The UK Children's Commissioners' Report
to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
Click on the picture above to view the report
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United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
* UK signed on 30th March 2007 *
* The Convention came into force on 3rd May 2008 following the 20th state ratifying it on 3rd April 2008 *
* UK aim to ratify by the end of 2008 *
Further information about the Convention is avaiable on the UN Enable website at
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Disability Now is an online campaigning newspaper for those with an interest in disability; it includes news and features on disability issues.
The following features may be of interest; please click the corresponding link to view each article.
Current issues....
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Supermarkets fining for abuse of disabled parking spaces
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Independent Living Bill
click here
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Petition to make the front door of 10 Downing Street wheelchair accessible
click here
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Many more news items can be accessed by visiting the Disability Now website at:
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Funky Dragon
What is it?
Funky Dragon is the Children and Young People’s Assembly for Wales. It is a peer led organisation that ensures that young peoples views are heard on issues that affect them. They have a number of special interest groups, including long-term health illness and disability.
How does it work?
The opportunity to participate and be listened to is a fundamental right under the United Nations Convention Rights of the Child. Funky Dragon provides opportunities for young people to participate in decision-making at national level.
Funky Newsletter
Funky Dragon also produces a monthly newsletter, which is full of information about current issues of interest to young people, campaigns, and information about Funky Dragon.
If you would like to receive the newsletter, please email kelly@funkydragon.org and ask to be added to their mailing list.
For lots more information about Funky Dragon, please visit
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UK Youth Parliament
What is it?
The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) is run by young people for young people, and gives young people aged between 11 and 18 a voice on issues that affect them.
UKYP partners with Funky Dragon in Wales to ensure that the voices of all young people in the UK are represented at a national level.
How does it work?
The UKYP holds annual elections throughout the UK, in which any young person aged 11 to 18 can stand or vote. Elected MYPs then work in conjunction with their MPs, councillors, and peer group members on issues that concern people in their constituencies.
‘Debateable’ magazine
‘Debateable' is the UK Youth Parliament magazine
Current issues concerning the UKYP include:
Votes at 16, School Leaving Age, Transport Concessions.
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For more information about UKYP, please visit:
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The National Autistic Society champion the rights and interests of all people with autism, and produce 150 publications on autism and Asperger syndrome, which are available via their website. The National Autistic Society’s website, www.autism.org.uk, includes information about autism and asperger syndrome, the NAS and its services and activities, from which many useful factsheets can also be downloaded.
The National Autistic Society also has an online directory of autism services called PARIS (Public Autism Resource and Information Service), which can be accessed at www.info.autism.org.uk
Membership of the National Autistic Society provides many benefits including their quarterly magazine, entitled ‘Communication’, discount on publications and conferences, and a parent guide. The National Autistic Society also has a network of branches where parents meet for support.
To join the National Autistic Society or for further information about their services, please visit the website at www.autism.org.uk or call the Autism Helpline on 0845 070 4004, or email: autismhelpline@nas.org.uk
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NAS CAMPAIGNS...
The National Autistic Society has launched a new campaign to raise awareness and understanding of autism. think differently about autism will encourage the public to see the world from the point of view of people affected by autism. Without the right support, autism can have a profound and sometimes devastating effect on individuals and their families.
To find out more about the campaign and how to get involved, visit www.think-differently.org.uk, where you can join the campaign, test your knowledge of autism, read autism diaries and insights into autism. Alternatively, you can find out more by emailing thinkdifferently@nas.org.uk or calling the NAS campaign line on 020 7923 5788.
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View the think differently - act positively report into public attitudes to autism, which demonstrates that whilst many people claim to have heard of autism there is a lack of understanding about what it really means to live with the condition.
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www.think-differently.org.uk
»»» Click here to test your knowledge of autism «««
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Disabled Children Matter Wales......
