Following my lengthy post on the new coalition government’s report on Poverty, Welfare and Dependency, I thought I’d point you to the United Kingdom Disabled People’s Council response to the report. It picks up on many of the same points I made in my post, and very usefully goes further by pointing out where the coalition government’s report fails to mention many other issues relating to disabled people. These include young disabled people, not distinguishing between disability and sickness, the role of employers in combating unemployment in the disabled population and housing.
The UKDPC’s conclusion is apt:
Overall, it is worrying that Government is not appearing to engage with the basic needs of disabled people to maximise the realisation of aspirational participation in all aspects of community life. The failure to access goods and services and choice and control in our lives is cause for concern…
The State of the Nation Report should be seen as an opportunity for scrutinising the effects of economic deprivation and barriers to employment for disabled people within the body of the report. It would then be possible to undertake a more realistic analysis of the projected need for benefit support and range of available options. It should also be a vehicle for social equality and challenge precepts of prejudice and discrimination. There is a notable lack of such in the existing text.
arbitrary constant 