Policy paper

National Disability Strategy, Part 1: practical steps now to improve disabled people's everyday lives

Updated 2 December 2022

Presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by Command of Her Majesty, July 2021
Command paper number: CP 512
ISBN: 978-1-5286-2841-9
© Crown copyright 2021

The National Disability Strategy sets out the actions the government will take to improve the everyday lives of all disabled people. It has 4 sections:

• Introduction including forewords and executive summary
• Part 1 (this section)
• Part 2: including disabled people in policy making and service delivery
• Part 3: summary of actions each government department will take

See the main publication page for alternative formats.

Rights and perceptions: removing barriers to participating fully in public and civic life and wider society

Disabled people have told us that the negative attitudes of others have a significant impact across all areas of their everyday lives.

Very often second class, you’re not seen as equal. And we have every right. We still only have one go at life like everyone else. And just because we can’t walk as well, see as well, hear as well, whatever. That doesn’t make us any less of a person.

(Wales roundtable participant)

Just 8% of disabled people, 8% of carers and 12% of the general public ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that the views held by members of the public about disability are generally helpful for disabled people.^{[footnote 1]} Awkwardness,^{[footnote 2]} misguided empathy,^{[footnote 3]} uncertainty about language^{[footnote 4]} and prejudice are daily occurrences for many disabled people and their families and friends.

One of the worst things is people being patronising

(Kathryn)

The impacts of negative perceptions on disabled people are wide-ranging. They include loneliness, barriers to employment and disability hate crime. Over half (54%) of disabled people worry about being insulted or harassed in the street, and 45% worry about being physically attacked by strangers.^{[footnote 5]}

Attitudes are changing but have further to go. Data from the British Social Attitudes Survey in 2017 found that 83% of respondents thought of disabled people as the same as everyone else, compared with 77% in 2005.^{[footnote 6]} Societal change takes time. But there is much more that the government can and should do to change negative perceptions of disabled people and inspire wider change in society.

To help ensure disabled people can play a full role in society, we are:

• bringing forward legislation to remove historic barriers to participation in public life
• using the honours system to better recognise the exceptional contribution of disabled people to the UK
• exploring how best to support disabled candidates standing for election
• inspiring social change across the UK through new public awareness raising campaigns
• improving access to justice
• publish a new cross-government strategy to tackle the crime and disorder that undermines the quality of life for everyone, including disability hate crime

We are ambitious to do more to tackle crime against disabled people. The Disability Unit will prioritise further cross-government action in this area in 2021/22.

Removing historic barriers to participation in public life

We will remove these barriers and ensure disabled people can play a full role in public life.

Common law currently prohibits anyone from being present in the jury room who is not one of the 12 members of the jury. While most disabled people can serve as jurors, deaf people who need a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter cannot.

Ministry of Justice (MoJ) will bring forward legislation in 2021 as part of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, to amend common law so that deaf people who need a BSL interpreter can do jury service.

We will also make it easier for disabled people to cast their vote.

Under current rules disabled people can only get help at polling stations from another eligible voter or a close family member.

To improve the voting experience for disabled people:

The Cabinet Office has introduced the Elections Bill to require Returning Officers to consider the needs of people with a wide range of disabilities. The legislation will also enable disabled people to receive help casting their vote from any companion who is over the age of 18 in UK Parliamentary elections.

The Cabinet Office will work with the Electoral Commission to provide guidance to help Returning Officers meet the new requirement, including on assistive technologies that can be provided in polling stations.

We will remove barriers disabled people experience in taking up leadership roles in public life. This includes magistrates, MPs and public appointees.

MoJ is investing £1 million by Spring 2022 to recruit more disabled magistrates in England and Wales as part of a wider effort to improve diversity, alongside other under-represented groups.

MoJ will use disabled people’s feedback on the experience of applying to be a magistrate and improved recruitment data to assess whether any additional action is needed to support and encourage disabled candidates to apply successfully to the magistracy, by spring 2023.

We are also committed to seeing more disabled people becoming elected representatives.

Building on the experience of the Access to Elected Office fund and the EnAble fund, MHCLG will support a new scheme from April 2022 to support those seeking to become candidates and - as importantly - once they have been elected to public office.

Political parties too need to play their role in helping those with disabilities achieve and succeed in public office. We will continue to engage constructively with political parties, disability charities and electoral administrators about progress in this area.

The Cabinet Office will consider how we can best support those standing for public office and those who hold public office.

As someone who is passionate about advancing the disability agenda, sometimes you’re asked about disability and it’s like you’re expected to say you’re a super human who has raised £10 million and climbed 3 mountains. I’m a normal everyday person, a boring 39 year old woman working as a Tax Director. It’s difficult for me to accept that there may be some things I can’t do. I don’t see disability defining me. But I’m probably a better person for it. I’m much more resilient. I have even more determination. I can be more flexible, compassionate towards people. I don’t want people to think they’re not good enough or can’t achieve things because they have this label.

(Deborah)

We are committed to ensuring fairness and inclusivity in public appointments. Typically, these will be ministerial appointments to a public body or advisory committee.

We have made good progress in increasing the number of disabled people in public leadership roles. In 2019, 11% of public appointees reported that they had a disability, up from just 5% in 2018.^{[footnote 7]}

We will encourage talented disabled people to apply for public appointments and support them through the application process.

The Cabinet Office will launch a new website and application system by March 2022 to improve how talented candidates, including disabled people, can access public appointments. This will be coupled with increased outreach, including with disability networks.

We will also make changes to the honours system to better recognise the achievements of disabled people in all walks of life. This includes:

• introducing a new easy read nomination form and leaflet to improve the accessibility of the nominations process to people with learning difficulties
• launching a new dedicated and accessible honours website to promote the inclusivity of the honours system
• offering information about the honours system in accessible formats
• working with disabled people’s organisations to promote the honours system

New campaigns to inspire social change across the UK

Public awareness campaigns have a major role to play in driving social change.

We know that campaigns to tackle the stigma associated with loneliness and mental health conditions have successfully raised awareness of these issues and inspired thousands of people to take action.

We will take action to change perceptions of disabled people and to inspire wider social change.

The Disability Unit will develop a UK-wide campaign to increase public awareness and understanding of disability, dispel ingrained and unhelpful stereotypes and promote the diverse contributions disabled people have made – and continue to make – to public life.

1 in 4 disabled people say negative attitudes from other passengers stop them using public transport.^{[footnote 8]} We will continue to address negative public attitudes to disabled people on public transport through DfT’s £1 million It’s everyone’s journey campaign. The campaign benefits everyone who uses public transport, highlighting that we can all play a part in making transport more inclusive.

These broader campaigns will be complemented by the first ever national initiative to raise understanding of autism, led by DHSC.

A survey by the National Autistic Society in 2015 showed that 99.5% of people had heard of autism,^{[footnote 9]} but only 16% of autistic people and their families thought the public understood autism.

DHSC will develop an autism public understanding initiative by autumn 2021, working with autistic people and their families and the voluntary sector.

DHSC will trial and evaluate the impact of the initiative by May 2022.

This initiative will help the public to understand the strengths and positives of being autistic, as well as the challenges autistic people might face in their daily lives. It will also emphasise the diversity of the autistic community, including the presentation of autism in women and girls, the LGBT community and autistic people from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Improving access to justice

Access to justice is important for disabled and non-disabled people alike. Disabled people can face particular challenges in both the civil and criminal justice systems, whether as victims, witnesses, defendants, or offenders.

MoJ reported in 2018 that most legal aid clients identified as disabled (58%).^{[footnote 10]}

To improve disabled people’s experience of the justice system, we will:

• improve access to courts and legal support
• support disabled victims and witnesses
• improve frontline staff’s understanding of neurodiversity

Improving access to courts and legal support

HMCTS Reform

The HM Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) reform programme will change how people access the courts. There will be more online provision, including remote hearings and investment in buildings to make them more accessible.

New online HMCTS services are designed and tested with disabled people. This helps to design accessible services so that those with assistive technology can self-serve and simplify language to reduce the cognitive load for users.

This year (2021), HMCTS will launch a new national support service for users in England and Wales who need help to access online services.

This means that support will be provided in person and remotely via phone and other technology.

Intermediaries

Intermediaries are impartial communication specialists responsible for enabling communication with disabled people, among others, in the justice system. They support disabled people, if their ability to communicate is impaired due to age or incapacity, in order to improve the quality of evidence and to make sure disabled people can understand and participate in the proceedings.

MoJ is reviewing intermediary provision across the justice system and will share recommendations regarding the future of intermediary provision by Spring 2022.

Supporting disabled victims and witnesses

MoJ is working to remove the barriers for those with protected characteristics to access support, including disabled people who are victims or witnesses.

MoJ brought a new revised Victim’s Code into force in England and Wales on 1 April 2021, which sets out enhanced rights for disabled people, as well as other victims.

The Code brings together 12 overarching rights that are straightforward, concise and easy to understand – outlining the minimum level of information and service victims can expect at every stage of the justice process. These include:

• for the first time, eligible victims will be automatically referred to the Victim Contact Scheme (VCS) and offered a Victim Liaison Officer (VLO), who provides vital updates on offenders as they serve their sentence, including their potential release from prison
• the ability for vulnerable victims to have their cross-examination pre-recorded away from the courtroom – reducing the stress of giving evidence in court, which many find intimidating
• the right to be informed of the reasons why a suspect will not be prosecuted. If unhappy, victims will also be able to ask the police or Crown Prosecution Service to review this decision

Improving frontline staff’s understanding of neurodiversity

Staff awareness and understanding is a key enabler of better outcomes for neurodivergent offenders.

Neurodivergent people such as autistic people, dyslexics and people with a learning disabilities are over-represented in the criminal justice system. For example, around 28% of offenders are assessed to have a learning difficulty or challenge,^{[footnote 11]} and we know that the experience of courts, prisons and probation can represent particular challenges for neurodivergent individuals.

MoJ is helping create cultural change in how the criminal justice system responds to neurodivergent conditions through a nationwide, evidence-based approach to neurodiversity, with a key focus on staff awareness.

MoJ has therefore asked HM Inspectorate of Prisons and HM Inspectorate of Probation, with support from HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services, to carry out an independent review of neurodiversity in the criminal justice system.

MoJ will work with disability organisations to develop a national neurodiversity training toolkit for staff, which will be rolled out in 2022.

Tackling crime against disabled people

Disabled people are disproportionately affected by crime. Disabled adults are more likely to be victims of crime (20.8%) than other adults (19.0%), and disabled children aged 10 to 15 (12.0%) are almost twice as likely to be victims of crime than other children (6.3%).^{[footnote 12]}

Disabled women are more likely to experience domestic abuse and sexual assault than non-disabled women. Those with mental health conditions, learning difficulties and social and behavioural impairments are most frequently victimised.^{[footnote 13]}

About half of disabled people report feeling unsafe in their neighbourhood (45%), worrying about being insulted or harassed in the street or any other public place (54%), or worrying about being physically attacked by strangers (45%) at least ‘some of the time’.^{[footnote 14]}

At the most extreme, negative attitudes to disabled people can manifest in disability hate crime.

The number of disability hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales have increased from 1,676 in 2011 to 2012 to 8,469 in 2019 to 2020.^{[footnote 15]} While this rise is in part due to the increased willingness of some victims to come forward and improved police recording practices, it is likely that many disability hate crimes go unreported.

We are committed to tackling disability hate crime.

In 2021, the Home Office will publish a new cross-government strategy to tackle the crime and disorder that undermines the quality of life for everyone. This will include tackling hate crime, of which tackling disability hate crime will be an integral part.

The Home Office commits to work with disabled people and other disability stakeholders to develop the new strategy for publication in the autumn.

