- Conference
- 2002 National Disabled Members' Conference
- Date
- 5 September 2002
- Decision
- Carried
This Conference is disappointed to learn that despite the Labour Party’s manifesto commitment to bringing full civil rights for disabled people, the promised Disability Bill is not now to be in the Queen’s speech in the autumn. Lord Ashley at the All-Party Disabled Members’ Group meeting on 9 July 2002 stated that “Implementation of the disability rights task force recommendations was essential to maintain the momentum of change.” The National Disabled Members’ Committee has lobbied through UNISON’s Affiliated Political Forum and through other organisations of disabled people to promote all the issues to do with disabled members’ employment rights and their rights in regard to access to goods and services. Without a Disability Bill to enforce these rights the future for disabled members will not improve.
This Conference therefore calls upon the National Disabled Members’ Committee to campaign through the Affiliated Political Forum and the Trades Union Congress to:
1)Put pressure on the Government to introduce fully enforceable, comprehensive, anti-discrimination legislation based on the task force’s recommendations and the social model of disability which removes justifiable discrimination of disabled people;
2)Put pressure on the Government to sign up to protocol 12 of the Human Rights Act;
3)Support at Labour Party Conference the Labour Party disabled members’ group’s contemporary motion on the disability bill.
4)Ensure that any potential single equalities act protects the rights of disabled people.