Displaying items by tag: Disabled People

Thousands of disabled people live in unsuitable homes, while cities fail to plan for wheelchair users. Three of the ten largest cities have no requirements beyond national guidelines, which only provide wheelchair users access through entrance doors and hallways on ground level. Disabled people face long housing searches, huge extra costs to convert accommodation, or living in a dangerous home. The Equality and Human Rights Commission said failure to plan for fully accessible homes is a ‘hidden crisis’ in housing for disabled people. The government said it will strengthen the national standards. As the number of disabled people increases, it is estimated that 400,000 wheelchair users in England alone are living in unsuitable accommodation. Many of our disabled cannot live independently. They cannot afford the huge costs for adaptations or specialist accommodation; some can’t even use parts of their own homes without someone coming in to help them.

Israeli minister Karine Elharrar could not attend a COP26 meeting because the room was not wheelchair-accessible. This reflects how many disabled people are ignored and left out of climate change conversations; despite the UN Human Rights Council saying those with disabilities are among those most ‘adversely affected in an emergency’. When a heatwave hit Montreal, hospitals helped those experiencing the effects of heat exhaustion, but 61 people died. A quarter of those had schizophrenia. Schizophrenics take anti-psychotic medication which makes them less tolerant to heat, increasing the risk of heatstroke, dehydration and death. What happened in Montreal is a snapshot of things to come. When California fires caused power outages Gerald Niimi’s ventilator stopped, He struggled to breathe and died two days later. During the wildfires disabled Californians had difficulty fleeing their homes. Those able to escape found many emergency centres providing water, bathrooms and safety were not accessible. 12 German disabled care home residents died when sudden flooding hit. They were unable to evacuate, because wheelchair-users cannot get into a rubber dinghy.

A £1.6bn strategy to improve the lives and opportunities of disabled people was announced by the Government. It aims to tackle shortages of suitable housing, inaccessible public transport and barriers to education and work. Work and pensions secretary Therese Coffey said the government was listening and consulting. The shadow minister for disabled people said the consultation process failed to consult properly with disabled people or organisations; many critical areas were ignored. Disabled Tory peer Lord Shinkwin said the plans did not go far enough. He said the document was a ‘broken promise’ and he did not believe it would prevent disabled people from being shut out of society. ‘The Department of Work and Pensions, which has led on the development of this strategy, does benefits but it doesn't do equality. It shows this government doesn't understand the desire and potential of disabled people to be seen as more than just recipients. We are contributors, we are all people.’

Over 3,300 people took part in BBC research into the impact of the pandemic on the lives of disabled people. Most said their disability had worsened and over 2,400 said routine, often vital, medical appointments had been cancelled. Disability charity Scope said the findings confirmed that disabled people's needs ‘had been forgotten’. There were young autistic people who had attempted suicide because they could no longer cope with drastic changes; others were isolated and alone, their support networks gone or hours of care cut. A family told how care had been almost stopped for their disabled daughter, while her father, who had had Covid, was offered a range of treatments. Her cochlear implant needs retuning regularly but has not been checked for two years. Her physiotherapy has not continued, and her walking frame no longer fits. Her last eye test was over the phone.

Campaigners claim that disabled people are being ‘increasingly marginalised and shut out of society’ as they bear the brunt of Government spending cuts, most notably in their right to independent living. There are calls for the UK to take the human rights of disabled people more seriously, as officials prepare for an examination on the issue at the UN. The UN's Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities had previously commented that the UK’s welfare reforms led to ‘grave and systematic violations’ of disabled people's rights. The Government strongly disagreed, saying that the UK is a world leader in disability rights and spends billions of pounds to support those with disabilities and health conditions every year.