disability news
Diner wins damages from restaurant that refused guide dog entry
A charity trustee has been awarded damages from a restaurant that refused his guide dog entry.
Leonard Cheshire Disability Trustee Jon Prashar, who is registered blind, was denied access to the Indigo restaurant in Carlisle this August with his dog, Mr T – despite informing staff that ‘T’ was a guide dog.
Mr Prashar, who is from Wakefield in Yorkshire, brought the case at Birmingham County Court, on the grounds that the restaurant had discriminated against him. The court issued judgement in October, as the restaurant failed to file a defence, and found the business in breach of the Equality Act 2010 (1).
Today, Mr Prashar was awarded £1,500 and costs.
Mr Prashar comments: “I’m delighted that such a clear message has today been sent to businesses, that access is a legal right and not a luxury for disabled people.
“Disabled people make up 18% of the population and are a valuable source of income to businesses. I hope that this judgement will help change wider attitudes amongst businesses, so that I can eat where I choose to as every paying customer should be able to.
Jack Klar, of Jack Klar Solicitors in Halesowen, West Midlands, who represented Mr Prashar throughout the whole of these proceedings, said: “I have worked with many local businesses advising them on how to comply with the Equality Act 2010. However, there are some businesses that still unlawfully discriminate against disabled people. I hope that this judgement will make it clear to such businesses that discrimination is unacceptable.” (more…)
#iamspartacus: Twitter’s gesture of solidarity returns to fight the #NHSbill
Once, tweeters used the hashtag to support a man who joked about an airport – now they’re defending the NHS It all kicked off with Paul Chambers .
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#iamspartacus: Twitter’s gesture of solidarity returns to fight the #NHSbill
Jo Whiley talks about disability: transcript
The broadcaster tells blogger and campaigner Nicola Clark about how her family has been affected by her sister’s learning disability Jo Whiley I don’t think that people have an idea what caring entails, I really don’t, because, you know, it is utterly exhausting. Someone probably like yourself or like my mum and dad, they have Frances 24/7 so just little things like she does not like them to watch television. So the new Sherlock is on or something like that and everyone else goes “great, let’s watch Sherlock”, and you will have Frances going, “No don’t watch telly, no not watch telly, don’t watch telly”.
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Jo Whiley talks about disability: transcript
Funding older people’s care: there’s no ‘sticking plaster solution’
Michelle Mitchell, charity director general of Age UK, is calling on the government to embrace radical proposals on paying for elderly care Any day now, David Cameron will decide on Dilnot. The verdict on whether the government is to go ahead with reform of long-term care funding, as recommended by a commission headed by economist Andrew Dilnot , rests formally with the coalition cabinet, but the key to that will be the prime minister’s instinct
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Funding older people’s care: there’s no ‘sticking plaster solution’
Better Life project allows older people to tell it like it is
New initiative aims to counteract the stereotype of older people as dependents or burdens by putting their testimonies online When it comes to the lives of older people we don’t have to look far for repeated references to troubles such as how to fund adequate care in later life, neglect within the health service or financial struggles.
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Better Life project allows older people to tell it like it is
Nicky Clark: the accidental activist battling disability hate crime
She took on Ricky Gervais on Twitter and won. Now Nicky Clark’s new films show disabled celebrities fighting stigma Nicky Clark came to activism by chance, and discovered a knack for it. Had life turned out differently she might have been an actor, rather than a carer and an articulate disability rights campaigner: “It’s been very organic, but I suppose I have always been someone who got cross,” she says
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Nicky Clark: the accidental activist battling disability hate crime
