Image: Diagram labelled ‘Wheel of Power/Privilege’ showing the different degrees to which a person can be marginalised or have power over others in society based on their characteristics. In the centre is the word “power”, and on the…

Helen has a condition which causes chronic pain, as well as periods of severe acute pain and is here to tell us about Pain Awareness Month. Before we get any further, if someone tells you they are in…

One of our members, Jamie, tells us about cycling as a disabled person and an upcoming event in York: I’ve been an everyday cyclist in York – simply because it’s the fastest and most convenient way of getting…

We’re pleased to welcome volunteers Olivia and Kirsty to York Disability Rights Forum! Olivia has recently graduated with a degree in Criminology at Anglia Ruskin University and is aiming to do an MA in International Criminology in autumn…

On 28th August, a letter appeared in York Press from Councillor Andy D’Agorne making a statement on ‘York’s Blue Badge battle’. York Disability Rights Forum would make like it very clear, we do not want a battle, we…

Helen loves reading and disability activism, and enjoys reading about other people’s experiences of disability. Today she takes us on a quick tour of her bookshelves: The War on Disabled People by Ellen Clifford offers a comprehensive look…

Yes, once again, we have presented a statement to the council on city centre footstreets… Despite it being over a year since we first spoke at a council meeting on this very topic… On this particular occasion, it…

Bill has recently set up York Access Hub and is here to tell us a bit more about it: “I’ve been disabled with ME for the last fifteen years, after a long army career and working in various…

It’s that time of year when many young people are getting exam results and thinking about their future. But what if you’re disabled or chronically ill? York’s very own Pippa Stacey is here to tell you more about…

Objections to the footstreet proposals must reach City of York Council by 6th August. To make this easier for individuals, we provided templates and have recently reached out to other organisations in the city for their support. We…

On 22nd June, the Executive Member for Transport (Councillor D’Agorne) made the decision to publicise the proposals to make the current footstreet arrangements permanent. We spoke against the decision and are continuing to raise our objections. Since then,…

For background to this motion, please see our recent blog ‘Statement Presented to the Council: Ensuring Access for All’. We were disappointed that Cllr D’Agorne’s amendments were passed and as a result of those amendments, the motion itself…

On Thursday 15th July, York Labour took a motion to a full council meeting (agenda item 8) that seeks to make the city centre fully accessible. The motion passed but with significant ammendments and we will be posting…

We have a guest blog from Councillor (Cllr) Katie Lomas who was one of two councillors who faced discrimination at Full Council on 15th July 2021. We would like to take this opportunity to say that we have…

30th June is Arthrogryposis Awareness Day and Abi, one of the Steering Group members, tells us more about this mouthful of a word: Your first question is probably how do I say that? Followed closely by what is…

Lydia tells us more about being part of the Steering Group: In my introduction blog, I commented that I have been able to grow and develop various skills during my time on the YDRF Steering Group, including giving…

Today we spoke at a meeting of the Decision Session for the Executive Member for Transport, City of York Council, on the future of the extended footstreets, or the pedestrianised areas of York city centre. Below is the…

For today’s blog, we turn to Haddy from Speak Up Diversity. Haddy is the Founder and Directory of the organisation which is working to end the systemic and institutional racist policies that disproportionately affects people of colour. Speak…

We thought you’d really want to know about some upcoming workshops from City of York Council. They are running a series of workshops about city centre access including cycles as mobility aids, accessible routes through our city and…

In this post, we chat with Lydia to find out a bit more about her as well as why she joined the Forum’s Steering Group. Her love of York and supporting others is clear and we are lucky…

Raising awareness and visibility of disability wherever we go! When people talk of the York Disability Rights Forum Steering Group, it can feel a bit abstract or distant. So, who are we and what do we do? Who…

Lydia, one of the Steering Group members, tells us a bit about her experiences and what she wants more people to know about mental health: Firstly, it’s important to note that not everyone who experiences mental health issues…

Something fantastic for the people of York is in the planning stages. A mini-golf course next to the central library where you can play and learn about York’s history! We’re delighted to discover that the whole course would…

Freedom! Independence! Being able to leave the house!  These are all things that most people take for granted, but if you have a disability that affects your mobility, they often become treasured.  Until I got my wheelchair, leaving…

The City of York Council Licensing and Regulatory Committee met on 26th April. On the agenda (item 6) was a report about businesses reopening with pavement cafés which stated there were no equality implications surrounding this. We strongly…

On the 6th May you can vote for the next Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) for North Yorkshire. We asked all four of the candidates to give us a statement on how they plan to address the…

We invited Make it York and City of York Council to tell us about the outside seating that’s being introduced as part of the plans to reopen the city. Here you can find out about the ways that…

Spring is arriving and we’re starting to think about how nice it’d be to go for a wander in nature. We’ve asked around and discovered your favourite accessible walks! Let us know if the comments if we’ve missed…

Elki lives in York and relies on using her Blue Badge to be able to park near enough to the places she needs and wants to go. In this Member’s Voice post, Elki writes about what she sees…

We have been made aware that people applying for, and renewing, Blue Badges have been asked to attend face to face assessments. This is clearly concerning during a global pandemic when many people have still not recieved a…

TLDR: The treatment of people on legacy benefits is yet one more case where disabled people have been left behind and forgotten about during (and before) the pandemic. Here Helen talks about why the £20 uplift to Universal…

Concerns about disabled access into and around York city centre are growing as the city thinks about ‘opening up’ and the removal of Blue Badge access remains in place. Added to this now are concerns around the accessibility…