NUJ statement on International Day of Disabled People

Today (3 December) marks International Day of Disabled People, with this year’s theme focusing on fostering disability-inclusive societies.

The NUJ Disabled Members’ Council calls on journalists to challenge harmful portrayals about disabled people and shift the narrative from blame to one centred on rights, access and inclusion.

NUJ disabled members report experiencing greater levels of harassment and abuse, which are increasingly seen as socially acceptable. Fear and lack of safety are barriers to independence, equality and participation.

The NUJ Disabled Members’ Council is deeply concerned about the government’s budget announcement to introduce VAT on Motability vehicles that require an advance payment. This policy targets the very vehicles disabled people rely on, particularly those requiring specialist adaptations such as hoists, ramps and seating modifications.

Cost-cutting measures such as reducing annual mileage allowances and removing European breakdown cover are also being explored. These additional cuts would directly limit disabled journalists’ ability to travel for work, particularly those who work cross-border or on assignment.

Vehicles with no advance payment are typically the smallest on the market, entirely unsuitable for many disabled users who require space for mobility equipment.

An NUJ member shared her concerns with the DMC. She depends on a large, adapted vehicle with space for two wheelchairs to carry out her work as a freelance sports broadcaster. Due to the VAT increase, she fears she will not be able to afford to renew her car when her lease ends next year.

Availability of vehicles depends on circumstances. The models without advance payments that can be adapted do not have the space our member needs to get to work. Larger electric vehicles without advanced payment are not an option due to a lack of accessible housing and charging points. The only alternative would be purchasing a large vehicle privately, one she cannot drive due to licence restrictions. 

If she loses her Motability car, she will lose her independence and her livelihood.

Natasha Hirst, NEC Disabled Members’ rep, said:

“This policy is not an anti-fraud measure, it is a tax on accessibility. Disabled people’s human rights have been consistently under attack in the UK. We are being used as scapegoats, especially in debates about welfare, costs and public spending. Disabled people are told they must return to the workforce in greater numbers. Yet the government makes policy decisions that remove the very tools required to do so.

“Journalists urgently need to scrutinise and challenge these policy attacks. Coverage of welfare is too often framed around fraud, cost and entitlement, instead of rights, poverty or structural barriers.

“Rhetoric and political messaging are translating into real-world discrimination, hostility and policy decisions that cost lives. Hostile government narratives, repeated without challenge in the media fuel resentment, public suspicion and hate. We will not remain silent while disabled people’s independence and safety is threatened.”

Many disabled journalists rely on schemes such as Motability and Access to Work to do their jobs, whether staff or freelance. For many, access to social security support such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is vital to accommodate the high additional costs of living and barriers that are prevalent throughout daily life.

The NEC recently endorsed the #AccessToNowhere campaign, founded by the Access to Work Collective, which campaigns against cuts to the Access to Work scheme and calls for resources and reform to ensure it is fit for purpose.

Disabled people remain underrepresented throughout the industries the NUJ represents, especially at senior levels. Ofcom’s recent diversity report said: “Disabled people continue to be chronically underrepresented across the industry, accounting for 12% of employees in TV and 9% of employees in radio – both below the working population average of 18%.”

Let us know how this affects you

We would like to hear from members who are concerned that they will be affected by the changes to the Motability scheme and/or cuts to the Access to Work scheme. We will use the anonymised evidence to compile a briefing for MPs and the Work and Pensions Committee and the wider public as we call for:

1. The government to reverse the harmful VAT decision immediately, and protect advance-payment Motability vehicles for those who need them.
2. Decision-makers to meet with disabled people and representative bodies to protect and resource the Access to Work Scheme.
3. Government and the media to stop framing accessibility as a cost and recognise it as a right.

Contact: [email protected] with your examples

TUC UnionReps webinar :

Breaking the Silence: Supporting Disabled Workers at Work

Thursday 4 December 2025 - 14:00-15:00

Disabled workers are still facing discrimination, bullying, and exclusion — and new TUC research shows just how widespread it remains. This Disability History Month, join Quinn Roache (TUC) and TUC Disabled Workers Committee co-chairs Colleen Johnson (NEU) and Martyn Gwyther (Unite) for a webinar that equips union reps with the practical tools to drive real change.

Find out how to:

• Overcome and challenge the most common employer barriers
• Build trust so workers feel safe to disclose their conditions and impairments
• Handle bullying, discrimination, and harassment with confidence

Register for the webinar

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