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…

On Easter Monday, 5th April, a few of us are getting together for a friendly chat on Zoom, where we’ll be disabled people from York, talking to other disabled people from York. That’s it! We’re happy to answer…

In this post Helen talks to Marilyn to find out a bit more about her as well as York Human Rights City Network. Marilyn is a member of the Forum Steering Group and brings so much energy and…

During the week 6th – 18th March York celebrates International Women’s Week with a full programme of events on this year’s theme ‘Women in a Time of Plague’. This year we’re pleased to be taking part in a…

We know dropped kerbs are a big issue and now is your chance to have a say on the issue.City of York Council are currently consulting on the process involved in applying for vehicle crossings which by extension…

When you rely on dropped kerbs to get around in York it can be so frustrating and even dangerous when your route is blocked by a vehicle parked across them. Thanks to some detective work by ‘Our Helen’…

Here is some information on getting a COVID-19 vaccination in York that might be useful for anyone feeling anxious or apprehensive about the process. Information is based on some individual experiences of people in York who have received…

In this post we talk to Bill Clayton to find out about The York ME Community and his views and experiences of life with ME. Bill is a member of the Forum Steering Group and is a vital…

People worry about using the wrong language or accidentally insulting someone by using the wrong terminology.  Whilst it’s obviously important to treat people with respect, it’s also ok to get it wrong now and then.  So long as…

In this post we talk to Eleanor to find out a bit more about her and her time with MySight York. She is a member of the Forum Steering Group and brings some valuable perspectives and experiences to…

This is the follow-up to a previous Member’s Voice post about one family’s experience of lockdown. We suggest going to read the post ‘Where Were We Then…?’ before this one to learn more about Ben and Anna. Here…

In this post we hear from Anna about the ups and downs she and her son Ben, who lives with learning disabilities, experienced during the first lockdown. A bit about Ben Ben’s passion for music and phenomenal music…

If you’re getting a new device or bit of tech to replace last year’s stuff then why not donate it to York’s IT Reuse Scheme and give it a new lease of life, along with the opportunity for…

Yesterday I watched the festive rom-com ‘Christmas Ever After’. Admittedly, I’m not a fan of romance films, not a fan of Christmas and certainly not a fan of the combination of the two! However, I had heard that…

This was our first time joining in with York Disability Week, and we’re so happy we did! There were lots of fantastic events available throughout the week, giving everyone in York the chance to come together to learn…

We held our first public meeting on 3rd December, also known as the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities! It was also part of York Disability Week which included some other great events. At the meeting, we…