- Conference
- 2010 National Disabled Members' Conference
- Date
- 9 July 2010
- Decision
- Carried
This conference is appalled about the savage cuts in public services and the impact on our members’ jobs. Disabled members express their extreme frustration at the media’s failure to portray the tax and spending debate as the lifeline to disabled people’s independence but instead focus a negative representation of disabled people as a burden on the state and in particular the business sector.
Disabled people will suffer directly and indirectly, directly through continued attacks on Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and other disability benefits, and on other supports such as Housing Benefit (HB) on which disabled people rely, by virtue of a greater likelihood to be disadvantaged have faced discrimination and to live in poverty. Indirectly, through job cuts, a tougher employment market, cuts in services and in other ways.
Government has chosen to load the burden of its fiscal deficit reduction plans on the poorest and most disadvantaged people in society. At the same time it has set out a series of steps that will cut the likelihood of economic growth, which is the pre-requisite for sustainable deficit reduction.
This conference calls upon the National Disabled Members’ Committee to
a)Advise branches about the impact of cuts on disabled members’ jobs in public services and the impact on the services needed by disabled people
b)Encourage branches to lobby all elected representatives in local authorities, in Parliament and health trusts to justify actions under a ‘Freedom of Information’ request to ascertain how such public authorities have met their Disability Equality Duties according to the Disability Discrimination/Equality Act.
Submitted by the National Disabled Members’ Committee