DPO Forum England, the collective voice of Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations in England, has published the Disabled Peoples Manifesto. The manifesto highlights a list of asks of the next UK government. You can find a link to the full manifesto at the end of this article.
The DPO Forum is made up of Deaf and Disabled people, Deaf and Disabled peoples Organisations (DDPO) and Deaf and Disabled people-led groups across the UK.
There are fourteen million Disabled people in the UK, and we make up a fifth of the population. We are not a homogenous group: we have different impairments, are different genders, sexual orientations, come from different backgrounds, and live different lives.
The need for change
Disabled people have been the hardest hit by austerity, the COVID pandemic and now the cost-of-living crisis. Evidence shows that we are disproportionately living in poverty, achieving poorer outcomes in education and far more likely to be unemployed or earn less. Many of us are forced to live away from society, our communities and families in order to get support or education. Societal infrastructure, such as housing, transport and street environment, consistently fail to meet our needs.
The Disabled People’s Manifesto sets out what we want the government to do to end this discrimination. We all want the right support to be there when we need it. Our plan asks for four key things to be put in place:
Representation and Voice: We want to have a voice and have a say about things that are important to us. Nothing about us without us.
Rights: We want to have the same rights as everyone else.
Independence: We want the same choice and control over our lives as everyone else.
Inclusion: We want to be included in society as equal citizens.
You can read the full manifesto here https:// www.disabledpeoplesmanifesto.com
Please sign the petition and show your support https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/show-your-support-for-disabled-people