- Conference
- 2010 National Disabled Members' Conference
- Date
- 1 July 2010
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
This conference notes Government proposals for severe public sector budget cuts and the already existing evidence that these cuts will affect discriminated against groups, including disabled people, particularly hard. There is also deep concern that many local authorities see cutting services specifically aimed to support disabled and older people as a soft target, thus taking advantage of some of the most vulnerable people in society.
Conference also notes the new Public Bodies Single Equality Duty and Specific Duties (expected to commence in April 2011), which will include a legal obligation to consider disability equality issues in developing employment policies and planning services –
·Addressing disadvantage related to disabled people;
·Meeting the specific needs of disabled people
·Encouraging disabled people’s participation in public life;
·Tackling prejudice against disabled people
The previous government had stated that the specific duties would also include public bodies –
·Demonstrating how they have taken into account evidence of the impact on disabled people’s equality in the design of key policy and service initiatives and what difference this has made;
·Setting equality objectives after considering evidence of the needs of disabled people;
– but this is not yet confirmed by the Coalition Government.
Conference believes that whatever the final wording of the duties Branches should be using them to help protect disabled members especially disabled black members experiencing indirect discrimination and discrimination by association
when tackling employer’s proposals for cuts and restructures and instructs the National Disabled Member’s Committee to produce guidance for branches to use in negotiations with employers.