DISABLED CAMPAIGNERS TAKE TO THE STREETS

30-03-2009

Disability campaigners who claim they’ve been snubbed by Birmingham Council are planning a protest today in the city centre.

Members of the Disabled People’s Network are taking action to highlight the lack of housing adaptations.

They also say the local authority has failed in its obligation to provide direct payments to disabled people so that they can hire their own care assistants.

A DAN spokesperson commented: "Birmingham City Council seems to think it's acceptable to treat disabled people like second class citizens.

“Disabled people are waiting years for essential housing adaptations - if they are lucky enough to even have a roof over their heads.

“Homeless disabled people can be seen throughout the city, a disgraceful situation made worse by the council's reluctance to make sure housing associations build sufficient numbers of fully accessible houses disabled people could proudly call their own DAN’s claims were rejected by a Council spokeswoman who said they’d had no recent requests for a meeting from the organisation’s leading light Tom Comerford.

They said they were ahead of their own and the government’s targets for adapting properties, and are working towards individual budgets.

More on this story later.