The Green Party supports the rights of all people to live their lives free from abuse and bad treatment. We support everyone having equal rights to enjoy their lives. We want to put in place a Bill of Rights for all people. This bill of rights will be used to see if all British laws respect Human Rights. We want to CHANGE how disabled people are treated. "The term of disability refers not to the situation of having a physical, Mental or other impairment. Instead it refers to the widespread phenomena of people being unable to do things in society specifically because society has failed to reconstruct itself (physically and culturally) in all the possible ways that would ensure that an individual impairments are not a barrier to their full participation." (Disability Policy) We will do this with the help of the Social Model of Disability. Disabled people say there are three things stopping them from having a good life. Non disabled peoples thoughts and feelings (attitudinal barriers); how society controls disabled people through the ways benefits and services are given, law, polices and rules are made (organizational barriers) and how the world is built (environmental barriers). The Green Party has put together their Disability statement based on what Disabled People have told us what they want. We have used the demands put together by groups RUN by both Disabled people with and without learning difficulties (British Council Of Disabled People, Disabled Persons Direct Action Network and People First). Getting rid of the Disability Discrimination Act We know the DDA does not support the rights of disabled people. We will work with disabled people (Disabled Peoples Civil Rights Committee) to write a Civil Rights (Disabled Persons) Bill which is based on the Social Model Of Disability. The Civil Rights Law will cover everything. The Law will punish bosses, businesses and service providers who treat disabled people badly or those who do not make an effort to include disabled people. Right to Life BCODP FACT: Much of new human genetics, especially around reproduction, is based on the assumption that the world would be better off without Disabled People. This poses a threat not only to our human rights but our very right to exist. Green Party Policy Solution "It is humankind's responsibility to carry out only activities that enhance or maintain the quality, variety, diversity, integrity and wholesomeness of human society and the life support system. Those activities, which are exploitative, or threaten either the well being of others, society, the life support system, or the future, must be avoided." (Green Party's Philosophical Basis) Parliament needs to change the Abortion law so that the latest date for allowing a woman to abort an unborn child will be the same for both disabled and non disabled babies. Bioethics (When Science can be used to change the human body?) After the General Election we want disabled people to help us write a Bioethics policy. Genetic Engineering (Genes say who we are) We would talk with groups of disabled people before making rules about the use of Human Genes or Scientists. We would make sure our rules are not used to stop disabled people from being born or to live. (We would be against eugenic activities). Medical Treatment Mother was advised against heart surgery for her 6 year old disabled child with Downs Syndrome label by a London Cardiologist. "She would have a good few years of life." and we wouldn't have to worry about going through this. We later read his published views that he didn't believe on prolonging the lives of disabled people." He'll Never Join The Army (Downs Syndrome Association 1997) . We will make rules for how Hospital Doctors and Surgeons can make decisions on who shall or shall not have medical treatment. Doctors will not be allowed to say disabled peoples "quality of life" will be bad as a reason for not finding, trying and giving them medical treatment. British Federation Of Deaf People Demand : British Sign Language to be recognised as a language. The Green Party recognises the importance of people keeping their own language as this is important for passing on their culture. We would then recognise British Sign Language as a language, which is currently being used by about 50,000 deaf people. People First : What Will You Do To Change The Attitudes Of People Who Come Into Contact With People With Learning Difficulties Like Doctors, Nurses and Home Staff? We would first need make sure disabled people with and non disabled people have the same rights to be born alive, to stay alive and kept alive. Also for attitudes to change disabled people need to have a role in society. Disabled people have always been segregated (sent away from) non-disabled people. This has made non-disabled people treat disabled people badly. . We think our Right To Life, Housing, Community Care and Work policies will help other people have a better attitude towards disabled. We must have more teachers with learning difficulties teaching students and workers how to treat disabled people fairly. People First: What will you do to stop people who support us, like parents and staff, from making choices for us that we don't want? Parents are going to court to get their disabled children who are adults sterilized. This means parents are stopping their children from ever having their own families. Parents have made their disabled children with Downs Syndrome have their faces changed using medical treatment. Staff makes the rules on how disabled adults with learning difficulties who live in group homes and hostels. Staff say what time adults must go to bed, get up in the morning, what they can or can not do and when. Staff makes the rules on who can and can not go out on their own. Staff tries and stops adults from speaking out with other disabled people through campaigning and direct action. Staff have a lot of power to say if disabled adults with learning difficulties can move into their own homes with their own support. A mother told her son that he could never stay with her again if he went on a Disabled Peoples Direct Action. Every child and adult would have the right to learn to speak up and out when being treated unfairly. Any child or adult who is being stopped from speaking up by people in power (parents, staff and police for example) will be punished by the courts. It will be a very serious crime to stop someone from speaking up. We would make sure speaking up is not just saying with words what a person wants or does not want. We would make sure the law says disabled people can speak out by their behaviors or acting out. We would make sure the whole of Disabled Persons (Consultation and Services) law is working for disabled people including those labeled as having learning difficulties. These supporters and advocates would have to agree