UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Opened the debate

As chair of the all-party parliamentary group for disability, Lisa Cameron raised awareness of United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities. She highlighted the need to ensure that people with disabilities are not forgotten or invisible in society, especially during the pandemic. The speech emphasised issues such as representation and opportunities for political engagement, social mobility, access to employment, education gaps, mental health challenges, economic research findings, and the necessity of including children and adults with disabilities in policy discussions. The MP also requested that the Government prioritises addressing the funding gap in disabled children’s health and care services.

Government Response

Minister Chloe Smith thanked Lisa Cameron for her work and acknowledged the importance of leadership and participation towards an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-covid-19 world. The Government is committed to transforming disabled people’s lives through a national disability strategy with commitments from every part of government across various sectors like jobs, housing, transport, education, shopping, culture, justice, public services etc. Smith announced several ongoing initiatives aimed at improving accessibility and opportunities for disabled individuals, including consultations on flexible working, trials for new training programmes, task forces to improve access to government contracts, additional funding for special educational needs school places, and efforts to reform health and social care systems. The Minister also highlighted the Government's commitment to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, emphasised continuous improvement in engagement with disabled people, and discussed measures taken during the pandemic to support disabled individuals. She addressed specific concerns raised by Cameron regarding employment gaps, respite care funding, assistive technology investments, and the importance of including children and adults with disabilities in social care conversations.