Difference North East - Changing Perceptions of Disability
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Category: Active Campaigns

Stylized illustration using a halftone dot pattern effect. The center shows an empty purple chair symbolizing MPs who didn't attend the welfare reform meeting. On the left are stacked yellow coins marked with pound sterling symbols representing proposed benefit cuts. On the right is a teal-colored protest sign reading 'THESE CUTS WILL KILL.' The image conveys the stakes of welfare reform and political absence.

Driving Difference 2024-25

January 12, 2026

Disabled people across the North East made change happen in 2024-25.
We told our stories. We shared what barriers we face every day. Then we turned those stories into evidence that decision-makers had to listen to.
We wrote a 17-page report about transport problems. We campaigned when the government forgot about us. We trained police and council workers about disability.
When 18 MPs didn’t come to our meeting, we didn’t give up. We organized together. And we won a government meeting that didn’t exist before.
This is what happens when disabled people work together.

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Budget 2025 Disability North East

Budget 2025 Disability North East: Fix the Systems, Not the Rules – What This Week’s Budget Means for Disabled People

December 1, 2025

Fix the Systems, Not the Rules
This week’s Budget affects disabled people across the North East. Some changes, like ending the two-child limit, could help families and lift children out of poverty. But many measures focus on more checks and assessments, not on fixing the barriers that make life hard. Disabled people need income security, accessible systems, and a say in decisions that impact them. Tougher rules do not make life better, fairer, well-funded systems do. Change happens when disabled people and allies speak up together. If you agree, join Difference North East and help push for real change.

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Disability Community Stockton-on-tees, Graphic promoting Stockton health challenges discussion. Blue slice of cake on a purple background. NeuroKey and Difference NE logo visible in the top right.

Disability Community Stockton-on-tees Teesside

June 29, 2025

People in Stockton-on-Tees met in May 2025 to share their experiences of disability and everyday life.
They talked about transport problems, with very few accessible taxis and buses that do not always provide clear information.
Shops and public places were often hard to use, with not enough Blue Badge parking or mobility equipment available.
Many people described stressful benefits assessments and systems that make them fight for support.
They also spoke about losing jobs, rebuilding confidence, and finding strength through community.
The group wants practical changes and to be involved in decisions, so access is designed with disabled people, not without them.

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Pathways To Work Ignores Disabled Voices: Abstract image of disabled people in the workplace, overlaid text repeating "pathways?" over and over.

“Pathways To Work” Ignores Disabled Voices: Here’s What’s Really At Stake

June 18, 2025

The government’s Pathways to Work plan ignores disabled people. It makes big changes to benefits (like PIP and Universal Credit) but won’t let people have a proper say.
❌ Key problems:
There were no meetings in the North East (only Leeds/Glasgow).
Online sessions filled up fast.
Easy Read versions came 3 weeks late.
💬 Disabled people say:
“I needed work adjustments but was ignored.”
“Train stations still aren’t accessible.”
“They said my cerebral palsy ‘wasn’t disabled enough’.”
We demand:
Stop the changes.
Listen to disabled voices first.
Fix the unfair system.
Act now! Sign our campaign or email hello@differencenortheast.org.uk.
“Nothing about us without us!”

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why we left the government's disability network and need a disability-led advocacy network. A collage of photos showing disabled people in Difference North east meetings, discussions, and protests. One protester holds a sign reading “THESE CUTS WILL KILL.”

Disabled voices shut out: why we left the government’s disability network

June 12, 2025

Disabled people were asked to give advice to the government. But they didn’t listen to us.
We were part of something called the Regional Stakeholder Network. It was meant to include our voices. Instead, we were ignored. No answers. No respect.
That’s why we left.
Now, we’re starting something new. A space for disabled people, run by disabled people. We will set the agenda. We will invite others in, on our terms.
We are not tokens. We are builders.
Read why we walked away, and how you can support what comes next.

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