Disabled people risk being forced out of the justice system due to plans to increase digitisation according to a new report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
The EHRC is especially concerned that the proposed changes will deny access for learning disabled people, people with brain injuries, and people with autism.
DR UK’s Head of Policy Fazilet Hadi said: “These changes risk leaving people unable to properly understand what is happening to and about them throughout trials. We know that under the social model of disability, if changes are made which put the needs of disabled people first, they benefit all those who need to access the system. The government needs to hit pause on these plans until it is willing and able to do this.”
It also highlights that many legal professionals do not have adequate training to recognise impairments and their impact, or to understand how adjustments can be made.
Read the full report (PDF):