity CIC BBC Radio 4 It was more than just dyslexia that could get you consigned to one of these places. They would treat simple differences in language (e.g. calling a water source a pipe rather than a tap) as evidence of illiteracy and thus ESN-ness.

Approximately 1 in 4 people have a disability. More than 1 in four households have one or more disabled family members with a disability. Disabled people are not outliers. Disabled people are not a niche group.

An ableist society has created the “special needs” of disabled people by ignoring our human needs and erecting barriers that exclude, devalue and dehumanize disabled people.

Friendly reminder to the British media that the next week is not the only time to hire disabled journalists. Disabled people are for life, not just for the Paralympics.

Over 2 hours blocking Portcullis House 🚪 Police interference ❌ 650 copies of The Department by Disability News Service blocking the entrance 📚 Loaded up into a van, ready to be posted to every MP - we won’t let them stop us! #NoMoreBenefitDeaths

Medical staff who walks right into me, a wheelchair user: “Be careful. I didn’t see you.” Wheelchair users are careful. It is often others, including medical staff, who don’t see us, literally and figuratively. Too often, disabled people are rendered invisible.

As school begins in England, periodic reminder that schools which choose to reward 100% attendance without equally rewarding disabled children who cannot achieve this for disability related reasons may well be breaching the Equality Act and the Human Rights Act

🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨 Disabled Activists Host Sit-In Outside Parliament Building After Refused Entry Promised a discussion with MPs about the role of the DWP in the deaths of Disabled people, we were instead turned away. What do we do? Protest! disabilityrightsuk.org/news/disabled-…

Finally!

Up and down the country there are disabled kids tonight who don’t know whether transport is going to arrive in the morning and take them to school. Parents ghosted. Kids abandoned. Local authorities in hiding. Just one part of the SEND crisis.

Solidarity with Jamie Hale, who was on BBC Breakfast this morning alongside Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People speaking about his appalling treatment at a recent graduation ceremony. Sadly this is far from a once off - it’s deeply systemic When will institutions recognise their Equality Act obligations..?

I am one of the Birmingham families fighting to reinstate transport for my son to go to his specialist school which is ten miles away. Shame on Bham City Council for putting us through this. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

Deeply angered to see the vote to cut the winter fuel payment. A continuance of austerity measures that hits the poorest the worst have done nothing but immiserate this country further. We all deserve better. Is this Gov desperate to continue the legacy of their predecessors?

Delighted to have attended Disability Equality Training Toucan Diversity CIC - that this organisation is disabled people-led makes a huge difference...thank you to Paul, Anne-Marie, Ollie the assistance dog, Alex and Pari for an incredibly valuable and insightful course.

Great to contribute to this afternoon’s Toucan Diversity CIC diversity training course for staff from Condor Ferries. It’s fantastic to work with two organisations that are determined to provide high quality service.

“A disabled woman says when the lift in her block breaks, she is often forced to sleep under the stairwell downstairs” An apology isn’t good enough ⁦L&Q tenants housing repair problems⁩ How would you feel if you were in Joanne ‘s position? bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cg…

Government ‘should consider criminalising disability discrimination’, says disabled MP #LibDemConf #LDConf Steve Darling MP disabilitynewsservice.com/lib-dem-confer…

Discrimination court win over UK’s ‘worst’ rail station for assistance ‘shows need for reform and culture change’ Doug Paulley #EustonWeHaveAProblem #NetworkRail disabilitynewsservice.com/discrimination…

A massive thanks to you all! THEY HAVE smashed our fundraising target. Head to our #JustGiving page to find out more: justgiving.com/crowdfunding/T…