Progress so far includes:
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an additional £1.54 million for short breaks in 2008-09
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developments on planning regulations for "Changing Places" toilet facilities for new and public commercial buildings
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a review of wheelchair services and
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an extra £1.2million over three years for Early Support
Disabled Children Matter Wales is a campaign to make sure that disabled children, young people and their families get the rights that they deserve. Disabled Children Matter Wales is your opportunity to put pressure on the people who make the decisions in Wales.
The Disabled Children Matter Wales campaign was launched at the National Assembly for Wales Senedd Building on the 25th of September 2007. The campaign's first target is to get Ministers to confirm that an additional £21 million coming to Wales, as a result of the Westminster government's Aiming High for Disabled Children review, is allocated to disabled children.
Disabled Children Matter Wales is a campaign led by four organisations working with disabled children and their families in Wales: Learning Disability Wales, Children In Wales, Mencap Cymru and Contact a Family Wales.
Disabled Children Matter Wales wants disabled children and their families to have:
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The right information at the right time
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A real choice of quality education
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The health services they need to lead an ordinary life
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Full access to play and leisure activities
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A real say in planning the services they receive
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Full access to community facilities
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Enough money to live on
Disabled Children Matter Wales is needed because initiatives such as the Children's National Service Framework, which was designed to benefit all children, have had little impact on the lives of disabled children and their families. The campaign aims to make sure that families with disabled children have the right to the services and support they need to lead ordinary lives.
Keith Bowen, Manager of Disabled Children Matter Wales comments: 'Disabled children have been left out for too long and families face a constant battle to get the support they need. This is confirmed in a new Welsh Assembly Government report on children's services, which reveals that services for disabled children are consistently the weakest area of service delivery across Wales. This has to change.'
'That is why Disabled Children Matter Wales is pressing the Welsh Assembly Government to deliver on its promises to improve services for disabled children by securing the significant additional resources that are coming to Wales as part of this year's Comprehensive Spending Review to improve services for disabled children and their families.'
Aiming High for Disabled Children resulted in additional funding of £340 million for disabled children's services in England during the period 2008-11. As a consequence, under the devolution 'Barnett formula', the Welsh Assembly Government will receive an additional £21 million from HM Treasury during the same period. However, this money is unrestricted and Welsh Ministers have total freedom in how it is used. Disabled Children Matter Wales is urging Ministers to show that disabled children in Wales matter as much as in England by making a public commitment that this new money will be spent on disabled children in Wales.
Through the Disabled Children Matter Wales campaign website: www.dcmw.org.uk, disabled young people and their parents, carers and families can find out more information about the campaign, sign up to the campaign and email their local AM and local lead councillor for children.
   
Disabled Children Matter Wales is working closely with Every Disabled Child Matters, a UK wide campaign focusing on Whitehall and Westminster, which worked on the Aiming High for Disabled Children review. For more information about the Every disabled Child Matters campaign, please visit: www.edcm.org.uk/aiminghigh
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Contact a Family press releases & campaigns...
- this features a list of recent press releases on a range of issues of interest to those involved with disabled children.
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- Contact a Family are running this three year campaign, which is funded by the True Colours Trust, to encourage parents to claim the benefits, tax credits and other concessions that they are entitled to.
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Equality and Human Rights Commission
What is it?
The Disability Rights Commission, the Commission for Racial Equality and the Equal Opportunities Commission have now merged into one new commission, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which was launched on 1st October 2007.
How can they help?
The Equality and Human Rights Commission advise on human rights as well as on discrimination relating to disability, gender, race, sexual orientation, religious belief and age.
What information is on their website?
The website includes answers to frequently asked questions about discrimination, information about your rights, and relevant publications.
Below are some useful links to the Commission's website:
How to I contact them?
Please click here for details of how to contact the Commission should the information you are seeking not be available on their website.
Wales Helpline
The Equality and Human Rights Commission's Wales Helpline can be contacted by employers, service providers and individuals for advice and information on promoting equality and human rights. The Helpline's contact details are as follows:
Telephone: 0845 604 8810
Textphone: 0845 604 8820
Fax: 0845 604 8830
(Open 9.00am - 5.00pm Monday to Friday)
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