I was scared of losing my sight… then writing brought me clarity

After being told disease would destroy her vision, Paola Peretti wrote a children’s novel – and found a template for life

The future of sex work – a photo essay

It has been 23 years since New South Wales decriminalised sex work. How much has changed for sex workers?

Down’s syndrome test could see condition disappear, C of E warns

Church says new NHS test could lead to more terminations and fewer people born with condition

Disabled student told he will fail course because he cannot write shorthand

MSPs condemn exam board after Kyle Gunn, who has cerebral palsy, informed he would be denied journalism qualification

Hounds of love: ​how ​support dogs​ can help with everything from diabetes to autism

Coco and Azerley are two of about 7,000 dogs in Britain that offer life-changing – and sometimes life-saving – assistance

How I learned to love my walking stick

When Penny Anderson began using a stick, it made her feel vulnerable. But it taught her a lot about other people – and customising it made it her own

Sound by Bella Bathurst review – losing and recovering the miracle of hearing

This fascinating memoir of a dozen years of deafness opens out into an exploration of science, music and silence

‘Even the specialists hadn’t seen my baby’s condition before’

In the week of the awareness-raising campaign Rare Diseases Day, Sofya Court hopes the story of her son – born with a syndrome shared by only a few hundred people worldwide – will inspire others coping with obscure conditions

Disabled people are to be ‘warehoused’. We should be livid

New rules could see 13,000 people with disabilities and long-term health needs forced into care homes. This is treating people as objects to be stored

The way I see it: living with partial blindness

Of all those registered blind or partially sighted, 93% retain some useful vision – often enough to read a book or watch a film. But this can lead to misunderstanding and confusion