National Disability Strategy

Women and Equalities Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 26 May 2022 Closed: 30 May 2024 Parliament page
A Women and Equalities Committee inquiry to scrutinise the implementation and further development of the Government’s National Disability Strategy , which was published in July 2021. Accessibility of products and services to disabled people Read the full report (HTML) Read the EasyRead report on accessibility (PDF 1374KB) Read the large … Read more
21 Recommendations
13 Conclusions
6 Reports
5 Oral sessions
5 Letters
5 Events
Activity timeline 24 events
29 May
2024
Report published
28 May
2024
Report published
21 May
2024
Report published
21 May
2024
Report published
19 Mar
2024
Report published
19 Mar
2024
Report published
6 Mar
2024
Report published
24 Jan
2024
Correspondence
6 Dec
2023
Report published
6 Dec
2023
Report published
6 Sep
2023
Correspondence
18 Jul
2023
Correspondence
Oral evidence sessions 5 sessions
5 Jul 2023
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Women and Equalities Committee
David Nuttall · Department of Health and Social Care Jennifer Heigham · Department for Work and Pensions Marcus Bell · Cabinet Office Maria Caulfield MP · Government Equalities Office Tom Pursglove MP · Department for Work and Pensions
17 May 2023
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Women and Equalities Committee
Angela Matthews · Business Disability Forum Eric Harris · Research Institute for Disabled Consumers Tammy Jones · Purple Vivienne Francis · The Royal Institute of Blind People
26 Apr 2023
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Women and Equalities Committee
Ciara Lawrence · The Royal Mencap Society George Appleton · Care England Jackie O'Sullivan · The Royal Mencap Society Jim Blair Maya Stretton · National Autistic Society Tim Nicholls · National Autistic Society
29 Mar 2023
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Women and Equalities Committee
Fazilet Hadi · Disability Rights UK Fran Springfield · Chronic Illness Inclusion Lord Shinkwin · The Centre for Social Justice Disability Commission Martin McLean · National Deaf Children’s Society Nil Guzelgun · MIND Svetlana Kotova · Inclusion London
22 Feb 2023
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Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendations & Conclusions
34 results
1 Conclusion Rejected
First Report - The National Disabi…
National Disability Strategy criticised for lacking integration and disabled people's input.
Disabled people and their representative organisations told us they have had little to no influence over the National Disability Strategy. The result is a disability strategy in name only: a list consisting mainly of pre-existing departmental actions with minimal strategic … Read more
Government Response
The government rejects the conclusion that disabled people had little influence over the National Disability Strategy, providing extensive details of meetings, consultations, surveys, and qualitative research undertaken with various disabled people's organizations and charities during its development.
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2 Recommendation Accepted in Part
First Report - The National Disabi…
Develop a ten-year National Disability Strategy with disabled people, including clear targets.
The Government should develop the National Disability Strategy beyond the short- term actions already in progress. To support this approach, it should work with disabled people to develop a ten-year strategy with an action plan for the first five years … Read more
Government Response
The government commits to delivering a long-term vision for the National Disability Strategy and has a new Disability Action Plan for immediate actions in 2024. However, it explicitly rejects the recommendation for the Disability Unit to have final say or power to challenge other departments, and does not commit to the requested ten-year strategy with five-year targets and timescales.
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3 Conclusion Rejected
First Report - The National Disabi…
Government's engagement with disabled people on National Disability Strategy proved insufficient and exclusive.
The Government claimed to have carried out “the biggest listening exercise with disabled people in recent history” to inform the National Disability Strategy. We disagree. Rather than being listened to, many disabled people and their representative organisations felt excluded from … Read more
Government Response
The government rejects the committee's conclusion by detailing the extensive engagement undertaken to develop the National Disability Strategy, including numerous meetings with various disability organisations, roundtables, and the UK Disability Survey.
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4 Recommendation Accepted
First Report - The National Disabi…
Improve government engagement with disabled groups, listening and acting on their input.
Disabled people and groups continue to feel excluded from having meaningful input into policies directly affecting them. This suggests the Government has not learnt lessons from the concerns raised over the development of the National Disability Strategy and that its … Read more
Government Response
The government states that its existing stakeholder engagement framework, which includes regular meetings with disabled people's organizations, regional networks, and charities, already ensures meaningful input from the disability sector, effectively addressing the recommendation.
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5 Recommendation Accepted
First Report - The National Disabi…
Establish a national advisory group to review and advise on disability policy.