The government will also carefully consider the Law Commission’s recommendations from its comprehensive review of hate crime laws, due to report in late 2021. To support this work:

The Crown Prosecution Service will bring together a panel consisting of disabled people’s organisations, academics, partner agencies from government and the police, to advise on further improvements covering support to prosecutors and the Policy Statement on Disability Hate Crime and Other Crimes against Disabled People.

Justice is devolved in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Executive recognises the importance of improving disabled people’s experiences of reporting hate crimes. The Northern Ireland Executive, together with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), fund the Hate Crime Advocacy Service. This offers victims of disability hate crime access to a disability advocate who provides support through the investigation process, ensuring access to justice and safety in their own community.

The Scottish Government engaged closely with DPOs, Police Scotland and other justice partners to develop the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill, which received Royal Assent in April 2021. DPOs were also engaged in the development of hate crime awareness raising campaigns, and on work to improve data and evidence and on third party reporting.

In 2020, the Welsh Government funded All Wales People First to lead a hate crime consultation with its network of adults with learning disabilities across all local authorities in Wales. This helped build a picture of their experiences and understanding of hate crime; findings will help inform future policy. The Welsh Government consulted with disabled people via focus groups when developing the communication campaign Hate Hurts Wales, which aimed to raise awareness and reporting of hate crime, including disability hate crime.

We are committed to doing more to tackle crime against disabled people. The Disability Unit will identify areas where the government can go further in tackling this issue in 2021 to 2022.

Ensuring protection at home

Millions of disabled people receive excellent support in their own homes from paid, unpaid and voluntary carers. We know this is greatly valued, helping disabled people with a multitude of day to day tasks and to live more independent and fulfilling lives.

However we are concerned that disabled people have told us that existing measures to protect victims of abuse by people providing care are not working well. We are committed to addressing any instances of abuse or exploitation.

The Home Office and DHSC will jointly lead a review into the protections and support available to adults abused in their own homes by people providing their care, coordinating inputs from wider government, disabled people, carers organisations and other interested parties. We expect the review to complete by end 2022.

Housing: creating more accessible, adapted and safer homes

Many disabled people wake up every morning in a home that is not adapted to their needs.

Nearly half (47%) of disabled respondents to the UK Disability Survey reported having at least ‘some difficulty’ getting in and out of where they live.

There have been many improvements in accessibility for disabled people in recent decades, aided by tightened regulations and increased awareness of inclusive design. The proportion of homes in England with key accessible features nearly doubled between 2009 and 2018, from 5% to 9%.^{[footnote 16]}

Disabled people tell us that there is much further still to go. The evidence tells a similar story. Less than half of the local plans in England for new homes include requirements for a proportion of new homes to meet higher accessibility standards.^{[footnote 17]}

A decent home is the foundation for an independent life. A quarter of people receiving equipment or minor adaptations to their home needed less help than previously. 95% said their quality of life was better after receiving equipment or a minor adaptation.^{[footnote 18]}

My son left college at 22, and we worked with Sheffield Council concerning his independence and supported living. A transition social worker supported him to find suitable accommodation, along with MySafeHome, and he purchased a home with DWP support. It is the best thing we have ever done for my son. He loves his home, and has developed independence skills way above our expectations. He has support 24 hours a day, and this whole success has given us peace of mind for his future.

(Sue)

We will take immediate steps to:

• boost the supply of housing for disabled people by raising accessibility standards for new homes, increasing the supply of affordable homes, including supported housing, and accelerating the adaptation of existing homes by improving the efficiency of local authority delivery of the Disabled Facilities Grant, worth £573 million in 2021 to 2022
• extend disabled tenants’ rights on accessibility
• ensure the safety of disabled people in buildings, for when there are emergencies

Boosting the accessibility and supply of housing for disabled people

A decent home will mean different things to different people. A home with good public transport, close to family and friends, can be as important as a home with the right adaptations. Driving choice is key.

It’s so important to see things and still be part of the world

(Tony)

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) completed a consultation^{[footnote 19]} on raising accessibility standards for new homes in England in December 2020, and has been considering the responses and next steps.

MHCLG will confirm plans to improve the framework to deliver accessible new homes by December 2021.

These reforms must be informed by robust data and evidence of disabled people’s experiences.

MHCLG is commissioning new research to develop the statutory guidance on meeting Building Regulations, covering access to and use of buildings (Approved Document M).

The research will help us to improve guidance and inform future policy. It will consider modern building design approaches, technology, and building use and operation.

Northern Ireland is taking a different approach to increase choice for disabled people in both social and private housing. The Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) is developing an Accessible Housing Register for social housing. It is also exploring a possible private sector interface, allowing accessible private sector properties for rent or sale to be advertised on the NIHE website.

The Scottish Government’s ‘Housing to 2040’ route map (published 2021) will introduce a new Accessible Homes Standard to ensure accessibility and adaptability for all new and existing homes. The new standard is intended to deliver a step change in the availability and adaptability of housing for disabled people.

We will take steps to increase the supply of affordable and supported housing. Purpose-built supported housing with integrated care services can help disabled people live independently.

There is increasing demand for supported housing,^{[footnote 20]} and we are committed to boosting supply through the Affordable Homes Programme.

MHCLG has committed that 10% of the 180,000 homes built through the £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26 will be for supported housing.

DHSC also provides funding to build specialised housing through the Care and Support Specialised Housing (CASSH) Fund. This is designed to help adults with a learning or physical disability, those with mental health conditions and older people.

DHSC, working with MHCLG, will invest £71 million in the CASSH Fund in the financial year 2021 to 2022.

These schemes will help to meet the growing demand for supported housing. We will continue to work with the supported housing sector to ensure that disabled and older people with support and care needs have the right housing options.

We recognise the autonomy that home ownership can provide and want to ensure that disabled people, too, have the opportunity to own their own home.

About half of the homes delivered under the £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme will be open to a new Shared Ownership Scheme. The programme will also unlock a further £38 billion in public and private investment in affordable housing. This will help aspiring homeowners to take their first step on to the housing ladder. We have reduced the initial stake from 25% to 10% and introduced support for shared owners with the cost of repairs and maintenance for the first 10 years on new build homes.

For people unable to access the new standard Shared Ownership model on new build homes, there is the home ownership for people with long-term disabilities (HOLD) scheme. This allows people to buy a suitable home on the open market on Shared Ownership terms.

MHCLG will make the new Shared Ownership model, including the reduced (10%) minimum initial stake, available to disabled people buying a home under the HOLD scheme.

Residents living in the new rented homes funded by the Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26 will also have the Right to Shared Ownership.

Disabled Facilities Grants, available via local councils in England and Wales, can help disabled people meet the cost of adaptations needed to make their homes more accessible.

To actually go out of the door, without anyone helping me, was incredible

(Joyce)

We will accelerate the delivery of home adaptations in England and Wales by improving local delivery of the Disabled Facilities Grant.

Following an independent review of the Disabled Facilities Grant published in December 2018, MHCLG and DHSC will jointly publish new government guidance for local authorities in England on effective delivery of the £573 million Disabled Facilities Grant during 2021.

This investment supports our commitment to help older and disabled people to live safely and independently in their own homes. By the end of the 2021 to 2022 financial year, we will have invested over £4 billion in the grant since 2010.

Extending tenants’ rights on accessibility

Disabled people are more likely to rent, rather than own, their homes.

The Equality Act 2010 included provisions to give tenants the right to require landlords to make reasonable adjustments to the common parts of residential buildings, including hallways, entrances and stairs.^{[footnote 21]} This provision will now be brought into force in England and Wales.

The Cabinet Office will progress work to require landlords to make reasonable adjustments to the common parts of leasehold and commonhold homes. A consultation is planned for 2021.

This will make it easier for disabled people to enter and leave their homes.

Landlords will be allowed to get tenants to pay for the work, in line with the Equality Act existing legislation. Tenants and residents, including those on low incomes or with disabled children, will be able to apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant.

Ensuring the safety of disabled people

Building regulations guidance (Approved Document B) includes provisions for assisted escape for disabled people. While MHCLG concluded in 2015 that the provisions in these regulations met minimum requirements, there are nonetheless opportunities to go further.

MHCLG is now reviewing the evidence around means of escape for disabled people, the effectiveness of Approved Document B and possible alternative approaches.

MHCLG has commissioned new research to develop robust evidence to inform policy in England on the means of escape from buildings, care homes and specialised housing for disabled people. This will conclude by autumn 2021.

Transport: improving the accessibility and experience of everyday journeys

Everyday journeys – to work, school, to see family and friends, to access essential services like health and care – are fraught with uncertainty for many disabled people.

The world is different. You have to book if you want to use a bus; you have to book if you want to get a train. [Spontaneity] … is a luxury.

(Jessica)

The Department for Transport’s (DfT) Inclusive Transport Strategy, first published in 2018, has helped accelerate progress. However the challenges are often significant and we acknowledge there is a lot still to do. 99% of buses now meet minimum accessibility standards,^{[footnote 22]} but the proportion of wheelchair accessible vehicles is just 58% in taxi fleets and 2% for private hire vehicles.^{[footnote 23]} Disappointingly, these figures have been falling since 2014.

Disabled people are frequent users of public transport as well as taxis and private hire vehicles.^{[footnote 24]}

Transport infrastructure (access to toilets, passenger information, signage) is as important as access to transport vehicles.^{[footnote 25]} On the roads, disabled people say that streetscapes can present problems, including kerb issues, street furniture and pop-up infrastructure.^{[footnote 26]}

Our determination to deliver a transport system which is accessible for all remains unchanged. We know from our own lived experience research^{[footnote 27]} that reliable transport can be transformational in supporting an independent life.

Throughout my early childhood I was really clumsy and lacked co-ordination, eventually at the age of 10 I was diagnosed as having Becker Muscular Dystrophy. The condition was stable for a while but at 16 my mobility started to worsen. I started college but was dependent on my parents as I was unable to access public transport. Then I was made aware of the Mobility Allowance (the predecessor of DLA and PIP), which I applied for and successfully obtained. The opportunities it opened up for me were truly life changing, it enabled me to access a vehicle via Motability and gave me independence for the first time in my life.

(Carl)

We will take further steps to:

• tackle persistent accessibility issues across the transport network, including rail, buses, taxis and roads
• enable disabled people to travel with confidence by addressing staff training, information and the attitudes and behaviours of others

Transforming the accessibility of the railway station network

The Access for All Programme was launched in 2006 to address the issues faced by disabled passengers when using railway stations in England, Scotland and Wales.

It has so far provided accessible, step-free routes at over 200 stations, alongside smaller scale improvements at more than 1,500 stations. As a result, over three quarters of rail journeys are now through step-free stations, compared with only half in 2005.

We published the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail in May 2021, which commits to the establishment of a new rail body, Great British Railways. The white paper contains a suite of accessibility reforms, including:

• a statutory duty on Great British Railways to improve accessibility
• the development and implementation of a new national accessibility strategy for the railways

This strategy will provide the first, joined-up, system-wide approach to accessibility, including getting to, from and around stations and on and off trains.

But still, only around one-fifth of our 2,500 stations have step-free access to and between all platforms. Unlike railway vehicles, which must be legally accessible by 2020, there is no legally binding end date for making stations accessible.

DfT will conduct a network-wide accessibility audit of station facilities at all 2565 mainline railway stations in Great Britain to inform future investment decisions.

Transport is a partially devolved issue, allowing Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to benefit from UK wide infrastructure investment while also responding to local needs.

Transport for Wales is delivering a £700 million Metro Transformation project on Core Valley Lines. Jointly funded by the Welsh Government, the UK government, Cardiff City Region and the European Union, this will provide step free access to Welsh stations within scope and step free boarding and disembarking on new rolling stock trains.

This is only part of the work underway to improve rail station accessibility.

DfT will consult on an update to the Design Standards for Accessible Stations, this year (2021).

People with sight issues have told us how valuable tactile paving is on station platforms. It can help to avert tragedies. However, many stations still do not have this. We are committed to addressing this.

