Government industrial strategy in danger of excluding disabled people

Mon,6 November 2017
News Education

Despite disabled people being the largest demographic group not economically active, there is no reference to them or the steps that will specifically address their economic exclusion, in the government’s industrial strategy.

Read our response to the industrial strategy

The government has promoted its industrial strategy as a way to strengthen Britain’s economy and skills as the country heads into Brexit.

Philip Connolly, policy and communications manager at Disabled Rights UK, told Politics.co.uk that "more disabled people would encounter negative attitudes and stigma in the labour market" if the government didn't amend its plans.

He added: "Fewer disabled people would become employed and more would suffer the poverty or destitution of being on benefits. They would be segregated and separated from their peers who are in jobs."

As the policy stands, the UK is "spending of tens of billions of pounds of public money with no reference to equalities, no reference to legal or international obligations for the UK government in respect of equalities, no reference to protected characteristics, no reference to disabled people as contributors in the economy".