Employment
Employer reluctance to employ people with disabilities continues to be a problem. A threefold approach is required, and has been succeeding, albeit more slowly than I would wish.
Firstly, education of employers that people with disabilities are often more loyal, more hard-working, and can be more productive, as well as less “disruptive” than some employers fear.
Secondly, through legislation, which has a vital role to play in providing redress for victims, and in the prevention of discrimination by encouraging employers to clean up their act/get informed.
Thirdly, through support provided to employees with disabilities by the state.
Labour policy for a national care service is in three stages.
In stage one, we will provide free care to the 400,000 people who most need it, and intensive help or “re-ablement” when they need homecare for the first time.
In stage two, we will put the building blocks of the National Care Service in place and extend the offer. From 2014, anyone staying in residential care for more than 2 years will receive free care after the second year. There will be better information and advice and everyone will be offered a personal budget, giving them control over their healthcare as is appropriate for them. The first two stages are focussing efforts on those that need the most help now; i.e. those vulnerable people with the highest care needs.
In stage three, we will introduce a comprehensive National Care Service, which is free when people need it for all adults with an eligible care need. This final stage will be brought forward after the next Parliament. It will be a fully-fledged National Care Service, where care is free for everyone at the point of use.
In contrast, the Conservative Party’s plans do not help people unless they need to leave their homes and move into permanent residential care; and does nothing at all for younger people with disabilities, or for older people who need personal care in their own homes, or for people who do not own their own homes.
Buildings
The DDA has been with us for 14 years, since 1996. So it is taking time and vast sums of money to adapt existing buildings to be more accessible to people with impaired mobility.
I am not aware that “buildings are still (being) built in Wolverhampton and elsewhere that treat disabled people as second class citizens” (apart form private dwellinghouses). To do so would surely be against the law, so I should be grateful if you could let me have some examples, which I could then take up.
Similar with your findings that “people with Assistance Dogs are often asked not to come into a venue with their dog: please could you let me have some examples, so that I can take this up.
Access to new buildings for people with impaired mobility is, I believe, covered by the existing legislation, both the DDA and Building Regulations. If these are not being enforced, please do let me know.
Health
The PCT and GPs should ensure that people with disabilities get adequate and “digestible” health material.
There should be equal access to fitness facilities, but that is a matter for the council.
Crime
It is troubling to hear that “disabled people are increasingly the victims of hate crime and bullying”, and I would appreciate the evidence.
That said, there should be no such behaviour and, if there is, the response from the police and other public authorities should be supportive and considerate.
This requires staff training, as well as a clear lead from management.
Education
Mainstreaming in education has worked quite well, but I am proud that in Wolverhampton the council resisted the pressure to close all its special schools.
It is a question of what is most appropriate for the individual child. Sometimes that is supported mainstream; sometimes a special school.
I am delighted that the Wolverhampton South West constituency contains 4 special schools, all of which do a hard job very well, with great commitment from the staff, the pupils, the governors, and the parents.
Assisted suicide
I am undecided on the issue of assisted suicide, but wary of it, because people with disabilities could be taken advantage of. We need a public debate.
It is outrageous that, in effect, at the direction of the courts, the Director of Public Prosecutions has made up the law on assisted suicide. The DPP is not elected. He is not accountable. Parliament needs to wrestle with this issue, engage the public, and then decide.
BSL
I am proud that the Labour government recognised BSL as an official language in 2003.
Each year I attend the national Deaf film and Television Festival at the Lighthouse in Wolverhampton. It’s great. Highly recommended, if you haven’t been.
The University of Wolverhampton has a national reputation for including deaf and hearing-impaired students.
Of course deaf and hearing-impaired people should have full access to information about public services, in a format which is appropriate to them (for example, videos); particularly since for many of them English is a second language (after BSL) and so documents written in English may not be so accessible.
MPs
Disability should not preclude someone from becoming an MP, and often does not do so. I know personally almost all the MPs who served between 200 and 2010. Loads of them have disabilities, including most prominently Gordon Brown.
Home adaptations
Wolverhampton City Council can be woefully slow in adapting homes for people with disabilities. I have challenged them on this on several occasions.
The move to joint commissioning by the PCT with the council’s Social Services should help because the PCT can sometimes save a lot if a person’s home is adapted, to avoid that person needing residential or hospital care.
Moreover, for many people, it is far better and more enjoyable to be in their own home.