DfT will work with Network Rail to develop proposals for the accelerated upgrade of rail station platforms with tactile paving.

Improving disabled people’s experience of travelling by train

Public transport is a major issue for disabled people - there are countless barriers to accessing trains, tubes, taxis, buses etc. Manual boarding ramps aren’t good enough - that’s not genuine independence, especially when staff can treat you like a nuisance when you want to turn up and go (we have a right to spontaneous travel too). The majority of train and tube stations aren’t even accessible, that needs to change.

(UK Disability Survey respondent)

Disabled passengers have told us that there are 3 things needed for their rail journeys to go well:

• information to make informed decisions
• equality of experience
• control over their journey

DfT will bring forward plans to improve disabled people’s experience of travelling by train.

DfT will work closely with rail companies through the Rail Delivery Group to further develop the Passenger Assist Programme for disabled passengers, to increase people’s confidence to travel. This will include introducing a passenger assist app this year (2021).

Some disabled passengers describe their experiences of travelling by train as anxiety-inducing.

Other than the emergency contact equipment fitted in or near to the wheelchair spaces, the only means of alerting staff if they need assistance is to physically find the guard or train manager or to contact the operator through social media.

This can lead disabled passengers to worry that they will not be able to ask for or get help when they need it. It can undermine the confidence of disabled people to travel independently at all.

DfT has invited innovative project ideas to improve communication for disabled passengers and others with reduced mobility on rail services across Great Britain. This will enable people to contact train crew members directly from any seat on the train. Contracts will be awarded by July 2021.

The difficulty in contacting staff for assistance is a recognised issue for disabled people across the UK. Similar work to address this is also taking place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

In April 2021, ScotRail’s passenger assist service reduced its assistance booking notice period to 1 hour, and the introduction of a BSL app has significantly improved frontline staff communication with BSL users. A Hate Crime Charter, developed in 2021 with DPOs, encourages transport providers, the public and other services to adopt a zero tolerance approach to hate crime on public transport and report crimes.

Improving the accessibility of buses, bus stations and bus stops

We want disabled people to be able to complete bus journeys independently and with confidence. Audible and visible next stop announcements can make it easier for everyone to use buses.

As announced in Bus Back Better, the National Bus Strategy for England, subject to final analysis, DfT will introduce Regulations by Summer 2022 to require bus companies to provide audible and visual announcements onboard their services in Great Britain.

In the meantime, we encourage bus operators to provide accessible information onboard their services when introducing new or upgraded vehicles.

DfT has already committed £2 million to help the smallest bus companies to provide audible and visible information on services.

DfT will invest a further £1.5 million during 2021. This funding will be available to bus operators across Great Britain.

Under the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000, buses and coaches designed to carry over 22 passengers, and which are used on local and scheduled services in the UK, must incorporate:

• at least 1 wheelchair space
• a lift or ramp
• priority seating
• colour-contrasting handholds and step edges

The needs and expectations of disabled people are likely to have changed in the last 20 years.

DfT will review the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000, starting with research in 2022. The department will also commission research into the design of bus stations and bus stops in England by April 2022.

We are committed to supporting inclusive bus and coach services which enable all passengers, disabled and non-disabled alike, to travel with confidence.

Tackling shortages in community transport drivers

Community Transport services are essential for many people’s independence, yet we know that some organisations struggle to recruit drivers qualified to drive their vehicles.

DfT will work with the Community Transport Association and with other stakeholders to understand this issue better, and to support the sector to continue its vital work.

Improving the accessibility of taxis and private hire vehicles

Current protection for disabled people using taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) is patchy.

Except where drivers have a medical exemption, it is an offence to refuse a wheelchair user access to a designated wheelchair accessible vehicle. It is similarly an offence to refuse an assistance dog owner access to any vehicle. But other disabled people do not share the same protections.

Disabled people continue to report being discriminated against by taxi and PHV drivers or not given necessary assistance.^{[footnote 28]}

DfT will take forward legislation during the current Parliament to strengthen the law on the carriage of disabled people in taxis and PHVs across Great Britain. This will ensure protection from overcharging and the provision of appropriate assistance, regardless of the service they choose to use.

We also recognise how important it is that local authorities, taxi and PHV drivers understand the needs and expectations of disabled customers, and how to support them appropriately.

DfT will continue to encourage local authorities to require drivers to complete disability awareness training.

DfT will, as soon as legislative time allows, mandate the completion of disability awareness training through new National Minimum Standards for taxi and PHV licencing. In the meantime, the department will consult during 2021 on updated guidance for licensing authorities, including strengthening recommendations on supporting an inclusive service.

Making ‘lifeline’ ports more accessible for disabled passengers

Disabled residents on the Isle of Wight and the Isles of Scilly rely on ferry services to connect with the UK mainland for work, leisure and access to essential services, such as healthcare.

DfT will provide up to £1 million to improve the accessibility of lifeline seaports on the Isle of Wight and the Isles of Scilly for disabled people, with ports invited to apply for funding for improvements in the financial year 2021 to 2022.

Creating accessibility standards for electric vehicle charge points

There is almost no accessibility regulation covering electric vehicle (EV) charging points. We have an opportunity to build in accessibility to an emerging service.

DfT recently consulted on improving the consumer experience at public charge points.^{[footnote 29]} This includes improving the accessibility for all users, to understand the challenges facing EV drivers.

DfT will work with consumer groups and charge point operators to set clear accessibility standards for charging infrastructure in 2021 to 2022.

Improving the Blue Badge scheme

The Blue Badge scheme supports the mobility of over 2 million people in the UK, helping them to park closer to the goods and services they need to use. In 2019, in the biggest change to the scheme in over 40 years, we extended eligibility in England to people with non-visible disabilities. We have reviewed how those changes have worked and found that, while many people are benefiting from badges for the first time, aspects of the scheme could be improved.

DfT is improving the online application process, and will continue work with Blue Badge users and the local authorities that administer the scheme in England to ensure that it works in the best possible way for all users.

Tackling pavement parking

Pavement parking can cause real problems for pedestrians, especially for people with sight or mobility impairments. Tackling pavement parking would help free pavements for vulnerable pedestrians to make journeys safely and more easily. It would reduce the occasions when pedestrians are forced into the road to navigate around vehicles. It would also reduce pavement damage that can pose a trip hazard. Scotland has passed legislation to control pavement parking and Wales has announced plans for new regulations.

DfT has consulted on options to help local authorities address the problem more effectively and will announce next steps later this year (2021).

Jobs: making the world of work more inclusive and accessible

The working week is a distant reality for too many disabled people.

I’ve never had trouble going to interviews dealing with them, carrying them out. The biggest problem comes after the interview because employers will make any sort of excuse not to take the leap of faith, they don’t want to take the risk on you.

(Les)

Work is not an option for all disabled people, but many disabled people who can and want to work find themselves excluded from the workplace. 56% of disabled people who are not employed who responded to the UK Disability Survey ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that they would like more support in finding a job.^{[footnote 30]}

There are 7 million working-age people with a disability or long-term health condition in the UK,^{[footnote 31]} but only a little over half are in work.

Legislative reform has driven progress. The Disability Discrimination Act, introduced in 1995, and its successor the Equality Act 2010, made disabled people’s rights clearer. It is against the law for employers to discriminate against a person because of a disability. An employer must also make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to the way employment is structured.

In 2017, we set a goal to see 1 million more disabled people in work by 2027. In the 3 years since, the number of disabled people in work has grown by 800,000. We remain committed to achieving the challenging goal of 1 million more disabled people in work and, once we have, we will work with disabled people and their representatives to think about how we can build on this success.

The disability employment gap has narrowed significantly in recent years, from 33.8 percentage points in 2014 to 28.6 percentage points in 2021.^{[footnote 32]} Despite this progress, too many disabled people still find themselves excluded from the job market, leaving them feeling that their talents and qualifications are being wasted. Less than half (48%) of the employed disabled people who responded to the UK Disability Survey ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that their employer is flexible and makes sufficient reasonable adjustments for disabled people. Only a quarter (24%) ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that their promotion opportunities are the same as their colleagues.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy has also had an impact on disabled people’s work. Disabled people are one of the groups more likely to have experienced a reduction in earnings through redundancy, a reduction in hours, or being furloughed.^{[footnote 33]}

We know that good work supports good health and independence.

As a Deaf professional, work has enabled me to achieve my aspirations and to feel that I am making worthwhile contributions to society. I face many challenges, obstacles and the highs and lows of working across such demanding employment. For me, having Access to Work has been invaluable, this enables me to employ a pool of preferred British Sign Language interpreters, we work together as professionals to ensure high standards, quality and consistency across my 2 roles. If it wasn’t for them, I think this would have had a huge detrimental impact on my life, my circumstances would be very different to the way I am living today.

(Claire)

We are ambitious to go further. We will:

• set out proposals to improve support for disabled people to start or stay in work
• create an Access to Work Adjustments Passport to support disabled people with their transition into employment, including disabled students leaving education
• encourage employers to recruit, retain and progress their disabled employees and to create inclusive workplaces by reviewing Disability Confident, promoting the Voluntary Reporting Framework and consulting on taking this further, and disseminating best practice to employers
• scale up supported employment services
• strengthen rights in the workplace, encouraging flexible working and introducing carers leave, and improving access to advice on employment rights for disabled people and employers
• explore with disabled people what extra help would be most useful for those wishing to start a business
• champion opportunities for disabled people in the Civil Service and ensure the support to thrive at work
• create more opportunities for disabled people to serve in the armed forces and the agencies

More support for disabled people to start and stay in work

We want to do more to support disabled people and people with health conditions to start and stay in work. To be truly effective, a range of support is required. This includes earlier back-to-work support and help staying in work where possible, ensuring our Jobcentres are engaging, welcoming and expert, and personalising support to recognise that one size does not fit all.

To reduce the chance of people being out of work in the long term, DWP will explore offering earlier and more intensive back-to-work support in Jobcentres for people before their work capability assessment (WCA).

This support would go beyond the existing ‘Health and Work Conversation’ which people take part in before their WCA takes place.

Where people have recently fallen out of work because of a health condition or disability, Jobcentres could do more to help people to consider appropriate alternative employment opportunities and raise awareness of in-work support. This could involve more support from a person’s work coach, more often and earlier in the claim.

DWP is looking at a range of options from continuing to make Jobcentres more welcoming to asking what more can be done to encourage voluntary take up of employment support.

DWP is introducing a new approach to conditionality for disabled people and people with health conditions, aiming to enable an honest and open conversation between a person and their work coach about what they can do.

The aim is to build commitment to move towards work and into work where possible. Work coaches start by applying no mandatory requirements but agree with the person the voluntary steps the person will take. These could include, for example, developing a CV or looking for suitable jobs online. Using their discretion, work coaches apply mandatory requirements only if they are needed.

Because health and employment are related, DWP wants to do more to join up employment support with health services. DWP is continuing to build on current evidence based programmes that provide specialised support to disabled people and people with health conditions. For people with complex barriers who need more intensive, personalised support, DWP introduced the Intensive Personalised Employment Support (IPES) programme in 2019 in England and Wales.

From August 2021, to meet an anticipated rise in need for support as a result of COVID-19, DWP will increase places on IPES by 25%. This will help ensure that more disabled people and people with health conditions will be able to rapidly access appropriate tailored support.

Transforming Access to Work

Access to Work provides support for disabled people at work that is not covered by employers’ responsibility to make reasonable adjustments. This could include special equipment, support worker services, or help getting to and from work.

DWP is committed to transforming Access to Work. DWP is working to make Access to Work a digital service, fit for the 21st century, which is innovative, visible and accessible. DWP will radically improve employers and disabled people’s experience of using the service, including improving the payment process for employers and streamlining the user journey.

