"This is the Disability Rights Commission's microsite, focusing on our policy and parliamentary activities and news about the Commission. It is particularly addressed at MPs and peers, researchers, civil servants and public bodies who might be interested in our activities or indeed their own duties as employers or service providers.
This site tells you about the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) - what we want to achieve and what services we can offer.
There are around 10 million disabled people in Great Britain - nearly one fifth of the population. Around 6.5 million disabled people are of working age and there is an average of 15,000 disabled voters in each parliamentary constituency. By the time you add families and friends to that number, disability and the barriers disabled people face become major issues in many people's lives.
Unfortunately, despite some progress, disabled people as a group remain among the poorest in society. Their opportunities in every sphere of life continue to be limited by physical and communication barriers. Their everyday experiences are too often still affected by prejudice or simply ignorance.
The DRC aims to help all sectors of society to overcome ignorance of disabled people's needs and to dismantle barriers to disabled people's enjoyment of their rights. Our vision is of a society where all disabled people can participate fully as equal citizens. Such a society will be a better one for us all.
We look forward to working with parliamentarians and others to achieve this vision."
Bert Massie CBE, Chairman
Mental Capacity Bill Progress
The DRC has worked hard to secure some key gains during the Mental Capacity Bill's progress. The DRC hopes the Government's proposed amendments tabled for Lords Report Stage, coupled with the changes that have already occurred to the Bill, will assuage any remaining concerns with the Bill and enable it to be passed smoothly through remaining stages to ensure it reaches the statute book before any election.
Click here for a copy of the DRC's latest briefing
