[{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"44007","proposer":"24917","edm":"2902","session":"2010-12","title":"Inclusive Education","text":"That this House recognises that the majority of young disabled people and those with special educational needs already benefit from increasingly good practice in inclusive mainstream schools, that research from all the major professional, disability and parent-led organisations shows that there is no bias towards inclusion within the education systemfor disabled children and that, despite the rhetoric of choice for families, many find their aspirations for an inclusive mainstream school placement are denied by the inconsistencies of local provision; and therefore calls on the Government to refrain from bringing forward any changes to primary legislation which would make it even harder for families to exercise choice and instead to ensure that all schools implement the current legislation under the Equalities Act 2010 which requires them to make reasonable adjustments and develop policies which do not discriminate against young disabled people.","date":"2012-03-20","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"43706","proposer":"24946","edm":"2610","session":"2010-12","title":"Hearing Loop Provision","text":"That this House expresses concern that a recent survey has found that only one in six public service providers has an acceptable standard of hearing loop provision for the two million hearing aid users in the UK and that a significant number of shops and service providers that display the hearing loop sign do not have a fully functioning system or have not provided sufficient training to allow their staff to use the system appropriately; notes that under the Equality Act 2010, service providers are required to make reasonable adjustments to make their service accessible for customers with disabilities; and calls on the Government to take steps to encourage service providers, where feasible and appropriate, to install hearing loops and train staff to use them so that services are more accessible for customers with hearing loss.","date":"2012-01-17","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"43669","proposer":"24966","edm":"2575","session":"2010-12","title":"Unique Kids","text":"That this House notes that Unique Kids was established as a charity in 2009; further notes that it provides play and social activities for children with disabilities through an after school and holiday club; believes that this service helps with the development of disabled children whilst enabling the parents to continue in employment; further believes the 130 children who enjoy this service have their lives enriched by it and would have little alternative without it; and thanks, on behalf of the whole community, Jane Halpin and Denise Armer for establishing this vitally important service.","date":"2012-01-10","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"43644","proposer":"24794","edm":"2549","session":"2010-12","title":"Masters Degree In Sign Language","text":"That this House congratulates Heriot-Watt University on becoming the first in Scotland to offer a full-time MA in British Sign Language (BSL); notes with concern that there are only 50 official BSL interpreters in spite of the minority language being used by 6,000 individuals across Scotland; further notes that Finland, which is of a comparable size and has asimilar population to Scotland, has between 500 and 600 sign language interpreters but still considers itself to need more interpreters; recognises that the course offered by the Modern Language Department at Heriot-Watt will improve the numbers of interpreters in Scotland and services available to deaf BSL users; further recognises that the course will create opportunities for graduates in a wide variety of roles and sectors; and welcomes the work being done by the Government and commercial operators to try to secure better video relay services and interpreting for deaf BSL users.","date":"2011-12-15","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"43473","proposer":"10032","edm":"2384","session":"2010-12","title":"30th Anniversary Of The Disabled Persons Railcard","text":"That this House congratulates the Disabled Persons Railcard (DPRC) on achieving 30 years of continued growth and welcomes the encouragement the railcard has given to disabled people when travelling by rail; notes that there are now overthree million journeys made each year with DPRC discounts compared to 1.7 million journeys five years ago; further congratulates the Association of Train Operating Companies and staff at Journeycall for their continued investment in the railcard; and welcomes the new Passenger Assist booking system.","date":"2011-11-07","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"43410","proposer":"10428","edm":"2322","session":"2010-12","title":"Disabled Children And Children With Complex Health Needs","text":"That this House notes the findings of the report produced by the campaign organisation Every Disabled Child Matters and the Children's Trust which calls for action to ensure that the NHS addresses long-standing problems experienced by disabled children in accessing health services in the UK; believes the Government should use every opportunity to reform and create a system that works for disabled children rather than leaving families to fill the gaps in provision; and calls on the Government in itsfuture health policies to set priorities for children's health as part of its mandate to NHS commissioning boards and to instruct the Department of Health to set out a clear vision of the way in which it can deliver and maintain a system which can fullymeet the healthneeds of all disabled children and children with complex health needs.","date":"2011-10-31","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"43394","proposer":"24794","edm":"2306","session":"2010-12","title":"Access To Information And Services For People Who Are Deaf And Hard Of Hearing","text":"That this House congratulates Deaf Action on its launch of SignVideo, an online interpreting service available throughout the UK; is concerned that there is a shortage of British Sign Language\/English interpreters across the UK; believes that deaf, deafened and hard of hearing people face great difficulties in securing the information they need; further believes that the nine million people in the UK who are deaf or hard of hearing have a right to access information and services functionally equivalent to hearing people; invites hon. Members to work with Deaf Action and the Royal National Institute for Deaf People so that their constituents can access SignVideo within constituency offices; and calls on the Government to ensure that public information and services are accessible for all people suffering from hearing loss.","date":"2011-10-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"43259","proposer":"10377","edm":"2181","session":"2010-12","title":"National Express Grant For Pensioners And The Disabled","text":"That this House recognises the importance to pensioners and the disabled that the National Express concession scheme is maintained during these tough economic conditions; is concerned by the Government's withdrawal of the grant offered to operating companies; further recognises the benefits in terms of independence of giving the disabled and those aged 60 years and over a concession for travel; and encourages the Government to continue to support this scheme from which three million people have benefited so far.","date":"2011-09-14","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"43062","proposer":"11672","edm":"1993","session":"2010-12","title":"Leeds Voluntary Sector Learning Disabilities Forum","text":"That this House commends the work that Tenfold, the Leeds Voluntary Sector Learning Disabilities Forum and Mencap carries out; notes the successes that adults with learning disabilities achieved in their recent `take over' in January of the Leeds City Council chamber, and their visit to the Houses of Parliament as part of National Learning Disability Week 2011 and Mencap's Stand By Me campaign, where they addressed and