The Government should immediately establish a national advisory group bringing together the DPO Forum England and the chairs of Regional Stakeholder Networks. The advisory group’s remit should include reviewing all government policy proposals targeted towards people with disabilities; advising ministers … Read more
Government Response
The government rejects the recommendation to establish a new national advisory group, stating that its existing stakeholder engagement framework, which includes regular meetings with DPO Forum England and Regional Stakeholder Network chairs, already effectively replicates the proposed group's remit.
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6 Recommendation Accepted
First Report - The National Disabi…
Provide specific details on improving the disability evidence base and lived experiences.
The Disability Unit, in its response to this Report, should provide specific details on the steps it is taking to improve the evidence base on disability, including on disabled people’s lived experiences and the intersection with other protected characteristics. (Paragraph … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation and details specific steps the Disability Unit is taking to improve the evidence base on disability, including conducting research, collaborating with other departments to improve data quality, and building a case for a new national disability survey.
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7 Conclusion Not Addressed
First Report - The National Disabi…
Establish system to monitor and update disabled people on National Disability Strategy actions.
The act of appealing the High Court’s judgment on the lawfulness of the National Disability Strategy created many months of uncertainty and frustration for disabled people and their representative organisations. It was unclear why the Government chose to pause 14 … Read more
Government Response
The government defends its decision to appeal the High Court judgment and its handling of the National Disability Strategy during that period, stating the appeal was successful and most policies continued. It does not address the committee's observation about needing a system for monitoring and updating stakeholders.
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8 Recommendation Accepted
First Report - The National Disabi…
Update Parliament and stakeholders on National Disability Strategy outstanding action timescales.
The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work should immediately update Parliament and disability stakeholders with specific timescales for delivery on all outstanding actions in the National Disability Strategy. (Paragraph 39) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Read more
Government Response
The government states that the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work already provided a full update to Parliament on 18 September 2023 regarding progress on the Strategy and outstanding commitments, and will publish further updates.
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9 Recommendation Accepted in Part
First Report - The National Disabi…
Require Government to explain UN CRPD non-attendance and outline steps to meet 2016 recommendations.
That the Government failed to engage with the CRPD process earlier this year is disrespectful to the UN Committee and disabled people. It sends the wrong message, both nationally and internationally, about the UK’s commitment to upholding the rights of … Read more
Government Response
The government explains its reasons for not attending the August 2023 UN Committee meeting, stating it will participate in March 2024. It commits to improving understanding of the UNCRPD across government through the Disability Unit's work as part of the Disability Action Plan, and will outline further progress on 2016 recommendations in March.
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10 Recommendation Acknowledged
First Report - The National Disabi…
Engage disabled people meaningfully to develop the National Disability Strategy into a long-term plan.
The National Disability Strategy is a positive step towards ensuring equality for disabled people. The Government now has an opportunity to put it fully into action. However, it needs to listen to the concerns that disabled people and their The … Read more
Government Response
The Government acknowledges the Committee's inquiry and highlights its views on disabled people's influence, stakeholder engagement, and commitment to the UNCRPD; it states its commitment to the Strategy and the Disability Action Plan.
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11 Conclusion Acknowledged
First Report - The National Disabi…
Initial report examines disabled people's influence on the National Disability Strategy.
The findings from our inquiry are split into three parts. This report looked at the extent to which disabled people had the opportunity to influence the National Disability Strategy. It focused on the Government’s engagement with stakeholders on disability policymaking. … Read more
Government Response
The Government is grateful to the Committee for their inquiry into the National Disability Strategy (the Strategy). They highlight the Committee’s views on: how far disabled people influenced the development of the Strategy, the Government’s engagement with stakeholders on disability policy-making and the Government’s commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). The actions set out in the Strategy demonstrate the Government’s commitment to implementing the UNCRPD through its legislation, policies and services and they remain committed to fulfilling the commitments made in the Strategy.
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1 Conclusion Acknowledged
Fourth Report - Accessibility of p…
Unacceptable delay in government accessibility research for disabled consumers persists
The Disability Action Plan calls on the Disability Unit to publish research into the accessibility of private sector products and services in spring 2024 and to improve its understanding of the barriers disabled consumers face. It is right that policy … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the committee's point by stating it is still working on and will share its research on the accessibility of private sector products and services, as part of the Disability Action Plan published in February 2024.
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2 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - Accessibility of p…
Businesses neglect inclusive design for disabled consumers, limiting market access
Not all businesses are considering the needs of disabled consumers when bringing products and services to the market. Where accessibility is considered, it is often done so retrospectively, as something to be bolted on to an existing design. Products and … Read more
Government Response
The government responds by detailing the existing Disability Access Ambassadors (DAA) programme, outlining how senior business leaders identify and encourage improvements in accessibility and quality of products and services in their sectors. It provides numerous examples of DAA initiatives, reports, and guides already in progress.
