Campaigns
Our Rights Now
Our Rights Now has been newly formed out of the old Rights Now to ensure that disabled people and their organisations are in the leadership in the struggle for our rights.
Whilst the government promised in January this year to introduce a new Disability Bill to amend the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, the Bill has not appeared to date. This is a further example that shows that disabled people's rights are falling down the government's agenda.
For this reason Disabled people will be lobbying Parliament to:
- Urge immediate introduction of the government's Disability Bill;
- Promote our own Rights and Freedom's Bill - a charter of what we want;
- Promote our rights through the Human Rights Act to restore disabled people's dignity and humanity, despite all the government promises that are denied to us.
The Rights and Freedom Bill focuses on the choices disabled people should have including: goods and services, transport, independent living, health care, communication, support and advocacy, relationships, benefits and many other areas. Above all we want full recognition of our rights as disabled people and an end to institutional disablism.
Our Rights Now's mission statement is:
"Our Rights Now Campaign, led by disabled people and their allies, is committed to achieving comprehensive and enforceable civil rights legislation in the UK for all disabled people and to combating any UK public policy or law which goes against civil or human rights."
What is really happening to Disabled People in the UK? Despite the Disability Discrimination Act:
- Disabled people are being charged for community services, unlike other recipients,
- 80% of disabled people are still living in inaccessible housing,
- Independent living and Direct Payments are still only a dream for thousands of disabled people,
- Community support is rare for people with a history of mental health,
- Information is still often not available in alternative formats or BSL,
- Disabled people are being denied medical treatment because of negative judgements of our quality of life,
- Transport systems are still not accessible,
- Benefits do not cover the extra costs of disability and leave disabled people in real poverty,
- Disabled children are still fighting for equality in education,
- Disabled adults of working age are still three times more likely to be unemployed,
- Disabled people are abused, bullied and mocked - and the law does nothing.