31 March 2005 - Delivering on our promise for disabled people at grass roots level - Eagle
The Government is delivering on its promise to disabled people by driving through legislation to put disabled people at the heart of public services.
Too often Britain's 10 million disabled citizens lose out in the delivery of key public services. For example learning-disabled people are 58 times more likely to die before the age of 50 than non-disabled people - for reasons not directly related to their impairment; disabled children are twice as likely as non disabled children to leave school with no qualifications; disabled people have lower incomes and they live in greater fear of crime.
The Disability Discrimination Bill places a new duty on all public bodies to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people. The duty is intended to redress the balance caused by years of disabled people not being in the minds of those designing services. It will give disabled people real influence in driving practical improvements in their local area.
Maria Eagle, Minister for Disabled People and lead minister on the Bill called for a commitment from public authorities at a local level:
"For too long, lack of thought has become indirect discrimination – leading to needless restrictions on the lives and opportunities of Britain's 10 million disabled people. It’s time the public sector took a lead in putting this right.
The Disability Discrimination Bill – a key element of our ambitious long term strategy for disabled people - aims to change the way public services meet the needs of disabled people.
But this won't happen without commitment and determination at a local level. Local public services must lead by example by putting disabled people at the heart of their policies."
The ambitious twenty year strategy will build on the new legislation by radically reforming the way local public services are delivered – so they are centred on the consumer, based on individual needs, and funded through transparent, individualised budgets. This will give disabled people real choice over how services are delivered, ensuring they are suited to their needs and helping them achieve independence.
Maria Eagle added:
"And there's good news for public bodies too. Thinking about disabled people in advance can actually bring savings in the cost of providing services. For example, a refuse collection service could minimise costs by identifying in advance one contractor for both kerb and doorside refuse collections, rather than organising separate collections for people who have difficulty walking or carrying heavy loads.”
Bert Massie, Chair of the Disability Rights Commission added:
"The provision for a public sector duty to promote disability equality similar to that on race will have seismic implications in reforming practices and policies across a wide range of activities bringing about system-wide progress for all disabled people."
Notes for editors
- The Government's 2001 Manifesto commitment is to extend rights and opportunities for disabled people. The Bill is the final step in meeting this commitment.
- The Disability Discrimination Bill was amended last autumn as a result of pre-legislative scrutiny of a draft version in the spring of 2004. It has already been debated in the Lords, successfully completing its Third Reading on 28 February, and further amendments were made to it before it was introduced in the Commons on 1 March. It received second reading in the Commons on 23rd March. The Bill proposes, amongst other matters, amending the existing Disability Discrimination Act to:
- Introduce a new positive duty on public bodies to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people.
- Ensure that all functions of public authorities (e.g. issuing licences) are covered by the DDA and not just services as now.
- Provide new rights for disabled local Councillors not to be discriminated against by their local authority including rights to reasonable adjustments.
- Provide a power to apply the DDA duties on other service providers to the provision of transport vehicles
- Allow an “end date”, no later than 2020, by which all rail vehicles will have to comply with accessibility regulations, and apply those regulations to vehicles which are being refurbished.
- A copy of the Bill can be obtained from The Stationery Office, 0870 600 5522, www.tso.co.uk
- A consultation on the details of the principal public sector elements of the Bill ended on 21 October. Further details are available on http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/dwp/2004/equality/
- The DDA, and Regulations made under it, already provides extensive protection for disabled people against discrimination in areas such as employment, education, transport and access to goods and services. New provisions which came into force on 1 October 2004 increased protection for disabled people in employment and in access to goods and services. They brought small businesses, with fewer than 15 employees, and previously excluded occupations such as police officers, partners in business partnerships, within the scope of the employment provisions for the first time. This extended coverage to an additional 1 million employers, and 7 million more jobs, including 600,000 in which disabled people already work.
- The new access provisions from 1 October 2004 build on existing duties under the DDA for people or organisations that provide services to the public. For the first time service providers are required to make reasonable adjustments to physical features of premises, such as steps and high counters that act as barriers to disabled people accessing their service. These changes will further open up services to around 10 million disabled people in this country.
- The Prime Minister's Strategy Unit Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People was published on 19 January 2005. It sets out a twenty year vision and makes recommendations focused on four key aspects of disabled people's life chances: independent living, early years and family support, transition to adulthood and employment. A copy is available from www.strategy.gov.uk/output/Page5046.asp
- There are around 10 million people in Britain covered by the DDA. The Disability Discrimination Act defines disability as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on the ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. The estimated number of adults in Britain covered by this definition is 9.8 million.
- For more information see www.disability.gov.uk or contact the press office for factsheets. A picture is available on request.
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