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3 Recommendation Accepted
Fourth Report - Accessibility of p…
Task Disability and Access Ambassadors to engage businesses on inclusive design best practice
The Government should task the Disability and Access Ambassadors with engaging with businesses on inclusive design, to seek out and share best practice and to identify the barriers to making products and services in their sectors accessible to disabled people. … Read more
Government Response
The government explains that Disability Access Ambassadors (DAAs) are senior business leaders who already identify accessibility barriers and encourage improvements in their sectors. It details how DAAs meet regularly with ministers and work with other government departments, providing various examples of their existing initiatives, reports, and guides.
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4 Recommendation Accepted
Fourth Report - Accessibility of p…
Establish Extra Costs Taskforce by summer 2024 to understand disabled people's daily expenses
Disabled people face additional costs in their daily lives. These costs are exacerbated by restrictions on their choice as consumers. We support the Government’s commitment in the National Disability Strategy to establish an Extra Costs Taskforce to better understand the … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation and states it will set up the Extra Costs Taskforce. The Disability Unit will bring together disabled people, regulators, and businesses to examine the additional costs faced by disabled individuals.
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5 Conclusion Rejected
Fourth Report - Accessibility of p…
Market forces fail to improve online accessibility for disabled people
Disabled people should not have to look for alternatives or settle for less when using online shopping and services. Despite the untapped potential of the purple pound, market forces have failed to drive the urgent improvements that are necessary.
Government Response
The government acknowledges the importance of online accessibility but states there is no time left in this Parliament to change the law to mandate accessibility. It notes a cross-government group is examining online exclusion and that government websites are being checked for accessibility.
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6 Recommendation Rejected
Fourth Report - Accessibility of p…
Regulate essential private sector websites and applications to public sector accessibility standards
Given that disabled people increasingly need access to online services, information, and social networks, it is imperative that the Government acts on what it has described as the “persistently poor accessibility of private sector websites” without further delay. As a … Read more
Government Response
The government rejects immediate legislative action to make private sector websites accessible, stating there is no time left in this Parliament to change the law. It notes that the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has established a cross-government group to examine online exclusion and is checking government websites.
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7 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - Accessibility of p…
Inconsistent accessibility for disabled customers across banking services and ATMs
Several banks and financial providers have innovated to make their services accessible to blind and partially sighted customers, such as issuing debit and credit cards with tactile indicators. However, this is not standard practice across the banking sector as providers … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the need for accessible banking services, referring to existing legal requirements for banks to make reasonable adjustments. It details ongoing industry efforts and collaborations, such as tactile payment cards, talking ATMs, and guides for electronic point-of-sale devices, indicating these measures are already in place.
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8 Recommendation Accepted
Fourth Report - Accessibility of p…
Mandate banks to adopt inclusive design for cards and ATMs, ensuring full accessibility
The Financial Conduct Authority should work with the retail banking sector and organisations such as the RNIB to ensure all banks embrace inclusive design from the outset when innovating or phasing out existing services. We recommend that all banks: • … Read more
Government Response
The government states that banking services must be accessible and highlights existing legal requirements for reasonable adjustments. It details ongoing work by the financial services industry with RNIB, including features like dot/notch on cards and talking ATMs, but does not commit to the specific new actions recommended for inclusive design or card roll-out.
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9 Recommendation Deferred
Fourth Report - Accessibility of p…
Review food packaging guidance to ensure minimum accessibility for essential information
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs should review its food packaging guidance in light of new technological approaches being developed and ensure a minimum accessibility requirement on food packaging’s essential nutrition, health and pricing information. (Paragraph 37) Accessibility … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the challenge of small food labels for visually impaired people and states it is writing a guide with the Codex Alimentarius Commission on using technology for food information. It indicates further consideration is needed on the impact of new labelling methods and expresses interest in ongoing shop trials, without committing to immediately reviewing guidance or ensuring minimum accessibility requirements.
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1 Conclusion
Sixth Report - Inequalities in hea…
Significant health inequalities persist for people with learning disabilities and autism.
Health inequalities continue to be significant among people with learning disabilities and autism, including an unacceptable level of premature and avoidable deaths compared to the general population. Although some measures are now in place to monitor mortality, such as the … Read more
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2 Recommendation
Sixth Report - Inequalities in hea…
Set clear targets for Oliver McGowan Part Two training rollout, including tailored elements.
The Government should set out clear targets for the rollout of part two of the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism to help increase take up. The training should include elements tailored to specific health settings.
