Get out and about for the Big Day Out

As part of Contact a Family's 30th birthday celebrations, we are holding a Big Day Out event throughout the month of August to encourage families with disabled children to get out and about and enjoy play and leisure together. Claire Pimm, Contact a Family’s Director of Policy and...   Read more...

Attitudes towards disability shocking say UK families with disabled children

Families with disabled children in the UK feel stigmatised and shut out from society, according to new research published today by Contact a Family. Contact a Family surveyed 615 families with disabled children about their experiences of living in the UK, asking what makes you stronger...   Read more...

Recognising fathers

The Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities has published a national survey of fathers who have children with learning disabilities. The report argues that current policies and practices often fail to acknowledge or support fathers in their roles as carers. The findings have...   Read more...

Whizzkids leads new All-Party Parliamentary Group for Paediatric Mobility

A new All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Paediatric Mobility has been established and will be chaired by Tony Wright, the Labour MP for Great Yarmouth. The APPG is sponsored by the children’s charity Whizz-Kidz and hopes to improve services for children and young people who use...   Read more...

Is your local authority ready to deliver improved short breaks?

The Every Disabled Child Matters (EDCM) campaign group, of which Contact a Family is a founding member, needs your help. EDCM wants to make sure every local authority in England is ready to deliver improved short breaks for disabled children and their families, announced in Aiming High for...   Read more...

Ask your MP to support the Autism Bill

The Autism Bill is a set of proposals to introduce a law to support people with autism. It is due to be voted on in Parliament on Friday 27th February and is backed by the National Autistic Society and 13 other autism organisations. The Bill will improve inter-agency working for effective...   Read more...

New podcast on TAR Syndrome (Thrombocytopenia and Absent Radius)

This podcast is a father’s experience of having a child with TAR Syndrome. In Thrombocytopenia and Absent Radius there are low platelets and absence of the radius on both sides (bilaterally). The radius and the ulna are the two bones in the forearm. The radius is the bone that is on the side...   Read more...

New podcast on Sturge-Weber syndrome

This podcast is a mother’s experience of having a child with Sturge-Weber Syndrome. Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) is a congenital disorder involving the brain, skin and eyes. There is a facial birth mark (port wine stain), a layer of blood vessels over the covering of the brain (venous...   Read more...

OpenBritain - new information resource for travellers with access needs

Tourism for All UK, RADAR, and the National Federation of ShopMobility have teamed up with national tourism bodies to create a new definitive guide book and web site for people with disabilities and access requirements. Tourism partners include Visit Britain, Visit Wales, Visit Scotland,...   Read more...

ACT launches free Family Companion for parents

ACT, the association for children’s palliative care, has launched a new publication to help families and carers of children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions understand what will happen following their child’s diagnosis ‘A Family Companion to the ACT...   Read more...

Housing Matters! – new film and report

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) has been investigating how substandard accommodation affects families with disabled children. Housing Matters is a film that explores the issues disabled children and their families face in finding suitable accommodation. The film is based on *Housing...   Read more...

New website for Every Child Matters

The Department for Children, Schools and Families has re-developed the Every Child Matters (ECM) website. The new site incorporates three former sites: Every Child Matters, Local Authorities and Sure Start. It is aimed to be a single channel for information aimed at professionals within the...   Read more...

'Relationships Matter' Research

The Department for Children, Schools and Families have commissioned a new research project called ‘Relationships Matter’. The research is being conducted by a team based at Newcastle University and the Family and Parenting Institute. The aim of the research is to provide an in-depth...   Read more...

Giving children and young people a right to appeal statements of special educational needs

The government have are currently running a consultation on giving children and young people a right to appeal decisions on exclusions, SEN statements and assessments, and to make disability discrimination claims in England. They are seeking the views of children and young people, parents,...   Read more...