Disability rights: the basics
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Commission: the disability rights commission came into existence in April 2000. Legislation: 2000 saw the launch of the special education needs and disability rights in education bill. This year has seen the Disability Discrimination Act extended to cover (among other things) the police, prison service and fire brigade, a move welcomed as the most significant reform since the introduction of anti-discrimination legislation 30 years ago. Even more legislation is on the cards with a new white paper, Valuing people: a new strategy for learning disability in the 21st century. There are more than 6.6m disabled people of working age in the UK. They account for nearly one-fifth of the working age population, but are nearly seven times more likley than their non-disabled peers to be out of work and claiming benefits. Public awareness of disability issues leaves a lot to be desired. A recent survey found that only half of the people questioned had heard of the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act. They also thought nearly half of all disabled people used wheelchairs, when in reality the figure is 5%, and didn’t know that diseases such as HIV and heart disease were included in the act. Source : guardian.co.uk |