Disability
Under the 2010 Equality Act you are a disabled person if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.
While some disabled people may have impairments which are visible and immediately obvious, like using a wheelchair, other impairments like diabetes, dyslexia or mental illness are often invisible and therefore people’s needs are not immediately recognisable. For more information on disabled people in Hackney, please see the Hackney profile.
Why is disability protected by the 2010 Equality Act?
Disabled people encounter discrimination and disadvantage in many aspects of life:
- disabled people are more likely to experience unfair treatment at work than non-disabled people. In 2008, 19% of disabled people experienced unfair treatment at work compared to 13% non-disabled people
- around a third of disabled people experience difficulties accessing public, commercial and leisure goods and services
- 20% of households with at least one disabled person live in poverty compared to 16% of households with no disabled people
- 46% of disabled people are in employment, compared with 76.2% of non-disabled people
- around a fifth of disabled people report having difficulties accessing transport
- one in three households with a disabled person still live in accommodation that is not classed as decent
The Equality Act also protects people who are caring for a disabled child or relative as they will be protected by virtue of their association with a disabled person.
Information and support
Local organisations
- Our disabilities and accessibility services
- Hackney Directory
- find support services
- Advocacy for all – helps Hackney residents access health and social care services
National organisations
Other resources
We have produced a paper, profiling the needs of disabled people in Hackney.
Hackney Disability Backup has produced a language code to encourage public to use positive language when talking about disabled people.
Creating inclusive communities
Disability Rights UK’s guidance on inclusive communities contains examples of good practice in relation to:
- reporting hate crime
- participation of disabled people in decision making and scrutiny
- access and planning decisions
- improving employment
- access to elected office, and
- digital inclusion
Improving access to goods and services
- making access to goods and services easier for disabled people, Equality and Human Rights Commission
- Dementia Friendly Communities
Employment
- employing disabled people and people with health conditions – a good practice guide includes links to numerous organisations, guides and toolkits to help employers meet the needs of disabled staff. Department for Work and Pensions
- good practice in helping disabled people back to work, European Social Fund
Communication
- delivering inclusive communications, Office for Disability Issues
- Seeing It My Way, RNIB
- working with disabled people with communication impairments, Scope
- communicating with people with a learning disability, MENCAP
- tips for communicating for people with hearing loss, RNID
Physical access
Transport
- transport if you are disabled, Gov.uk
- inclusive mobility, Department of Transport – a good practice guide to pedestrian and transport infrastructure.
Housing
- delivering housing adaptations for disabled people, Department of Health
Education and youth provision
- disability rights – education, Gov.uk
- critical issues in the provision of youth work for young disabled people, Ofsted
Sport and leisure
- access for all – opening doors, English Federation of Disability Sports Clubs
Hate crime
- let’s stop disability hate crime, Disability Rights UK
Mental health
- advice for employers on making reasonable adjustments for people with mental health conditions, Department for Health
- Time to change – a national campaign aimed at reducing the stigma associated with mental health. Includes a national Time to Talk day on 6 February:
People with autism
- supporting adults with autism, The National Autistic Society
People with epilepsy
- Epilepsy Action publish a wide range of printed material and DVDs on all aspects of epilepsy including diagnosis, syndromes, legal rights, first aid, mental health, sport, education and driving.
Research and insight
- fulfilling potential, building a deeper understanding about disability in the UK today, Department for Work and Pensions
- community data toolkit for disability groups, Department for Health