Accessibility – News & Advice

Calderdale Council’s Customer First Service is now open and operating from Halifax Central, Brighouse and Todmorden Libraries. If you need help with any council service or have a complaint, then you can now call into the Customer First Service points as follows: Halifax Central Library Monday to …

The Bradford Clean Air Zone is now in force and everyone is advised to check if their vehicle/s are likely to incur charges. You will need to pay a daily charge to drive in the Bradford Clean Air Zone (CAZ) if your vehicle does not meet required emission standards and is not exempt, find our more …

Speaking about the access arrangements for Disabled people for Her Majesty the Queen’s Lying-in-State, Disability Rights UK CEO Kamran Mallick said: “Given the decades that have gone into planning the events around the death of Her Majesty the Queen, it is disappointing that access to these events …

Although London-based, and concerned largely with the views of older people, this report looking at the provision of public toilets has relevance for people with disabilities, too, wherever they live. From May to July 2022 almost 600 older Londoners told Age UK London what they thought about public …

Ian Gledhill our local Electoral Outreach Officer will be attending the next Disability Partnership open meeting on Tuesday 25th October. He will give information about the progress of the Annual Canvass of Electors for 2022, which will be almost done by the time the meeting comes around. He also …

Our next Open Meeting will be on Tuesday 25th October 2022. We’d love you to join us for this friendly, sociable get together which is free to attend, includes a free buffet lunch and where you can also claim your travel expenses! We’ll begin by enjoying a relaxed buffet lunch with you, before …

The link below takes you to the Disability Sport section on Calderdale Council’s Sports Services website giving details of current programmes & sessions along with other relative information and ‘access’ information at Sports Centre’s and swimming pools. Amongst the activities offered to …

Adult All Ability Kurling was launched back in May at Heath United Reform Church in Halifax. It’s now well established and going strong, but there’s always spaces for new players – below is the flier with all the key details.…

Great news – buses are getting cheaper! From Sunday 4 September, you can travel for less thanks to the introduction of “Mayor’s Fares” across the region, as the Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, helps ease the cost of living crisis. From 4 September, single journeys will be capped at £2 …

Citizens Advice survey shows millions will be in energy bills debt New analysis from Citizens Advice shows 1 in 4 (24%) people in the UK won’t be able to afford to pay their energy bills in October, based on current forecasts. That is double the number already in the red before the price cap rises …

Since 2019 Able Community Care has given out, free, almost 80,000 ‘DO NOT KNOCK’ door stickers to older and disabled people who do not wish to answer the door to strangers. Able Community Care is a nationwide, live-in care provider which was established in 1980. Originally, we just gave out door …

Research by the Guardian Newspaper has found that the poorest areas are losing out most from local authorities’ deep cuts. Anna Denham, Programme Manager at Get Yourself Active said: “the decline of these spaces, which offer so many health and wellbeing benefits alongside a space for …

Andy Street: “I want to see these Games deliver a lasting legacy” This year’s Commonwealth Games were described as the most inclusive Games to date. We all enjoyed the brilliant showcase of sport, watching so many elite athletes going for gold. In the run-up, the Games featured highly in our …

Here are some more great holiday/bank holiday links from the online magazine Disability Horizons. Make the most of this Bank Holiday weekend with their wide range of travel and holiday articles. You can discover: 5 accessible holiday destinations in the UK 10 wheelchair accessible places to visit …

A new free service starting in September from Age UK.  …

The Health Adjustment Passport (HAP) is now available on GOV.UK and can be used by those with a disability or health condition to help identify what support and changes (known as reasonable adjustments) they may need when they are in work or moving into work. This could include support from Access …

Kane Irish Dance Group, who are based in Huddersfield are looking to form a regular Saturday lesson that is inclusive for all. they have a young blind girl who has recently joined them. Check out her latest video on YouTube https://youtu.be/SgcSSlkE1Zo Here is the booking link for their next 4 week …

We have received the following letter asking for feedback on proposed work to repair the footbridge at Halifax Railway Station. It looks like the process will involve shutting the footbridge and replacing it with a temporary structure that will mean access will be limited to those who can manage …

Accessibility is about more than just ramps and grab-rails. Based on research with deaf and disabled people, a new blog on https://shapingourlives.org.uk/ uncovers some of the key access and support needs that people need to live truly accessible lives: When the topic of accessibility is raised, …

