Dear Leadership Candidate

The Conservative Disability Group CDG, campaigns to break down barriers for disabled people to participate equally in politics and life. As a friend of the Conservative Party, the CDG would like the next Prime Minister to have particular focus on:

• National Disability strategy, undertake a full and comprehensive consultation with disabled people and implement the strategy in full. Guarantee funding for all actions of the strategy to ensure implementation.
• Employment, ensuring disabled people have the opportunities to paid employment, enabling them to fulfil their potential. This can be achieved by strengthening and enforcing the Disability Confident scheme and setting measurable targets for employment. Increased employment of disabled people allows businesses to be more inclusive; and disabled people can contribute to the Governments tax revenue.
• Access To Work, often seen as government’s big secret. Promote the Access To Work scheme widely so employers can be confident of employing disabled people who may require adjustments or support in the workplace.
• Education, supporting disabled children and adults to attain good qualifications, by providing the resources and technology to enable this to happen. Ensuring the support continues and transitions from school to college or university. Providing additional living costs for disabled students, so they are able to fully participate in their chosen courses.
• Transport, ensure that inclusive design is implemented in all transport hubs, including step free access and accessible technology. Removing the barriers to travel created by the Brexit Agreement and the restrictions disabled people have when travelling with Assistance Dogs or carrying medical feed.
• Cost of Living, make it a priority to help disabled people with low incomes receive assistance with rising bills. Extend the Winter Fuel Allowance to disabled people with circulatory problems and who require high levels of warmth. Provide additional support for disabled people who use additional energy to charge electric wheelchairs and electric hoists.  
• Access To Elected Office Fund, reintroduce the Access To Elected Office Fund, helping support more disabled people into politics. Having a greater representation of disabled people in Parliament or in Local Government, helps promote inclusion and helps to level up society.
• Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans PEEPs, overturn the recent decision not to implement the recommendation from the Grenfell Tower Report to mandate Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans for high rise buildings. Ensure disabled people living in high rise buildings have the same evacuation rights as non-disabled people and enforce the implementation of the PEEPs. Nationally, remove the deadly “Stay Put” direction given by Fire Brigades for emergency evacuation. 

The CDG would welcome your focus on the issues raised above and we welcome the opportunity to work with you on all disability related matters. We look forward to  speaking with you at a hustings with the Conservative Mental Health Group.

Yours faithfully

Barry Ginley

CDG Chair