Andy Burnham may present himself as a different type of political leader, but disabled people cannot afford to be carried along by another wave of hope without examining the policies behind it. His record in Greater Manchester suggests that he may be more willing than some politicians to engage with disabled people and organisations led […]
Andy Burnham as Prime Minister: Disabled People Need More Than a Change of Face
What Diversity Has Taught Me
⁷The recent controversy surrounding the anti-immigration mural in Moygashel has prompted much discussion across Northern Ireland. While people will hold different views on immigration and public policy, it has also made me reflect on my own experiences of diversity, inclusion and community over the years. As a disabled person and disability rights activist, I have […]
The Roads They Said Nobody Used
Dalradian wanting this road abandoned because they claim “no one used it in the past” says more about how little they understand this area than anything else. People here know these roads because generations of families lived around them, walked them, worked them, brought cattle along them and visited neighbours along them long before any […]
Living With Morquio Syndrome: And Still Moving Forward
Happy MPS Awareness Day Forgive the rather distressing-looking image, I promise it’s nowhere near as traumatic as it looks Living with Morquio syndrome comes with challenges many people will never fully see. There are hospital appointments, respiratory issues, fatigue, pain and accessibility barriers that can make everyday life far more difficult than people realise. Today […]
World Public Transport Day: Progress Matters - But We’re Not There Yet
For most people, public transport is simple. You leave the house, get on a bus or train, and go where you need to go. No second thought. No backup plan. No fear of being stranded. For disabled people, it’s rarely that simple. As a wheelchair user, I’ve learned that every journey comes with a question […]
When a Wheelchair User Boarding a Flight Becomes Fatal
There are moments that cut through everything. All the policies. All the promises. All the carefully crafted language about accessibility and inclusion. And what’s left is the truth of how disabled people are treated when it actually matters. A 24-year-old man, Hunter Adkins, died after falling from an aisle wheelchair while boarding a flight with […]
Known Failures. No Action. Disabled Children Pay the Price
Here’s your fully integrated blog, tightened, The cancellation of summer schemes at special schools is not just disappointing. It is a damning failure of government. The Education Authority Northern Ireland and the Department of Health Northern Ireland have both known for years that nurse-led provision in special schools is inadequate. Yet here we are, with […]
35 Years Ago: The Surgery That Shaped My Fight
Monday 25th March 1991. Thirty-five years ago, my life changed. I had major spinal surgery in the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore. At that age, I didn’t fully understand the scale of it, but I understood enough to know this wasn’t routine. My neck was unstable because of Morquio. One bad fall, one knock, […]
My Way Access Response to the Public Consultation on the Draft NI Executive Disability Strategy 2025–2035
This document is a working draft of the consultation response from My Way Access to the draft Northern Ireland Executive Disability Strategy 2025–2035. My Way Access was part of the original co-design process that helped shape the foundations of the Disability Strategy, and we are sharing this draft response to support wider discussion across the […]
Not Half a Person: Reflections on Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day can feel like a strange one when you’re single, especially as a disabled person. So much of what we see today is built around the idea that love looks one specific way. Fancy dinners. Big gestures. Perfect couples in perfect places. But for many disabled people, life doesn’t always fit into that neat […]