Torbay’s MP, Kevin Foster, is reminding residents there is still time to take part in the consultation on the Government’s Disability Action Plan, ahead of the deadline on 6th October.
Kevin met with Minister for Disabled People, Tom Pursglove, to discuss the plans being consulted on, which will inform the Government’s Disability Action Plan later this year, laying the foundations for longer term change. They include raising awareness of life-changing tech for disabled people, mandatory disability awareness training for taxi drivers, autism-friendly programmes for cultural and heritage sites.
Immediate and practical measures proposed in the fully accessible consultation include ensuring businesses are aware of disabled people’s needs, in particular Guide Dog access needs. Other measures in the proposed Plan include:
- Raising the profile of assistive technology to ensure more disabled people have access to life-changing tech.
- Legislating for mandatory disability awareness training for taxi and private hire drivers to unlock greater travel freedom for disabled people.
- Encouraging more autism-friendly programmes in the cultural and heritage sectors to drive greater inclusivity.
- Improving reasonable adjustments in the courts system so more disabled people can be on juries improving diversity and breadth of experience.
- Implementing the British Sign Language (BSL) GCSE, over a year after the BSL Act was introduced, giving thousands of pupils communication and visual memory skills that will be an advantage to them for the rest of their lives.
The Disability Action Plan sits alongside the Government’s National Disability Strategy which sets out our longer-term vision to improve disabled people’s lives for the better.
Kevin Foster MP said: “The proposed Disability Action Plan sets out a range of actions to improve the daily lives of disabled people and increase their participation in public life. I would urge residents and groups working with disabled people across our bay to take part in the consultation and have their say on these plans.”
You can respond to the consultation online at:
To reply by post, please mark your correspondence ‘Disability Action Plan’ and send to:
Disability Action Plan team, Disability Unit, Cabinet Office, Ground Floor, 10 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0NB.
Respondents can give feedback on either the entire Disability Action Plan, or specific actions within it.
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