Last week the government published their National Disability Strategy.
What do you as members think?
- What is good about the strategy
- Is there anything you think is wrong or missing?
- Are you or your organisation doing anything on the strategy?
Click here to share your views.
Learning Disability England will use the replies to think about what action members might take together next.
Blog by Gary Bourlet, Membership and Engagement Lead, about the new National Disability Strategy.
I have been reading the strategy and talking to some members about it.
It is really important to have a strategy that says what the government will do in the short term, mid-term and long term.
There are lots of important things in the strategy.
Things like more accessible housing, transport and flexible jobs.
But I noticed not much is said about people with learning disabilities or autistic people.
And more needs to be said on Changing Places toilets because this has effect on many disabled people and their families and paid supporters.
We need better access, public transport, housing.
More employment opportunities and career opportunities.
Better travel arrangements, hotels, shopping precincts, cheaper accessible holidays, better accessible train stations, trains, airports and the underground.
More money in our pockets.
More people with learning disabilities on TV and Radio and people with learning disabilities seen as valuable members of society who give a lot back.
And we need to see the closure of long stay hospital and ATU’s where money is wasted.
We have been waiting for a good deal for disabled people for many decades.
There has been too much talking in the past, too many promises and always very little action.
Does this national strategy really go far enough?
I think it needs to think big and more forward thinking.
And so do the people who will deliver it.
And I would like to know were the money is coming from.
Yes, the Government does not want to overspend.
They always want value for money.
But that can’t be at the expense of disabled people.
We need more opportunities for all disabled people, especially for people with learning disabilities, autism, complex needs.
We know these groups of people get left behind and bottom of the pile when it comes to people with disabilities.
We need better protection from Hate Crime, Mate Crime, harassment, abuse, bullying.
We need friendships, relationships, an improved social life and support to tackle loneliness and isolation so people with learning disabilities do not have a lonely life.
We need to make sure that people with learning disabilities get regular heath checks.
And that they no longer die younger than the rest of the population of things that they should not be dying from.
We need attitudes to change through the general public.
And we want people with learning disabilities and autism to oversee all these changes, a bit like ‘Expert through Experience’.
Most of all, we need a bright vision and something to look forward to.