Government Implementation of the Standard Rules
As Seen By Member Organizations of
Inclusion International - ILSMH

United Kingdom

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© Dimitris Michailakis 1997

MENCAP, United Kingdom
Compare with the following Country Report(s): the UK Government, WBU

General policy

The officially recognized disability policy is expressed in common principles inherent in a range of social policies. According to the Government, disability policy is expressed in law, in guidelines adopted by the government, in policy adopted by political parties and in policy adopted by NGOs. The emphasis in this policy - in descending scale - is on individual support, accessibility measures, anti-discrimination law, rehabilitation and prevention.

Since the adoption of the Rules, the government has conveyed the message of full participation.

Legislation

The rights of persons with disabilities are protected by special legislation and general legislation. The judicial mechanism adopted to protect the rights of persons with disabilities is due process (legal remedy through courts), the non-judicial being an Ombudsman. According to the Government, non-judicial mechanisms do not include an Ombudsman but a governmental body (administrative), independent expert bodies and a special arbitration/conciliation body.

General legislation applies to persons with different disabilities with respect to education, employment, the right to marriage, the right to parenthood/family, political rights, access to court of law, the right to privacy and to property rights. The following benefits are guaranteed by law to persons with disabilities: health and medical care, training, rehabilitation and counselling and financial security.

The Disability Discrimination Act and the Mental Health Act are laws enacted since the adoption of the Rules.

Accessibility

There are rules to ensure accessibility of the built environment which establish national design standards requiring that public places, the outdoor environment, means of public transportation and housing are made accessible. According to the Government, there are no design standards requiring that means of public transportation and housing are made accessible. Accessibility in the built environment is observed by a national authority, by local governments, the constructor and by the organizers/providers of the services. The following services have been promoted in order to facilitate accessibility of the built environment: levelling off pavements, marking parking areas, installing automatic doors, lifts and accessible toilets, ensuring accessibility in public places, improving accessibility in housing, providing financial support for accessibility measures in housing, installing special lighting and using contrast colours for visually impaired and providing specially adapted motor vehicles. Special transport is available for medical treatment (low income groups), education (free or reduced cost), work (access to work scheme) and for recreational purpose (local arrangements). The most difficult obstacles, when planning to build accessible environments, are attitudinal factors, economic/budgetary factors, technical factors and lack of co-operation from other organisations/institutions. There is - though not enough - a disability awareness component incorporated in the training of planners, architects and construction engineers.

Sign language is recognized as the official language of deaf people. According to the Government, sign language for deaf people has no officially recognized status, is not used as the first language in education of deaf people and is not recognized as the main means of communication between deaf persons and others. There are government measures to encourage media and other forms of public information to make their services accessible to persons with disabilities. The following services are provided in order to facilitate information and communication between persons with disabilities and others: literature in Braille/tape, news magazines on tape/Braille, sign language interpretation (available for any purpose) and easy readers for persons with mental disabilities. According to the Government, sign language interpretation is available only for major events.

Organizations of persons with disabilities

There are legal provisions mandating the representatives of persons with disabilities to participate in policy-making and to work with governmental institutions. Organizations of persons with disabilities are often consulted when laws and regulations with a disability aspect are being prepared. Consultations occur at both the national, regional and local level. The government gives financial and organizational/logistic support to organizations of persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities participate to a great extent in government, legislatures, political parties, NGOs. According to the Government, persons with disabilities participate to a very limited extent in Government, legislatures, judiciary and political parties. The role of organizations of persons with disabilities is to advocate rights and improved services, mobilize persons with disabilities, identify needs and priorities, participate in the planning, implementation and evaluation of services and measures concerning the lives of persons with disabilities, contribute to public awareness, provide services and promote/organize income generating activities.

Co-ordination of work

There is no national co-ordinating committee or any similar body. According to the Government, there are several authorities acting as national co-ordinating committees: The National Disability Council, reporting to the department of Social Security, the United Kingdom Forum, reporting to the Department of Health, the NACEPD, reporting to the Department of Education and Employment and the DPTAC, reporting to the Department of Transport. The co-ordinating committees include representatives from organizations of disabled people, other NGOs, the private sector, disabled persons and their parents/guardians being also represented. The Government exects the committees to participate in policy development and to perform other tasks. The establishment of the committees has had the following effects: improved co-ordination of measures /programmes, improved legislation, improved integration of responsibility, a better dialogue in the disability field, more accurate planning, more effective use of resources and improved promotion of public awareness.

The adoption of the Rules has not led to a rethinking of the approach to disability policy. According to the Government, the adoption of the Rules has led to such a rethinking.

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