challenged hon. Members; acknowledges the unacceptable exclusion of those with learning disabilities from the democratic process and civil society; and welcomes the work of Tenfold in addressing this issue and wishes them continuing success in carrying out such important work.","date":"2011-06-23","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"43043","proposer":"11672","edm":"1974","session":"2010-12","title":"Wheelchair Reform","text":"That this House recognises the report of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Paediatric Mobility Reform entitled, `My wheelchair is my shoes' making the case for wheelchair reform, which shows the difference the right wheelchair can make to a child's life; further notes that the report shows that with the right wheelchair a young person with a disability is more likely to enter into higher education and therefore employment; further notes that Whizz-Kidz national charity has been running the paediatric wheelchair service for Tower Hamlets Primary Care Trust for four years and as such has removed waiting times, saved the service 60 per cent. on equipment delivery and delivered the right equipment at the right time; and further notes that now is the time, with NHS reform taking centre stage, to ask the Government to act on the recommendations of the report to enable all wheelchair services to be as efficient and as effective as the Tower Hamlets wheelchair service.","date":"2011-06-22","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"43019","proposer":"11607","edm":"1950","session":"2010-12","title":"Sustainable Skilled Employment For Disabled People","text":"That this House recognises the tremendous role Remploy has played in providing sustainable skilled employment for disabled people; notes with regret that over 80 per cent. of those disabled employees made redundant in 2008 have still not found suitable work; believes that the Sayce report recommendations, including the withdrawal of 18 million of funding from residential training colleges and 63 million from Remploy factory businesses and the privatisation of Remploy ES are nothing more thana cynical cost-cutting exercise with no clear guarantee that access to work will benefit people; calls on the Government to hold full and meaningful consultation with trade unions to look at the implications of the Sayce report for disabled people, if accepted by the Government; and urges the Government to look closely at the costs of Remploy Management including the central costs.","date":"2011-06-20","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"42902","proposer":"10133","edm":"1836","session":"2010-12","title":"Employment Of Disabled People","text":"That this House acknowledges the unfair treatment of disabled people in the workplace as the primary reason why they are not employed, rather than the central flawed assumption contained in the Welfare Reform Bill that disabled people need to change their attitude and to be incentivised to work through having their benefits reduced; notes that alongside benefit cuts come cuts in funding for Access to Work (ATW) and the repercussions of job losses and a reluctance to employ disabled people; further notes the need to ensure more disabled people are employed; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to increase resources for ATW and to increase investment in specialist employment support services, including more disability employment advisers, to ensure a robust enforcement of disabled people's rights under the Equalities Act 2010 in the area of unemployment instead of the Government's move to abolish the Act in its aim to reduce the legislative burden on employers, and to ensure more targeted support for disabled people wanting to be self employed or set up their own businesses as a more suitable option.","date":"2011-05-19","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"42853","proposer":"24738","edm":"1791","session":"2010-12","title":"Impact Of Government Reforms On Disabled People","text":"That this House believes that it is the sign of a responsible society that it supports disabled people to lead an independent and fulfilling life; further believes that, while reform is needed, the Government's current plans are causing unnecessary uncertainty and creating risks for disabled people up and down the country; further believes that the Government has failed to appreciate the cumulative impact of the changes it is proposing; further believes that ill-thought through reform of disability benefits could push thousands of disabled people into poverty; considers it irresponsible to time limit to one year the payment of contributory employment and support allowance which will affect people suffering from cancer and fluctuating conditions; calls on the Government to abandon plans to remove the mobility component of disability living allowance from 80,000 people in residential care homes; further calls on the Government to retain automatic entitlement for people who have severe impairments, meaning that blind people, the mentally impaired and double amputees will not have to face the distress of applying for support that they genuinely need; expresses serious concern that 100,000 families with disabled children will see their support halved as a result of the decision to replace the disability element of child tax credit; and further believes that disabled people should have to wait only three months rather than six months before they can apply for the new personal independence payment.","date":"2011-05-11","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"42859","proposer":"10388","edm":"1797","session":"2010-12","title":"Radar's Mp Disability Dialogue Campaign","text":"That this House recognises the importance of engaging with disabled people and increasing diversity in political life; notes that in 2010 a poll showed 88 per cent. of disabled people felt that their voices were not heard by elected representatives; further notes that only 32 per cent. of people with learning disabilities voted; regrets that this House has so few hon. Members with a declared disability; welcomes Radar's MP Disability Dialogue which aims to encourage disabled people and local disability organisations to engage in the democratic process and feel more confident about meeting their MPs and to give hon. Members of all parties increased confidence to communicate with and represent their disabled constituents effectively; and therefore calls on all hon. Members to participate in the Dialogue which starts on 12 May 2011 and runs until the end of June 2011.","date":"2011-05-11","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"42802","proposer":"10428","edm":"1746","session":"2010-12","title":"British Sign Language Community","text":"That this House is aware that existing text-basedcommunications solutionsprovided by the telecommunications industry for deaf people in the UK do not provide access equivalent to that provided in other nations; notes that this denies British-based customers the use of sign language, the option to choose their service provider and to use the language of their choice; and calls on the Governmentimmediately todeliver equal access to telecommunications for the Britishsign language community by adopting the EU's Electronic Communications Framework into UK law.","date":"2011-04-26","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"42775","proposer":"11971","edm":"1719","session":"2010-12","title":"Public Attitude Towards People Of Short Stature","text":"That this House notes the continual lack of acceptance within all sections of society for those of short stature; notes that approximately one in 25,000 births to parents of average height is a baby of restricted growth; further notes that because of unfair stereotyping and the stigma associated with the disability, children and adults with restricted growth conditions and their families face thoughtless discrimination from the media, the wider public and some professionals and misplaced jokes and ridicule, including within this very House, which only serves to fuel ignorance about the condition; further notes the important work of the