North Wales MS And Chair of the Senedd Cross-Party Group on Disability, Mark Isherwood, has called on the Welsh Government to turn words into action in order to tackle the discrimination and inequalities faced daily by Disabled People.
Responding to yesterday’s Statement in the Senedd by the Minister of Social Justice and Chief Whip on the International Day of Disabled People, Mr Isherwood highlighted the barriers and issues still facing disabled people in Wales.
He said:
“Minister, you state that the Welsh Government is resolute in its determination to address the discrimination and inequalities faced daily by Disabled People. That's something you've been saying for over two decades. In November last year, 16 years after the Changing Places campaign was first debated here, I led a Debate on Changing Places Toilets, stating that 'the lack of basic facilities such as these are leaving people disabled, trapped, isolated and dependent on others'.
What action have you taken on this since?
“The National Deaf Children's Society Cymru has warned that falling numbers of Teachers of the Deaf and other issues with the roll-out of the Welsh Government's Additional Learning Needs Reforms is hindering deaf pupils from making use of educational training facilities. They actually have a Senedd Petition on this. What action are you taking on that matter?
“Disability Wales is extremely concerned about the financial pressures being experienced by Disabled People's Organisations across Wales, run and controlled by Disabled People and acting as their voice in their communities, including Flintshire-based ‘The FDF Centre for Independent Living’ (formerly Flintshire Disability Forum), with scrapped Local Authority funding generating far higher cost pressures on Local Authority Services, creating a false economy. What action are you taking about this?
“Finally, what action have you taken regarding the recurrent concern raised with me by Disabled and Autistic people and their families in Flintshire that there is, in their words, ‘an evident pattern of blame and bullying when a parent raises legitimate concerns’, which I've repeatedly highlighted here, where the recent STAND North Wales Flintshire Parent Support Group Meeting emphasised the continuing need for Disability and Additional Learning Needs training to be more than just awareness, for parents to have their voices heard, and for legislation to be adhered to.”
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Isherwood added:
“Disabled people are not disabled by their impairments, but by the barriers to access and inclusion which society places in their way, and we must work with disabled people to remove these, seeing the world through their eyes, giving them the voice, choice, control and independence they seek and deserve.”