Keep up to date with the latest news and contributions from Forum members and guests!

The Forum is made up of a wide range of people with different disabilities and experiences and we want our blog to reflect that. As such, you might hear from someone with a visual impairment in one post and someone with epilepsy in another.

If you have an idea for a blog post, get in touch! See our blog submission guidelines for more information.

Don’t forget to check out our “Subgroups” tab to see what our subgroups are doing.


A sign painted on a concrete wall reads 'everyone is welcome'

Upcoming Events!

There’s some exciting things coming up! Book through the eventbrite links, or email hello@ydrf.org.uk. York Disability Week is 27th November to 4th December and the programme will be out soon so keep your eyes open for that! How…

Pippa at her desk, headphones on, writing in front of her laptop

Working with a disability

We have another guest blog from the lovely Pippa, this time she’s talking about working with a disability; the challenges and the rewards. She’s also part of a team which are running an online career networking event especially…

York Tandem Club outside the Minster

York’s Walking Group for Ambulatory Disabled People

Ambulatory is a bit of a mouthful but it just means you can get around on foot. Open Country is a Yorkshire-based charity with over 30 years of experience in enabling disabled people to access and enjoy the…

Disabled parking bay

Get in touch with your local councillor about the footstreets

City of York Council have yet another survey out about the footstreets extensions. We fully appreciate that it’s exhausting responding again and again, especially when the topic hasn’t really changed. However another way of having your thoughts raised…

a glass jar on it's side with pennies spilling out

What does the £20 cut in Universal Credit mean in York?

If you’ve been paying attention to the news, or recieve Universal Credit, you are probably aware that the £20 increase in Universal Credit is being cut. If not, we’ve got a quick summary: In March 2020, as the…

Hand holding a fragment of paper out in front of them that reads Share Love Not Hate

Hate Crime Awareness Project

National Hate Crime Awareness Week runs from 9th to 16th October with the purpose of raising awareness of Hate Crime. York Disability Rights Forum has taken this opportunity to raise awareness of Disability Hate Crime. We formed a…

A Blue Badge clock dial

Footstreets: The reasons

The footstreet issue has dominated our activity for the last 17 months and, as we’ve had the same conversations repeatedly, we thought it’d be good to set out clearly the reasons the council has put forward for making…

Being a good ally is an active process

Being a good ally to any community is an ongoing process. It requires being open-minded, reflecting and learning from that. Even as disabled people, we need to work at being a good ally. How to be a good…

Hand holding a fragment of paper out in front of them that reads Share Love Not Hate

Join us to talk about disability hate crime

Disability hate crime is on the increase As part of Hate Crime Week, join us to find out more about disability hate crime, including how to report it and how you can be an ally to anyone experiencing…

York Minster on a sunny day

Shopmobility and Dial & Ride

Edited to update: Dial & Ride do run to the city centre, the information we used for this post was based on their website at time of writing. Whilst Shopmobility and Dial & Ride are great services which…

Privilege Wheel

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 sits in a manual wheelchair, smiling

September is Pain Awareness Month

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…

A person on a trike is crossing Millenium Bridge

Sign up for a disabled cycle ride – 17th October

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…

View of York city centre from a distance, York Minster is visible in the background

When two ideals collide

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…

View of York city centre from a distance, York Minster is visible in the background

York’s Blue Badge battle

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…

A row of books on a shelf, all on the topic of disability

Disability on the page

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…

York Minster on a sunny day

Introducing The York Access Hub

Please note, since the publication of this blog post, some of the links are no longer valid. Bill has recently set up York Access Hub and is here to tell us a bit more about it: “I’ve been…

University and Chronic Illness book cover

Chronically ill? Starting college or uni soon? Read on!

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…

An empty Blue Badge parking space shows the yellow wheelchair icon associated with disability

Support our Formal Objection to Footstreet Proposals

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…

A Blue Badge clock dial

Objecting to the Footstreet Extensions

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,…

A Blue Badge clock dial

Amendments to ‘Ensuring Access for All’

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…

Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita Awareness Day June 30 handwritten on a blue background with a blue heart

Wear Blue for Arthrogryposis

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…

Woman facing a chalkboard that reads Trust Yourself

Being part of the steering group

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…

Speak Up Diversity logo

York to Become an Anti-Racist and Inclusive City

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…

Lydia is smiling at the camera

Meet: Lydia

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…

YDRF logo

Behind the scenes of the Steering Group

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…

Mental Health Awarness Week Logo

Mental Health Awareness Week

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…

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