Information and Support from Action Line - Disability
If you are looking for advice about disability, here are a few pages to start you on your journey.
Disability General
Disability Rights UK works to create a society where everyone with lived experience of disability or health conditions can participate equally as full citizens.
Visit the Disability Rights UK website
The Disabilities Trust provides support for people with acquired brain injury, profound physical impairments, learning disabilities and for adults and children with autism; enabling them to live as independently as possible.
Visit the The Disabilities Trust website
Leonard Cheshire Disability offers a wide range of services for disables people including accommodation services, personalised care and support services, education and leisure services. A search facility is available to find services locally.
Visit the Leonard Cheshire Disability website
Scope works with disabled people, of all ages, and their families, across England and Wales, offering practical, everyday support.
Phone: 0808 800 3333
Information from the government:
England & Wales
Visit the UK Government website
Northern Ireland:
Visit the NI Direct Government Services website
Disability Information Scotland work with disabled people, their families, friends and carers, and the people who are employed within the sector.
Phone: 0300 323 9961
Visit Disability Information Scotland's website
AbilityNet supports people of any age, living with any disability or impairment to use technology to achieve their goals by providing specialist advice services, free information resources.
Phone: 0800 048 7462
Benefits, access to work and legal advice
Citizens Advice Service with information on benefits, employment and housing and help on debt, credit and legal issues.
Visit the Citizens Advice Service website
Disability Law Service provides information, free advice and assistance to those with disabilities and their carers including Disability Discrimination as it relates to Employment and Goods and Services, and Social Welfare Law as it relates to Community Care and Welfare Benefits.
Phone: 020 7791 9800
Visit the Disability Law Service website
Access to Work is a publicly funded employment support programme that aims to help more disabled people start or stay in work. It can provide practical and financial support if you have a disability or long term physical or mental health condition.
Visit the UK Government website
Benefits
Visit the UK Government website
Information from the NHS
Blindness
Guide Dogs provides mobility services to people of all ages who are blind or partially sighted and delivers services to children and young people with sight loss.
Phone 0800 781 1444
Visit the Guide Dogs website
The Macular Society offers support and information to anyone affected by macular conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, including a network of local groups.
Phone: 0300 3030 111
Visit the Macular Society website
Retina UK provides Information & Support services to people with Retinitis Pigmentosa and their families.
Phone 0300 111 4000
Visit the Retina UK website
Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) offers information, and practical support to people with sight loss including travel, shopping, finances and advice on technology.
Phone: 0303 123 9999
Visit the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) website
SeeAbility encourages people who are blind or partially sighted and have other multiple disabilities to achieve their full potential and enhance their quality of life.
Phone: 01372 755000
Visit the SeeAbility website
Osteogenesis Imperfecta (Brittle Bones)
The Brittle Bone Society is the national charity that supports individuals and families affected by Osteogenesis Imperfecta.
Visit the Brittle Bone Society website
Information from the NHS
Visit this website for more information from the NHS
Carers
Please visit the dedicated Information and Support page for Carers
Deafness
Action on Hearing Loss provide support for people with hearing loss and tinnitus, day-to-day care for people who are deaf and have additional needs, and offer practical advice to help people protect their hearing.
Phone: 0808 808 0123
Relay UK: Dial 18001 followed by 0808 808 0123
SMS (only) 0780 0000 360
Visit the Action on Hearing Loss website
British DeafAssociation provides free advice, services and signposting by email, phone, text/textphone, and in British Sign Language via facetime/Skype.
Visit the British Deaf Association website
Deafblind UK offers support and guidance to deafblind people, their carers, family, friends, and professionals working with people who have a loss of both hearing and sight.
Phone/Textphone:: 0800 132 320
Visit the Deafblind UK website
The National Deaf Children’s Society supports all deaf children and young people and offers advice and information to families on entitlements, education, health and technology for deaf children. A chat facility is available via the website.
Phone: 0808 800 8880
Text: 0786 00 22 888
Visit The National Deaf Children's Society website
Disability hate crime
Stop Hate UK provides independent and confidential support to people affected by hate crime, including confidential hate crime reporting services in various parts of the UK.
Visit the Stop Hate UK website
Disability Law Service provides information, free advice and assistance to those with disabilities and their carers including Disability Discrimination as it relates to Employment and Goods and Services, and Social Welfare Law as it relates to Community Care and Welfare Benefits.
Phone: 020 7791 9800
Visit the Disability Law Service website
Disability Rights UK works to create a society where everyone with lived experience of disability or health conditions can participate equally as full citizens.
Visit the Disability Rights UK website
Ann Craft Trust provides advice to anyone who has a query about the safeguarding of disabled children and vulnerable adults, parents, carers and family members.
Visit the Ann Craft Trust website
Leonard Cheshire Disability offers a wide range of services for disables people including accommodation services, personalised care and support services, education and leisure services. A search facility is available to find services locally.
Visit the Leonard Chesire website
Scope works with disabled people, of all ages, and their families, across England and Wales, offering practical, everyday support.
