The report of an official working group made recommendations for delivering greater equality for disabled people in Scotland.
Source: Sally Witcher et al., Report of the Disability Working Group, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SE press release
Date: 2006-Nov
A report by a committee of MSPs examined the barriers to participation faced by disabled people, focusing on the issues of work, further and higher education, and leisure. 42 per cent of disabled households had an income of less than £10,000 per year; fewer than half of all disabled people were in work; and 58 per cent had no qualifications.
Source: Removing Barriers and Creating Opportunities, 2nd Report 2006, SP Paper 677, Scottish Parliament Equal Opportunities Committee, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SP press release | BBC report
Date: 2006-Nov
A new book challenged orthodoxies in disability studies. It highlighted the dangerous polarizations of medical model versus social model, impairment versus disability, and disabled people versus non-disabled people.
Source: Tom Shakespeare, Disability Rights and Wrongs, Routledge (01264 343071)
Links: Summary | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Nov
An article examined the social rights and duties of disabled citizens, and whether developments in policy (such as the growing use of direct payments) could support disabled people in their struggle to avoid social exclusion and be treated as full citizens.
Source: Kirstein Rummery, 'Disabled citizens and social exclusion: the role of direct payments', Policy & Politics, Volume 34 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Oct
A new book examined the issue of stigma and how it affected not only those who found themselves excluded from society, whether through the public's perception of disability or mental illness, but also family members and friends.
Source: Peter Burke and Jonathan Parker (eds.), Social Work and Disadvantage: Addressing the roots of stigma through association, Jessica Kingsley Publishers (020 7833 2307)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Sep
An article examined litigation and test-case strategies as a way of enforcing the rights of disabled people. Litigation was able to reduce exclusion through long-term 'socialization of norms of equality', and in the interim by creating incentives which encouraged individuals to end discriminatory practices.
Source: Lisa Vanhala, 'Fighting discrimination through litigation in the UK: the social model of disability and the EU anti-discrimination directive', Disability & Society, Volume 21 Number 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Sep
The government announced a cross-departmental review of policy on independent living for disabled people, to identify the next steps needed to tackle the obstacles faced by disabled people in the areas of health, social care, transport, employment, and housing. It was expected to report by the summer of 2007.
Source: Press release 14 July 2006, Department of Health (020 7210 4850)
Links: DH press release | Terms of reference | Community Care report
Date: 2006-Jul
The Office for Disability Issues (an official advisory body) published its first annual report, detailing progress towards real equality for disabled people by 2025.
Source: Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People: The first annual report from the Office for Disability Issues 2006, Office for Disability Issues (office-for-disability-issues@dwp.gsi.gov.uk)
Links: Report | Tables | Summary | DWP press release
Date: 2006-Jul
The government announced that it had decided to create an advisory non-departmental public body to be known as 'Equality 2025: the United Kingdom Advisory Network on Disability Equality'. The purpose of the new body would be to improve arrangements for involving disabled people in policy-making. Equality 2025 would have 20-25 members, who would all be disabled people.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 10 July 2006, column 58WS, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard | ODI press release | Personnel Today report
Date: 2006-Jul
The disability rights watchdog published its annual report for 2005-06.
Source: Annual Report and Accounts 2005-06, HC 1401, Disability Rights Commission, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Hansard | DWP press release
Date: 2006-Jul
A report said that progress had been made in Scotland to make the lives of disabled people better: but they still faced numerous barriers in realizing equal opportunities.
Source: Disability in Scotland 2005 2020: A state of the nation report, Scottish Council Foundation (0131 225 4709)
Date: 2006-Jun
An article said that the concepts of 'human capital' and 'social capital' were flawed because they did not take disability into account.
Source: Barbara Pavey, 'Human capital, social capital, entrepreneurship and disability: an examination of some current educational trends in the UK', Disability & Society, Volume 21 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-May
A think-tank report said that 'institutional disablism was rife. It documented the extent of systemic discrimination towards disabled people in employment, housing and social care, transport, leisure, and status.
Source: Sarah Gillinson, Julia Huber and Paul Miller, Disablist Britain: Barriers to independent living for disabled people in 2006, Demos, Scope and Disability Awareness in Action, available from Central Books (020 8986 5488)
Links: Report | Demos press release
Date: 2006-Mar
The government published updated estimates which showed there were over 10 million disabled people in Britain in 2003-04, including people with limiting long-standing illnesses. Of those, 4.6 million were over state pension age and 700,000 were children. The estimated annual spending power of disabled adults was unchanged, at around 80 billion.
Source: Press release 9 February 2006, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7712 2171)
Links: DWP press release
Date: 2006-Feb
A new book examined the potential role and value of artistic work by disabled people, and its relation to mainstream arts.
Source: Paddy Masefield, Strength: Broadsides from Disability on the Arts, Trentham Books (01782 745567)
Links: Summary | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Feb
An article reported the findings of a qualitative study of the politicization of domestic violence as it related to the experiences of disabled survivors. There were widespread discrepancies in the definition of domestic violence experienced by disabled people.
Source: Jennifer Nixon, 'Defining the issue: the intersection of domestic abuse and disability', Social Policy and Society, Volume 8 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Jan