Restricted Growth Association, Short Stature Scotland and the Dwarf Sports Association UK in offering friendship and dedicated support and advice, and promoting public awareness of this widely misunderstood growth condition; and calls on those within the media, medical profession and in public life to challenge the stereotypes associated with restricted growth.","date":"2011-04-05","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"42682","proposer":"24896","edm":"1631","session":"2010-12","title":"Remploy Job Losses (No. 2)","text":"That this House fully supports the campaign to save Remploy from future job losses in the face of the current proposal to offer voluntary redundancy to the whole workforce of 3,400; notes that this offer is being issued within a few years of the conclusion of a plan to modernise Remploy under the previous Government with an award of 555 million over five years; further notes the excess bonuses paid to Remploy management of 1.4 million; is appalled by Remploy management's disregard for the need to consult recognised trade unions in redundancy situations; and calls on the Government to force Remploy to consult the trade unions with the aim of mitigating job losses and turning Remploy into a strong, sustainable manufacturing company for the 21st century where disabled workers are proud to work.","date":"2011-03-21","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"42597","proposer":"24872","edm":"1546","session":"2010-12","title":"Disabled Access To Licensed Premises","text":"That this House notes the success of the Barred Campaign founded by Mark Cooper and endorsed by Capability Scotland and supported by other disability charities to improve disabled access information to pubs; considers that their hard work resulted in a change to the law which means for the first time licensees will have to consider the needs of disabled customers when applying for a licence by providing access information about their premises and also means that disabled people will have access to vital information when planning a social occasion; and calls on the Government to make similar information available in the rest of the United Kingdom so that no one is excluded from a social occasion on the grounds of disability or where they may live.","date":"2011-03-07","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"42490","proposer":"24754","edm":"1438A1","session":"2010-12","title":"Access To Telecommunications For Deaf People","text":"at end add `further notes that around 400,000 deafened and hard of hearing people who have a spoken language as their first language often cannot hear speech over the telephone; and supports telecommunications access for all people with a hearing loss for the first time.'.","date":"2011-02-15","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"42467","proposer":"10074","edm":"1438","session":"2010-12","title":"Access To Telecommunications For Deaf People","text":"That this House is concerned that over 50,000 deaf people, whose first language is British Sign Language (BSL), do not have equal access to telecommunications in the UK; recognises new economic research which demonstrates that if an open, competitive market for video relay services for BSL users were established, significant net benefits for the UK economy would be created; believes that deaf people have a right to access telecommunications in a manner equivalent to the way hearing people use the telephone every day and that current text-based solutions for deaf people do not provide equal access; and calls on the Government to take appropriate action to address this matter, creating a genuine opportunity for telecommunications equality for the BSL community for the first time.","date":"2011-02-09","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"41212","proposer":"24892","edm":"280","session":"2010-12","title":"Winter Fuel Payments For Severely Disabled People","text":"That this House welcomes the campaign to extend winter fuel payments to severely disabled people; notes that disabled people are twice as likely to live in poverty as non-disabled people; further notes the relationship between low income and fuel poverty; recognises the many disabled people who are at home all day and do not currently receive a payment to help cope with the burden of increased heating costs; believes the current system of winter fuel payments should be reformed and extended to all severely disabled people, paid for by delaying age-related winter fuel payments until people reach 65; further notes this reform would generate cost savings for the Treasury; and congratulates Papworth Trust for raising this important issue and its campaign to better educate disabled people on how to keep warm in the cold winter months.","date":"2010-06-21","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"41170","proposer":"10357","edm":"247","session":"2010-12","title":"Metrolink In Greater Manchester And Scooters For Disabled People","text":"That this House notes that disabled people have been using electric scooters on Metrolink for many years; further notes with concern that without consultation Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (GMITA)has now banned scooters from the Metrolink, discriminating against disabled people, undermining their independence and damaging their quality of life; and calls on GMITA and Stagecoach to reverse this decision with immediate effect and to begin a consultation with disabled people and their representatives about how Metrolink can be made more, not less, accessible.","date":"2010-06-16","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"41021","proposer":"10222","edm":"106","session":"2010-12","title":"Access To Services For Severely Disabled People","text":"That this House commends the work of Michael and Henrietta Spink and the Henry Spink Foundation in highlighting the need to improve services, and access to services, for severely disabled children, adults and their carers; has sympathy for Henrietta and Michael Spink's personal plight as parents of two severely disabled children; regards them and the millions of other carers in the UK as quietly heroic; further supports Henrietta and Michael Spink's call for the creation of a Code of Practice for the assessment and management of support packages for children's and adult's social care; calls for the creation of an independent Social Services Tribunal, and for the reform of local authority regulations so that care assessments and support packages for children and adults become easily portable from one authority to another; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to bring forward as soon as possible the necessary changes in the law and regulations to enact these sensible, pragmatic, cost-efficient reforms which would significantly improve the lives of thousands of severely disabled children and adults and their carers.","date":"2010-05-26","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"40919","proposer":"11707","edm":"5","session":"2010-12","title":"Access For Disabled Rail Users","text":"That this House appreciates the efforts made to allow disabled persons to use rail services as easily as possible; notes, however, that having to give advance warning of travel by wheelchair-bound persons constitutes a great inconvenience for such rail users; further notes the timekeeping, health and safety and practicality issues involved in having to store mobile ramps for use at stations; calls for more research into the possibility of fitting automated disabled access ramps to all new rolling stock put into operation in the UK; and further calls on the Government to examine every possible development which could lead to this being put into action.","date":"2010-05-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"40941","proposer":"10527","edm":"27","session":"2010-12","title":"Subtitles On Television","text":"That this House supports the progress of the Communications Act 2003, which requires broadcasters to provide subtitling; welcomes legislation requiring 90 per cent. of ITV and Channel 4 programmes to be subtitled by the end of 2010; is concerned that 10 per cent. of programming