Rights Now! – Latest

Andy Rickell, Chief Executive, BCODP

Following the National Council's decision to get involved again in Rights Now, to see if there is still a role for BCODP or to see if BCODP should withdraw instead, I can now update you on what has happened so far.

I attended the February meeting of the Rights Now group, and several other people connected with BCODP also attended as reps of their respective groups. There appeared to be some backtracking by some other people from their earlier decision to press ahead with a new UK Civil Rights Bill. However my presence and those of other members of the Movement meant we were able to argue strongly for the need for a new Bill and we were successful.

The group then discussed the things that needed to go into such a Bill. The list included:

1. Employment - to cover all employers, and to also include voluntary work and work experience, and all elected representatives and statutory office holders
2. Education - full and proper mainstream provision at all levels including pre-school, adult education and professional training
3. Transport - all types of transport, with clear dates for implementation
4. Enforcement - effective means of enforcement including full legal costs to be paid, and allowing groups of disabled people to take cases on behalf of their members
5. The right to life and issues about genetics and bioethics
6. Social Model of Disability - the definition of disability in the Bill should be based on the Social Model
7. The right to a minimum standard of living
8. Provision of all goods and services, whether public or commercial
9. Health Care - access to all primary and secondary health care, all types of treatment and intervention, access to all medical records and information
10. State benefits - should be based on the full costs of disability, not based on type of impairment

The group then set up a working group which included me and a majority of reps from the Movement. The group met once and has drafted the barebones of the Bill. Much of the work was done by me and Rachel Hurst, with some assistance from RNIB and RADAR reps.

We took the opportunity to add some additional items:

1. In support of the British Deaf Association's campaign, we included the recognition of BSL as a language
2. In support of Direct Action Network's "Free Our People" campaign, we included the demands that DAN wished to include in a "Freedom Bill" - such as a Centre for Independent Living in every local authority area, accessible housing for all, a right to independent living and a right to take a package of services from one area to another
3. From previous Civil Rights Bills, we included a right to vote on the same terms as everyone else, and a duty on all public bodies to oppose discrimination and support equal opportunities
4. The right to communicate and the support necessary to do so
5. Access to affordable legal services.

The name of the Bill is going to be the Disabled People’s Rights and Freedoms Bill. We are now going to try to get a lawyer to draft it up properly, with the intention of introducing it as a 10-minute rule Bill in the Commons after Easter. The Bill will also be useful as a pathfinder should the European Disabled People’s Movement be successful at getting a European Civil Rights Directive which will then have to be introduced into UK law.

© Copyright British Council of Disabled People 2002