People with learning disabilities are trying to raise awareness of their condition by brewing beer. Spotlight Brewing has been set up in an outbuilding at a residential care home in Snaith, near Goole, East Yorkshire. As well as providing work experience for the residents, the company has named its range of beers after different disabilities.
Charities training support dogs for children with autism are calling for more regulation after figures revealed a quadrupling in requests for help. The charities collectively recorded 3,795 inquiries in 2017 - compared with 946 in 2012. They said demand for the free dogs meant longer waiting lists for desperate families who may instead turn to unaccredited paid-for alternatives. The government said it wanted to create a UK standard. Assistance dogs are trained to provide companionship and help children with autism remain safe and calm and in busy situations.
Northern Rail has apologised after a passenger who is disabled was told she could not travel with her mobility scooter despite being sold a ticket. The 31-year-old, who has autism and the debilitating Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, filmed her experience on board a train on her way to a wedding on Thursday.
A 10-year-old disabled boy was made to prove he had a disability when an airline's administrative error put his flight in jeopardy, says his mother.
The Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Bill is being debated again in Parliament. If it becomes law, it will make a big difference - but there is still work to do. Good mental health hospitals can save lives and help young people to recover and manage their conditions. But at the moment, far too many young people are being restrained or put in seclusion, in a way that can be traumatic and, in some cases, lead to serious injury or even death. This urgently needs to change.
Universities are being told to "dramatically improve" support for students with mental health issues. The government is announcing it will award a certificate of excellence to institutions which meet new standards of mental health care. It also wants universities to give students an opt-in service for vice chancellors to contact parents. This would mean if students find themselves in a mental health crisis their relatives can be alerted.