will still remain without subtitles; notes that current real time subtitling is often delayed and difficult to understand because of its presentation on screen; and further supports the extension of subtitling coverage to 100 per cent. of programmes, and improvements to the quality of real time subtitling.","date":"2010-05-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"40943","proposer":"10527","edm":"29","session":"2010-12","title":"Television Licence Concessions For Hearing-Impaired People","text":"That this House notes that people with a visual impairment receive a concession of 50 per cent. of the television licence fee; is concerned that hearing-impaired people do not receive any similar concessions; believes it is equitable to offer hearing-impaired people a concession to the licence fee; and encourages the Government to create a concession to the licence fee for hearing-impaired people.","date":"2010-05-25","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"40537","proposer":"10032","edm":"925","session":"2009-10","title":"Access To Voting For Disabled People","text":"That this House recognises that at the last general election 68 per cent. of polling stations had one or more access barriers that could prevent a disabled person from voting independently; notes that despite disabled people making up a considerable proportion of the electorate, some still find it more difficult to vote than non-disabled people; welcomes Scope's Polls Apart campaign which asks for disabled people to have the same access to Britain's democracy as everyone else; further notes that to ensure that disabled people can take an active and equal role in the life of their community, polling stations, and thus the community buildings they are housed in, must be accessible to disabled people, not just on election day but every day; further notes that although postal voting is an alternative for some disabled people it is also inaccessible to many disabled people; and calls on the Government to ensure that all electors can vote independently, in secret and with dignity.","date":"2010-02-24","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"40488","proposer":"10527","edm":"879","session":"2009-10","title":"Television Licence Concessions For Hearing-Impaired People","text":"That this House notes that people with a visual impairment receive a concession of 50 per cent. of the television licence fee; is concerned that hearing-impaired people do not receive any similar concessions; believes it is equitable to offer hearing-impaired people a concession to the licence fee; and encourages the Government to create a concession to the licence fee for hearing-impaired people.","date":"2010-02-22","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"40489","proposer":"10527","edm":"880","session":"2009-10","title":"Signing On Television","text":"That this House notes that the Communications Act 2003 requires 90 per cent. of ITV and Channel 4 programmes to be subtitled by the end of 2010; is concerned that the Communications Act 2003 only requires five per cent. of programmes to be signed; and encourages the Government to increase the proportion of programming that is signed.","date":"2010-02-22","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"40491","proposer":"10527","edm":"882","session":"2009-10","title":"Subtitles On Television","text":"That this House supports the progress of the Communications Act 2003, which requires broadcasters to provide subtitling; welcomes legislation requiring 90 per cent. of ITV and Channel 4 programmes to be subtitled by the end of 2010; is concerned that 10 per cent. of programming will still remain without subtitles; notes that current real time subtitling is often delayed and difficult to understand because of its presentation on screen; and further supports the extension of subtitling coverage to 100 per cent. of programmes, and improvements to the quality of real time subtitling.","date":"2010-02-22","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"40386","proposer":"10646","edm":"787","session":"2009-10","title":"BBC And Disability Groups","text":"That this House notes that over the years there have been numerous complaints by hon. Members regarding the persistent bias of the BBC on matters relating to euthanasia and other life issues and on the manner in which the BBC have misused public funds to promote changes in the law; further notes the bias of the Corporation applies not only to news programmes but to drama, with thinly-disguised plays and soap operas being used to promote the use of euthanasia and misrepresentation of pro-life activists in the UK as people of violence; further notes that these presentations have culminated in the last weeks with a multi-million pound campaign featuring Mrs Kay Gilderdale in Panorama and the fantasy fiction writer, Sir Terry Pratchett, given centre stage to present this year's BBC Richard Dimbleby lecture calling for euthanasia and supported by the BBC website; further notes that as usual the BBC have ignored the rights of the disabled, despite the fact that every disability rights group in the UK is opposed to the legalisation of assisted suicide and euthanasia on the grounds that from experience they know it would undermine the right to life of the disabled; and calls on the Government to make it clear to the BBC that public funds will be withdrawn unless they abide by the Charter and ensure that all programmes on issues of public interest are treated impartially, and that in particular broadcasters must bear in mind the human rights of the disabled.","date":"2010-02-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"40011","proposer":"11427","edm":"441","session":"2009-10","title":"Inclusion Now Campaign","text":"That this House welcomes the three recent investigations undertaken by over 100 young disabled people across the UK into transport, education and leisure; applauds the work of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign's Trailblazers network for its Inclusion Now campaign; is alarmed that 10 years after the introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 young disabled people still face discrimination in accessing goods and services; and calls on the Government, local authorities and service providers to take note of the three hard-hitting reports, End of the Line, University Challenge and Calling Time, and to consult the Trailblazers Ambassadors as a matter of urgency.","date":"2009-12-14","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"40035","proposer":"10304","edm":"431A1","session":"2009-10","title":"Access For Disabled Rail Users","text":"after `users;', insert `notes that the stepping height between platform and carriage at some stations, such as on the Manchester-bound platform at Kearsley Station in Bolton South East constituency, prohibits the use of trains by all wheelchair users and many other physically disabled people including older travellers;'.","date":"2009-12-14","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"39999","proposer":"11707","edm":"431","session":"2009-10","title":"Access For Disabled Rail Users","text":"That this House appreciates the efforts made to allow disabled persons to use rail services as easily as possible; notes, however, that having to give advance warning of travel by wheelchair-bound persons constitutes a great inconvenience for such rail users; further notes the timekeeping, health and safety and practicality issues involved in having to store mobile ramps for use at stations; calls for more research into the possibility of fitting automated disabled access ramps to all new rolling stock put into operation in the UK; and further calls on the Government to examine every possible development which could lead to this being put into action.","date":"2009-12-10","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"39955","proposer":"11245","edm":"393","session":"2009-10","title":"Royal National Institute For The Blind's Read My Lips Campaign And Essex County Council","text":"That this House welcomes the Royal National Institute for the Blind's (RNIB) Read My Lips campaign to help the nine million deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK; notes that, following a campaign by the RNIB, the hon. Member for Castle Point and others, Essex County Council has now changed its lip reading classes charging policy; and calls on all local authorities to take a more understanding and caring attitude towards deaf and hard of hearing people.","date":"2009-12-08","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"39919","proposer":"11489","edm":"359","session":"2009-10","title":"Local Authority Access Officers","text":"That this House notes that local authorities are subject to duties under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 not to discriminate against disabled people in employment or the provision of service, and that amendments made by the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 ensure that all the activities of public authorities are covered by the 1995 Act; further notes that these duties include the need to make positive adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not less favourably treated; is concerned that whilst some local authorities have chosen to appoint access officers to ensure these new requirements are adhered to, others are yet to do this; and urges the Government to issue guidance to local authorities to encourage them to employ access officers, in order to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people.","date":"2009-12-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"39891","proposer":"10074","edm":"331","session":"2009-10","title":"International Day Of People With Disabilities 2009","text":"That this House notes that 3 December 2009 is International Day of People with Disabilities which aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and the rights of persons with disabilities; recognises the gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of the political, social, economic and cultural life of their communities; welcomes this year's focus on the millennium development goals which should reflect persons with disabilities; further notes that around 10 per cent. of the world's population, or 650 million people, live with disabilities; and calls on the Government to do all it can to support persons with disabilities in this country and abroad.","date":"2009-12-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"39807","proposer":"10043","edm":"264","session":"2009-10","title":"Support For Adults With Communication Needs","text":"That this House welcomes the formation of the Adult Communication Coalition England (ACCE) which aims to ensure that all adults and older people get the speech, language and communication support, equipment and services they need to communicate effectively; notes the ACCE estimate that at least 1.5 million people in England have Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN); is concerned that at present many adults with SLCN do not receive the communication support, equipment and services they need and that wide geographical variations exist in access to these services, particularly during transition into adulthood; recognises that without such support adults with SLCN are being denied opportunities to live independently and fulfil their social and economic potential; regrets the low priority given to the needs of adults with SLCN at a national level and the lack of a comprehensive national strategy for adult SLCN; and calls on the Government urgently to undertake an audit to assess the current state of services for adults with SLCN and to identify the barriers they face in getting their needs identified and met.","date":"2009-11-26","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"39813","proposer":"10057","edm":"270","session":"2009-10","title":"Mobility Scooters","text":"That this House notes that disabled adults are twice as likely to live in low-income households as non-disabled adults, and that two-fifths of adults aged from 45 to 65 who are living on below-average incomes have a limiting, long-standing illness or disability; further notes that the reclassification of mobility scooters by the European Union means that they are now subject to a 10 per cent. import tax and that this will in many cases be passed on to the consumer; therefore believes that this reclassification amounts to a tax on the disabled; and joins the charity Elizabeth Finn Care in calling on the Government to press the EU to reverse this decision or introduce measures in the UK that will ensure that the hardship of some of the most financially vulnerable people in society is not increased.","date":"2009-11-26","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"39733","proposer":"10222","edm":"193","session":"2009-10","title":"Services For Severely Disabled Children And Adults And Their Carers","text":"That this House wholeheartedly commends and supports the work of Michael and Henrietta Spink and the Henry Spink Foundation with regard to improving the services, and access to services, for severely disabled children, adults and their carers; has deep and profound sympathy for Henrietta and Michael Spink's personal plight as parents of two severely disabled children; sees them and the millions of other carers in the UK as quietly heroic; further supports Henrietta and Michael Spink's call, which is supported and being advocated by the Law Commission, for the creation of an independent Social Services Tribunal, which would follow the tribunal model in other sectors; further supports their call for the creation of an Ombudsman for Disability as is found in other European Union countries; further supports their call to reform local authority regulations so that local authority care assessments and support packages for children and adults become easily portable from one authority to another; further supports their campaign to encourage public and private leisure and entertainment facilities to admit the carers for severely disabled children and adults without additional charge; and calls on all relevant Government Ministers to bring forward proposals for the necessary changes in the law and regulations to enact these sensible, pragmatic, cost neutral reforms, that would genuinely improve the lives of thousands of carers for severely disabled children and adults across the UK, as soon as possible.","date":"2009-11-24","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"39709","proposer":"10043","edm":"173","session":"2009-10","title":"Media Coverage Of People With Disfigurement","text":"That this House welcomes the appearance of a person with a facial disfigurement as a newsreader on national television in the week commencing 23 November 2009; congratulates Channel Five Broadcasting Limited for this decision; and calls on all broadcasters to increase the visibility of people with unusual faces in everyday roles on television and to commit to adopt new guidelines, recommended by Changing Faces, for fairer and more balanced media coverage of people with disfigurement.","date":"2009-11-23","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"39649","proposer":"11784","edm":"112","session":"2009-10","title":"Don't Write Me Off Campaign","text":"That this House recognises that 80 per cent. of people with autism on incapacity benefit want to work, yet only 15 per cent. are currently in full-time work; acknowledges that one-third are without access to either benefits or work; further recognises that the system is failing people with autism; agrees that all adults with autism should be supported to work when they can and be able to access benefits when they cannot work; urges the Government to lead the way with a national strategy that meets the employment needs of people with autism; congratulates the National Autistic Society for highlighting these issues in its campaign Don't Write Me Off; and calls for changes to make the system fair for people with autism.","date":"2009-11-19","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"39459","proposer":"10177","edm":"2199","session":"2008-09","title":"Mobility Scooters","text":"That this House believes the reclassification of mobility scooters by the EU, so that they are now subject to a 10 per cent. import duty, amounts