England’s DPOs Demand Radical Action from Next Government

Disabled People’s Manifesto launched today.

Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) in England are calling for transformative changes. They gathered in Manchester today to urge the next government to address inequalities affecting disabled people. The manifesto outlines key areas like representation, rights, independence, and inclusion.

The Disabled People’s Manifesto

Here is a summary of the key points from the Disabled People’s Manifesto:

• There are 14 million disabled people in the UK, representing 1/5 of the population. Disabled people experience discrimination, oppression, and societal barriers to inclusion.
• Disabled people have been disproportionately impacted by austerity, COVID-19, and the cost of living crisis. Evidence shows disabled people are more likely to live in poverty, have poorer education outcomes, and have higher unemployment.
• The manifesto calls for radical reform to dismantle barriers, tackle injustice, and create equal opportunities for disabled people. This requires significant investment and ending austerity.

– Key demands include:

1. Representation and voice – disabled people in leadership roles, funding for disabled people’s organisations, accessibility standards for public consultation and elections.
2. Rights – fully incorporate the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities into UK law, strengthen equality laws, and equal protection for victims of disability hate crime.
3. Independence – reform social security, social care, housing, education and employment to enable independent living with choice and control.
4. Inclusion – divert resources from segregated services to inclusive mainstream services, right to inclusive education, accessibility standards for built environment and transport.
5. Work – close disability employment gap, mandatory reasonable adjustments, enforceable timeframes.

Disabled People’s Manifesto calls for a disability equality strategy co-produced with disabled people to deliver reform and enable disabled people to thrive.

• Representation: Voice in decision-making
• Rights: Equal rights for all
• Independence: Choice and control
• Inclusion: Equal participation in society

Voices from the Community Speaking at Manchester Today

• Svetlana Kotova (of Inclusion London): Calls for a bold government to implement the manifesto.
• Rick Burgess: Highlights the e importance of DPOs in demanding a better future.
• Mark Harrison: Emphasises the need for political focus on disability rights.

Demands

The DPOs are not just asking for change; they are demanding it. They want a long-term plan, co-created with disabled people, to end systemic injustices.

Key facts and details in the Disabled People’s Manifesto:

• It emphasises that disabled people are not a homogeneous group – they have diverse impairments, backgrounds, and lives. But share common experiences of injustice.
• Calls for an election fund to support reasonable adjustments for disabled election candidates.
• Wants to abolish forced mental health detention and treatment.
• Demands benefits be increased to cover true costs of living and disability.
• Wants to stop benefits sanctions and assessments for disabled people.
• Calls for accessible housing standards – 10% of new builds to be wheelchair accessible.
• Wants to move disabled children and adults out of institutional settings.
• Calls for £3 billion more per year for inclusive education support.
• Wants full implementation of the British Sign Language Act.
• Demands monitoring of disability pay and progression gaps, including intersection with gender and race.
• Calls for disability-responsive employment support to help get good jobs.

So in summary – wide-ranging reform across representation, rights, independent living, inclusion and work to tackle systemic barriers facing disabled people in the UK.

To find out how to get involved and download the full manifesto visit https://www.disabledpeoplesmanifesto.com/