Disability news roundup: assistance dogs and an electric elf

If the Ouch! article of old, won't you guide my sleigh tonight is to be believed, Santa's official alternative sleigh pullers are assistance dogs. These canine Christmas helpers have been dominating the disability news over the past seven days, presumably in order to raise their profile ahead of next weekend's big event.

Ramping up the pre-Christmas Disability cute factor is the BBC Hampshire story about Hounds for Heroes, a new organisation which has just started training six assistance dogs especially for injured soldiers.

Then there's the Mirror article on deaf-blind student Molly Watt. The special school Molly attends has banned her guide dog Unis from its dining room and assembly hall. Molly is unhappy with the decision, which is due to another student's allergy to the black Labrador.

And late last Sunday evening, Joanna Jones, faced an extra night in England, after easyJet refused her access to a flight from Gatwick to Belfast with her guide dog Orla. The airline required written proof of Orla's working dog status, something Joanna says that she has never had to produce in 12 years of making that same journey. On receipt of a confirmation email from the charity Guide Dogs, easyJet flew both passengers home the following morning, at no extra cost.

Elsewhere in the news:

Blind man dies in city-centre Metrolink tram collision horror

A wheelchair user is one of the Wallington 'elf-nappers' hunted over garden centre theft (BBC News)

Social care reform: Fears over funding plan (BBC News)

Welfare reform may see families lose homes (Joe Public blog, The Guardian)

Welfare reform testing NI's 'parity principle' (BBC News)

Dementia care: Hospitals 'must make improvements' (BBC News)

Learning disability units found lacking in wake of Winterbourne View scandal (The Guardian)

Gay marriage improves mental health (BBC News)

Abortion 'does not raise' mental health risk (BBC News)

Assisted suicide: General Medical Council to publish guidance (BBC News)

Mental health needs preventative care and early intervention (The Guardian)

How can rising suicide rates be reversed in the face of cuts to mental health services? (The Guardian)

Why we need to care for the carers (Joe Public blog, The Guardian)

Boy, 6, 'cured' of epilepsy after going from 45 seizures a day to none thanks to pioneering surgery (Mail Online)

A Teenage girl's account of living with ME (BBC News)

The singer who finds freedom from Tourette's (BBC News)

Combining the Paralympics and Olympics would be a disaster. Here's why... (Comment is free, The Guardian)

London Olympic hopefuls: Judith Hamer (Guardian Sport)

DR Congo election: Deaf anger at ban on texting (BBC News)

Guernsey has 'a lot more barriers' for disabled people (BBC News)

Disabled people finally given a voice on HIV and Aids (The Guardian)

Global development voices: Living with disabilities (The Guardian)