Asked by: Nicola Richards (Conservative - West Bromwich East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what progress her Department has made in tackling discrimination against people with hidden disabilities in (a) West Bromwich East and (b) England to ensure that they feel valued in (i) the job market and (ii) society.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
We are clear that the Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful for an employer or potential employer to discriminate against a disabled person because of their disability. Specifically, the Act requires employers to make reasonable adjustments in relation to the disabled employee’s job or application for a job.
The Government has put in place a range of provisions to help disabled people find and stay in work across the country. Our programmes include Access to Work, Disability Confident, specialised employment support including the Work and Health Programme and the Intensive Personalised Employment Support Programme.
In addition, the Government is ensuring that disabled people, including people with hidden disabilities have access to public services, such as access to the Blue Badge scheme for parking, Changing Places toilet facilities, and accessible communications. The Government, via the Cabinet Office Disability Unit, is supporting the British Standards Institution, in its development of a public information symbol to support disabled people with non-visible disabilities.
We will publish a National Strategy for Disabled People to ensure that all disabled people can play a full role in society. The Strategy will focus on the issues that disabled people say affect them the most in all aspects and phases of life.