First Report - The National Disability Strategy

Disabled people and their representative organisations told us they have had little to no influence over the National Disability Strategy. The result is a disability strategy in name only: a list consisting mainly of pre-existing departmental actions with minimal strategic thinking behind how those actions interact. Only a strategy which integrates different policy areas—such as education, health, social care, employment and transport—will have a truly transformational effect on the lives of disabled people. (Paragraph 7) A longer-term approach

The Government should develop the National Disability Strategy beyond the short- term actions already in progress. To support this approach, it should work with disabled people to develop a ten-year strategy with an action plan for the first five years outlining clear targets and timescales for delivery. The Disability Unit should have the final say on all disability policy sitting in or originating from other Government Departments to ensure that the whole of Government works towards the same long- term strategic objectives. It should also have the power to challenge relevant Ministers. (Paragraph 13) Engagement with disabled people

The Government claimed to have carried out “the biggest listening exercise with disabled people in recent history” to inform the National Disability Strategy. We disagree. Rather than being listened to, many disabled people and their representative organisations felt excluded from the engagement process. The Government then chose to ignore their concerns, even after the possibility of legal action became likely, further disempowering its primary stakeholder group.

Disabled people and groups continue to feel excluded from having meaningful input into policies directly affecting them. This suggests the Government has not learnt lessons from the concerns raised over the development of the National Disability Strategy and that its efforts to engage are perceived to be superficial. The Government needs to improve its engagement with disabled groups, to listen to and act on what disabled people want, if its policies on improving their lives are to be effective.

The Government should immediately establish a national advisory group bringing together the DPO Forum England and the chairs of Regional Stakeholder Networks. The advisory group’s remit should include reviewing all government policy proposals targeted towards people with disabilities; advising ministers on issues facing disabled people; and working closely with the Disability Unit and the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work on the further development, implementation and evaluation of the National Disability Strategy. (Paragraph 28) 20 The National Disability Strategy Evidence

The Disability Unit, in its response to this Report, should provide specific details on the steps it is taking to improve the evidence base on disability, including on disabled people’s lived experiences and the intersection with other protected characteristics. (Paragraph 32) Progress on remaining actions

The act of appealing the High Court’s judgment on the lawfulness of the National Disability Strategy created many months of uncertainty and frustration for disabled people and their representative organisations. It was unclear why the Government chose to pause 14 policies in the strategy while allowing a hundred others to continue. Failure to update disabled people on those actions that remained ongoing only served to exacerbate confusion and anxiety. The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work—who is charged with oversight of implementing the strategy— should have had a system in place to monitor the actions still in progress and to update disabled people’s organisations and other relevant stakeholders accordingly. (Paragraph 38) Updating Parliament

The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work should immediately update Parliament and disability stakeholders with specific timescales for delivery on all outstanding actions in the National Disability Strategy. (Paragraph 39) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

That the Government failed to engage with the CRPD process earlier this year is disrespectful to the UN Committee and disabled people. It sends the wrong message, both nationally and internationally, about the UK’s commitment to upholding the rights of persons with disabilities. The Government, in response to this report, should set out: a) its reasons for failing to attend the August 2023 meeting with the UN Committee; b) Why it has not yet adequately addressed the UN Committee’s 2016 recommendations, the steps it is taking to progress that work and by when those recommendations will be met; and c) The specific steps it is taking to ensure that the whole of Government understands and follows the principles of the CRPD in policymaking. (Paragraph 43)

The National Disability Strategy is a positive step towards ensuring equality for disabled people. The Government now has an opportunity to put it fully into action. However, it needs to listen to the concerns that disabled people and their The National Disability Strategy 21 representative organisations had with the strategy and work closely with them to develop it into a long-term plan for change over which they have ownership.

The findings from our inquiry are split into three parts. This report looked at the extent to which disabled people had the opportunity to influence the National Disability Strategy. It focused on the Government’s engagement with stakeholders on disability policymaking. A further two reports will separately examine the inequalities that people with learning disabilities and autism face and disabled people’s access to products and services. (Paragraph 45) 22 The National Disability Strategy