not to work in services for disabled people. We would make a law stopping companies and service providers from making it hard for anyone to make decisions. This may include how information is written or given or not offered at all or asking the customer to sign for agreement (contract). People First : What are you going to do to make sure people with learning difficulties get help when their human rights are abused? We would put more money into the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) so that they can deal with big complaints about disabled people. We would make sure the DRC can make service providers and bosses change how they offer their services or treat their workers more fairly. We think legal aid must be offered to everyone regardless how much money they earn or got in the bank if they need to go to court or need legal support. We would include new rules in the Human Rights law saying service providers will have to show what they would do to stop people from being abused and treated badly. The courts will be able to punish service providers who can not show they have good rules or if the rules have not been used when disabled people speak up about bad treatment. Community Care Services BCODP FACT: Disabled People have become poorer under this government. One in three local authorities are charging Disabled People living on income support, for essential community care services. Disabled People in work are charged for the personal assistance they need for basic day-to-day living. People FIRST: What are you going to do about charging for services? DAN : No Cap On Disabled People's Freedom GREEN PARTY POLICY SOLUTION Stop Charging We will stop Local Authorities from charging disabled people using Social Services. We will also stop Local Authorities forcing disabled people to go into group / residential homes because 1-1 support costs too much. Non Means-Testing Basic Income including Disability Allowance We will make a Citizens Income Scheme where the Government will give everyone enough money to cover his or her basic living costs. Disabled people will not lose any money from their disability benefits. However we will give more money in the Disabled Peoples Citizens Income. The Citizens Income will not be means tested. W would stop the All-Work test, which has been used to make decisions on whether disabled people can or can not do paid work when wanting Disability benefits. The All-Work Test is a standardised test, which is used to test if people who want to claim Incapacity Benefits are really unable to work. It starts from the point that disabled people are all cheats. The test includes a number of simple tasks which disabled people must show they can or can not do. This test given by a Government Doctor who will try and catch disabled people out. If the disabled person can do the tasks in the test then she is able to work. The Al-Work Test does not take into account if disabled people can not always do the tasks. Also just because the disabled person can do the task, it does not mean it can be done in the work place. There is no evidence to show that disabled people cheat or lie to get benefits. People First: What will you do so that people with learning difficulties have More choices in what they do in their Leisure time? Community Care Assessments Disabled people are assessed for help they need with physical and domestic tasks such as getting in and out of bed, washing and getting dress or helping with cooking or shopping. Many Social Workers do not think about what help disabled people need to get involved in social activities. Also disabled people may be asked to say how long each task may take, usually taking the shortest time. For many disabled people with the learning difficulty label the assessment process is about what life skills (dressing, washing, cooking, cleaning and using money) do they have and what they must learn. Disabled people with learning difficulties are only are supported to live in their own home if they can "prove" themselves to live with little or no support. For many disabled people with learning difficulties they are assessed needing group home living. We would want disabled people to have more control over the Community Care Assessment process. We want disabled people to have enough support so that they can take part in all sorts of activities and hobbies. Disabled people would assess their own needs. We would change the Community Care Law so that disabled people have the support outlined in their Community Care Assessments when they move to another Local Authority. We would change the Community Care Law so that the Local Authority would have to give the support that disabled people need. DAN : Independent Living Centres In every Area Direct Payments / independent Living Centres We would change the Community Care Law so that Local Authorities must give money to support Independent Living Centres and offer direct payments to disabled people. We would give more money for Social Services Departments to support Disabled People. Disabled people would get extra money (direct payment) to cover both personal assistants and or advocacy support in their Citizens Income. Support Services For disabled people who do not want direct payments we will make sure Local Authorities will give Support Services outside "office" 9-5 hours. These Support Services will fit around disabled peoples chosen life styles. Disabled people must be able to use community services and facilities of their choice. HOUSING BCODP FACT: Hundreds of thousands of Disabled People live in institutions away from their families and communities: most housing is inaccessible to us. People First: What will you do so that people with learning difficulties have more Housing choices ? DAN : Accessible Housing For All GREEN PARTY POLICY SOLUTION Green Party recognizes a human right to housing, which is safe, has basic Facilities and is cheap. Different types of homes Most homes designed for disabled people assume they will always stay single. We will make sure there are different types of homes for disabled people who want to live on their own, with other people they choose or live with their children. Planning The Local Authority staff with disabled people will together plan how To Make Homes For Disabled People. The registers must cover Local Authorities and Housing Association and Estate Agent's who have homes designed for disabled people. Homes for Disabled People will be given first to Disabled People. Making Homes Money from selling off Council Houses in the past will be spent on buying and repairing new and old council homes. All new homes will be designed for disabled people. Giving Equipment and Making Changes to the Home We would make sure the Community Care Laws are made better and used by the local authority. We will give equipment and make changes