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ARCHIVE: Defra's approach and priorities for disabled people
“Nothing about us without us” is a slogan that has been used by the disability rights movement for many years.
From the outset, steps have been taken to guarantee that disabled people were fully involved in shaping the contents and direction of the report.
Before this report was written advice was sought from the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the Office for Disability Issues.
Defra’s Disability Equality Scrutiny and Advisory Group (DESAG) then helped to shape the initial report framework, and helped identify priority areas. This group comprises a number of influential disabled ‘experts by experience’; who monitor Defra’s progress in respect of the Disability Equality Duty, and act as advisors and ‘critical friends’ to the department.
The report therefore concentrates on those issues that affect the lives of disabled people the most, as identified by disabled people. These priorities are in respect of fuel poverty; the quality and access to the natural environment; waste; emergency response to flooding; rural issues and the employment of disabled people in the policy sector.
Each chapter reports on progress towards disability equality and sets out the activity which is underway or planned. The final chapter sets out commitments for co-ordinated actions across government and the policy sector to bring about further progress in the priority areas that disabled people have identified.
Page last modified: 1 December 2008
Page published: 1 December 2008