A third of disabled people feel they are treated differently, figures reveal
November 2015 marks the twentieth anniversary since the Disability Discrimination Act became law in Britain. When the Act was introduced, it was the moment disabled people challenged power and prejudice and won. Twenty years on, the charity for disabled people, Scope, has revealed that two-thirds of disabled adults say they are still treated differently..
- 62% disabled people say they are treated differently because of their disability
- 40% of disabled people say the UK is a good place to be a disabled person.
Although legislation to prevent racial and female discrimination was introduced in 1976 and 1975 retrospectively, it took nearly two decades before disabled people's voices were heard.
Baroness Jane Campbell, disability rights campaigner, says:
"The fight is so far from over- don't talk about it as if it is. The importance of the act was that it told me, as someone living with disabilities, that the "problem" wasn't my condition but society's way of dealing with it. That was so liberating. But the liberation struggle isn't over."
The anniversary celebrations for the Act also include a call to finish what began in 1994.
"We got the Act we want back then," said one campaigner "But that doesn't mean we got the action we want since."
Other statistics in Scope's survey reveal:
- 40% of disabled people say the UK is a good place to be a disabled person
- 49% have experienced discrimination in shops, a third (31%) in cinemas and theatre
- 67% of the public admit that they feel uncomfortable talking to disabled people
- 42% feel they have missed out on a job “every time” or “a lot of the time” because of their disability
- 250,000 Nearly a quarter of a million disabled people said they had been treated unfairly by an employer.
- £550 of disabled people spend an average of £550 per month on disability related costs
- 1 in 10 disabled people pay an extra £1000 a month in additional living costs.
The list for further action, includes:
- Ensuring fairness and equality of opportunity in Great Britain’s future economy.
- Improving the considerable disability pay gap in the workplace and there are not enough appointments to prominent public positions.
- Better representation of people across the board in public life and entertainment too."One character in a TV drama and another in a soap is nothing more than token representation. We didn't want pity," she said, "we wanted power." Baroness Jane Campbell, a wheelchair user and life peer, was one of the original protestors who fought for a change in the law.
- Removing a wide range of physical barriers including inaccessible sports stadia, taxis, buses, trains, retailers, and workplaces which need to be eradicated.
- Promoting dignity and respect, and contributing to keeping people safe.
Watch the Scope video on the Act anniversary here.
Despite what many saw as a changed attitude as a result of the Paralympic Games in 2012, many disabled people still experience day-to-day verbal and physical abuse. Even with the heightened sporting interest in 2012, disabled people are still half as likely to be active as non-disabled people. The English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) believes everyone has the right to access opportunities in sport and physical activity. We work with organisations to ensure disabled people are included more effectively.