to a tax on the disabled; notes that disabled adults are twice as likely to live in low-income households as non-disabled adults, representing two-fifths of the adult population aged between 45 and 65, on below average incomes and have a limiting, long-standing illness or disability; observes that a 10 per cent. duty on imports, amounting to over \u00a32000 on average, will in many cases be passed on to the consumer; and calls on the Government to prevent this extra cost being passed on to the disabled so that the hardship of those who are amongst the most financially vulnerable in society is not amplified.","date":"2009-11-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"39140","proposer":"10074","edm":"1915","session":"2008-09","title":"Access To Telecommunication Services For Deaf And Hard Of Hearing People","text":"That this House believes that deaf and severely hard of hearing people are being excluded from benefiting from modern telecommunications; recognises that improvements and modernisation are needed to the telephone relay services by which they and hearing telephone users communicate; further recognises that the technology required to bring about these improvements is available and is in use in several countries; further believes that wide availability of broadband connections will dramatically enhance the relay service facilities that can be offered; and calls on the Government to use the Digital Britain report as the basis to introduce a package of service developments and funding which will end the exclusion of a million of our fellow citizens.","date":"2009-07-16","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"38931","proposer":"11489","edm":"1734","session":"2008-09","title":"Local Authority Access Officers","text":"That this House notes that local authorities are subject to duties under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 not to discriminate against disabled people in employment or the provision of service, and that amendments made by the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 ensure that all the activities of public authorities are covered by the 1995 Act; further notes that these duties include the need to make positive adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not less favourably treated; is concerned that whilst some local authorities have chosen to appoint access officers to ensure these new requirements are adhered to, others are yet to do this; and urges the Government to issue guidance to local authorities to encourage them to employ access officers, in order to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people.","date":"2009-06-23","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"38758","proposer":"11245","edm":"1580","session":"2008-09","title":"Time To Get Equal Week","text":"That this House welcomes Time to Get Equal week 8 to 14 June 2009; agrees with its aim of bringing people together in support of a future where disabled people are valued and have the same opportunities as everyone else; recognises the work of Scope with disabled people across England and Wales; and calls on the Government to remove the barriers that prevent many disabled people from becoming actively involved in their local communities.","date":"2009-06-02","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"38718","proposer":"10323","edm":"1547","session":"2008-09","title":"Discrimination In Recruitment Against People With Invisible Disibilities","text":"That this House acknowledges the current levels of discrimination suffered by people with HIV and mental health problems in the job recruitment process; notes that fewer than 50 per cent. of people with HIV are in paid employment and more than 60 per cent. of employers write off people with any form of mental illness; further notes that it is currently legal for employers to ask a wide range of questions about a job applicant's medical history when they are recruiting, regardless of whether existing conditions will have any bearing on their ability to do the job applied for; supports calls from Rethink, the Terrence Higgins Trust and the National AIDS Trust for the Government to use the Equality Bill to restrict the use of pre-employment health questionnaires; recognises that employers in many other countries, including the US, are only legally able to ask a candidate about a disability once a job offer has been made; and calls on the Government to use the Equality Bill to bring British law in this area in line with the American system.","date":"2009-05-21","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"38582","proposer":"11971","edm":"1419","session":"2008-09","title":"Muscular Dystrophy Campaign And The Trailblazers Report","text":"That this House welcomes the launch of a hard-hitting report by Trailblazers revealing that young disabled people face a more limited choice when travelling by public transport and pay more for the privilege; notes that this reduces independence and quality of life; commends Trailblazers on their very first campaign; further notes that Trailblazers is the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign's new exciting v-funded young campaigners' network which will turn the aspirations of young disabled people into action; and calls on the Government, local authorities and transport providers to act on the recommendations of Trailblazers and undertake a major review of accessibility policies.","date":"2009-05-05","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"38303","proposer":"11245","edm":"1183","session":"2008-09","title":"Level Playing Field Campaign And Disabled Football Supporters","text":"That this House notes the benefits to disabled people of their involvement in sport and welcomes the Level Playing Field campaign organised by the National Association of Disabled Supporters; further notes that the campaign is now in its fourth year with over 80 professional football clubs taking part last year; further notes that this year's campaign will take place over the two-week period commencing 21 March 2009 and ending on 5 April, offering football clubs the opportunity to showcase their disability projects and to promote their disabled supporter facilities and services to their local communities; and congratulates those clubs which help with the campaign.","date":"2009-03-24","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"38241","proposer":"11923","edm":"1129","session":"2008-09","title":"Universal Carers Card","text":"That this House notes with concern that many disabled people who require carers' assistance when going to events and activities are being forced to purchase an additional ticket for their carer; recognises that this amounts to discrimination by restricting their ability to access certain services; praises the work of the Cinema Exhibitors Association card which entitles carriers of the card to one free ticket for an accompanying carer; and calls on the Government to introduce a universal carers card which will ensure that disabled people are able to access services without discrimination.","date":"2009-03-19","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"37991","proposer":"10170","edm":"912","session":"2008-09","title":"Un Convention On The Rights Of Persons With Disabilities (No. 2)","text":"That this House congratulates the Government on its commitment to the protection and recognition of the rights of disabled people across the world by leading the way on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; applauds the current plans to ratify this Convention and praises the commitment to equality for disabled people by 2025; regrets however that the Government now plans to place a reservation on Article 24 on Education in the Convention, thereby preventing disabled and non-disabled people from living and learning together in their own local communities; and urges the Government to secure a full ratification of the Convention without reservations in order to guarantee that there will be no educational apartheid for future generations of disabled people.","date":"2009-02-26","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"37758","proposer":"10431","edm":"704","session":"2008-09","title":"Signing