Disabled Parking

UNISON national disabled member’s conference recognised the abuse of disabled person parking needs to be highlighted and to be tackled. It is often the case that disabled drivers are unable to find parking facilities either at their home at a retail outlet or at their workplace. In many instances the reason for this is non […]

Economic Recession

Conference is concerned that in the current recession disabled staff will be at a higher risk of job loss due to the need for organisations to reduce staffing levels. In the current economic downturn more and more organisations are looking to make efficiencies and this has resulted in a number of job losses. Due to […]

Access to Work (ATW)

Conference is concerned that Access to Work (ATW), a valuable resource available to disabled members is not well publicised or where information is available this is often incomplete or misunderstood. ATW allows disabled staff and newly disabled staff to receive appropriate levels of funding in the process of securing a job, and in providing equitable […]

Disability Leave

Conference notes that, despite the implementation of Disability Leave, employers are still failing to actively introduce disability leave as part of the employment sickness policy. Many disabled people are discriminated against whilst taking leave, due to their disability increasing the number of days of sick leave taken, which has resulted in members being dismissed from […]

Self Direct Support and Council Cuts

This Conference welcomes the Government’s Personalisation Agenda and the increased choice and control it will give many disabled and older people over how their individual personal and domestic needs are met. However, we are very concerned that many Local Authorities are already using the introduction to Self Direct Support (SDS) to make cuts to the […]

Disabled People and Employment

Conference notes that over the past decade or so the position of disabled people in the employment field has improved. However, we also note, and it is of major concern, that in spite of various initiatives eg the Disability Discrimination Act and its amendment, the former disability Rights Commission, New Deal for Disabled People etc, […]

The Equality Bill

This Conference welcomes the Equality Bill as a consolidation of existing equality legislation, making provision for levelling up across characteristic strands: age, disability, gender, gender identity, race, religion or belief and sexual orientation. We also applaud the work UNISON has undertaken as a senior stakeholder in discussions with government, particularly on aspects related to: 1.Indirect […]

National Disabled Members Committee Constitution – Time for Change

The Committee’s constitution was written many years ago when UNISON was a new concept and structures were not set in place as they are today. Back in 1993 disabled self organisation like other self organised groups were finding their feet and constructed a constitution that does not reflect the current structures in 2009. Over the […]

Statutory sick Pay (SSP)

West Midlands Region is very concerned that members have to take Annual Leave to cover a phased return to work or attend medical appointments or treatment sessions. We therefore ask this Conference to call upon the National Disabled Members Committee (NDMC) to work with the National Executive Council (NEC) & Labourlink to lobby Parliament to […]

Workstep & Private Contractors

Over the last few years the department of Work and Pensions have started making big changes to policies and procedures that help disabled people gain and then keep employment. Who qualifies for this help from the various projects is no longer a question of whether you are a disabled person or not, but also what […]

Fuel Poverty and Disabled People

Conference agrees that the introduction of the annual Winter Fuel Allowance for all people aged sixty and over in the United Kingdom has been one of the most successful social developments in recent history. UNISON has always been at the forefront when campaigning for social justice and dignity for those, who through no fault of […]

Keeping disability on the agenda in the credit crunch

This Conference is concerned that the recession is having a disproportionately large impact on disabled workers. Unemployment is predicted to increase to almost three million by 2010 and disabled workers are particularly at risk when unemployment rises. Increased unemployment for disabled workers can lead to social divide, increase the prospect of discrimination due to unfair […]

Awareness of non apparent disabilities

Conference agrees that both the Disability Discrimination Act and the Public Sector Equality Duty have advanced the cause of reducing discrimination against disabled workers in the workplace. However, not all forms of disability are apparent to any other person except the individual directly affected. Workers with non apparent disabilities, whether mental health, physical or other […]

Adding value to disability equalities

There are a number of schemes in place which many Employers sign up to that would, if followed, be of great advantage to disabled workers. For these schemes to work effectively, it is essential that disabled workers must be allowed to self nominate and work in partnership with the Employers and scheme organisers to ensure […]

Disabled people’s experience of targeted violence and hostility

Conference notes that a recent report entitled ‘Promoting Safety and Security of Disabled People’ published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission showed that disabled people are at greater risk of being victims of targeted violence and hostility. The report stated that disabled people are four times more likely to be a victim of crime, […]