Archive html version of a project about disabled people and their life chances

This project about disabled people sets out policy recommendations to improve the quality of life of disabled people.

Disability is the disadvantage that comes from barriers which impact on people with impairments.

These barriers mean that disabled people are often excluded from society. This exclusion of disabled people must stop.

There are many disabled people in the UK. Each disabled person has different needs.

Disabled people are more likely to be poor and have less education than non- disabled people.

Disabled people are also more likely to experience hate crime than non-disabled people.

Disabled people with mental health conditions are particularly likely to have a poor quality of life.

The Government wants this to change and this project sets out how it should change.

The Government wants to support disabled people to have opportunities to improve their quality of life, and to be respected as equal members of society. This is a goal that should happen in twenty years.

Before twenty years, actions need to be taken to improve the quality of disabled peoples' lives.

This project lists actions that Government should do to support disabled people and improve their quality of life.

These actions are called "policy recommendations". This project has policy recommendations in four sections:

  1. Independent Living
  2. Early Years and family support
  3. Transition to adulthood
  4. Employment

The first section is independent living.

Disabled people should have more choice over how they live their lives.

Government should support disabled people to help themselves, and make decisions about their own lives.

This project says that disabled people should have an individual budget. The disabled person should decide how that budget is spent.

Independent advocates will be important to support disabled people to use these budgets.

The second section is Early years and family support.

Families with young disabled children need to be supported so that the disabled child is looked after and their parents needs are also met.

Families with young disabled children should have childcare and equipment when they need it.

A key worker is important for families with high needs.

The third section is transition to adulthood.

Child and adult services should overlap so that the transition between them is smoother.

More information should be available to young disabled people as they reach the transition to adulthood.

The last section is employment.

Disabled people should have help to stay in work or get work.

Disabled people should be supported to increase their skills for work.

Disabled people should have case managers to help them find work and keep their job.

Employers also need advice and information about having disabled people in their workforce.

These policy recommendations have been agreed to by Government.

A report will be written every year on whether the policy recommendations are happening. This annual report will be given to the Prime Minister.

The report also sets up a new Office for Disability Issues.

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