The department has already introduced the following improvements to the service:

• 24/7 online Access to Work application to enable disabled people and employers to choose a time that is convenient for them to make their application
• a digital renewal process with a text or email reminder service to ensure continuity of support
• a fully digital Communication Support Interview customer journey process
• updated Access to Work staff guidance, ensuring stakeholder feedback is incorporated and that social model language is used throughout the guidance

We recognise we must go further.

DWP is working with disabled people, disabled people’s organisations and charities via the Access to Work Stakeholder Forums to develop an Access to Work Adjustments Passport, which will be piloted during 2021.

The Access to Work adjustments passport will provide disabled people with greater flexibility and smooth transitions between job roles. It will provide an indicative overview for employers of the possible support available from Access to Work, which will help build employer understanding of disability and adjustments. It will transform the Access to Work customer journey by reducing the need for repeated assessments where the individual’s needs remain the same, enable a seamless transition and set the expectation with employers that tailored specialist aids and appliances will follow the passport holder when they change jobs.

To test the passport, DWP is carrying out a series of pilots with:

• young people who are transitioning from education to work, or from work back to education, for example in order to retrain or upskill
• veterans leaving the armed forces
• freelancers and contractors moving between job roles

We will build on the lessons learned from the pilots to inform future development.

We will make available a passport for all disabled students (including those receiving Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA)), when they leave university.

This will provide disabled young people with the confidence and certainty they need as they enter the world of work.

DWP is committed to improving awareness of Access to Work. The department has delivered a paid communication campaign to do this and to widen the reach to increase take-up of grants. DWP has begun a renewed effort to ensure disabled people are aware of the benefits of Access to Work.

DWP will review the effectiveness of the campaign to ensure activities that have achieved the greatest reach are taken forward in future campaigns.

The passport will help to deliver our ambition to actively raise awareness of Access to Work in schools and universities, to enable young disabled people to make informed career choices and achieve their aspirations.

DWP is committed to improving the offer for disabled people. It has actively worked with stakeholders and disability organisations to cascade information about Access to Work and to ensure disabled people’s views are captured. This partnership working led to the introduction of a new flexible offer in 2020, including:

• enabling disabled people to work flexibly from more than one location
• a package of home working support which can be blended with workplace support
• mental health wellbeing support for people returning to work
• travel-to-work support for those who may no longer be able to safely travel by public transport due to the nature of their disability

Building on this co-production, we are working with stakeholders to see what more Access to Work can do to support disabled people who have the most significant barriers to employment. Building on the learning from our work with Supported Businesses and using their experiences of supporting disabled employees, we are keen to go further and gain insight into how Access to Work could be used to open up employment opportunities for disabled people who require extensive adjustments to work.

DWP will test whether providing additional support for employers, who are willing to do more and flex job roles for those who need more than standard Access to Work, can open up job opportunities for disabled people. DWP will run a Proof of Concept to gain insight into the difference this approach can make.

Encouraging employers

A supportive employer can make a huge difference to disabled people. Approximately 55% of disabled people are of working age.^{[footnote 34]}

I had no idea I was on the autistic spectrum until I watched a documentary on Channel 4 called ‘Are you autistic?”, what I saw really rang true with my experiences of life. This started me on the journey to being diagnosed. I was then able to sit down with a manager at Sainsburys, which gave me a chance to reflect on my challenges at work, and also look at ways of making my job easier. I wear ear defenders to cut out the noise on the shop floor to avoid too much sensory overload. I can also leave the shop floor for 10 mins or so if it gets too much. It’s also about getting clear and specific instructions from people to do my job.

(Roy)

We want more employers to make the most of the talents disabled people can bring to the workplace.

Reviewing Disability Confident

The Disability Confident scheme supports employers to make the most of the talents disabled people can bring. It gives employers the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to attract, recruit, retain and progress disabled people in the workplace. Over 20,000 employers have actively engaged with the Disability Confident scheme, covering over 11 million employees.

We remain committed to an initial entry Level 1 which encourages employers of all sizes to begin the Disability Confident journey. However, we would like more employers to progress through the scheme and raise their ambition at Levels 2 and 3.

DWP will work with the Disability Confident Professional Advisers Group (PAG) and the Business Leaders Group this year to review and strengthen levels 2 and 3 of the scheme, to support employers to increase disabled people’s employment opportunities.

The review will consider the content of levels 2 and 3, to ensure it remains up-to-date, credible and sufficiently challenging. It will also explore further ways of encouraging employers to progress through the scheme effectively.

The Disability Confident scheme requires employers to commit to offering an interview to disabled people that meet the minimum criteria for the job, as specified by the employer. As part of the review we will consider how this aspect of the scheme is working out in practice.

The scheme will be updated by the end of this year.

Disseminating best practice to employers

We are committed to ensuring that employers, especially small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), have the best possible information and advice to support disabled people in the workplace. Employers have told us, in recent consultations, about shortfalls in the current offer. They report that they sometimes find this fractured, difficult to navigate and hard to apply in practice.

We are working to provide a more tailored offer for employers, that helps employers to support employees in a range of workplace situations. The design process also involves disabled people and SMEs.

In 2021, DWP will develop and test an improved information and advice offer for employers.

Best practice will also be shared through Disability Confident.

There is a significant amount of information for Disability Confident employers in the Disability Confident Employer packs and on GOV.UK.

This content will also be reviewed and updated in 2021 to ensure that it meets the needs of employers.

These efforts to join up information available to employers will be complemented by wider efforts to inform disabled people and employers about their employment rights.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), working with the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas), has developed a new online advice hub. From July 2021, its remit is to provide clear, accessible information and advice on employment rights for disabled people.

The advice hub will be available to both disabled people and employers, providing information and advice on:

• disability discrimination in the workplace
• flexible working
• rights and obligations around reasonable adjustments
• fairness in redundancy situations
• occupational health and mental health conditions

The hub will provide advice to disabled people in England, Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland, advice is available through the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

Disability Workforce Reporting

DWP worked with large employers and expert partners to develop a Voluntary Reporting Framework, to help organisations to record and voluntarily report information on disability, mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. It is aimed at employers with 250 or more employees, though also open to smaller employers who are keen to drive greater transparency in their organisation or industry.

In November 2019, DWP introduced a requirement that new and renewing Disability Confident Leaders (Level 3) would report against the framework.

There is increasing interest in making disability reporting mandatory, particularly for large employers, while recognising the challenges facing businesses. To explore this further, we will seek the views of stakeholders and shape future policy depending on the outcome of that exercise.

In 2021, Cabinet Office will consult on workforce reporting on disability for large employers, exploring voluntary and mandated workplace transparency, and publish a set of next steps.

The consultation will consider:

• how employers can better understand the profile of their workforce in terms of disability
• using a standardised question when asking employees about their disability status
• the type of information and data employers could collect and ways to do this in a standardised manner
• what information may already be held and cost issues
• tools and guidance to help employers report in a consistent and effective way
• lessons learned from existing reporting frameworks
• ways to maximise take up and employer engagement
• what might be reported to the government, and whether the government should publish it

Alongside the consultation, we will continue to raise awareness and encourage take up of the Voluntary Reporting Framework, including promoting the business benefits of reporting. DWP will promote the framework and benefits of reporting by:

• using its social-media channels, Jobcentre Plus networks, and Disability Confident employer networks and newsletters
• working with partners across government, such as with BEIS and HMRC, and with the private and voluntary sectors
• inviting supporters of the Voluntary Reporting Framework to outline their approach and the benefits as they see it through case studies

In addition, we will highlight the business benefits of workforce reporting as part of wider discussions on developing inclusive workplace cultures, to encourage a more open approach.

Expanding supported employment services

DWP is committed to expanding successful Individual Placement and Support (IPS) trials that use an evidence based approach. IPS provides support to move people with health conditions into work quickly, and support them to stay there. The DWP will also expand use of the place, train and maintain supported employment model in partnership with local authorities.

DWP will fund a local supported employment trailblazer, working with 20 local authorities, expected to begin in Autumn 2021.

The trailblazer will support approximately 1,200 people. At least two thirds of participants will be people with a learning disability and autistic people who use local authority social services. People with learning disabilities face particular barriers to employment, with only 6% of people with learning disabilities currently in work.

Strengthening rights for disabled people in the workplace

Flexible working can make all the difference for disabled people.

I started my career at KPMG in 2014 as a financial modeller. 18 months later I had a massive stroke and was left with no feeling on my left hand side, using a wheelchair. Work has been fantastic supporting me. My return to work was based from home originally and then I went back into the office part time. I was working remotely before COVID but it has now given me the opportunity to do international work that I never would have been able to do before. I am open and honest to the firm about my day to day experiences. I lead from the front to provide that voice and to support others to have confidence to open up about their experiences as well. Work has been one of the best rehabs. It has helped my self-esteem and improved my memory and concentration.

(Tom)

We want to make it easier for disabled people to work flexibly, if they would like to do so.

The experience of working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the importance of choice. While fewer disabled people than non-disabled people stated finding working from home difficult (11% for disabled and 21% for non-disabled),^{[footnote 35]} working from home is not suitable for everyone.

My adapted office chair will take up half a living room or half a bedroom, and I already have the wheelchair in my bedroom so it just doesn’t work.

(Diane)

BEIS is reviewing the statutory right to request flexible working.

We are committed, subject to consultation, to make flexible working the default, unless employers have good reasons not to.

BEIS will launch a consultation by the end of 2021 on making flexible working the default in Great Britain, unless employers have good reasons not to.

Introducing unpaid carers’ leave

We know that many people caring informally for disabled people are balancing this with work commitments.

Many employers are supportive: 54% of employed carers who responded to the UK Disability Survey ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ their employer is supportive of their caring responsibilities, although only 26% ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that their promotion opportunities are the same as their colleagues.

We are committed to introducing an entitlement to leave for unpaid carers of up to 1 week, and have since completed a consultation.

BEIS will set out next steps in progressing the government’s commitment to introduce unpaid carers’ leave across Great Britain by the end of 2021.

This new entitlement will help unpaid carers to balance their caring responsibilities with paid employment.

Supporting disabled entrepreneurs

Starting and growing a business takes courage, commitment, and a lot of hard work. The idea is perhaps the easy part. Creating a business plan, sorting out financing, marketing, building a team – the ‘things to do’ list will be long.

In return, entrepreneurs enjoy the satisfaction of making their own way, with independence and flexibility.

Disabled people share the same aspirations. We want to help more disabled people realise their potential through this route.

BEIS will publish proposals by the end of 2021 to ensure that every disabled person who wants to start a business has the opportunity to do so.

This work will:

• cover issues including access to finance for disabled entrepreneurs, the availability of existing business support and an assessment of the additional challenges people with disabilities face when starting a business
• include extensive engagement with disabled entrepreneurs and disability stakeholders

Supporting disabled civil servants to thrive at work

The Civil Service has made good progress as an inclusive employer, although challenges remain.

12.8% of civil servants in UK government departments identify as having a disability, compared with 7.6% a decade ago and 10% in 2018.^{[footnote 36]}

Efforts to better support disabled civil servants have included increasing disabled representation on talent schemes and providing a bespoke development scheme for disabled employees, Disability Empowers Leadership Talent (DELTA). We will continue to grow our multi-award winning work experience and development programmes, and to encourage departments and the wider public sector to offer Supported Internships. Elements include:

• the Autism Exchange programme, which grew to over 90 placements by 2020
• tthe Early Diversity Internships programme – 15% of interns in 2020 were disabled
• the Summer Diversity Internships programme – 28% of interns in 2020 were disabled

We are also excited to partner with Leonard Cheshire to offer disability internships in the civil service under its Change 100 scheme, in 2021 and beyond.

The Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) is also demonstrating its commitment to ensuring that disabled people are recruited, retained and progress. The NICS conducts targeted outreach in partnership with disability organisations to encourage and promote its career opportunities to disabled applicants. Additional initiatives include the Work Experience Scheme for People with Disabilities and the NICS People Strategy, which is focused on better supporting and enabling career progression for disabled civil servants.