Calderdale Council has announced plans for three new Changing Places toilets to be installed in the borough, improving facilities for those with severe disabilities or complex needs. As part of the Changing Places programme, a partnership between the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and …

Disabled people’s voices need to be valued and prioritised in the planning and delivery of health and care services. This long read sets out the findings of research carried out by The King’s Fund and Disability Rights UK into how disabled people are currently involved in health and …

Disability Horizons, the online magazine, has voted Bridlington, on the Yorkshire coast as one of it’s five recommended accessible UK holiday destinations. Here’s what they had to say about the town: Ah, Bridlington. Brid-bados, if you will. Located along the coast in East Yorkshire, …

The government has announced plans that will require all new homes to have entrance level step-free access and other accessibility features as a minimum requirement. The changes proposed by the Department of Levelling Up, Homes and Communities (DLUHC) will establish a legal requirement for new …

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This ONS report looks at disabled people’s experiences with activities, goods and services, UK: February to March 2022 It is the result of qualitative research exploring disabled people’s experiences with private sector activities, goods and services across the UK. In-depth interviews were …

Around 70,000 people in England employ a personal assistant (PA), usually through taking a direct payment or personal health budget. A new report by Think Local Act Personal looked at the experiences of people who employ a PA of recruiting and retaining them between March 2020 and January 2022? …

Our next Open Meeting will be on Tuesday 23rd August 2022. We’d love you to join us for this friendly, sociable get together which is free to attend, includes a free buffet lunch and where you can also claim your travel expenses! We’ll begin by enjoying a relaxed buffet lunch with you, before …

Over the past few years, writer and editor Emma Purcell has been running a petition to make audio descriptions available on all films, TV shows and streaming services. So far, it has reached almost 3,500 signatures, but it needs thousands more. Here, Emma shares 5 reasons why audio description is …

The Accessible Calderdale Disability Access Forum (ACDAF) is a user led group of people with all disabilities and who live in Calderdale. It is a very diverse group with ages ranging from 20-92 years! They represent learning disabilities, sensory impairment, physical disabilities and neurodiverse …

Unfortunately there are still some dog owners who act irresponsibly and do not clean up after their dog. You can report offenders to Calderdale Environmental Health by going online They can take action in relation to complaints about dog fouling if you know who the person is who is not cleaning up …

Digital Poverty Alliance calls for action to combat digital exclusion A coalition of charities, private and public sector organisations is calling for a concerted effort to tackle digital poverty in a new evidence review which highlights millions of people experience digital poverty – when someone …

In October 2020, the ‘Sport England Active Lives Coronavirus Report’ (Oct 2020) showed that the pandemic disproportionately impacted disabled people’s activity levels. And that we experienced a larger increase in inactivity levels. 56% of Disabled people with three or more impairments were …

Mr Dave Manning from The Fire Prevention Service gave a fascinating talk on fire safety to our 28 June 2022 Open Meeting. He covered a huge range of topics, including Safe & Well visits, where they visit those at most risk from fire and give them advice and practical support. There’s more …

Disability Partnership Calderdale’s Malcolm Kielty shares his remarkable personal story as a person with a disability, with particular emphasis on the part that sport has played in his life. https://youtu.be/E1WVKXIA7JQ…

Here is a link to an important new petition to Parliament, to: “Implement the Grenfell Tower Inquiry (Phase 1) recommendation to put a legal obligation on building owners and managers to implement Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) for Disabled residents who cannot self-evacuate due …

Disabled drivers are facing long delays in processing driving licence applications by the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). The backlog for motorists with medical conditions has risen by 65% in 12 months. Drivers must declare certain conditions to the DVLA. These include diabetes, sleep …

Our next Open Meeting will be on Tuesday 28th June 2022. We’d love you to join us for this friendly, sociable get together which is free to attend, includes a free buffet lunch and where you can also claim your travel expenses! We’ll begin by enjoying a relaxed buffet lunch with you, before moving …

Airport inaccessibility – a report by Disability Right UK There has been a growing number of incidents involving Disabled passengers being left waiting for assistance in disembarking airplanes recently. A Disabled woman was left stranded on a plane for more than an hour and a half after staff …

Disability Horizons, the online magazine has a new feature looking at accessible holiday spots in Europe – below is the intro, with a link to the full article: Europe is filled with accessible holiday destinations to fit any disabled traveller’s needs, abilities or preferences. So, with the …

The World Health Organization has published a new global report on assistive technology. The report presents evidence on the global need for and access to assistive products and provides a series of recommendations to expand availability and access, raise awareness of the need, and implement …

