North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has called on the Welsh Government to ensure that public agencies carry out their responsibilities to disabled people.
Mr Isherwood raised the matter in the Chamber this week when calling for an Oral Statement following the Written Statement issued by Jane Hutt AM, Deputy Minister and Chief Whip, on 19 September, 'Action on Disability: The Right to Independent Living'.
The ‘Action on Disability: The Right to Independent Living’ Framework and Action Plan aims to tackle the barriers which may hinder disabled people’s participation in society on an equal basis with others and replaces the previous ‘Framework for Action on Independent Living’, published by the Welsh Government in 2013.
Previously, Mr Isherwood has called on the Welsh Government to take action to ensure that Flintshire County Council fully understands what the new Framework and Plan means, so that it meets its duties to disabled people.
In this week’s Business Statement, he again raised concern that the legislation and guidance as currently drafted is ignored by too many public service providers.
He said:
“The Written Statement says the Framework sets out how the Welsh Government is fulfilling its obligations under, amongst other things, the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. Its Part 2 Code of Practice refers to, or ‘recognises that disabled people can achieve their potential and fully participate as members of society, consistent with the Welsh Government's Framework for Action on Independent Living’, expressing ‘the right of disabled people to participate fully in all aspects of life’.
“So, for example, we need to know if and when the Code is going to be amended to reflect the new guidance, and how public service providers will be apprised of that, where too many still ignore the Code as currently drafted.
“In that context, finally, the new Action on Disability Framework Plan says that Welsh Government would ‘develop a British Sign Language (BSL) national charter for delivery of services and resources’. However, as I stated here in February, the British Deaf Association is calling for Local Authorities and public services in Wales to sign up to their Charter for British Sign Language and to make five pledges to improve access and rights for Deaf BSL users in Wales, where presently, at that stage, only two Local Authorities in the whole of Wales had signed up.
“So, let's work with, hopefully, the community, adopt the Charter they have designed, and encourage all public service providers in Wales to sign up accordingly. I think we need that Statement in this context relating to those two examples, but also many more where further clarity is required.”
The Finance Minister and Trefnydd, Rebecca Evans AM, said she would ask the Deputy Minister and Chief Whip to provide Mr Isherwood with a response to the various issues he raised regarding the Framework.
