Disability - from the NICVA Policy Manifesto
Posted by Feargal O'Kane on Feb 12 2007 under Disability, Policy Manifesto |
People with disabilities should have equal rights and opportunities within an inclusive society. Power over vital areas which have a major impact on the quality of life for disabled people still remains with Westminster. Despite recent legislative changes which have manifested themselves in many improvements to the lives of disabled people, they continue to find themselves far from the heart of society, quite literally living on the margins.
People with disabilities must have the right to engage directly with decision makers and to secure access to mainstream services in all areas. There needs to be a greater awareness of the rights of disabled people among statutory providers and politicians, action to address the barriers they face and a commitment to challenging public attitudes on disability.
To reflect the needs and aspirations of all disabled people of all ages in Northern Ireland, a commitment to the following changes is necessary: There is a real need to develop comprehensive access policies to bring improvements in
access to public facilities for all disabled people.
- Government should promote compliance with all aspects of the Disability Discrimination Act and ensure that the implementation of the Disability Discrimination Order results in disabled people living in Northern Ireland having at least the same rights as those in the rest of the UK.
- Enabling disabled people to move out of poverty should be an immediate government priority to allow them to live full and independent lives.
- There is still a chronic shortage of accessible housing, therefore priority should be given to providing properly resourced community care services as personal assistance is the cornerstone of independent living for many disabled people. A proportion of future housing must be planned as accessible.
- People with mental health issues and those with learning disabilities should be fully supported when dealing with the criminal justice system.
- Polling stations and election literature should be made fully accessible to people with disabilities.
- All disabled children and young people should have the right to choose mainstream education and all disabled adults should have access to lifelong learning and careers information and guidance.
- A comprehensive strategy should be produced for services for people with learning disabilities in Northern Ireland, as has already been done in Scotland, Wales and England, in line with the Bamford Review.
- There is a need for up to date statistics related to people with disabilities to ensure that service planning and provision accurately refl ect the current situation, paying particular attention to the transition from childhood to adulthood.
- Transition programmes for people with disabilities should be recognised and adequately resourced in order that the individual is given every opportunity to move from education or a community service to supported employment.
- Realignment is required from the focus on training to moving people into work; subsequently greater attention should be given to resourcing supported employment, of which ongoing support is a key component.
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