Disability Rights UK are consulting on on what the disability rights sector can seek from a post-Brexit UK.
They are looking at UK laws that have a basis in EU law and what might be required to avoid aspects being lost or changed to the disadvantage of disabled people. This work is complemented by an analysis (Word) from Professor Anna Lawson (Director of the Centre for Disability Studies, University of Leeds).
The proposed manifesto is:
- No loss of EU-based rights, including in relation to air and ship travel, web accessibility, accessible goods and services, public procurement and manufactured goods
- No regression in disability rights: no changes to primary legislation without parliamentary scrutiny (i.e. no Henry VIII clauses), no watering down of secondary legislation, no discarding disability equality rules and regulations as ‘red tape’
- Continued commitment to being ahead of the curve on disability rights – fully committing to implementing the new European Accessibility Act once passed, building human rights clauses into future trade agreements and at least matching future progressive developments in EU disability rights law
- At least matching current EU funding of DPOs and disability rights – this includes EU funding that supports
- a) disabled people’s participation and voice
- b) independent living
- c) other UN Convention rights
- d) research on issues of importance to disabled people and with particular attention given to parts of the UK where loss of EU funding would damage the DPO sector
- A full equality impact assessment of plans for freedom of movement, ensuring no disproportionate impact on
- a) disabled EU citizens living in the UK
- b) carers
- c) disabled British citizens living in other EU, and
- d) no detrimental impact on disabled people’s independence through reducing the PA workforce.
This must involve detailed scrutiny of plans for EU citizens in the UK in terms of rules about ‘self-sufficiency’ and requirements for ‘comprehensive health insurance’
- Continued mutual recognition initiatives useful to disabled people – for instance badges to enable disabled people to park and cards offering other access and benefits
- Continued commitment to the European Convention on Human Rights
To provide input, contact tony.stevens@disabilityrightsuk.org by 5 May 2017.
