On #WorldSleepDay we salute all the parents of disabled children who stay awake throughout the night looking after their child, or trying to get them to sleep! Our guide "Helping your child sleep" can help with the latter http://ow.ly/bsTZ30iZusE

Closing the school transport loophole... #SchoolRunCrisis We know from our school transport inquiry last Autumn (http://ow.ly/5gC630iZfn3) that the impact of losing school transport is huge for families. Unfortunately more and more disabled youngsters are being refused school transport or being charged for it, as councils exploit a loophole in the law. How can it be fair that the law says a young person is expected to be in school or training until 18 but does not have the transport to get there once they turn 16? That’s why we are calling on the government to close the loophole for disabled youngsters. We'll be chatting to BBC Radio 5 live about this at 11.30am on Sunday - do tune in! Help us to close the school transport loophole by taking a minute to sign our petition here: http://ow.ly/5dKx30iZfkZ

Acknowledging stress... Becoming a parent is often the most stressful thing any person can go through. The new demands you face as a parent can change the entire dynamic of your household and you may need a whole new set of coping strategies. Research has shown that parents with disabled children face increased mental distress and exhaustion. We're certain you'll agree. OnePlusOne have compiled some tips on how to acknowledge stress that may affect you personally and in your relationships. Take a look here - http://ow.ly/8ua430iObLQ - and then let us know which ones have worked for you.

URGENT MEDIA REQUEST (Hampshire) BBC South TV are looking to film with a family worried about the recent school transport consultation Hampshire council have carried out. They particularly want to hear from families who care for a child with a disability or additional need who are under 5 or about to turn 16 and who might be affected by any decisions the council make following the consultation to remove paid for home to school transport for their child. If you are interested in finding out more please email press@contact.org.uk.

New tribunal powers on health and social care (England) Continue reading here - http://ow.ly/WOUV30iWU4M - to find out: - The role of the tribunal and why new powers have been introduced - What the new powers mean for parents and young people - What we think about the new powers and how we can help you

The sad news today of the death of inspirational physicist Professor Stephen Hawking has sparked some discussion here among the Contact team. Prof. Hawking was given just a few years to live after being diagnosed with a rare form of Motor Neurone Disease at the age of 22. But he defied all doctors’ predictions and went on to bring complex scientific theory to life and into the consciousness of millions of people worldwide. We believe disability should be no barrier to achievement. We’d love to hear how your children and young people are already making a difference to your and others’ lives through their achievements both great and small. http://ow.ly/F3qr30iWtOe #StephenHawking

A shocking statistic from the new Equality and Human Rights Commission study of the impact of tax and benefit policy 2010-2021: "Households with a disabled adult and a disabled child will shoulder annual cash losses of just over £6,500, equivalent to 13% of their net income. Disabled lone parents with a disabled child stand to lose £10,000 a year." Reductions in Universal Credit rates is one of the reasons some families with disabled children are set to lose out on so much, coupled with a freeze in benefit rates and changes to disability benefits. That’s why Contact is calling on the government to reverse cuts to the lower disabled child element under Universal Credit and to continue to pay Universal Credit to parents whose disabled child is living away from home solely due to their disability. http://ow.ly/6E9I30iWvoE

New blog: When it comes to rare, collaboration is key... We recently celebrated the 11th annual Rare Disease Day, which took place with events held around the country to promote awareness of rare conditions. Read more and access free resources here: http://ow.ly/z3wk30iUZ4Y #ShowYourRare #ShowYouCare #RareDiseasesDay #RareShowcase

Listen to one of our London Marathon runners Helen Davies on BBC Three Counties about why she is raising money for us. http://ow.ly/VH7x30iUPUu Running a marathon is just one of the many ways you can raise money for Contact and help us continue the vital work we do supporting families with disabled children - simply choose the idea that suits you best. We will be here every step of the way, and we'll give you what you need to make sure your event is a great success - why not find out more? http://ow.ly/I6AC30iUPVG

Department for Education to review rising numbers of school exclusions... Una Summerson, our head of policy, welcomes the government review, saying: "Our helpline regularly advises parent carers on permanent, fixed term and unofficial (unlawful) exclusions. "Contact's research, "Falling through the net" [PDF], found that children with a disability, special educational or additional needs are routinely illegally excluded from school. Shockingly nearly a quarter (22 percent) of those who responded to our survey said their child was illegally excluded every week. "This is having a devastating impact on their education and mental health, and half of parents report they are unable to work due to the impact of illegal exclusions on family life." Read more: http://ow.ly/1Ivo30iUWwp

The Chancellor today delivered his spring statement and talked about the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’. However, the reality for families with disabled children up and down the country is that they continue to face a double whammy of cuts to their financial support and to vital services they rely on. The benefits freeze continues to bite as the cost of living rises and some of those on the lowest incomes have experienced a reduction in financial support since being moved onto Universal Credit. There is also a continued squeeze on Local Authority budgets leading to more and more cuts to services like short breaks and school transport. #SpringStatement

Have you visited our relationship support site yet created in partnership with OnePlusOne It is a free resource specifically for parents raising a child with a disability. You can search our articles in the following topics such as handling stress and separated families. Discover relationship insights: http://ow.ly/Sa2d30iOb5e