Phone: 0808 800 3333
Citizens Advice Service provides information on benefits, employment and housing and help on debt, credit and legal issues.
Visit the Citizens Advice website
Victim Support
Visit the BBC Action Line for victim support
Emotional Distress
Family
Contact provides advice and information on all aspects of caring for a disabled child, including education, benefits, health and social care services.
Phone 0808 808 3555 (Mon - Fri 9.30 – 5.00)
Contact a Family provides support, advice and information to families with disabled children and can also put families in contact with others whose child has the same condition.
Phone: 0808 808 3555
Visit the Contact a Family website
Family Lives provides help and support in all aspects of family life, including bullying, special educational needs, and support for specific communities.
Phone: 0808 800 2222 (Mon-Fri 9am-9pm Weekends 10am-3pm)
Visit the Family Lives website
Newlife supports disabled children and their families, by providing care services, a helpline, equipment grants, equipment loans and nursing support.
Phone: 0800 902 0095
Whizz-Kidz supports young disabled people with the right wheelchair - and skills training - for them.
Historical abuse of disabled people
The National Association for People Abused in Childhood offers support, advice and guidance to adult survivors of any form of childhood abuse.
Phone: 0808 801 0331
Samaritans is available for anyone struggling to cope and provide a safe place to talk 24 hours a day.
Phone: 116 123
Email: [email protected]
Learning disabilities
Dimensions supports people with learning disabilities and autism in England and Wales including support for people living in their own homes and transition support for young people leaving school or college.
Phone: 0300 303 9001 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm)
Visit the Dimensions website
The Disabilities Trust provides support for people with acquired brain injury, profound physical impairments, learning disabilities and for adults and children with autism; enabling them to live as independently as possible.
Visit the Disabilities Trust website
ENABLE Scotland provides a range of support services for people who have learning disabilities and their families.
Phone: 0300 0200 101 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm)
Visit the ENABLE Scotland website
Mencap work in partnership with people with a learning disability across the UK, and provide services to support people to live life as they choose.
Phone: 0808 808 1111 (Mon-Fri 9am-3pm)
Visit the Mencap website
The Challenging Behaviour Foundation provides telephone and email support on challenging behaviour associated with severe learning disabilities and related issues.
Phone: 0300 666 0126
Visit the Challenging Behaviour website
Guillain-Barré & associated inflammatory neuropathies
Information from the NHS:
Visit this website for more information from the NHS
GAIN- Guillain-Barré syndrome, CIDP and other associated inflammatory neuropathies offers help to patients or those close to someone who has been diagnosed.
Phone: 0800 374803
Neurodiversity - Dyslexia, ADHD, Autism, Dysplasia, OCD
The British Dyslexia Association provides impartial information, advice and signposting
Phone: 0333 405 4567 (Tue 10-1, Wed & Thu 10-3)
Visit the British Dyslexia Association website
The Dyslexia Association provides a wide range of services to directly assist and improve the lives of dyslexics of all ages.
Phone: 0115 924 6888
Visit the Dyslexia Association website
Dyslexia Scotland offers advice and guidance on dyslexia-related issues in Scotland.
Visit the Dyslexia Scotland website
ADHD Foundation provides information for parents and young people via their website.
Visit the ADHD Foundation website
ADDISS, the Attention Deficit Disorder Information and Support Service, provides information and resources to anyone who needs assistance - parents, sufferers, teachers or health professionals.
Phone 020 8952 2800
The Hyperactive Children's Support Group provides information on diet, such as food additives and how it impacts on ADHD.
Visit the Hyperactive Children's Support Group websiteD Foundation website
Autism
Please visit the dedicated Information and Support page for Autism.
Information on Dysplasia from the NHS
The Pituitary Foundation provides a confidential and non-judgemental service to pituitary patients, their carer, families and friends.
Phone: 0117 370 1320
Visit the Pituitary Foundation website
Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) offers information, and practical support to people with sight loss including travel, shopping, finances and advice on technology.
Phone: 0303 123 9999
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Please visit the dedicated Information and Support page for OCD.
Mental health
Please visit the dedicated Information and Support page for Mental Health
Pain
Pain Concern provides information and support to people with pain and those who care for them.
Phone: 0300 123 0789 (Mon, Thu & Fri 10-4)
Visit the Pain Concern website
Action on Pain support and advice for people affected by chronic pain.
Phone: 0345 603 1593 (Mon-Fri 10am-4pm)
Visit the Action on Pain website
Spinal injuries
The Brain and Spine Foundation offers information and support on all aspects of brain and spine disorders.
Phone 0808 808 1000 (Specialist nurses)
Visit the Brain and Spine Foundation website
The Spinal Injuries Association offers confidential advice, information and support to all spinal cord injured people (whether through injury or illness), as well as to family, partners and friends.
Phone: 0800 980 0501 (weekdays 9.30 - 4.30)
Visit the Spinal Injuries Association website
