Disabled People at Risk of Becoming Increasingly ‘Invisible’ in Modern Britain

Disabled people risk being increasingly marginalised on the edges of society by proposed Government cuts, according to national disability charity Scope.

New research by the charity has found that disabled people are already ‘invisible’ to large parts of the society, with nearly two in five (40%) of non-disabled people (who do not have a disabled relative) not knowing any disabled people.

The survey found that, while the vast majority (91%) of non-disabled people believe that disabled people should have the same opportunities as everyone, only one in 10 had ever welcomed a disabled person into their house for a social occasion. Only a fifth (21%) had ever had the chance to work with a disabled colleague.

The Chief Executive of Scope, Richard Hawkes, said: “This is shocking evidence that shows that disabled people are still relatively invisible in day-to-day life. We are deeply concerned that the Government’s spending cuts will end up pushing disabled people even closer to the fringes of society.

“The Government needs to carry out a full impact assessment before making any cuts to ensure they understand the full consequences of reductions in critical support such as Disability Living Allowance and Incapacity Benefit. These form a vital lifeline for many disabled people and their families,” he added.

“Without fully understanding the nature of disabled people’s lives, or the impact these changes will have, the Government may find itself causing extreme distress and financial hardship to disabled people which could end up creating greater dependency on the state and an even greater demand on the public purse,” he said.

More: www.scope.org.uk