A report said that hate crime in the EU was increasing, despite the 'best efforts' of member states to root it out. Verbal abuse, physical attacks, and murders motivated by prejudice affected a wide range of groups, including visible minorities to those with disabilities. A linked report examined victims' experiences.
Source: Making Hate Crime Visible in the European Union: Acknowledging victims rights, European Agency for Fundamental Rights | Minorities as Victims of Crime, European Agency for Fundamental Rights
Links: Report (1) | Report (2) | FRA press release
Date: 2012-Nov
A discussion paper examined policy options for the opposition Labour Party in respect of disabled people's rights.
Source: Liam Byrne MP and Anne McGuire MP, Making Rights a Reality for Disabled People, Labour Party
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Nov
A survey examined disability in terms of people's experience of social participation. It compared how disabled and non-disabled people participated in society in a number of areas including: work; education; social participation; transport; and use of public services. Even after a short period of one year, changes could be seen in whether or not people had an impairment, and in the barriers that people faced in participating in society.
Source: Life Opportunities Survey, Wave Two, Part I, Office for National Statistics
Links: Report | ONS press release
Date: 2012-Nov
The equality and human rights watchdog published a manifesto containing recommendations designed to tackle disability-related harassment. It said that national and devolved governments needed to review the adequacy and effectiveness of the legal framework for offences that were motivated by hostility to disability.
Source: Out in the Open: Tackling Disability Related Harassment – A Manifesto for Change, Equality and Human Rights Commission
Links: Manifesto | EHRC press release | ACPO press release
Date: 2012-Oct
An article outlined the findings of a study that explored the role of English state primary schools in promoting positive attitudes towards disabled people.
Source: Angharad Beckett and Lisa Buckner, 'Promoting positive attitudes towards disabled people: definition of, rationale and prospects for anti-disablist education', British Journal of Sociology of Education, Volume 33 Issue 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Oct
A survey examined disabled people's views of press coverage of disability. 94 per cent suggested that press portrayal of disability equality issues was 'unfair', and 76 per cent said that the volume of negativity was 'significantly increasing'. Nearly half (42 per cent) suggested that the government was responsible for rising press negativity and hostility towards disabled people.
Source: Press Portrayal of Disabled People: A rise in hostility fuelled by austerity?, Disability Rights UK
Links: Report | DRUK press release
Date: 2012-Sep
The government published its response to a report by the equality and human rights watchdog on disability-related harassment.
Source: Government Response to Hidden in Plain Sight, the Equality and Human Rights Commission Report on Disability Related Harassment, Ministry of Justice
Links: Response | EHRC press release
Notes: EHRC report (September 2011)
Date: 2012-Jul
The government responded to a report by a joint committee of MPs and peers on the right of disabled people to independent living. It said that it was committed to tackling the barriers that might prevent disabled people from participation in society as equal partners.
Source: Implementation of the Right of Disabled People to Independent Living: Government Response to the Committee's Twenty-Third Report of Session 2010–12, Second Report (Session 2012–13), HL 23 and HC 429, Joint Select Committee on Human Rights, TSO
Links: Response
Notes: JC report (March 2012)
Date: 2012-Jul
An article examined the extent to which police forces were set up to deal with hate crime against people with learning disabilities. Accountability structures were often found to be unclear. Many services did not have hate crime policies that dealt specifically with people with learning disabilities, or even disabled people in general.
Source: Chih Hoong Sin, Sanah Sheikh, and Mohini Khanna, 'Police readiness for tackling hate crime against people with learning disabilities: areas for improvement and examples of good practice', Safer Communities, Volume 11 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jul
A new book examined the issue of disability, hate crime, and violence. It explored its emergence on the policy agenda, and made suggestions for policy and legislative reform.
Source: Alan Roulstone and Hannah Mason-Bish (eds.), Disability, Hate Crime and Violence, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Jun
An article examined the concept of fluctuating or recurring impairments (such as chronic fatigue syndrome). Contention still surrounded the perceived legitimacy of such impairments compared with more 'traditional' and accepted forms of disability.
Source: Vic Boyd, 'Are some disabilities more equal than others? Conceptualising fluctuating or recurring impairments within contemporary legislation and practice', Disability & Society, Volume 27 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-May
A new book examined disability from a theoretical perspective. Separate chapters challenged dominant biological, individualistic, and psychological views of disability, drawing on one or two theories (and theorists) to advance a sustained analysis of disability, impairment, and society.
Source: Dan Goodley, Bill Hughes, and Lennard Davis (eds.), Disability and Social Theory: New developments and directions, Palgrave Macmillan
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-May
The Northern Ireland Executive began consultation on a disability strategy for the years 2012-2015
Source: A Strategy to Improve the Lives of Disabled People 2012-2015, Northern Ireland Executive
Links: Consultation document | Disability Action press release
Date: 2012-Apr
A report presented initial findings from the second wave of the Life Opportunities Survey, a large-scale longitudinal survey of disability in Great Britain. (The survey collects information on: participation in different areas of life; the barriers that people face to participating in these areas of life; and how levels of participation and barriers to participation change over time.)