The Scottish Government published its Recruitment and Retention Plan for Disabled People in 2019. Senior Civil Service (SCS) recruitment diversity has improved significantly. Action includes sponsorship arrangements for all disabled SCS who have self-identified for talent purposes and a single point of contact for adjustments. 34% of attendees at the Future Leaders Diversity Conference (2020) identified as disabled. A new Workplace Adjustments Service is being piloted, with full roll-out due in October 2021.

The Welsh Government’s Workforce Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2021-2026 sets out its target for 20% of the people it recruits to be disabled by 2026. It has a target to promote disabled people at a rate which exceeds their population share and has committed to embed the social model of disability. It is committed to remove methodological barriers in recruitment. Welsh Government is a Disability Confident Leader and the first government department to sign up to Changing Faces Pledge to be Seen.

Progression remains a challenge. While progress has been made with the proportion of disabled civil servants, at senior Civil Service level it remains 3% below what it is across the whole civil service.^{[footnote 37]}

I have had mobility issues since birth but always focused on what I can do rather than what I can’t. I have done a wide variety of operational roles in (our organisation), including a posting overseas in a hostile environment. I currently lead a large project team and am a trained coach. I have only felt disabled when people have made assumptions about my abilities. I hope to take on further leadership roles which promote the things that helped me perform at my best – an openness to consider alternative ways of doing things and an emphasis on building teams which harness different skills and life experiences.

(Jess)

We will go further to support disabled civil servants to thrive at work.

All UK government departments will:

• encourage and support workplace disability networks, to talk about disability issues, change perceptions and encourage inclusive behaviour
• achieve and maintain the highest level of Disability Confident accreditation, alongside other major public bodies
• ensure responsive and timely support to meet workplace adjustment needs – this will include training leaders and managers and ensuring clear and accessible guidance is in place by early 2022
• develop and embed flexible working so that it helps disabled people to thrive and progress in their careers, works for all civil servants, and meets the needs of the Civil Service

By September 2021, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) will publish a plan to bring more disabled people into the civilian workforce to meet its target of 15.3% by 2030. Civilians are civil servants working alongside military personnel, both in the UK and overseas on postings or operational deployments.

More opportunities for disabled people to serve in Defence and the security agencies

We want disabled people to have the opportunity to serve in the armed forces and the agencies, as well as in the Civil Service.

We welcome everyone with the skills and aptitude we are seeking.

That extends to the intelligence community. All 3 security agencies – MI5, MI6 and GCHQ – will ensure that our workforce will be fully representative of wider society we serve by 2030.

MI6 will strive to ensure that by 2025, 9% of the organisation is drawn from those identifying as disabled, both overall and at each grade.

MOD will lead by example, creating more opportunities for disabled people to serve as:

Reservists – MOD will explore how to increase opportunities for disabled people to serve as part of the armed forces reserves (those in the ‘Group D’ employment category) by the end of 2023, including:

• promoting better use of disabled reservists for appropriate roles across the armed forces
• guaranteeing interviews for disabled reservists who meet the minimum requirements when recruiting for those roles

Armed forces – by 2025, MOD will deliver the Armed Forces Recruitment Programme to recruit more diverse military personnel, including disabled people.

We will experiment with the recruitment of more diverse military personnel into the new National Cyber Force, using it as a pathfinder for this increased inclusivity.

Education: ensuring children and young people fulfil their potential

The school day can be challenging for some disabled children. In the UK, 8% of children are disabled as defined under the Equality Act 2010.^{[footnote 38]}

When I was in the Juniors at Primary School we had a cloakroom where we hung our coats. Due to being short I was unable to reach the pegs so a peg was put lower down for me on the wall. Whilst I was very grateful for this it meant that my peg stayed in the same place for all the years I was in the Juniors. Every year we would move up a line in the cloakroom, I never did. This meant that I missed out on all the talk that went on in the cloakroom with my classmates. I was always in the line for year 3 even when I was in year 4, 5 and 6.

(Donna)

Despite progress, there remains a big disparity in qualifications achieved.^{[footnote 39]} 23% of disabled people had a degree or equivalent in 2020, compared with 39.7% of non-disabled people. 38% of disabled people who responded to the UK Disability Survey said that concerns about other people’s views have stopped them from pursuing education.^{[footnote 40]}

One of the biggest things that the Open University has given me is belief in myself and in my own actions and ability. When they said I wouldn’t, I didn’t. When I believed I could, I did. I believe I have the ability to obtain a distinction, if not at least a first. I’m going to prove to the world that people with ADHD are not “thick” or “stupid”. They are neurodiverse. I want to be a testament to all the people with learning disabilities who have been told “you will never amount to anything” and prove to them and society otherwise.

(Amy)

More than half disabled children and young people also meet the definition of having ‘special educational needs’ (SEN). Early years settings, schools and colleges provide additional support to those with SEN to help them reach their full potential and prepare effectively for adulthood. We are committed to improving experiences for children and young people with SEN and disabilities in these settings, as well as better supporting disabled students at university.

We will go further in the following ways:

• improve support for children and young people in England with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in the financial year 2021 to 2022, including: completing a wide-ranging review to improve outcomes, an extra £730 million the high needs revenue funding for children and young people with more complex needs, and an extra £300 million to improve existing school provision and accessibility
• boost professional development for those supporting children and young people with SEND
• support improvements to the supported internships programme
• increase the number of disabled people entering into apprenticeships and ensure that those who start an apprenticeship go on to thrive

Delivering the SEND Review

DfE made radical changes to the SEND system in England in 2014. These changes extended support to everyone aged 25 and under and aimed to improve outcomes by putting the child or young person at the centre of the system.

Despite heavy investment, and good practice prompted by these reforms, disabled children and young people are not continuously experiencing improved outcomes.

DfE launched a major review of the SEND system to examine how further improvements can be made.

DfE will consult on improvements to the SEND system through the SEND review.

The SEND Review will focus on improving support and preparing disabled children and young people for fulfilled adulthood. We want to:

• identify needs early and address them as soon as possible
• clarify the roles and responsibilities for all parties involved in the SEND system, across education, health and care, and with a clear offer in mainstream education
• provide faster, more streamlined access to Education, Health and Care Plans for those who need them

In combination, these measures should improve families’ experience of getting support and improve outcomes, as well as making the system more sustainable and resilient.

My school has always strived to include me in lessons: sending lesson plans ahead of the lesson so they can be made more accessible; setting me a question at the start of the lesson to give me plenty of time to write my answer and adapting tests so my level of understanding could be assessed without too much repetition. Using a spelling board to say everything I want can be exhausting, but with these changes I feel I can contribute as a valued member of the class.

(Jonathan, aged 14)

The Welsh Government is introducing a new Additional Learning Needs (ALN) system. Key to the ALN transformation programme is the ALN and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act. Learner focused, it makes the system more equitable, simpler and less adversarial and introduces new statutory Individual Development Plans (IDPs). Phased implementation begins in September 2021, with a £20 million package of funding.

The Scottish Government and Convention Of Scottish Local Authorities published a joint action plan (2020) in response to an additional support and learning (ASL) independent review. The plan sets out a series of actions addressing review recommendations and enhancing the experiences of children and young people with additional support needs, including disabled children and young people. Progress will be reported in October 2021.

Funding for educating those with complex special educational needs and disabilities

High Needs funding is incredibly important: it supports those with complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) up to the age of 25. It also supports children and young people who receive their education while they are in hospital.

DfE is providing an additional £730 million of ongoing revenue funding for children and young people with complex SEND during the financial year 2021 to 2022. This means that the total high needs funding allocation will have risen by 24% in 2 years to over £8 billion this year.

Investing in school accessibility and capacity

We have invested £365 million over the period 2018 to 2021 to create new school places and improve existing provision for children with SEND. 59 new special free schools for children with complex SEND have been opened and a further 75 are in the pipeline.

DfE is investing a further £300 million to create places, improve existing provision in schools and make accessibility adaptations for children and young people with SEND in the financial year 2021 to 2022.

Training for all schools and colleges in supporting children and young people with SEND

We want more children and young people with SEND to have their needs met without requiring an Education, Health and Care plan.

DfE is providing funding of up to £3.82 million in the 2021 to 2022 financial year to offer staff in schools and colleges continuing professional development, specifically in supporting children and young people with SEND.

Training more educational psychologists

Educational psychologists play a key role in helping pupils with SEND, advising and supporting schools and colleges, and providing critical input into Education, Health and Care plans.

DfE is contributing £9.3 million in the 2021 to 2022 financial year to fund the training of more educational psychologists, increasing the number of trainee educational psychologists each year to over 200.

Additional trainees from this programme will start to join the workforce in autumn 2021, as they spend the second and third years of their training working with children and young people.

Involving families of children with SEND in service design

DfE is committed to involving parents and young people in designing SEND policies and services. This helps create a system centred on families needs, increasing confidence in the services families use.

DfE is providing funding of £8.6 million in financial year 2021 to 2022 to strengthen the participation of parents and young people in the SEND system, through ensuring that they have a voice in designing policies and services, and have access to high quality information, advice and support.

This includes providing up to £17,500 for each Parent Carer Forum in England, representing an increase of £2,500 compared with the 2020 to 2021 financial year.

Smoothing transitions to adulthood

We want disabled young people to be supported and have positive experiences as they transition to adulthood. This remains a challenging time for many.

A disabled person with a degree is still no more likely to be in work than a non-disabled person whose highest qualification is at GCSE.^{[footnote 41]}

Preparing all children and young people with SEND for adulthood is a key part of the SEND system. Those supporting young people with disabilities are expected to be ambitious about the outcomes they can achieve and to focus on ensuring that they are able to live like their peers by supporting them: to enter higher education or employment; to be able to live independently; to be part of broader society; and to be as healthy as possible.

Young people with SEND can access the following support:

• over 1,500 Jobcentre advisers in schools who provide advice on skills, training and vocational routes into work
• a school or college Careers Leader who can help with career plans and engage employers to provide experiences of the workplace
• the National Careers Service in England, which provides free, impartial information, advice and guidance on jobs and careers
• the National Citizen Service programme’s inclusion fund, which gives extra support for specialist staff, equipment and travel
• the Disabled Students’ Allowance, which helps disabled students with the additional costs they may face in higher education because of their disability. This includes costs relating to assistive and accessible technology and software, travel, and the provision of more specialist non-medical help such as British Sign Language interpretation and specialist study skills support
• the Disabled Students’ Commission, which has a focus on enhancing the employability of disabled students

Progress continues towards eliminating the gap in degree outcomes (achievement of 1sts or 2:1s) between disabled students and non-disabled students by 2024/25. This is a formal Key Performance Measure for the Office for Students, the regulator of higher education in England.

Our commitment to improving transition experiences for disabled young people is ongoing, and strengthened for financial year 2021 to 2022 in the following ways.

Supporting pathways to employment

Improving disabled young people’s pathways to employment is an integral part of our plans to build back better, and build back fairer, from the COVID-19 pandemic.

We will continue work to ensure that disabled young people can follow high quality study programmes, with clear pathways to higher education and employment. We have already outlined our plans to make available a passport for all disabled students (including those receiving Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA)), when they leave university.

Supported internships are a work-based study programme, where young people spend the majority of their time based at an employer. They help young people aged 16 to 24 with an Education, Health and Care plan to get the skills they need for work so they can get into a job.

DfE will improve supported internships in England, including updating guidance, developing a self-assessment quality framework, and helping local authorities to develop local supported employment forums by March 2022.

Traineeships are a learning programme with work experience that provide a supported transition into an apprenticeship, another job or further learning. The government has invested in the biggest ever expansion of traineeships: £111 million in the Plan for Jobs for the 2020 to 2021 academic year and £126 million in the March budget for 2021 to 2022.

