Richard has welcomed the government’s new Disability Action Plan as part of the plan to help disabled people across North East Bedfordshire fulfil their potential and ensure nothing holds them back.
Informed by the views of over 1,300 disabled people, their families and interested parties, the action plan sets out 32 practical actions to transform the everyday lives of disabled people and make the UK the most accessible place in the world.
Measures include building an online information hub for local authorities on opening accessible playgrounds, creating a new fund to support disabled people who want to be elected to public office, improving support for people with assistance dogs, and leading new research into emerging issues affecting disabled people in the UK over the next 20 years. The Cabinet Office’s Disability Unit will also be working with other government departments to explore bidding to host and deliver the 2031 Special Olympics World Summer Games.
The Disability Action Plan builds on the strong progress of successive Conservative governments. Since 2013, 2 million more disabled people have entered work, including 1.6 million since 2017 – overdelivering on the Government’s commitment to get one million more disabled people into work by 2027, five years ahead of target.
The government is also continuing to expand employment support for people with disabilities through programmes including the £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan which includes reforms to help those with disabilities and health conditions, and changing the Work Capability Assessment to reflect the modern world of work and the opportunities available to disabled people. These measures will help to remove barriers facing disabled people and ensure that everyone can fulfil their potential.
Commenting, Richard Fuller MP said:
Everyone in North East Bedfordshire deserves to lead a happy and fulfilling life, regardless of additional mental or physical needs.
I am delighted that the government is building on its strong track record of supporting disabled people with its new Disability Action Plan, setting out 32 practical steps to transform their everyday lives to ensure disabled people can participate fully in society.
We are delivering on our long-term plan to build a brighter future for disabled people by making the country the most accessible place in the world, ensuring that everyone can live their life to the full.
The Disability Action Plan can be found here.
The Conservative government has helped two million more disabled people into work since 2013, showing their plan is working as they overdeliver on their plan to support people with additional needs into work. The number of people with disabilities in employment has risen by two million since 2013 and by 1.6 million since 2017, overdelivering on the government’s commitment to get one million more disabled people into work by 2027, five years ahead of target.
Building on the wide-reaching employment package at Spring Budget 2023, including reforms to help those with disabilities and health conditions, the Back to Work Plan includes investment of almost £1.3 billion over the next five years to deliver a significant expansion of work and health support, as well as reforms to the way people who fall ill interact with the state.
The government is reforming the Work Capability Assessment to reflect the modern world of work and the opportunities available to disabled people, helping everyone fulfil their potential. The proposals will update the categories that determine what activity people can do and how that affects their ability to work, with additional support made available to those found capable of work to help them move closer to employment.