On ITV Wales News","text":"That this House regrets the decision of ITV Wales to discontinue the provision of British Sign Language (BSL) translation of news headlines on their flagship news programme Wales Tonight; recognises that subtitling is not equivalent to BSL provision as BSL is a language in itself; calls upon broadcasters to ensure there is adequate BSL-interpreted output in their programming; and specifically calls on ITV Wales immediately to reverse this decision and to maintain this service in the long term.","date":"2009-02-05","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"37264","proposer":"10431","edm":"263","session":"2008-09","title":"Audio Description","text":"That this House welcomes the fact that 72 per cent. of blind and partially sighted people in the UK are now familiar with the life-changing service provided by audio description on digital television; notes that the news, information and entertainment that television provides is a vital bridge to the outside world for the UK's two million people with sight loss; further notes that three quarters of this group face significant challenges in following programmes because of their sight loss, leading to isolation and exclusion from contemporary society and culture; welcomes this increase in awareness of audio description which is essential to enable blind and partially sighted people's independent enjoyment of television services; and therefore calls on the Secretary of State to increase the current level of targets to 20 per cent. and enable blind and partially sighted people to participate in and benefit from the digital age.","date":"2008-12-11","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"37220","proposer":"10050","edm":"222","session":"2008-09","title":"200th Anniversary Of The Birth Of Louis Braille","text":"That this House celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille, inventor of the unique communication system for blind people that has been instrumental in unlocking knowledge and potential, creating opportunities and supporting independence from its invention to the present day; notes the importance of providing braille and other forms of accessible information across all sectors and in all areas of activity to create a fair and inclusive society; and calls on the Government to lead by example and to support and develop measures to ensure that all public services and information provision are fully accessible to disabled people.","date":"2008-12-10","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"37142","proposer":"10043","edm":"150","session":"2008-09","title":"SCOPE'S NO VOICE, NO CHOICE CAMPAIGN","text":"That this House notes the significant difficulty many disabled people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) face in getting the Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) equipment they need to communicate; further notes that without the means to communicate people cannot express themselves freely, discuss ideas or make choices, which severely limits their life chances; further notes the publication of the comprehensive report of the Bercow Review of children, young people and speech, language and communication; further notes that no such review has been undertaken for adults with SLCN; regrets that access to AAC equipment remains a lottery for most people based on age, postcode and education status; further regrets that professionals do not get the funding, support and training they need to deliver effective AAC services; calls on the Government to implement the recommendations from the Bercow Review on AAC in full through the Bercow Implementation Plan and the Child Health Strategy; and further calls on the Government to commission an audit of services for adults (post 19 years) with SLCN to ensure that people with communication impairments of all ages get the AAC equipment and support they need so they can lead more independent lives, access work, leisure and education opportunities and fulfil their potential as full citizens.","date":"2008-12-08","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"37153","proposer":"10116","edm":"161","session":"2008-09","title":"Learning Disability Coalition","text":"That this House is alarmed by the report from the Learning Disability Coalition, Tell It Like It Is, which reveals that 34 per cent. of people with a learning disability surveyed had had their daytime activities cut; is further alarmed by the number of people with a learning disability who are being squeezed out of the social care system by the tightening of eligibility criteria; is concerned that these cuts will worsen across the country as demographic and social changes and medical advances mean the number of people with a learning disability requiring social care continues to rise; is further concerned by a report from the Joint Committee on Human Rights which found that failures in social care were contributing to the social exclusion, poverty and isolation experienced by people with a learning disability; welcomes the work of the Learning Disability Coalition to highlight these cuts to services; and calls on the Government to ensure that all of these issues are directly addressed in the forthcoming Green Paper on adult social care.","date":"2008-12-08","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"37161","proposer":"11707","edm":"169","session":"2008-09","title":"Access For Disabled Rail Users","text":"That this House appreciates the efforts made to allow disabled persons to use rail services as easily as possible; notes, however, that having to give advance warning of travel by wheelchair-bound persons constitutes a great inconvenience for such rail users; further notes the timekeeping, health and safety and practicality issues involved in having to store mobile ramps for use at stations; calls for more research into the possibility of fitting automated disabled access ramps to all new rolling stock put into operation in the UK; and calls on the Government to examine every possible development which could lead to this being put into action.","date":"2008-12-08","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"37033","proposer":"10716","edm":"41","session":"2008-09","title":"Un Convention On The Rights Of Persons With Disabilities","text":"That this House notes the Government has promised to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by the end of 2008; notes with concern that this commitment will not be fulfilled and has been postponed to spring 2009; recognises that ratifying the Convention will ensure that disabled people are legally accorded the respect and rights they deserve; is concerned at the reservations made by the Ministry of Defence, the Home Office, the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Work and Pensions; welcomes the assurances of the Minister for Disabled People that ratification remains a priority; and calls on the Government to guarantee that disabled people will receive equality, respect and full inclusion in society by ratifying the Convention in full as soon as possible.","date":"2008-12-03","status":"o"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"36925","proposer":"10133","edm":"2510","session":"2007-08","title":"Step-Free Access To Finsbury Park Station","text":"That this House is very sad to learn that the Mayor of London's investment priorities for Transport for London (TfL) do not include step-free access for Finsbury Park Station, thus preventing people with disabilities who use the station from accessing the Piccadilly and Victoria lines, or suburban mainline services; believes that the programme of step-free access initiated by TfL before the election of Mayor Johnson was extremely welcome and showed real commitment to giving effect to the Disability Discrimination Act; notes that TfL still intends to spend money on improving the station and capacity, despite the resulting disadvantage to the entire community who would have benefited from step-free access; and accordingly calls upon the Department for Transport to demand an explanation from TfL as to why they are taking this course of