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New Inclusion 2024 education hub to improve future PE experiences The new Inclusion 2024 inclusive education hub launched in May. Education practitioners across England will have access to all the essential resources for inclusive PE in one space. It is created in partnership by Activity Alliance, …

Venue: Heath United Reform Church, Free School Lane, Halifax HX3 0DW – fully accessible. On the 574 and 577 bus routes. More Info: 07966038926 / disabilityroadmap@gmail.com When: Mondays 11am – 1pm (excluding Bank holidays) What: New Age Kurling is similar to bowls, but is traditionally …

Start Date: Saturday 28th May Where: Springs Hall Athletics Track, Huddersfield Road, Halifax, HX3 0AA Time: 14:00 – 16:00 Cycle for Health is delivered over 12 weeks and free to access. Delivered as a 2 hour session, once per week, Cycle for Health aims to build self-esteem, confidence, wellbeing …

The Government are inviting people to apply to become a chair of one of their 9 Regional Stakeholder Networks, helping to ensure disabled people’s voices are heard throughout England. Full Details Here…

How to prepare for a festival if you’re a wheelchair user Thinking of attending a festival this year but not sure how to plan for the event if you use a wheelchair? Don’t worry, we’ve got it covered. Mountain Trike, which sells all-terrain wheelchairs designed for accessing the outdoors, …

Get Yourself Active, the Disability Rights UK programme that focuses on increasing Disabled people’s participation in sport and physical activity, has been named a system partner by the arms-length body for grassroots sport: Sport England. Becoming a system partner means Get Yourself Active will …

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News Disabled employees paid £3.5k less than non-Disabled employees – ONS The ONS has published new data showing that Disabled employees earn £1.93 less per hour than non-disabled employees, equating to a £3,500 pay gap based on a 35 hour week. The pay gap between Disabled and non-disabled …

Calderdale Council is introducing changes to its car parks at Todmorden Sports Centre and Brighouse Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre, to ensure that disabled parking spaces are used correctly. As an inclusive organisation, the Council is committed to enabling everyone from Calderdale’s diverse …

Our response to Sport England’s Active Lives 2020/21 report The latest Active Lives Adult Survey published this week covers the period between November 2020 and November 2021. Activity Alliance responds to the latest Survey, calling for proactive and meaningful changes for disabled people. Read our …

Welcome to the latest edition of the Get Yourself Active newsletter, from Disability Rights UK. This is our round up of what the Get Yourself Active team and our partners have been up to during the month of April, and what to look forward to in May. Along with some opportunities, news and insight …

The Motability Scheme’s face-to-face events are back for 2022 with the return of The Big Event and the regional One Big Days. These events are the perfect way for visitors to find out everything they need to know about the Scheme, see the latest range of products available and have their questions …

Halifax Wheelchair Rugby League carried on their unbeaten run against North Wales Crusaders on 25 April, coming out as 86 to 52 winners, despite having a slightly reduced playing squad. The win leaves them Top of super league as both their nearest rivals , Leeds and Wigan drew against each other. …

The Naidex exhibition is an event for independent living and supporting the disabled community, showcasing wide-ranging solutions to improve mobility and accessibility, the latest innovations and tech, and explores the future of digital and physical accessibility. Naidex is for everyone. The event …

New campaign to challenge negative attitudes towards disabled children Activity Alliance is calling time on negative perceptions through our campaign, ‘Who says?’. The leading voice for disabled people in sport and activity wants disabled children and young people to have the same opportunities to …

The Cabinet Office’s Disability Unit is seeking 3 new Disability and Access Ambassadors to replace ambassadors who have come to the end of their tenure. There are currently 19 ambassadors who use their influential status as leaders in their sectors to drive improvements to the accessibility and …

Halifax Bus Station is being redeveloped in order to provide improved facilities and higher levels of comfort. The latest temporary re-arrangement of services at the site of the bus station and in Halifax centre was in late February 2022. There is now an easy read leaflet that helps explain the …

Calderdale Community Squash will be hosting another mixed ability open day at the Old Crossleyans club on the 27th of April. Details are in the flyer below and there’s also a video from the last one below (if you’re a Facebook user). …

Accessible Calderdale Disability Access Forum Are you interested in the countryside and getting around on accessible transport? Do you like to meet others with the same interests and get out and about with others? Accessible Calderdale are looking for new people to join their forum! The group meets …

