Government urged to act as report warns disabled people ‘being left behind in society’

Disabled people continue to face barriers in employment, transport, housing and health, so are being “left behind” in society, a report warns.

A study by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) found a lack of opportunities in areas including education and employment, deteriorating access to justice, a widening pay gap and welfare reforms hitting their already low living standards.

The commission said it has highlighted the problems to the United Nations for a forthcoming study of how the UK measures up to international standards on the rights of disabled people.

Fewer than half of disabled adults are in work, compared with 80% of non-disabled, and the gap has widened in recent years, said the report.

There was a widening “disability pay gap”, particularly affecting young people and women, said the EHRC.

Chairman David Isaac said: “Whilst at face value we have travelled far, in reality disabled people are being left behind in society, their life chances remain very poor, and public attitudes have changed very little.

“This evidence can no longer be ignored. Now is the time for a new national focus on the rights of the 13 million disabled people who live in Britain. They must have the same rights, opportunities and respect as other citizens.

“We must put the rights of disabled people at the heart of our society. We cannot, and must not, allow the next 20 years to be a repeat of the past.”

The research also revealed that almost one in five disabled people were considered to be in food poverty, while they faced a shortage of accessible housing.

The EHRC urged the Government to place a new focus on disability equality.

Andrew McDonald, chairman of disability charity Scope, said: “It is shameful that in 2017 disabled people continue to face such high levels of inequality at home, at school and at work. And Scope research shows too many continue to face prejudice day in, day out.

“Government action has been incoherent. While there have been some positive commitments, the impact of recent reductions and restrictions to benefits and inaction on social care threaten to make life harder for many disabled people.

“We hope this report serves as a wake-up call. If the Government is serious about shaping a society that works for everyone, the Prime Minister should act now to set out a cross-departmental strategy to tackle the injustices disabled people face.”

A Government spokesman said: “We are committed to ensuring that a disability or health condition should not dictate the path a person is able to take in life. The UK is a world leader in this area and we are proud of the work we do to support people with disabilities and health conditions, to increase opportunities and tackle inaccessibility.

“Not only do we spend over £50 billion a year to support disabled people and those with health conditions – more of our GDP than Japan, Canada and France – we also offer a wide range of tailored and effective support.

“Our focus is on helping disabled people find and stay in work, whilst providing support for those who can’t.”

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