See below letter Disability Rights UK have sent to the Times Editor alongside Grenfell United and Claddag.
Letter to The Times Editor
Grenfell, 5 years on
Sir,
This week marks the fifth anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire. Seventy-two people died. Forty per cent of disabled residents died. No residents had evacuation plans.
Despite Boris Johnson’s pledge to implement the Grenfell inquiry recommendations in full, none have been implemented. Even worse, the government has rejected outright the recommendation to place a legal duty on building owners to provide personal emergency evacuation plans for disabled residents unable to escape the building unaided. Evacuation plans would mean disabled residents, and those around them, would feel confident in an emergency. This would include knowing who might help and having access to appropriate aids. By refusing to implement evacuation plans the government is showing a shocking disregard for the lives of disabled people.
This week the government, and the country, will remember those lost in the Grenfell fire. Many will say “never again” but without a legal duty for evacuation plans for disabled people this will ring hollow. We have launched a petition calling on the government to reverse its callous and bewildering decision.
Natasha Elcock, Chairwoman, Grenfell United
Kamran Mallick, Chief executive, Disability Rights UK
Sarah Rennie, Co-founder, Claddag
Georgie Hulme, Co-founder, Claddag
See PDF of the letter as it appeared in the Times.
We have also published an open letter alongside Grenfell United and Claddag to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other key cabinet members. It urged them to accept the PEEPs recommendation.