Changing Places, who provide accessible toilet facilities have received a big funding boost. £23.5m worth of funding has been allocated across 191 councils and that will see 513 new Changing Places toilets installed across England, meaning toilet accessibility for those who need Changing Places …

This is a Government bill to: recognise British Sign Language (BSL) as a language of England, Wales and Scotland require reporting on the use of BSL by government departments require guidance to be issued in relation to BSL The explanatory notes: explain what each part of the bill will mean in …

What if you can’t make voice calls but need the emergency services? If you can’t make voice calls, there’s an emergency SMS service. Send a text to 999. This works on all mobiles in the UK, but not abroad. They also need to go through the registration process with any NEW phone they get. Here’s how …

Welcome to the latest edition of the Get Yourself Active newsletter, published by Disability Rights UK. This is our round up of what the Get Yourself Active team and our partners have been up to during the month of February, and what to look forward to in March. Along with some opportunities, news …

With over 345,000 electric vehicles (EVs) and in excess of 650,000 plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) on UK roads at the end of October 2021, it’s fair to say the nation is adopting the transition towards a cleaner means of travel. But how accurately does this represent the relationship between EVs and those …

Welcome to February’s newsletter. This edition features new activity cards, UK CMOs’ disabled children’s activity guidelines and a new research project. New activity cards deliver inclusive, challenging, and fun PE sessions Activity Alliance and partners release series of …

Halifax Bus Station is being redeveloped in order to provide improved facilities and higher levels of comfort. Below is a guide to help you identify where your bus will depart of arrive during the third phase of the building work, starting from 27 February 2022. First there is a guide to bus …

Five well-known disabled people, including The Last Leg presenter Alex Brooker, Googlebox star Simon Minty and Disability Horizons’ Co-founder Martyn Sibley, talk openly about their mental health experiences for the new wellbeing platform Spokz People. Visit this Disability Horizons’ …

UK’s Chief Medical Officers have published the first ever guidelines on physical activity for disabled children and young people. Published: 16 February 2022 New guidelines to support disabled children and young people to be more active Guidelines advise 20 minutes of exercise per day and …

Here’s a new report from the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers on Delivery Services: We want to say a big thank you for completing our recent survey in conjunction with Which? to research the accessibility of parcel delivery services. We sent a survey to the RiDC panel to understand …

As part of the Shift! EV accessibility project which Disabled Motoring UK is involved with, two new accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging bays will be installed in Brighton and Hove. Working with the city’s EV Charging Operator, EB Charging and ourselves, the bays will be installed at …

In 2020 Shaping our Lives was successful in securing funding from the National Lottery Community Fund to develop a national inclusive involvement movement. From that they commissioned research and produced the following report: Tickboxes and Tokenism? Service User Involvement Report 2022 Read Full …

Services at Halifax Bus Station are set to change from later this month (February) as work progresses on a new £17.7 million state-of-the-art facility delivered by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority in partnership with Calderdale Council. From Sunday 27 February, the station entrance, travel …

Time Out Calderdale and Curious Motion come to the Orange Box in Halifax to introduce you to dance through fun sequences and activities with time to create your own ideas and find out how you like to move.   This workshop is aimed at young people and it is designed to be accessible to all …

Mental health services failing Disabled children New research from the office of the Children’s Commissioner shows the number of children experiencing mental distress has increased sharply since 2017. The research also says over a third of children referred to mental health services are still …

This is the report (Read Full Report Here) from the most recent Accessibility Workshop, looking at the development of the new Halifax Bus Station. The purpose of the workshop was to update accessibility groups in the Halifax area on the progress of the construction of the new bus station in the …

New Countryside Code guidance has been released for farmers and land managers. The guidance says that they must ensure their land can be easily reached by ‘visitors with different abilities and needs’ – effectively, asking them to replace stiles and kissing gates with accessible access …

9 accessible Valentine’s Day gift ideas Get ready for Valentine’s Day with these 9 accessible gifts, selected by the online magazine, Disability Horizons. They include luxury wheelchair gloves and our unique T-shirt designs. Plus, don’t forget to check out their relationships and …

Scope has free places available on the next Starting Line Employment Programme which is due to start on the 22ndof February. Here’s what they’ve got to say about the course: Starting Line is a free seven-week pre-employment group support course, delivered by Scope. The course consists …