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3 Recommendation
Sixth Report - Inequalities in hea…
Support more learning disability nurses to enter senior leadership roles in health services.
We welcome the commitment to train and recruit more learning disability nurses to help address some of the shortfall within the profession. Alongside that commitment the Government should support more learning disability nurses to go into senior leadership roles within … Read more
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4 Conclusion
Sixth Report - Inequalities in hea…
Significant proportion of eligible people remain unregistered on the learning disability register.
The learning disability register is vital for people with a learning disability to receive important, life-saving annual health checks and reasonable adjustments. Yet around 75% of people with a learning disability are not registered. We heard from people who struggled … Read more
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5 Recommendation
Sixth Report - Inequalities in hea…
Investigate reasons for low learning disability register uptake and launch awareness campaign.
As an immediate priority, the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England should work with national and local learning disability organisations and charities and the Royal College of General Practitioners to investigate why eligible people are not on … Read more
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6 Conclusion
Sixth Report - Inequalities in hea…
Increase funding to radically reduce autism assessment waiting times backlog.
Too many people are waiting far too long to get their autism assessment and the backlog is getting worse. It is clear that current efforts to address the waiting list backlog are inadequate and that the additional funding that has … Read more
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7 Recommendation
Sixth Report - Inequalities in hea…
Ensure accessible information on autism assessment process is available from pre- to post-diagnosis.
People with autism who may find it difficult to advocate for themselves can struggle to navigate the diagnosis process. The Government should work with NHS Trusts to ensure that information about the autism assessment process is accessible and available to … Read more
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8 Recommendation
Sixth Report - Inequalities in hea…
Develop and trial initiative to improve public understanding of autism in women and girls by 2024.
Women and girls with autism struggle to get diagnosed. Understanding of how autism presents in women and girls must be improved so that they can receive the support they need before they reach crisis and to prevent misdiagnosis and inappropriate … Read more
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9 Conclusion
Sixth Report - Inequalities in hea…
Government fails to halve detentions of autistic people; numbers in mental health settings rise.
The Government has fallen short on its commitment to halve the number of people with a learning disability and autistic people inappropriately detained in mental health hospitals. Promises to bring forward a new Mental Health Bill to help address this … Read more
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10 Recommendation
Sixth Report - Inequalities in hea…
Accelerate progress in reducing detentions by increasing support for community-based alternatives.
The Government must make more progress in reducing the number of people with learning disabilities and/or autism detained in mental health settings. To achieve this the Government needs to learn from previous failings and increase support for community-based alternatives to … Read more
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11 Recommendation
Sixth Report - Inequalities in hea…
Require Government to set out plans for reducing autistic detentions and improving community alternatives.
In response to this report, the Government should set out: • The reasons why the number of autistic people detained in mental health hospitals has increased; and how it plans to reduce that number, and by when. • The steps … Read more
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12 Conclusion
Sixth Report - Inequalities in hea…
Voices of autistic people and those with learning disabilities are often missing in health decision-making.
People with a learning disability and autistic people, and the people who care for them, are the real experts when it comes to their health and care needs. However, aside from the occasional opportunity to feed into consultations, their voices … Read more
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13 Recommendation
Sixth Report - Inequalities in hea…
Reestablish national board led by autistic and learning disabled people to improve health outcomes.
The Government should reestablish a national board with a focus on improving health inequalities for people with a learning disability and autistic people across all health and social care services. That board should include, and be led by, people with … Read more
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14 Recommendation
Sixth Report - Inequalities in hea…
Publish new disability employment goal and appoint independent task group for autism employment.
People with a learning disability and autistic people can and want to work and thrive when they get the opportunities to do so. However, they face the widest employment gap of all people with disabilities and find it difficult to … Read more
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Government Response AI assessment · 20 of 21 classified
Accepted 9
Accepted in Part 2
Acknowledged 3
Deferred 1
Not Addressed 1
Rejected 4
Total 21 recs + 13 conclusions
Correspondence 5 letters
24 Jan 2024 Correspondence from the Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education, relating to Disabled Students Allowance, dated 15 January 2024
Parliament page
6 Sep 2023 To committee Letter from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Health relating to the National Disability Strategy
Parliament page
18 Jul 2023 To committee Letter from the Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work on the National Disability Strategy
Parliament page
18 Jul 2023 To committee Letter from the Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work on the National Disability Strategy
Parliament page
19 Oct 2022 Correspondence from the then Secretary of State for Work and Pensions relating to submission of evidence to the Committee’s National Disability Strategy inquiry
Parliament page