Posts Tagged: Disability

Have Your Say: Join the Discussion on the “Working Well” Scheme

4 February 2025.

At Difference North East, we welcome efforts to remove barriers to employment. However, while schemes like “Working Well” provide valuable support, they don’t address the wider structural inequalities that disabled people face every day. The “Working Well” scheme, a government initiative in partnership with local organisations like the North East & North Cumbria Integrated Care… Read more »

Building a More Accessible Transport System in the North East

22 January 2025.

Creating an Inclusive Future-response to North East Mayor Transport consultation. Transport accessibility is essential for enabling participation in everyday life, yet disabled people across the North East face barriers at every turn. Our response to the North East Mayoral Combined Authority’s Transport Plan highlights these challenges and offers actionable recommendations to create a system that… Read more »

Then Barbara Met Alan: Lessons from a History of Disability Activism

29 November 2024.

This week, members of Difference North East gathered to discuss the thought-provoking film, “Then Barbara Met Alan“. The film, portraying the groundbreaking activism of Barbara Lisicki and Alan Holdsworth, offers a reminder of the power of community, the importance and function of direct action, and the need for an ongoing fight for equality. This was… Read more »

Disability History Month! What is it, when is it, and what can you do?

12 November 2024.

Disability History Month starts this week! 14 November 2024 – 20 December 2024  Disability History Month is celebrated between 14th November 2024 and 20th December 2024 and this year focuses on Disability livelihood and employment. At Difference, we are focusing on Mary Greaves from Whitley Bay as our historical figure as she worked tirelessly to… Read more »

Disabled people are not superheroes: What you say, and how you say it, matters.

22 October 2024.

Why Should You Avoid Calling Disabled People Superheroes? Over the last two years I couldn’t work in ‘traditional’ paid employment, so I took part in lots of volunteering from home. I spent two years as a patient representative working alongside the British Society of Gastroenterology helping to write the new best practice guidelines. I mentored… Read more »

Nothing about us, without us: Not consulted! Not invited!

24 July 2024.

Silenced is how we felt at the celebration! Read why we could not ignore this! Reflections From Blue Plaque Unveiling This reflective piece comes from a small group of disabled activists in the northeast of England who attended the unveiling of a commemorative plaque to Mary Greaves. On a pedestrian walkway in front of a… Read more »

Celebrating a Local Disability Hero!

18 July 2024.

Mary Greaves and the Disablement Income Group This week, on 18th July 2024, North Tyneside Council will unveil a blue plaque in honour of Mary Greaves, a true champion for disabled people. Mary, who was herself disabled, was born in Newcastle and led the Disablement Income Group (DIG). Mary’s hard work helped bring about the… Read more »

The Disability Housing Crisis

14 June 2023.

The Disability Housing Crisis. For the last few decades, various decisions from government has potentially hard baked an increasingly worse disability housing crisis into England’s homes. Even without considering disability, there is a housing crisis in the UK. Landlords are putting up rents, more people cannot afford to buy house buying, and former social housing… Read more »