Findings show progress towards equality for disabled people over past 20 years has been ‘littered with missed opportunities and failures’, says Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Disabled people in the UK are over two times more likely to be living in food poverty than non-disabled, a report has found, prompting concerns that people with disabilities are being “left behind in society”. 18 per cent of disabled people aged 16-64 across the UK were living in food poverty, compared with 7.5 per cent of non-disabled people – showing the disabled community is more than twice as likely to struggle to pay for food than the rest of the population.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission found disabled people in the UK face a lack of equal opportunities in education and employment, barriers to access to health services and housing, as well as a widening disability pay gap, among other problems.
Disabled people in the UK are over two times more likely to be living in food poverty than non-disabled, a report has found, prompting concerns that people with disabilities are being “left behind in society”. 18 per cent of disabled people aged 16-64 across the UK were living in food poverty, compared with 7.5 per cent of non-disabled people – showing the disabled community is more than twice as likely to struggle to pay for food than the rest of the population.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission found disabled people in the UK face a lack of equal opportunities in education and employment, barriers to access to health services and housing, as well as a widening disability pay gap, among other problems.
David Isaac, Chair of the EHRC commenting on the damning new state of the nation report into life for disabled people said: “While at face value we have travelled far, in reality disabled people are being left behind in society, their life chances remain very poor, and public attitudes have changed very little. This evidence can no longer be ignored. Now is the time for a new national focus on the rights of the 13 million disabled people who live in Britain. They must have the same rights, opportunities and respect as other citizens. We must put the rights of disabled people at the heart of our society. We cannot, and must not, allow the next 20 years to be a repeat of the past."
Andrew McDonald, Chair of disability charity, Scope, accused the Government of being “incoherent”, urging that “urgent action is needed”. He said “It is shameful that in 2017 disabled people continue to face such high levels of inequality: at home, at school and at work. And Scope research shows too many continue to face prejudice day in, day out."
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