Traineeships have a history of supporting young people with a disability. They are aimed at young people aged 16 to 24 (or 25 with an Education, Health and Care plan) who need extra support to develop the knowledge, skills and experience employers are looking for. In 2019 to 2020, 23% of people starting a traineeship declared a learning difficulty or disability.^{[footnote 42]}

DfE will evaluate the impact of this £237 million investment in traineeships on young people with SEND by July 2022.

We will also consider what more we can do to support disabled apprentices. We have made significant progress in increasing the proportion of disabled apprentices following the Maynard Review in 2016 and Mencap’s Access All Areas report in 2019. 12.5% of apprenticeships started in 2020 were started by disabled people.

DfE will go further. Not only do we want to increase the number of disabled people entering into apprenticeships, we want to ensure that those who start an apprenticeship go on to thrive. Our ambition is for more disabled people to undertake and achieve an apprenticeship.

DfE will work with the Apprenticeship Diversity Champions Network of employers, the Disabled Apprentices Network and the disability sector to understand the current barriers people may face in undertaking an apprenticeship, what works and to co-develop solutions. This will include benefits from flexibilities and support available for those with an Education, Health and Care plan. Findings will be published during National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) in February 2022.

To increase awareness of apprenticeships and accessibility for disabled people, DfE will work with DWP on the Disability Confident employer review to take into account the benefits it can provide to apprentices; and on processes for referring people – especially those with disability – into apprenticeships.

DfE will work with the DWP, disabled apprentices, employers, providers and disabled people’s organisations and charities as the Access to Work Passport is piloted during 2021, so that apprentices benefit from improvements that are made. Alongside this, DfE will consider links to the accessibility of other lines of funded support for disabled apprentices.

DfE will also further strengthen the quality of apprenticeships, focusing in particular on narrowing the achievement gap between those who declare and those who do not declare disability: including through a workforce development programme for apprenticeship providers and support to employers.

The department will also consult on what else we can do to strengthen pathways to employment in England.

Shopping: more consumer choice and convenience

Too often, disabled people experience limited choice and additional cost when shopping for goods and services, whether browsing the local high street or searching online for a better deal on utilities.

I always ask if restaurants are accessible but all the time I’m given the wrong advice. It feels like it’s obvious to me what it means to be wheelchair accessible, but obviously some people don’t even know what it means.

(Diane)

Many businesses on UK high streets are inaccessible for disabled consumers. The buildings disabled respondents to the UK Disability Survey had most frequently been unable to access or had extreme difficulty accessing were shops and shopping centres (78%), and pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes (66%).

Shopping online can be a similarly frustrating experience. 98% of the million most visited web pages did not meet accessibility standards^{[footnote 43]} and 69% of disabled internet users click away from sites with barriers.^{[footnote 44]}

Access to essentials was an issue for many disabled people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Disabled people more often indicated coronavirus had affected access to groceries, medication and essentials than non-disabled people (27% compared with 12%).^{[footnote 45]}

Because we couldn’t work out doing an online food shop, we just couldn’t get the technology. Our devices that we had at the time were just not conducive for trying to do a food shop on it. And then once you got on, there were no spaces, no delivery slots. So, we quickly gave up with that.

(Jessica)

It is difficult to say whether progress has been made in recent years. International design standards for accessibility have improved the design of some products (for example, mobile phones), but disabled consumers have not been surveyed often enough about their retail experiences^{[footnote 46]} to evaluate the impact of this on disabled people’s day to day retail experiences.

To champion disabled consumers and help make the UK the most accessible place in the world to live and work with technology, we will:

• make high streets more accessible
• accelerate the delivery of Changing Places toilets in England
• explore a new assistive technology challenge
• explore how to improve the accessibility of private sector websites
• appoint more business leaders to promote accessibility in their sectors

We want to do more in the longer term. The Disability Unit recognises the huge potential of action in this area and will prioritise further cross-government work in 2021 to 2022.

As a first step, we will improve our understanding of disabled people’s experiences accessing products and services in the UK. This will include commissioning research and exploring the extra costs some disabled people may face.

BEIS and the Cabinet Office will set up an Extra Costs Taskforce, bringing together disabled people, regulators and businesses, to better understand the extra costs faced by disabled people, including how this breaks down for different impairments - by summer 2022.

Unlocking increased mobility and independence for many disabled people, Motability has shown just one way that costs for disabled people can be reduced, through strong industry partnerships and economies of scale.

Transforming the accessibility of our towns and high streets

We want our high streets and town centres to be welcoming and accessible for everyone. Yet for many disabled people, they can be an obstacle course.

I mean, in terms of physical services, shopping for clothes, personally, I find it an absolute nightmare. If I’m using my scooter or wheelchair to mobilise around or even on crutches, I find that the actual physical space between aisles and between, you know, garment rails are either too high, around the shop, there’s not enough accessibility to get round at all.

(UK Disability Survey respondent)

Responding to the UK Disability Survey, nearly a third (31%) of disabled people found using public spaces difficult ‘all the time’ or ‘often’.

This is not only a social injustice but a potentially huge loss to high street businesses. One estimate puts the spending power of disabled people and their families at £274 billion.^{[footnote 47]}

DfT issues guidance for local authorities and other organisations in England, which is also referred to in devolved administrations, on accessible pedestrian and transport infrastructure. We will strengthen our guidance in 2021.

DfT will update the Inclusive Mobility guidance and Use of Tactile Paving Surfaces guidance in 2021, and guidance on designing streets for people (Manual for Streets) in 2022.

As well as strengthening our guidance for existing streetscapes, we will consider how we can encourage new projects that increase high street accessibility.

MHCLG will consider how we can support projects that increase high street accessibility for disabled people in the design of any future local growth funding.

The Welsh Government has committed to taking forward recommendations to introduce Access Certificates for public buildings - including shops, food outlets, sports clubs, pubs and offices as well as public transport services following the ‘Scores on the Doors’ petition.

Where people shop or go out should not be determined by their disability.

I travelled for 5 hours trying to find an accessible toilet that was a) open b) accessible (not across a gravel car park or up steps.) Often accessible toilets are used as cleaning goods storage cupboards. I believe this practice should be stopped as my husband often has to clear things so I can access, embarrassing and degrading.

(UK Disability Survey respondent)

Changing Places toilets offer larger, supported facilities for disabled people who cannot use standard accessible toilets.

A major change to building rules in England means that it is now compulsory to include a Changing Places toilet in certain new public buildings, including shopping centres, supermarkets, cinemas, stadia and arts venues with a capacity of 350 people or more. We expect this to add these crucial facilities to more than 150 new buildings a year, meaning thousands of disabled people will have greater access to public places.

MHCLG will make £30 million available from summer 2021 to accelerate delivery of Changing Places toilets in existing buildings in England.

We will also further improve provision across the transport network as well as at motorway service stations.

DfT will extend its Changing Places programme by making a further £450,000 available for Changing Places toilets to support disabled people using the wider transport network, on top of the £2.2 million already invested at motorway service stations in England.

The expanded programme will be delivered in partnership with Muscular Dystrophy UK, co-chairs of the Changing Places Consortium.

In a similar bid to accelerate the delivery of Changing Places toilets, devolved administrations have taken this work forward in ways that best meet the needs of their populations.

The Scottish Government has consulted and published an amended Non-domestic Technical Handbook which states where Changing Places toilets should be provided as part of new buildings or new building work.

The Welsh Government is considering the outcomes of a public consultation on increasing provision of Changing Places toilets and baby nappy changing facilities in certain types of buildings that ran in early 2021.

The Northern Ireland Executive is planning to make it a requirement to put Changing Places facilities in new buildings of a certain type or size, or where relevant works are being undertaken to buildings. A consultation will launch shortly.

Driving innovation in assistive technology

Technology offers a range of potential solutions to many of the everyday challenges that disabled people face.

This can be most convenient and accessible when integrated in products designed for all, such as smartphones. Other assistive products are more specialised, such as wheelchairs, hearing aids or screen readers.

The impact of products that support everyday tasks is huge. Over three-quarters (78%) of disabled people find access to mobile technologies helpful for living independently.^{[footnote 48]}

We have yet to take full advantage of the potential of technology to increase disabled people’s independence. Too often:

• technology is developed without taking account of the needs of disabled consumers. From streaming services^{[footnote 49]} and smartphone apps^{[footnote 50]} to AI-powered recruitment and interview tools,^{[footnote 51]} the importance of involving disabled consumers in the design process is often emphasised^{[footnote 52]}
• disabled people lack access to technologies that would benefit them – this happens in many settings, including education,^{[footnote 53]} employment^{[footnote 54]} and in daily living^{[footnote 55]}
• disabled people may not have the awareness, training or support to make best use of technology^{[footnote 56][footnote 57]}

We are providing significant support for innovation in the development of assistive and accessible technologies, and also to improve access to their use. In 2019 to 2020, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) invested £58.4 million in research and development related to assistive technology. So far, the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund has invested £1.4 million in assistive technology projects.

We will go further to increase innovation and develop new products that will improve disabled people’s everyday lives.

BEIS will challenge UKRI and other research stakeholders to use future innovation challenges to accelerate innovation in assistive technologies.

We will also explore how we can drive innovation in assistive technology through the new Centre for Assistive and Accessible Technology, outlined in Part 2.

Improving the accessibility of private sector websites

Accessible websites enable disabled users and users of assistive technologies (such as screen readers, speech recognition and screen magnification) to access the same information and services that others can. Given the growth of online services, information, and social networks, ensuring websites are accessible is a key part of ensuring disabled people can participate fully in society.

A 2016 survey found that 71% of disabled customers clicked away from online sites they found difficult to use at an estimated cost to UK business of £11.75 billion.

There has been progress improving accessibility with the Public Sector Bodies Website Accessibility Regulations coming into force in 2018,^{[footnote 58]} albeit with some way still to go. The Cabinet Office Central Digital and Data Office audits compliance, while the Equality and Human Rights Commission in Great Britain and Equality Commission for Northern Ireland in Northern Ireland work on enforcement. But there is more we can do to ensure UK private sector websites are more accessible.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will build the evidence base about the nature and scale of the inaccessibility of private sector websites, and explore how the government can effectively intervene including possible legislative options, reporting back by spring 2022.

Appointing more business leaders to promote accessibility in their sectors

We recognise the importance of working with the private sector to improve the experience disabled people have as consumers. Change is more likely to be sustainable if it is led from within industry by leaders who understand it well.

The Disability Unit is launching an enhanced and expanded programme of Disability and Access Ambassadors in summer 2021.

Appointed by the Minister for Disabled People, Disability and Access Ambassadors use their influence in business to encourage and support changes in access for both disabled consumers and employees. Appointments are voluntary and run for 1 to 3 years.

Having lived experience of disability, and of the barriers that disabled consumers can face when seeking to access products and services, I’ve welcomed the opportunities that my role as Disability and Access Ambassador for the Insurance Industry has given me. I have worked with disabled people’s organisations and consumer groups, professional and trade bodies, charities, government departments and politicians to raise awareness and deliver change. I’m proud to have led the establishment of the ground-breaking Access To Insurance programme, which will change the way the industry works in the UK, especially in relation to signposting, underwriting transparency, inclusive design, Equality Act awareness and the importance of consulting people with lived experience.

(Johnny Timpson)

The Ambassador role includes:

• making the business case for goods and services being accessible to disabled customers
• using their networks to share good practice and to highlight potential improvements
• encouraging equal employment opportunities for disabled people
• helping businesses to improve their communication with disabled customers
• raising awareness of disability and accessibility issues
• working with other Ambassadors to support systemic change across the private sector

Changes initiated by Ambassadors (previously known as Sector Champions) have included: the Access to Insurance programme; increased use of the sunflower lanyard across the airports, rail and retail sectors; ensuring that disabled people are involved in rebuilding the countryside and heritage sectors post COVID-19; and improving rail accessibility, managing the issues around the wearing of masks on public transport during the pandemic. The new Arts Access Card also stemmed from an Ambassador proposal.

