13 July 2006 - Office for Disability Issues – First Annual Report to the Prime Minister
The Government's Office for Disability Issues (ODI) has today published its first Annual Report to the Prime Minister, detailing the progress that is being made towards realising the Government's ambitious vision for real equality for disabled people by 2025.
Welcoming the report, the Prime Minister said:
“ For too long, disabled people have been marginalised in our society. They have found themselves denied the chance to exercise choice and control over their lives and, too often, been excluded from the workplace.
The Government is determined to put that right. That's why I welcome this first report of the Office for Disability Issues, which shows the progress being made in removing the barriers to a more equal society in which all can play their full part."
Minister for Disabled People, Anne McGuire added:
"Today's report clearly sets out the action we are taking to address the discrimination and disadvantage that disabled people experience.
" For example, an increasing number of disabled people now receive support through Individual Budgets, which allow much more control over the support they receive. Three sites in Oldham, Essex & West Sussex are already testing this new way of working, and another ten sites are due to begin pilots this month."
The ODI is also in the process of setting up a new advisory body – Equality 2025: the United Kingdom Advisory Network on Disability Equality – which will be launched later this year. This will give disabled people a voice right at the heart of Government, allowing them to influence the strategies, policies and services that affect their lives.
The ODI has also been taking forward work in a number of other areas, including delivering a campaign aimed at small businesses to improve their awareness of the Disability Discrimination Act. It is also working with the Disability Rights Commission to ensure the effective implementation across central Government of the new Disability Equality Duty, which comes into force this December.
Notes to editors
- The Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit report, Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People, published in January 2005, set out the Government’s strategy for disabled people. It included some sixty recommendations for improving disabled people’s lives, focusing on four key themes: early years, the transition from childhood into adulthood, employment and independent living. The report can be found at: www.strategy.gov.uk/work_areas/disability/
- A key recommendation was the creation of an Office for Disability Issues (ODI) to provide a cross-government focus on disability issues. The ODI will report annually to the Prime Minister on progress in implementing the Life Chances strategy.
- The first Annual Report to the Prime Minister was published today at 9.30am by the Department for Work and Pensions. The report is in two parts. The main body of the report details the overall strategy, progress towards equality for disabled people since Life Chances was published, and priorities for future action. A shorter set of summary tables sets out specific initiatives that are underway in direct response to the recommendations in the Life Chances report.
- Both parts of the report can be accessed as pdf, Word, plain text and easy-read via www.officefordisability.gov.uk. Hard copies of both parts of the report have been produced in 14 point text, easy read, Braille and audio formats. These are available on request from office-for-disability-issues@dwp.gsi.gov.uk.
- Both are available from the ODI website or in hard copy form in a range of formats.
- Feedback on this report is welcomed. For media enquiries, please contact Jess Prasad, Sharon Kean or Gemmaine Walsh on 020 7238 0755; for other enquiries, please email office-for-disability-issues@dwp.gsi.gov.uk or write to Office for Disability Issues, The Adelphi, 1-11 John Adam Street, London, WC2N 6HT.
For media enquiries or images contact Sharon Kean or Jessica Prasad
on: 020 7238 0866
Press Office: 020 7238 0866
Textphone: 0207 238 0788
Out of hours: 079659 108 883
Public enquiries: 020 7712 2171
Website: www.officefordisability.gov.uk
www.dwp.gov.uk
www.direct.gov.uk/disability
Prepared by: Office for Disability Issues HM Government