A coalition of disabled people’s organisations has today written to the Prime Minister urging her to meet with them to discuss the deteriorating quality of life experienced by millions of disabled people in the UK.
The call comes exactly six months since the United Nations’ damning report on the UK Government’s implementation of the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD).
The report, published last August, made a number of recommendations but disability organisations which gave evidence to the UN say that the Government is not taking the urgent action required
The coalition has highlighted five areas of particular concern:
- The failure to fully implement the 2010 Equality Act.
- The lack of joined up working across the 4 nations of the UK.
- The lack of resources to ensure disabled people are included in their communities.
- The continuing gap in employment opportunities for disabled people.
- The right of disabled people to an adequate standard of living and social protection.
Kamran Mallick, CEO of Disability Rights UK who was one of the delegation which went to Geneva last year. He said:
‘During the examination of the UK in Geneva last August, the government delegation told the UN committee on the CRPD that it would be improving its engagement with disabled people. To date nothing has happened. The Government urgently needs to engage with disabled people so that together we can work on improving the lives the of over 10 million disabled people in our country. As the UN committee observed, we used to be world leaders in disability rights, but sadly that position has now been lost.’
The coalition members include:
Disability Rights UK; Inclusion Scotland; Disability Wales; Disability Action Northern Ireland; Reclaiming Our Futures Alliance; Disabled People Against Cuts; Black Triangle; Alliance for Inclusive Education; British Deaf Association; People First (learning disability); National Mental Health System Service Users Network; UK Disabled People’s Council; Equal Lives; Inclusion London.
Notes:
Disability coalition letter to the Prime Minister
A human catastrophe – New UN condemnation for UK human rights record