ARCHIVE: Foreword by the Secretary of State to the report on disability equality
Equality lies at the heart of all we do in Government. With this report I am setting out how we are putting equality for disabled people at the heart of all we do at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Disability should not stand in the way of interacting with our environment. The natural world enriches all of our lives, so we should all have the same opportunities to enjoy it and to help improve it. We should all have access to our countryside and coasts, and we should all have the chance to contribute to the environment that we love.
That's what this report is all about and I am delighted that it shows some real progress. It gives me the opportunity to show how many public authorities have already helped to improve the lives of disabled people. But it also reveals gaps that will need to be addressed if we are to reach our goal of disability equality by 2025.
So we have achieved a great deal, but we need to do more. By working together, across government and alongside other public authorities, we can make a real difference to people's lives. This report sets out our commitment to do just that.
Hilary Benn
(then Secretary of State)
Page last modified: 22 May 2010
Page published: 1 December 2008