to the home within 3 months free of charge for disabled people. Local Authorities will be able to give money to disabled people who want to set up their own home and are either moving out of parents home, group home (institution) or from a home designed for non disabled people. Paying a fair rent Local Authority Rent officers will make sure everyone is paying a fair amount of money in rent. Help with paying for renting or owning a home We will pay housing benefit for everyone who owns or rents his or her homes. We will include housing costs into the Citizen's Income. Disabled people needing rooms for personal assistants to sleep in will get extra money to pay for a bigger home. Disabled people who live in residential care / group homes having control over their homes House committees run by disabled people will be set up so that they can say how the home will be run and how the money is spent, Each person will have the right to live in peace and be free from bullying or bad treatment from the staff. Work BCODP FACT: The Disability Discrimination Act does not protect Disabled People from discrimination at work. 92.5% of employers are exempt from the Act and Disabled People are seven times more likely than non-disabled people to be unemployed are. People First: What will you do so that people with learning difficulties have more choices in what work they do? GREEN PARTY POLICY SOLUTION Choice between paid and unpaid work We want everyone to have a choice of working full-time, home-based and part-time on a paid or unpaid basis. People must be able to choose their own working lifestyles. This will support disabled people wanting to do paid or/and unpaid work. Laws to make all bosses treat everyone fairly We would change the Disability and Employment laws so that all bosses must treat disabled people fairly when they are looking for or are in a work. Help bosses with supporting disabled workers We will help with offering to pay for equipment, changes to buildings and support that disabled people need either to get or stay in a job either on a paid or unpaid basis. We will make sure PACT (help disabled people who are going into work and need support or equipment.) schemes have lots more money so that they can give disabled people the support they need. BCODP FACT: The law allows transport providers to discriminate against Disabled People. GREEN PARTY POLICY SOLUTION New trains, coaches and buses We will make sure public transport can be used by disabled people. We will order for businesses offering new buses, coaches and trains to make them accessible for disabled people with different impairments. Each business will be expected to work with disabled travelers when designing their new trains, coaches and buses. Stations and bus stops We will make sure all stations are accessible for all disabled people. This would include meeting the needs of disabled travelers with visual and hearing impairments and those labeled as having learning difficulties, Travel Information All travel information will be given in a range of formats for travelers. Car Drivers and Taxi Users We know some disabled people will not be able to travel to an accessible station, or will not be able to use the accessible public transport. Disabled Car Drivers will get extra money to cover petrol costs in their Citizens Income. For non-car drivers, extra money will be given via the Citizens Income for disabled travelers who need to use cabs and taxis to get around. We would want to see the end of "group" transport such as Dail-A-Ride and Community Transport Schemes which makes it hard for disabled people to do what they want at the time which suits them. FACT: In the 1997 election, only 6% of polling booths were wheelchair accessible. SOLUTION: .All election materials, ballot papers and polling stations to be made fully accessible so we can exercise our democratic right to vote. GREEN PARTY POLICY SOLUTION Being Able to Vote We will make sure all polling (voting) stations are made accessible for disabled people with different impairments. We will ask disabled people with learning difficulties and disabled people with visual impairments to help design ballot (voting) papers. We will make sure disabled people know they have the right to bring their own supporter to help them vote. Disabled people will still be able to post their vote. Government polices and laws Government information will be given in different ways so that disabled people can take part in the political process. Government Laws and policies will be made available using simple words and in pictures and on tape and in Braille and in British sign language. Political Parties Political Parties will be expected to do the same and make sure hustings, Conferences and activities are carried out in a way so that disabled people are able to become involved. BCODP FACT: 105,000 children are currently excluded from mainstream education People First: What will you do so that people with learning difficulties have more learning choices? GREEN PARTY POLICY SOLUTION Inclusive Education in and out of mainstream schools We support disabled and non-disabled children being able to learn together within mainstream schools. We also support children to learn together or with adults without having to go to school. We have supported the Centre For Inclusive Education's Charter on Inclusive Education. Special schools To End We would end special schools so that all disabled and non-disabled children can learn together in and outside schools. I would like to see completed within 10 years, the same number of years it took for the London Borough Of Newham. Individual Learning Plans Pilots for children to have their own Learning Plans, which will include their interests, learning styles and support, needed. The Learning Plan will say what the child should learn, how the child will learn, what the child's learning support and equipment needs are. The Local Authority will be pay for support that the child needs. Colleges and Universities Disabled students will be given the chance to go to college and do courses for both disabled and non-disabled students. Colleges will be given money so those learners can have more learning support and equipment such as computers and tape recorders. If disabled people can have more choices on what courses they can do then they have more choices about what paid and unpaid work they want to do. Universities will not be allowed to choose students based on how clever they are or passing exams and tests. Universities will choose people based on students interests, work either done at school, college or elsewhere. Students will be able to listen to the teachers even if they are not doing the marked course work. All school, college and university courses will be free. No one will be asked to pay for learning and the support they need to learn.