In May, the government has confirmed its decision to go ahead with the plastic straw ban despite the strong objections of Disabled people including members of Merton CIL. We used the consultation to tell the government that banning the general use of plastic straws would add to the barriers Disabled people have to deal with but they're going ahead with it anyway," says Michael Turner, Merton CIL Policy and Strategy Manager.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is consulting on whether to introduce deposit return schemes to improve recycling. This broadly means that bottles may cost a little more to buy, but you can get money back if you return them. Our members raised concerns about whether Disabled People who need support to live independently might find that they are paying more for goods, and they are unable to get back to shops or reverse vending machines to get money back.

Merton CIL are looking for a new CEO, as their current CEO is moving overseas. This role is an exciting challenge for someone who is self-motivated and enjoys a varied and strategic role. It will be a demanding role combining day-to-day management of this user-led Deaf and Disabled People's Organisation, with accountability to the trustee board and responsibility for supervision and development of the senior management team.

This world book day authors have been urged to feature Disabled characters in their stories. Deaf and Disabled people are often not as visible as they should be in literature, and this has to change. Earlier this year we made an effort ahead of world book day to crowd-source a list of books by or about Deaf and Disabled People. Check out the list our members and supporters came up with, and feel free to suggest your own. You can send suggestions via email or tweet us @MertonCIL