The United Kingdom's Disabled People's Council
INFORMATION BULLETIN
FEBRUARY 2008
The United Kingdom's Disabled People's
Council
Litchurch Plaza, Litchurch Lane, Derby.
DE24 8AA
Telephone: 01332
295551 Fax: 01332 295580
Minicom: 01332 295581
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.uksdpc.org
EDITORIAL
I hope you enjoyed
last months New look UKDPCs Information Bulletin and I hope that you will
find this months both interesting and useful to you and your members.
Membership and
Services Manager.
CAMPAIGNS INFORMATION
Its been another
busy month as UKDPC increases pressure on the Government to recognise inciting
hatred against disabled people as a criminal offence. UKDPC has now
met with Maria Eagle, the Minister for Justice, who is in charge of overseeing
the passage of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill through
Parliament. During the meeting Maria Eagle understood that some of
our examples:disabled people with learning difficulties who have been targeted
for criminal activity, campaigns against homes for disabled people with a
mental health condition and gang activity may well be considered as inciting
hatred against disabled people.
The UN Convention
Campaign Coalition has just been set up with the aim to pressure the
Government to ratify the UN Disability Convention without reservations.
Saying that you can only implement some rights and not others makes a nonsense
of their commitment to equality and rights for disabled people by
2025. Bill Albert, who is the UKDPCs representative on the
Coalition will be writing something for Marchs campaigns update.
The Education and Skills Bill has just been through its 2nd
Reading with no real opposition. This is of course disappointing for those
of us who are concerned about how little there is in the Bill to strengthen the
right to an inclusive education for disabled learners.
Despite the Governments claims that the Bill will
revolutionise the education system, it does very little to address the
inflexibility of the current system or disablist behaviours of many education
providers. The Alliance for Inclusive Education believes the Bill is much more
likely to be a cynical move, by the Government, to address the large numbers of
disabled young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEETs),
rather than genuinely wanting to support disabled young people to learn new
skills and feel empowered to have choice and control over their lives.
We are told that the Government is keen to make education
a positive experience for all 16 to 18 year olds. Yet, in giving governing bodies the power to direct young
people to attend anywhere outside the school in order to receive
educational provision which is intended to improve the behaviour of the young
person (Clause 133), the Bill appears to do the opposite. This
potentially sends more of our young people out of the system before
the age of 16, effectively sanctions unofficial (illegal) exclusions and
provides no appeal system.
The Alliance is calling for changes to the Bill that
would create a new legal framework that give more enforceable rights to
person-centred and inclusive support across all aspects of post 16 learning.
The
Government also needs to radically rethink the way in which young people have
their educational outcomes tested or accredited. Currently testing and
assessment systems are all set to a non disabled standard which has meant that
many disabled young people, particularly those with learning differences, have
been denied the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and learning in a way
that is equally valued. This has resulted in these young people being thrown on
the NEET scrapheap.
If you
want to support the Alliances campaign for changes to the Education and Skills
Bill, please
contact Tara Flood at the Alliance for Inclusive Education. Tara can be
contacted on telephone: 020 7735 5277 or email:
www.healthcarecommission.org.uk
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DIGITAL TV:
FINDING EASY TO USE PRODUCTS
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TfLs free ride
Dial-a-Rides
door-to-door services for older and disabled Londoners is now free.
TfL has also been
awarded an independent Living Award by national disabled rights organisation,
Breakthrough UK, for its work to make public transport accessible for all. The
accolade recognises the introduction of low-floor, wheelchair accessible buses
across the entire London fleet at the start of 2006-10 years ahead of legal
requirements.
Annual
Report 01 August 2006 to 31 July 2007
DEAC has had a
very productive year. The report records the hard work which the committee has
done to support DWP Ministers towards their target of helping an increased
number of disabled people to find and retain jobs.
DEAC members have
worked on a wide range of disability employment issues throughout the year,
including project work on Employers Engagement, the Public Accounts Committee
report Gaining and Retaining a Job: DWPs support for Disabled People,
Improving Employment Opportunities for People with Mental Health Problems,
Residential Training and DEACs ongoing work on the Freud Report and the Green
Paper-In Work Better Off, and also the City Strategy.
The full report
can be viewed at www.deac.org.uk
PARENTS OF
CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
Working Families
Network has recently sent a newsletter to the office. The network is
engaged in improving the rights of parents who have a child with disabilities
and who wish to work. If you are a parent with a child with a disability
and want to become involved you can contact Janet Mearns:
WHATS ON
Gallery Talk
Friday 28th
March 11.00 am 12.30 pm
Thomas Hope is key
figure in the history of British design. This exhibition will look at Hopes
design theory and his ideas about design reform.
For tickets
contact Victoria & Albert Museum on 0207 942 2529
or email [email protected]
This is a
comprehensive exhibition of products and services that could assist disabled
people.
For more details
and to register go to:
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4th
March Preston
7th
March Exeter
13th
March Nottingham
3rd
April Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
10th
April Cambridge
For more
information go to:
Email:
[email protected]
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Wolverhampton Racecourse
is offering free entry to the races on 28 March 2008 for all disabled persons
and their carers.
Any enquiries
regarding the race days please contact Wolverhampton Racecourse on 0870 220 2442 or by email at:-
Skyline is
delighted to announce a brand new series of nationwide 5km running events
giving ALL UK charities the opportunity to benefit from this highly popular
method of fundraising.
Locations and
Dates as follows:-
Birmingham Cannon
Hill Park 27 April
London Regents
Park 11 May
Manchester Heaton
Park 8 June
Reserve your
places now by phoning 0870 345 7788 or visiting
the website at:-
www.doitforcharity.com or www.skylinecharity.co.uk
FUNDRAISING
Email: [email protected] or by calling the
events team on 01732 520 074 to register your
interest.
SUPPORTING THE RIGHTS OF DISABLED PEOPLE
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/ratifyconvention/
(Information
received from Dr Richard Light)
CONSULTATION
The consultation
ends on 16th April 2008, so if you wish to submit your views you can
do this on their website:
www.justice.gov.uk
then follows these links:
Administration
and Enforcement Restriction Orders
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CONSULTATION ON
THE BLUE BADGE SCHEME
On Thursday 24
January a consultation on the future of the Blue Badge (Disabled Parking)
Scheme was announced.
An electronic
version of the consultation is available at:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open/bluebadgereformstrategy/
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