action.","date":"2008-11-17","status":"c"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"36540","proposer":"10586","edm":"2191","session":"2007-08","title":"Un Convention On The Rights Of Persons With Disabilities (No. 2)","text":"That this House is concerned by the delay in the Government's ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; notes that to date 41 signatories have ratified this progressive international human rights instrument, including Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, China, Cuba, India, Kenya, New Zealand, Niger, Paraguay, Qatar, South Africa, Spain and Tunisia; believes that the UK's delay in ratification compromises the Government's existing achievements and objectives in tackling disability discrimination; and calls upon the Government to ratify the Convention without reservation or further delay.","date":"2008-10-07","status":"c"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"36487","proposer":"10716","edm":"2138","session":"2007-08","title":"Un Convention On The Rights Of Persons With Disabilities","text":"That this House welcomes the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which will benefit 11 million disabled Britons; urges hon. Members to read the Inter-Parliamentary Union's handbook for parliamentarians on the Convention; further welcomes the Government's commitment to ratify the Convention before the end of 2008 and urges it to ratify in line with the full purpose of the Convention; and recognises the importance of the full Convention to facilitate and positively affect the drafting and interpretation of domestic legislation to enable the Government to uphold its commitment to disabled people's human rights and dignity, with the aim of ending inequality between disabled and non-disabled people by 2025.","date":"2008-07-22","status":"c"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"36375","proposer":"11971","edm":"2033","session":"2007-08","title":"Trailblazers And The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign","text":"That this House welcomes the launch of Trailblazers, the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign's new exciting v-funded volunteering project, which will turn the aspirations of young disabled people into action; notes that this follows the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign's Bridging the Gap campaign, which highlighted the difficulties young people with muscle disease face in accessing education, employment and making their views heard; is concerned that disabled 16 year olds are twice as likely to be out of work, education or training as their non-disabled peers; recognises that people with impairments and long-term health conditions form 40 per cent. of all people out of work; expresses concern that disabled people form 35 per cent. of the total number of people without any formal qualifications; further recognises the vital contribution young disabled people can make to their local communities; acknowledges the positive role Trailblazers will have in providing opportunities and experiences to young disabled people enabling them to make informed decisions about their future and their local communities; and calls on the Government to support the work of Trailblazers to ensure that the views of young disabled people are heard.","date":"2008-07-15","status":"c"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"35639","proposer":"10074","edm":"1392","session":"2007-08","title":"Better Access To Television For Deaf And Hard Of Hearing People","text":"That this House congratulates the BBC on reaching 100 per cent. subtitling of programming across its main television channels and supports RNID and NDCS in calling for other broadcasters to follow suit; notes that subtitling is an essential service for millions of deaf and hard of hearing adults and children who rely on it to access and enjoy television; further notes that many deaf adults and children who use sign language would also benefit from more signed programming; further celebrates Deaf Awareness Week, 5th to 11th May; and calls on broadcasters to ensure that deaf and hard of hearing people and children are portrayed in a wide variety of roles on television.","date":"2008-04-22","status":"c"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"34790","proposer":"10043","edm":"637","session":"2007-08","title":"Disability Poverty In The UK","text":"That this House notes that the Leonard Cheshire Disability report Disability Poverty in the UK finds that disabled people are twice as likely as non-disabled people to live in poverty; further notes that disabled people can experience poverty in a number of ways including financial poverty, poverty of aspiration and poverty of opportunity; further notes that average basic living costs are much higher for disabled people; further notes that disabled people are twice as likely to be unemployed and seeking work than non-disabled people and that disabled people who are not expected to work are often trapped in inescapable poverty; believes that the extent of disability poverty in the UK today is unacceptable; and calls on the Government to make tackling disability poverty a priority.","date":"2008-01-07","status":"c"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"34743","proposer":"11036","edm":"592","session":"2007-08","title":"Educational Attainment Of Deaf Children","text":"That this House notes the statement made by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Skills, the hon. Member for Gloucester, in March that only 32.9 per cent. of deaf pupils in England achieved five GCSEs at grades A* to C, compared with 57.1 per cent. of all children, an attainment gap of more than 24 percentage points; expresses its concern that many deaf children are under-achieving; further notes that, as deafness is not a learning disability, there is no reason why deaf children should not achieve at the same rate as their hearing peers of similar cognitive abilities; welcomes the decisions by the Department for Children, Schools and Families to begin publishing attainment data for children with special educational needs, broken down by type of special eduactional need and local authority area, and to initiate a research project on the wide variations between local authority areas in meeting special educational needs; regrets that the Government chose not to include the attainment of deaf and disabled children in the set of national public service agreement priority indicators or to make it a statutory performance indicator within the local government national indicator set for 2008 to 2011, thereby missing an opportunity to make tackling under-achievement by deaf children a central and local government priority; and calls on the Government to commit to closing the attainment gap between deaf children and their hearing peers and to reverse the decision not to include educational attainment of deaf children as part of the national public service agreement priority indicators for 2008 to 2011.","date":"2007-12-17","status":"c"},{"topic":"Disability discrimination","id":"34267","proposer":"10754","edm":"171","session":"2007-08","title":"Crimes Against People With Learning Disabilities","text":"That this House notes with concern the murder of Steven Hoskin; further notes that Mr Hoskin had learning disabilities and that the Crown Prosecution Service has stated that Mr Hoskin was a victim of a disability hate crime; notes that, according to a Mencap survey, 23 per cent. of people with learning disabilities have been assaulted because of their learning disabilities and that people with learning disabilities see such incidents as an inevitable part of everyday life; yet notes that the Crown Prosecution Service has recorded only 57 successful prosecutions for such crime between April and September 2007; further notes that this compares with 2,249 race hate prosecutions in the same period; and calls on the Government to set out in the forthcoming revision of the Violent Crime Strategy how it will increase the number of prosecutions for crime against people with disabilities and attempt to prevent such incidents.","date":"2007-11-08","status":"c"}]