We are increasing the number of Ambassadors. This includes recruiting new Ambassadors in the following sectors: airports, arts and culture, banking, buses, creative industries, energy, hospitality, housing, insurance, rail, retail and universities. Posts in other sectors are being considered.

Leisure: widening access to arts, culture, sport and the great outdoors

Spending time with family and friends and doing the things we enjoy is a vital part of everyday life. Too many disabled people are missing out.

People tell me that it makes them uncomfortable when I’m not feeling well so it’s hard for them to be around me. I found that very strange. I couldn’t be who I was before, and they fell back.

(Latanya)

13.9% of disabled people regularly feel lonely, compared with 3.8% of non-disabled people.^{[footnote 59]} This has not narrowed since 2013 to 2014. Disabled children are over 3 times more likely to often or always feel lonely compared with non-disabled children.^{[footnote 60]}

Practical accessibility issues, stigma and the need to carefully manage energy levels and pain^{[footnote 61]} are all barriers to socialising and participation. Of those disabled people who experienced difficulty accessing public buildings at least ‘sometimes’, 90% of those who had accessed culture, sport and leisure services had experienced at least some difficulties.^{[footnote 62]}

Socialising and participation in sports, art, culture and nature boosts health and wellbeing.^{[footnote 63]} We want to level up disparities in participation between disabled and non-disabled people so everyone can benefit.

I have disabilities as a result of Meningitis. Whilst a student at The Orpheus Centre in Godstone I developed a passion for song-writing and performance. I have sung at Winchester Cathedral, Bagshot Park, Buckingham Palace and The Royal Albert Hall. Working with places like Orpheus, and later Freewheelers and Extant, make me realise how important the performing arts are in helping disabled people develop confidence.

(Luke)

We will:

• widen participation in arts, culture and sport
• make the UK the most accessible tourism destination in Europe
• improve access to paths
• make playgrounds more inclusive

We want to do more to support disabled people to participate. The Disability Unit will prioritise further cross-government action in this area in 2021 to 2022.

Widening participation in art, culture and sport

We will widen participation in arts and culture. Disability is one of the main barriers people give for not attending art and cultural events.^{[footnote 64]}

There is wide support among disabled people for a national arts access scheme.

Arts Councils across the UK are working together with the British Film Institute to launch a free, UK-wide arts access card by March 2022.

This access card will be usable across all arts and cultural venues, for seamless, barrier free booking that is responsive to individual circumstances and needs.

‘A Culture Strategy for Scotland’ sets out an inclusive vision, and includes measures to ensure that disabled people can lead a cultural life – formal and informal – of their choosing. A National Partnership for Culture advises Scottish ministers on delivery of the strategy. Further, Creative Scotland has formed their first Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group and set up a targeted Create:Inclusion Fund.

We will also widen participation in sport. Disabled people are nearly twice as likely^{[footnote 65]} to be physically inactive.

Sport England will:

• invest £20m in the financial year 2021 to 2022 through its Tackling Inequalities Fund – this fund has successfully reached and impacted under-represented groups, and includes a specific focus on disabled people
• find new ways to address inequalities in physical activity levels between disabled and non-disabled people, in partnership with the Design Council by March 2022
• develop and pilot a new training programme to better enable social workers to promote physical activity to disabled people in 2022

Live sport offers enjoyment for many, including from the shared experience of being there and feeling part of it. Sports venues have a duty to provide an environment that is welcoming and inclusive of everyone, irrespective of disability.

We want sport to be at the forefront of equality, and expect all sports and all clubs to take the action needed to ensure this.

The success of adaptive sports for veterans is an example of how government can help reduce the stubborn differences in physical activity levels between disabled and non-disabled people.

The Office for Veterans’ Affairs will share best practice and insight from the veterans’ adaptive sport community with disability organisations and providers of sport and activity by March 2022.

Building on the Active Living - No Limits Action Plan’s (2016 to 2021) success, the Northern Ireland Executive is developing a new 10 year strategy for sport and physical activity. Launching in 2021, emphasis will be on provision for disabled people. The Active Living – No Limits Forum, a disability sectoral group overseeing delivery of the Plan, will manage the review and extension of the Action Plan through to 2026.

Since 2016, Sportscotland has invested over £3 million in Scottish Disability Sport (SDS), supporting disability sport at all levels, and supporting athletes on the world stage. In 2019 to 2020 SDS local branches delivered 466 sessions and 245 events, while over 2,000 people engaged in SDS national events across 8 sports.

For 2021 to 2022, Disability Sport Wales will receive approximately £1 million as a National Partner from Sport Wales.

Making the UK the most accessible tourism destination in Europe

We are committed to making the UK the most accessible tourism destination in Europe by 2025, as set out in the Tourism Recovery Plan.^{[footnote 66]}

DCMS will:

• work with VisitBritain and VisitEngland and other stakeholders in the tourism sector to promote the importance of accessible tourism in the media and to businesses
• partner with the Inclusive Tourism Action Group and promote the National Accessible Scheme which rates tourist accommodation based on its suitability for guests with accessibility requirements
• hold a series of roundtables, hosted by the Minister for Sport and Tourism, with stakeholders across the tourism industry to better understand the barriers disabled people face as tourists

Improving access to nature

People with a long-term illness or health conditions are around 25% less likely to have enjoyed nature in the past 14 days than others.^{[footnote 67]}

In our 25 Year Environment Plan, we committed to making sure that there are accessible natural spaces close to where people live and work, and to encourage more people to spend time in them to benefit their health and wellbeing.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) will:

• make the England Coast Path as easy to use as possible for disabled people – all stretches of the England Coast Path will be open or with establishment works underway by the end of 2021, unless there are ongoing planning or legal issues
• create a new north coast to coast National Trail from St Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay in Yorkshire by 2025
• improve access, signage and information on existing national paths and trails

Defra leads cross-government delivery of a £5.77 million investment in green social prescribing – supporting people to engage in nature based interventions to prevent mental ill health and reduce health inequalities. Many disabled people will benefit.

More inclusive playgrounds

Play is an important part of growing up. It offers not only enjoyment but supports children’s social, emotional, intellectual and physical development.

My youngest son, who has cerebral palsy and epilepsy and is registered blind, loves to play and be swung around as much as any child. But as he’s grown older and bigger we’ve found it hard to find playgrounds that are accessible. This has left our whole family excluded. It has become increasingly more difficult to take my 3 children to our local play parks as my youngest son gets extremely upset as he wants to join in and be included. We will often avoid going to parks which is not fair on him or his brothers. All children deserve and have a right to access play parks.

(Becky)

Yet for disabled children, the opportunities to join in play are far fewer. As a result, the opportunities to develop are also reduced.^{[footnote 68]} Playgrounds and other play settings can fall short in providing inclusive facilities.

We are determined to increase opportunities for disabled children and their families, tackle barriers and enable the simple enjoyment of play for every child, wherever they live.

The Equality Act 2010 makes clear the duty of local authorities and other service providers to advance equality of opportunity for disabled people. For play areas and playgrounds, best practice is set out in British and European standards.^{[footnote 69]}

MHCLG will publish a new National Model Design Code in the summer (2021), setting out design considerations for local planning authorities. The department will use guidance supporting the Code to stress the importance of providing accessible and inclusive play spaces and equipment for all.

We will also write to every local authority to ensure awareness of the need for inclusive facilities and to highlight the guidance and good practice standards that support this.

Public services: making access as smooth and easy as possible

From visiting the GP surgery to regular visits from paid carers, services such as health, social care and welfare are an important part of everyday life for many disabled people. Too often, these services can be difficult to access and fragmented.

…the constant having to justify to various people, especially the benefits office, that I’m disabled, and no, it’s not going to change within the next 5 years. Why do I need to keep repeating myself? I’m stuck with it

(UK Disability Survey respondent)

Of those disabled people who had found difficulty accessing public buildings at least ‘sometimes’, about three quarters had experienced at least some difficulties accessing health services (78%) and social services (74%).^{[footnote 70]} Access to healthcare services appears to have been particularly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic - disabled people more often indicated coronavirus had affected access to healthcare for non-coronavirus related issues than non-disabled people (40% compared with 19%).^{[footnote 71]}

My GP told me originally – when I said to him about my foot and how I was in pain and everything – he said: ‘Well, I don’t think they [podiatrists] are working at the moment’. And he just left it like that, nothing. When I spoke to the podiatrist, she said: ‘We’ve been working all the time. We’ve had to, because of emergencies such as yours’ […] So, how I think they could improve it is all talk to one another, and make sure they know the facts before saying to you: ‘Oh no, they’re not doing anything at the moment’.

(Shawn)

Accessing services online can also be particularly challenging. Of the 10 most populated English county councils in September 2020, only the Essex county council website was fully accessible.^{[footnote 72]}

Many disabled people see these services as vital in supporting them to live independent everyday lives. 44% of those who received formal care said it made them feel ‘more in control’ or ‘much more in control’ of their lives.^{[footnote 73]}

All my life I received a service from my local social services to help support me as I have learning disabilities. Although they helped me gain a lot of valuable life skills I never really felt able to achieve my dream of marrying my fiancé. They never took me seriously, in fact one member of staff said I couldn’t get married because I had a learning disability! When I found out that my local council was allowing “micro-providers” to work with people I was really interested as I knew someone that I wanted to work with who I trusted. I decided to opt out of the statutory care from social services and use my care package money (direct payments) to pay for a micro-provider to support me. They helped me to move in with my fiancée Alison and 2 years later we got married, something I always dreamed of but never thought would happen!

(Phil)

We are taking immediate action to improve online access to public services. DHSC and DWP are also taking longer term steps to address the challenges disabled people experience when accessing support from social care and the welfare system. We will:

• set out proposals to improve disabled people’s experience of accessing benefits
• continue working with disabled people and disability organisations at every stage of social care reforms to ensure their voices are heard and needs reflected
• improve the use of disability data and evidence in health and social care
• work to reduce the health inequalities autistic people and people with a learning disability face
• deliver a programme to improve the accessibility of online public services
• tackle the Accessible Technology Skills Gap

Improving access to disability benefits

DWP’s Health and Disability Green Paper Shaping Future Support aims to help people to live independently and to help more people to find, stay and progress in work, wherever people are able to do so. The proposals aim to ensure the health and disability benefits system meets the expectations of the people who use them, so people have a better experience and feel confident to engage with the full range of support.

8 in 10 disabled people who had accessed benefits and pension services had experienced at least some difficulties.^{[footnote 74]}

Most of our lives are sat waiting.

(Jessica)

DWP will improve signposting to other support, including health services, simplify forms and improve advocacy, so that disabled people can find their way through the benefit system and access wider support.

Since the start of this year (2021), DWP has been testing advocacy support to assess its effectiveness and establish the best delivery model.

DWP will continue to explore ways to improve health assessments and achieve better outcomes. This will include telephone and video assessments introduced during the pandemic and providing better support for people with serious health conditions, including people nearing the end of their lives.

I’m always getting letters through saying I need to reapply for my PIP. It does my head in. It’s infuriating how you get a certain amount of money each month and then it changes and then it stops and then it changes

(Efstathia)

DWP is also exploring options to reduce the frequency of repeat Work Capability Assessments (WCA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments, to avoid assessments where a change of award is unlikely.

Health and adult social care reform

Disabled people across the UK have told us that health and social care services are a vital part of living an independent life.

They have the power to decide what is a ‘necessity’ and what is a ‘luxury’ when it comes to my support. I don’t have enough hours with my carer to be able to go outside or to see my friends. Going outside and social interaction is viewed as a basic human need for non-disabled people, but not for me.

(Efstathia)

We know that a bold response is required. We are committed to sustainable reform of the adult social care system and will bring forward proposals this year (2021). We want to:

• build a system of care and support in which unpaid carers are supported and disabled people have choice and control over their lives, over what they do and how they choose to live
• support the join up of health and care services around people, including through the use of technology
• ensure everyone receives the care they need and is treated with dignity and respect

DHSC will work with disabled people and disability organisations at every stage of social care reform to ensure their voices are heard and needs reflected.

