WECIL is a member of DPO Forum England, a national collective of Deaf and Disabled people’s organisations, and Deaf and Disabled people-led groups across the UK which aims to raise our voices and share our priorities for a more inclusive and accessible society.
Working together, DPO Forum England have created The Disabled People’s Manifesto, calling on the next Government to take action across the “four pillars” of representation and voice, rights, independence, and inclusion – urging a radical reform programme to tackle disablist policy making and systemic oppression and injustice, to create a society where everyone has equal life chances and is valued and treated equally.
The manifesto was launched with great fanfare at a conference of Deaf and Disabled people’s organisations from across England at the People’s History Museum in Manchester, organised by Reclaiming Our Futures Alliance (ROFA) and Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People (GMCDP).
Among other things, the manifesto demands
- funding to support a network of Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs)
- co-production with Disabled people of policies at local and national level through their DPOs
- an end to social care charging
- funding to provide reasonable adjustments for Disabled candidates at elections
- the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to be fully incorporated into UK law
- action on disability hate crime
- new laws to abolish forced detention and treatment of people on mental health grounds
- an inquiry into deaths linked to the Department for Work and Pensions
We need a long-term Disability Strategy, co-produced with Disabled people and our organisations, that tackles the root causes of our oppression and delivers fundamental reform and investment to enable Disabled people of all ages, genders and backgrounds to thrive.
Full details of The Disabled People’s Manifesto are available at a dedicated website, which includes links to the Full Manifesto Document, an Easy Read version of the Manifesto and BSL Manifesto videos.
The website also includes a Take Action page. There you will find;
- a link to sign the petition to Government
- an easy tool to ask your local MP to pledge support for the Disabled People’s Manifesto
- a DPO Signature form for Deaf & Disabled People’s Organisations to sign the manifesto
- tips to help share the manifesto on social media
- a contact form to find out more
