New Disability Bill must go full steam ahead on transport rights says DRC
A proposed Disability Discrimination Bill (DDB) should pave the way for substantial civil rights in transport for Britain’s 9.8 million disabled people by 2006 according to the Disability Rights Commission (DRC).
The Joint Committee of MP’s and Peers’ report on the Government’s draft disability bill, published today, was welcomed by the DRC as a major step forward in solving the discrimination disabled people experience daily when trying to travel in Britain.
The Committee has rightly urged the Government to set a prompt and clear timetable for new rights of legal redress for disabled people who currently can legally be refused use of public transport, including buses, trains and taxis. The Committee has also recommended an end date for all trains to be accessible to disabled people of 2017. This is the same as the Government’s end date for bus accessibility.
Bert Massie, Chairman of the DRC, commented:
“This is great news for disabled people and, if implemented by the Government, will close a major loophole in the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). The Government has been committed to introducing basic civil rights for disabled people using public transport since the 1997 manifesto so it’s been a long journey. The Government has already committed itself to a timetable to make vehicles accessible but achieving this would be meaningless if disabled people could not use public transport because of the current legal position.”
The Joint Committee has also recommended strengthening the rights of disabled people in housing.
As Bert Massie explains:
“The DRC has long argued for provision to be made in law to prevent landlords and management committees unreasonably refusing permission for disabled people to put in adaptations to their homes to help them get around. We are therefore pleased that the Joint Committee agrees with us and is urging the Government to include this in the draft Bill.”
Furthermore, the Joint Committee has called for reform to help remove factors contributing to the stress many people with severe mental health problems face in challenging discrimination. This has also been welcomed by the DRC.
Mr Massie continued: “We congratulate the Committee for producing such a thorough, accessible and authoritative report with proposals for delivering immediate benefits for disabled people as well as a longer term agenda for change.”
Details available on DRC website: www.drc-gb.org
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