We are also modernising the Mental Health Act. We want to give people more control over their treatment and make sure they are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.

Alongside these longer term reform efforts, DHSC will:

• strengthen the data and evidence base to support policies that will transform outcomes for disabled people, including improving our understanding of the needs of disabled people and those with multiple long-term conditions and disability
• ensure that health and social care staff understand learning disability and autism to reduce the health inequalities people with these conditions often face

Improving disability data and evidence

The health system does not collect fully comprehensive data on disability.

This means we do not currently have an accurate picture of the health and social care support needs of disabled people in the UK. We will work across the UK to improve disability data.

We will take action to improve the availability, quality and use of disability data in health and social care.

DHSC will establish a new disability data working group in 2021 to look at health and social care datasets and address priority areas where there are gaps in the data.

DHSC and NHSX published a draft data strategy for health and social care in 2021 to drive improvements in data on working age adults in receipt of care.

Alongside this, we will fund additional research to improve the quality of life of people with multiple long-term conditions, some of whom will be disabled.

Supporting autistic people and people with a learning disability

Autistic people and people with a learning disability across the UK experience health inequalities.

The life expectancy for people with a learning disability is 27 years below average for women and 23 years below average for men.^{[footnote 75]} Autistic people die 16 years earlier than non-autistic people, on average.^{[footnote 76]}

NHS England and NHS Improvement confirmed in March 2021 that autistic people without a learning disability will be included for the first time in their programme to learn from the lives and deaths of people with a learning disability and autistic people (LeDeR).

NHS England and Improvement will expand the LeDeR programme to include autistic people, by March 2022.

This will help improve care, reduce health inequalities and prevent premature mortality by reviewing information about the health and social care support people who have died received.

Not all health and social care staff receive learning disability and autism training.

The second annual LeDeR report, published in December 2017, recommended that mandatory learning disability awareness training should be provided to all staff, and be delivered in conjunction with people with learning disabilities and their families.

Subject to evaluation, DHSC will make training on autism and learning disability available for all 2.7 million health and adult social care staff.

This training would improve the experiences of health and social care for people with a learning disability and autistic people.

This commitment forms part of the refreshed Autism Strategy. The Autism Strategy has been extended from its focus on adults to include children and young people for the first time.

This strategy will sit alongside work undertaken in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, where health and social care is largely devolved.

The Northern Ireland Executive is developing a fully co-produced Autism Strategy for implementation in 2021, with an emphasis on enabling independence and informed choice, equal access to services and a life filled with opportunities to be an active citizen.

The Scottish Government continues to champion human rights through the Scottish Strategy for Autism and the Keys to Life policies. In recognition of additional challenges experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, a ‘Learning/intellectual disability and autism framework for transition and transformation’ has been published to shape public services and attitudes.

Following the success of the Welsh Government’s cross-government Learning Disability Improving Lives Programme, work continues to improve how public services in Wales identify and respond to the needs of people with learning disabilities. The key aim is to support individuals to lead healthy and fulfilling lives as independently as possible.

Improving the accessibility of online public services

The 2012 Digital by Default strategy has removed many of the barriers experienced by disabled people when accessing government services.

However, the shift to digital has presented its own challenges. The accessibility of new services is variable.

Making a website or mobile app accessible requires making the content and design clear and simple enough that most people can use it without needing to adapt it. It also means supporting people who do need to adapt it, including people who use assistive technologies, such as screen readers.

The Central Digital and Data Office promotes accessibility across government.

This year the Central Digital and Data Office will continue to run a programme to make online public services accessible. The campaign will:

• help the public sector make mobile applications accessible
• raise awareness of how people can raise complaints about inaccessible sites

A longer term challenge is the development of capability to create services that are accessible to everyone. There is a high level of demand for people with these skills from both the public and private sectors, creating a shortage. This has been dubbed the Accessible Technology Skills Gap.^{[footnote 77]}

As part of a cross-government effort with the Central Digital and Data Office and the Crown Commercial Service, the Home Office will tackle this issue by:

• defining a cross-government accessibility profession – this will formalise the role of accessibility specialists and encourage more public sector organisations to properly resource to deliver accessible services
• building a pipeline of talent for the accessibility profession by using existing successful and emerging career development programmes to tackle the skills shortage – working across government to share learning
• improving how we buy digital products and services in government and across the public sector as a whole – for example, through more formal controls, support and training for commercial teams

We will also explore how we can drive improvements in public services through a Centre for Assistive and Accessible Technology. The Disability Unit will consider new ways to make assistive and accessible technology part of the everyday design of public services.

1. UK Disability Survey 2021 ↩

2. In 2014 67% of the British public admitted that they feel uncomfortable talking to disabled people; so-called “millennials” are twice as likely as older people to feel awkward around disabled people (Scope report, May 2014, ‘Current attitudes towards disabled people’) ↩

3. Developing a national barometer of prejudice and discrimination in Britain, Equality and Human Rights Commission, Research report 2018: this can manifest as pity, patronisation or ‘paternalistic prejudice’ (p.45); Research report 2010: Processes of prejudice: Theory, evidence and intervention: ‘‘benevolent prejudice’ which is often highly patronising’ (p.29) ↩

4. Research by the English Federation of Disability Sport demonstrates disabled people’s discomfort with words like ‘superhero’ (ComRes Media Research Report 2016) ↩

5. UK Disability Survey 2021 ↩

6. Disability Perception Gap (Scope) ↩

7. Public Appointments Data Report, 2018 to 2019 - July 2020 ↩

8. Independent. Confident. Connected (Scope) ↩

9. YouGov and The National Autistic Society (2015) ↩

10. Post-Implementation Review of Part 1 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) ↩

11. Identified Needs of Offenders in Custody and the Community from OASys 2019 ↩

12. Crime in England and Wales: Annual Trend and Demographic Tables ↩

13. Disability and Crime, England and Wales: 2020 ↩

14. UK Disability Survey ↩

15. Official Statistics: Hate crime, England and Wales, 2019 to 2020 ↩

16. English Housing Survey 2018 to 2019: Accessibility of English Homes ↩

17. Habinteg: Accessible Housing in Local Plans ↩

18. Personal Social Services Survey of Adults Receiving Community Equipment and Minor Adaptations - 2007-08 ↩

19. Raising accessibility standards for new homes ↩

20. Projected Demand for Supported Housing in Great Britain 2015 to 2030: Economics of Health and Social Care Systems Policy Research Unit. March 2017 ↩

21. Section 36 ↩

22. Annual Bus Statistics 2019 ↩

23. Taxi and private hire vehicle statistics, England 2020 ↩

24. Disabled People’s Travel Behaviour and Attitudes to Travel 2017 ↩

25. Disabled rail passengers research 2019 (Illuminas) ↩

26. Disability Unit and Policy Lab Lived Experience Research 2019 ↩

27. Disability Unit and Policy Lab Lived Experience Research 2019 ↩

28. DPTAC position on taxis and PHVs ↩

29. The consumer experience at public electric vehicle chargepoints ↩

30. UK Disability Survey 2021 ↩

31. Family Resources Survey: financial year 2019 to 2020 ↩

32. Labour market status of disabled people, ONS, January to March 2021 data, published May 2021. This data is based on the Annual Population Survey (APS) or Labour Force Survey (LFS) which are weighted to official population estimates and projections that do not currently reflect the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Rates published from the APS and LFS remain robust and reliable, however levels and changes in levels should be used with caution. The ONS is analysing the population totals used in the weighting process and is planning to reweight the LFS and APS in future as outlined in this blog post. ↩

33. Blundell, R., Joyce, R., Costa Dias, M. and Xu, X. (2020), COVID-19: the impacts of the pandemic on inequality, Institute for Fiscal Studies. Social Metrics Commission (2020), Poverty and COVID-19. ↩

34. Family Resources Survey: financial year 2019 to 2020 ↩

35. ONS publication ‘Coronavirus and the social impacts on disabled people in Great Britain: February 2021’. ↩

36. Institute for Government Whitehall Monitor 2021 ↩

37. Institute for Government Whitehall Monitor 2021 ↩

38. Family Resources Survey: financial year 2018 to 2019 ↩

39. Disability and Education: UK 2020 ↩

40. UK Disability Survey 2021 ↩

41. The employment of disabled people 2019 ↩

42. Apprenticeships and traineeships, Academic Year 2019 to 2020 – Explore education statistics ↩

43. WebAIM. 2020. The Webaim Million: An Analysis of the Top 1,000,000 Home Pages ↩

44. Click-Away Pound Survey (2019) ↩

45. ONS publication ‘Coronavirus and the social impacts on disabled people in Great Britain: February 2021’. ↩

46. Eskytė, I. (2019). Disability and Shopping: Customers, Markets and the State. Routledge. ↩

47. https://wearepurple.org.uk/the-purple-pound-infographic/ ↩

48. Independent. Confident. Connected: Scope - Smith, Ceri, and Simon Dixon. 2018. ↩

49. The Big Hack, Scope, 2020 ↩

50. Research Institute for Disabled Consumers, Survey of pan-disability panel, 2020 ↩

51. Review into Bias in Algorithmic Decision Making: Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation, November 2020 ↩

52. A review: accessible technology through participatory design: ChrIstian Quintero, July 2020 ↩

53. Arriving At Thriving - Learning from disabled students to ensure access for all: Policy Connect and Higher Education Commission, October 2020 ↩

54. Reimagining the Workplace: Leonard Cheshire, February 2019 ↩

55. Jane Seale (2020) Keeping connected and staying well: the role of technology in supporting people with learning disabilities during the coronavirus pandemic, Milton Keynes, The Open University. ↩

56. Current Understanding, Support Systems, and Technology-led Interventions for Specific Learning Difficulties: July 2020, commissioned by Council for Science and Technology ↩

57. Rapid literature review on assistive technology in education: July 2020 Dave L. Edyburn, Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee ↩

58. Understanding accessibility requirements for public sector bodies ↩

59. Outcomes for disabled people, UK: 2020 ↩

60. Active Lives Survey 2019 to 2020 data tables ↩

61. Disability Unit and Policy Lab Lived Experience Research 2020 ↩

62. UK Disability Survey 2021 ↩

63. White M.P., Pahl S., Wheeler B.W., Depledge M.H., Fleming L.E. (2017). Natural environments and subjective wellbeing: Different types of exposure are associated with different aspects of wellbeing. Health Place 45: 77-84; A Review of Nature-Based Interventions for Mental Health Care 2016; What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being? A scoping review 2019 (WHO); Rosenbaum S., Tiedemann A., Sherrington C., Curtis J., Ward P.B. (2014). Physical activity interventions for people with mental illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Psychiatry 75(9):964-74. ↩

64. Taking Part Survey 2017/18, p.2 ↩

65. Sport England’s Active Lives survey ↩

66. Tourism Recovery Plan ↩

67. People and Nature Survey 2020 ↩

68. Making the Case for play, Sense, February 2016 ↩

69. BS 8300-1:2018 and BS EN 17210:2021 ↩

70. UK Disability Survey 2021 ↩

71. ONS publication ‘Coronavirus and the social impacts on disabled people in Great Britain: February 2021 ↩

72. Tests reveal biggest councils failing on legal web accessibility duty 2020 (Scope) ↩

73. UK Disability Survey 2021 ↩

74. UK Disability Survey 2021 ↩

75. Learning Disabilities Mortality Review (LeDeR) Programme, Annual Report 2020 ↩

76. Hirvikoski T., Mittendorfer-Rutz E., Boman M., Larsson H., Lichtenstein P., Bolte S. (2016) Premature mortality in autism spectrum disorder. The British Journal of Psychiatry. 208: 232-238 ↩

77. https://peatworks.org/policy-workforce-development/the-accessible-technology-skills-gap/ ↩