Committee urges coherent action on disability discrimination

The government's draft Disability Discrimination Bill should be toughened up in key areas, a parliamentary committee has recommended.

In a report issued on Thursday, the all-party group of MPs and peers said the proposed legislation "could go further" to help the estimated 10 million disabled adults in the UK.

"The chances to legislate on disability issues are few and far between - the government should seize this opportunity to deliver for disabled people," said committee chairman Lord Carter.

"Our recommendations need not cause additional delay and will help to forge a coherent and practical path towards full rights for disabled people."

The report called for tougher rules on who is counted as disabled to ensure that people with mental illnesses are properly protected.

And a deadline should be set for all trains to be made accessible for disabled people.

"A deadline of 2017 is suggested as an appropriate compromise between the needs of disabled people and the railway industry's current replacement programme," said the committee.
 
People with progressive conditions should be covered from the point of diagnosis, added the report.

Other concerns were expressed housing rights and the powers of employment tribunals.

Responding to the report, shadow disability minister Paul Goodman said the government should act on the proposals "as a matter of urgency".

"It was a Labour Party manifesto commitment to help the 10 million disabled adults in the UK and I urge the government not to drag its feet any longer on bringing forward this legislation," he said.

"A full Bill must be published as soon as possible in order for this important legislation to be passed into law.

"If the government delays any longer the proposals could be lost as we move towards a likely date for the next general election."

Bert Massie, chairman of the Disability Rights Commission, said recommendations on improving access to transport for disabled people were "great news".

"The government has been committed to introducing basic civil rights for disabled people using public transport since the 1997 manifesto so it’s been a long journey," he said.

"The government has already committed itself to a timetable to make vehicles accessible but achieving this would be meaningless if disabled people could not use public transport because of the current legal position."

Massie added: "We congratulate the committee for producing such a thorough, accessible and authoritative report with proposals for delivering immediate benefits for disabled people as well as a longer term agenda for change."