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
4 results
Clear
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.
Government Equalities Office
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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.
Government Equalities Office
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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.
Government Equalities Office
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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.
Government Equalities Office
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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
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