- Conference
- National Disabled Members 2003
- Date
- 30 October 2003
- Decision
- Carried
Conference welcomes the research conducted by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation that showed the common barriers that disabled people face in their role as parents. In particular we are concerned that public services fail to provide:
1)policies and services without consulting or involving disabled parents;
2)accessible advice and information including advocacy and peer support;
3)adequate services until the point at which there is a crisis and disabled parents risk losing their children into care;
4)direct payments to support independence in parenting, especially for disabled people from minority ethnic communities, those with learning disabilities and people with mental health support needs;
5)equal access to health, including maternity, and other mainstream services for parents and their children.
Conference instructs the National Disabled Members’ Committee to work with relevant service groups to provide a disability perspective for UNISON’s Positively Public Campaign that reflects the needs of disabled parents.