Below you’ll find the latest newsletter from Halifax Society for the Blind, downloadable in three formats. Here’s their intro, which gives you a good idea of what’s inside: We hope this newsletter finds you well. It seems like there’s lots of water under the bridge since our …

Disabled people urged to back campaign on social care charges Disability Rights UK is urging campaigners and disability organisations  to back parliamentary efforts to scrap social care charges for working age Disabled people. The issue was raised this week in the House of Lords as …

National Disability Strategy declared unlawful The High Court has declared that the Government’s National Disability Strategy is unlawful due to inadequate consultation with Disabled people. Disability activists Miriam Binder, Jean Eveleigh, Doug Paulley and Vicki Hon brought the case against the …

Family Voice Calderdale response to the Calderdale Council Post 16 Transport Policy 2022-2023 Consultation. Executive Summary Family Voice Calderdale is a project of Unique Ways, a small local charity that supports families with disabled children across Calderdale. Family Voice Calderdale is the …

One of Calderdale’s Social Prescribing Link Workers from the Lower Valley, Ella Fairbrother recently went to meet Katherine Bland, Visual Impairment Team and Michelle Gerrard, Hearing Impairment Team at The Glenholme Re-source Centre, Elland where they are currently based. Ella wanted to know …

If you encounter obstructions on pavements in Calderdale and wish to report them, these are your options: Vehicles Obstructions caused by parked vehicles should be reported to the police on their non-emergency number by telephoning 101. Calderdale Council do not have the power to move parked …

9 winter warmers to help you deal with the cold if you have a disability: Many disabled people find cold temperatures a struggle due to lack of mobility or poor circulation. Disability and lifestyle blogger Gemma Orton, who lives with spinal muscular atrophy, shares her winter warmers to help you …

Grant Logan is a disabled entrepreneur whose goal is to connect disabled people and equip them with information and skills. Having become disabled after a bike accident, he discovered how scarce knowledge and advice was in the disability world and set about improving it. He now runs Ability Today, …

New report from Relationships Foundation and 20/20health calls for a ‘flexi-schooling’ approach for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) A new jointly published report argues that a shift in priorities within education is needed to support a rising parental …

News Disabled boy becomes youngest ever recipient in New Year Honours A Disabled boy who has cerebral palsy and autism is to become the youngest person to receive the British Empire Medal (BEM). Tobias Weller has been given the award in recognition of his fundraising efforts during lockdown. He has …

This is the latest information about the government’s Disability and Access Ambassadors programme, managed by the Disability Unit. Disability and Access Ambassadors are senior business leaders. They encourage improvements in the accessibility and quality of services and facilities in their …

A message from our CEO: building a movement for change 2021 has been an extremely difficult year for many Disabled people. Our lives have continued to be dominated by COVID and its devastating consequences. We are acutely conscious of the high number of deaths of Disabled people, the risk that …

This is a newly published report, taken from the Government’s own website. UK’s initial report on the rights of disabled people under the requirements of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its responses to periodic reviews. From the UK Government’s …

This is the government’s latest response to the recommendations made by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2016. It covers both 2020 and 2021. UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2016 inquiry – UK 2021 follow-up report – HTML UN Committee on the …

This is the latest information from the Metro website as of 10 December 2021. It gives details of which bus routes are currently affected by the building work at Halifax Bus Station. For these routes, it lists the current (temporary) location where the bus route is now starting from. Halifax Bus …

Here’s the latest newsletter from Calderdale Heritage Walks, which includes all their upcoming walks, some of which are WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE After all of the Covid related problems over the past 2 years and following on from a partial summer programme, we are able to offer a complete winter …

BBC and Sky find over 100 disabled people held in specialist hospitals for at least 20 years The BBC and Sky News have discovered that more than 100 people with learning disabilities and autism have been held in specialist hospitals and assessment and treatment units for over 20 years. The figures …

Welcome to your December Newsletter Welcome to the latest edition of the Get Yourself Active newsletter. This is our round up of what the Get Yourself Active team and our partners have been up to during the month of November, and what to look forward to in December. Along with some opportunities, …

Check out our Christmas articles… It’s now December and officially time to start celebrating all things Christmas. Our writer and editor, Emma Purcell, has just shared 10 Christmas memories growing up with a disability, but we have many more Christmas stories too, including tips for …

A warm welcome to your final newsletter of 2021. Full of all the latest updates and heart-warming stories from Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. As we round up the year, we are really excited to tell you about some ground-breaking research carried out by the University of York. This research found that …