Got a view on disability issues?
We’re listening
Equality 2025 is hosting a National Public Meeting at
Manchester City Football Club on 15 October 2009.
If you are disabled or have a long-term health
condition we want you there.
Air your views
Share your experiences
Tell us your ideas
Your views will help us to tell government what
disabled people think.
To find out more phone 020 7449 5073
or email eq2025.secretariat@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Hi everyone,
Zara Todd
This week’s Wednesday blog is from me, Zara, the Deputy Chair of Equality 2025. I’ve been reading the blog since it started. It’s been so useful and interesting to see all the ideas and suggestions that have been sent over that time, and please do keep sending in comments and ideas so we can feed them into Government.
It’s been a very busy week for Equality 2025 members this week as we’ve held three big engagement events, two in Wales and one in West Ham (east London). On the 30th of June we held an engagement event in east London attended by over a hundred deaf and disabled Londoners. We had three main areas of discussion: the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled People, Independent Living, and Being Equal, which included looking at the Equality Bill. One theme throughout the day was reflecting the diverse backgrounds and identities of disabled people, i.e. BME disabled people, LGBT, etc. We would love to hear from you about any of the above issues or any other comments you may have.
Interestingly, looking at comments on the blog from the last couple of weeks, one question from Dan really caught my attention. This was: “Can someone explain what the ‘2025’ is about?” As this was a big question in West Ham, we have to answer that 2025 is in our name because we were set up in response to the Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People Report, in which the Government pledged to achieve equality for disabled people by 2025. Equality 2025 was set up by Government in 2006. At the West Ham event it was proposed by delegates that Equality 2025 should advise Government that the aim for equality should be sooner. The year 2015 was unanimously agreed upon by the West Ham event attendees, so we will now advise Government of that. Another comment that struck me was Paul’s suggestion of web casting our AGM and we’re looking into the practicalities of doing that during our planning.
Last week also saw an engagement event take place especially for deaf young people in south Wales, looking at life now and dreams for the future. I particularly enjoyed hearing about some of the practical solutions they had to barriers they experienced, including making cinemas put more subtitled films on.
We also held an engagement event for disabled young people around life now and dreams for the future, and a couple of recurring themes came out across the groups: wanting more things to do and social opportunities, and wanting to be included and recognized as equals.
Have a good week and keep the comments coming in.
Zara
When Equality 2025 was set up, its Memorandum of Understanding stated that a review of the group would be carried out in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance every three years.
The review will look at the activities Equality 2025 has undertaken, look at how efficient and effective it is as a public body. The first review is taking place over the next few weeks (up to the 14th July), so this is your opportunity to contribute to the review.
The review is looking at the following questions:
1. How would you describe the purposes of Equality 2025?
2. What, would you say, are Equality 2025’s key tasks / services?
3. How effectively, in your opinion, does Equality 2025 carry out its key tasks / services?
4. What is Equality 2025’s relationship with disabled people and disability organisations? Should it be any different? How?
5. Any other comments?
Equality 2025 believes the views of disabled people are crucial, and we strongly encourage disabled people with views about Equality 2025 itself to give your views as part of the evaluation.
If you would like to give us your views, please email your thoughts on the above questions to the Equality 2025 Secretariat at EQ2025.SECRETARIAT@DWP.GSI.GOV.UK and we pass them on to the Independent Reviewer.
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