“Too many disabled people feel let down by the Tories” – Labour launch manifesto for disabled people

Today Labour are launching their manifesto for disabled people. To coincide with this, they’ve released figures, which show that the UK’s 12 million disabled people will play a key role in deciding the outcome of the general election.

The manifesto will be launched later this morning at an event attended by Rachel Reeves, Kate Green, David Blunkett and first-time PPC Emily Brothers. The four will be meeting disabled people who are part of a training scheme at National Grid.

The stats Labour are releasing today show that in the 106 seats on Labour’s target list, there are more disabled people than the winning majorities at the 2010 General Election.

The launch will also highlight Labour’s policies for disabled people – who are one of the groups that have born the brunt of the Coalition’s cuts for the past 5 years. Labour’s plan includes:

-Strengthening the law on disability hate crime

-Reforming the Work Capability assessment and introducing a Work Support programme that will provide proper support for those disabled people who are able to work but who are not in employment

-Abolish the Bedroom Tax – 2/3rds of people affected are disabled

-Make sure teachers are properly qualified to work with disabled children and those with special educational needs

-Giving mental health the same priority as physical health in the NHS

-Invite disabled people to work with ministers on a cross-governmental committee to improve disability policy.

Rachel Reeves, Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, has said:

“Too many disabled people feel let down by the Tories, left behind by the recovery and left out of public life. The Tories have failed to support disabled people back into work, the Work Capability Assessment has caused stress and anxiety, and their Bedroom Tax has pushed disabled people into debt. Meanwhile disability hate-crime is on the increase.

“Labour has a better plan for disabled people. We have listened to disabled people and this manifesto outlines our commitment to their full inclusion and participation in all aspects of our society. We will scrap the Bedroom Tax, making hundreds of thousands of disabled people better off. We will reform the Work Capability Assessment and give disabled people the right support to get back into work. And we will give disabled people a greater voice in public life, and a bigger role in shaping the policies that affect them.”