Government risks missing poverty targets as disabled are ignored

The Chairman of the Disability Rights Commission, Bert Massie has accused the Government of 'a lazy fatalism and low expectations culture'that will lead to poverty targets being missed.

Mr Massie's comments at the launch of a nationwide advertising campaign on the impact of disability discrimination in Britain came as figures revealed that more disabled adults and those with long term health conditions are now living in poverty than children or pensioners.

“For some reason, and despite all the facts, public policy makers are not thinking about disability. It is considered something over there for the specialists to deal with. Something to do with wheelchairs and ramps,” said Mr Massie.

“Successive governments have failed to break the culture of low expectations that holds disabled people back – including the present administration. There is a lazy fatalism that too often shapes the perceptions that politicians have of disabled people. In important areas, the distance between the living standards, opportunities and life-chances between disabled people and the rest of the population has widened.”

More information