Discovering UK best practice in making work and life more accessible
British Embassy Warsaw facilitated a study visit of the Polish Minister for the Disabled and a group of MPs to London and Manchester on 15-19 October.
British Embassy Warsaw has organised a study visit to London and Manchester, focused on people with disabilities. The Polish delegation was led by Jaroslaw Duda, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and Polish Minister for Disabled, accompanied by Sławomir Piechota MP, Chair of the Sejm Social Policy and Family Committee, Marek Plura MP, Chair of All Party Parliamentary Disability Group, Urszula Augustyn MP as well as Izabela Katarzyna Mrzygłocka MP.
The delegation met with key stakeholders on disability issues in the UK, including the Department for Work and Pensions and Disability Rights UK. A high profile economic and prosperity component was also incorporated into the programme, in the form of meetings with Tech City and Lloyds Banking Group. While in Manchester, the Polish delegation had an opportunity to visit Manchester Piccadilly Railway Station via tram ride, which served to illustrate how the City of Manchester has developed an integration based public transport system.
British Embassy Warsaw enjoys an excellent record of engagement on disability issues and we have received much recognition from the Polish Minister and the Parliament for our work in this area. Similar previous visits on non-discrimination of disabled people and their civic rights have brought tangible results.