Source: Fiona Dawe (ed.), Life Opportunities Survey: Wave Two Interim Report, 2010/11, Office for National Statistics
Links: Report | Technical report
Date: 2012-Apr
An article examined how language could be utilized in the struggle by disabled people against oppression. It explored how the labels of 'disableism' and 'ableism' had emerged, and argued for the adoption of 'ableist' nomenclature.
Source: Paul Harpur, 'From disability to ability: changing the phrasing of the debate', Disability & Society, Volume 27 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Apr
The coalition government published an action plan for tackling hate crime. It identified three key objectives: preventing hate crime – by challenging the attitudes that underpinned it, and intervening early to prevent it escalating; increasing reporting and access to support – by building victim confidence and supporting local partnerships; and improving the operational response to hate crimes – by better identifying and managing cases, and dealing effectively with offenders.
Source: Challenge it, Report it, Stop it: The government s plan to tackle hate crime, Home Office
Links: Action plan | Hansard | Home Office press release | ACPO press release
Date: 2012-Mar
The Welsh Government responded to a report by an Assembly Committee on disability-related harassment in Wales. It said that it accepted the committee s recommendations to bring forward a framework for action to tackle the issue
Source: Written Response by the Welsh Government to the Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee s Report on Disability Related Harassment in Wales, Welsh Government
Links: Response
Notes: Committee report
Date: 2012-Feb
An article said that adults with disabilities in developed countries were at a higher risk of violence than non-disabled adults, and those with mental illnesses could be particularly vulnerable.
Source: Karen Hughes, Mark Bellis, Lisa Jones, Sara Wood, Geoff Bates, Lindsay Eckley, Ellie McCoy, Christopher Mikton, Tom Shakespeare, and Alana Officer, 'Prevalence and risk of violence against adults with disabilities: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies', The Lancet Early Online Publication, 28 February 2012
Links: Abstract | BBC report
Date: 2012-Feb
An article compared European Union and American disability discrimination law in terms of founding principles, implementation, and practice. It considered the evolution of a 'civil rights' model (broadly based on a social construct of disability) which underpinned discrimination law in the United States, and its subsequent adaptation in the European Union context to fit with a broader European social model. It also looked at the role of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with disabilities in furthering the shift from civil rights approaches to locating disability rights within a broader theory of social justice.
Source: Gerard Quinn and Eilionoir Flynn, 'Transatlantic borrowings: the past and future of EU non-discrimination law and policy on the ground of disability', American Journal of Comparative Law, Volume 60 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Feb
A new book provided an overview of the main issues in the field of disability studies, including policy and legislation responses to disability studies and to disability activism.
Source: Nick Watson, Alan Roulstone, and Carol Thomas (eds.), Routledge Handbook of Disability Studies, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Feb
A new book examined a range of philosophical and ethical issues with respect to the engagement of disabled people in a range of physical activity contexts, including mainstream sporting activities.
Source: Ejgil Jespersen and Mike McNamee, Ethics, Disability and Sports, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Jan
A new book examined disability policy within the broad context of social policy and welfare policy writings, and considered a wide range of indicators of disabled people's welfare. It explored the roles of social security, social support, poverty, socio-economic status, community safety, official discourses, and spatial change in shaping disabled people's opportunities.
Source: Alan Roulstone and Simon Prideaux, Understanding Disability Policy, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Jan
A report examined the extent to which disability was being mainstreamed in different areas of European Union law and policy. Over 200 legal instruments were considered. It concluded that more policy areas should be made 'disability-proof': special attention should be paid to fields such as health and consumer protection, where recognition of the disability dimension in legislation and policy was 'largely non-existent'.
Source: Janina Arsenjeva, Annotated Review of European Union Law and Policy with Reference to Disability, Academic Network of European Disability Experts (European Commission)
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Jan
A new book examined the experiences of disabled women who had suffered domestic violence. It highlighted the gaps in services for disabled women, and discussed how professional responses should be developed and improved.
Source: Ravi Thiara, Gill Hague, Ruth Bashall, Brenda Ellis, and Audrey Mullender, Disabled Women and Domestic Violence: Responding to the experiences of survivors, Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Jan
A report examined the way in which admissibility rules related to standing and victim status could in certain circumstances exclude persons with disabilities held in mental health institutions from the protection of the European Convention on Human Rights, by denying them access to proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights.
Source: Constantin Cojocariu, Handicapping Rules: The overly restrictive application of admissibility criteria by the European Court of Human Rights to complaints concerning disabled people, European Network on Independent Living
Date: 2012-Jan