Latest News for Parents & Carers

A case has recently been taken to court after a family objected to their son with severe learning disabilities, autism and epilepsy having the Covid-19 vaccine. The hearing took place at the Court of Protection, where issues relating to people who lack the mental capacity to make decisions are analysed. It was here that Manchester-based Judge, Jonathan Butler, heard the family’s concerns relating to the side effects of the vaccine and the impact this could have on their son.

The government has announced that the law will be changed to allow BSL interpreters into the jury deliberation room. Up until now, BSL has been permitted in court but not in the jury room. This has meant that in order to participate in jury service, Deaf People have had to lip read in the jury room.

A report by the Food Foundation shows that the most seriously disabled people are experiencing 5 times the level of food insecurity as the wider population. The report states that 25% of disabled people, who are limited a lot by their impairments, experience food insecurity, and 11% of disabled people who are limited a little. This contrasts with 5% of the non-disabled population experiencing food insecurity. These figures confirm that millions of disabled people are living in extreme poverty.

The government has announced a new £30 million fund to install more Changing Places toilets in existing buildings, which will benefit more than 250,000 disabled people throughout England. The move follows changes to statutory guidance that came into effect from January 2021 that made the provision of Changing Places toilets compulsory in certain new buildings.

Graduates disclosing autism are least likely to be in full-time employment and most likely to be unemployed according to new research by the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS). Autistic graduates are the least likely of all Disabled graduates to be employed on a permanent contract and are most likely to be employed on a fixed-term, temporary or voluntary basis.