Rowen Jade 12 Dec 2007

Equality 2025 works with the Office for Disability Issues, which is part of the Government. Equality 2025 was set up by the Government last year. The aim of the organisation is to advise the Government on how to bring about equality for disabled people by 2025. We would of course like this to happen sooner and have begun work already, but the disadvantage is historical and entrenched.

Equality 2025 is a non-departmental public body, so it is part of the machinery of Government; the members are not public servants but are responsible to the Government for what we do.

Being non-departmental means we are at the heart of Government. We talk to the Government about the effects of their plans so we are often involved in discussing plans, which they aren’t ready to let the public know about. This is the first time that disabled people are involved in that level of Government.

I think back and 15 years ago disabled people had no rights in law. There were campaigns and demonstrations and the Government struggled to listen and now the Government is asking disabled people to come right into the heart of decision-making.

Last week I was in a meeting with members of the Cabinet asking them to change the policies they were thinking about. We said that won’t work for disabled people and they changed the policy so Equality 2025 does have an impact.

There are 23 disabled people who make up Equality 2025, only 23 people. We don’t talk on behalf of disabled people but we do want to be informed by disabled people about what we should say to the Government.

We had our first public meeting last month, it was a national seminar held in Birmingham. We will have a regional meeting on 31st January 2008 in Plymouth, and Equality 2025 will be there to listen to disabled people. Give me your names and addresses if you are interested in coming along. There are limited places but this is the beginning of the listening process.

Last week I became the chairperson of Equality 2025. I live in Bristol and today I feel like I have come home. I go all over Britain so its nice to be with people whom I know today. I know the people here want to make a difference.

Equality 2025 is making an impact. The Government approached us with the draft Single Equality Bill; it proposed to get rid of the disability equality duty. We argued against this, so they have shelved that idea and are going to redraft the bill.

We also talked to the office, which oversees consultation on all Government policies and advised them on how to better with reaching disabled people.

We are also discussing Independent Living and looking at the new proposals for changes to the benefits system. The Government says there are many disabled people who are on benefits who could be working and we are working to get them to understand why so many disabled people aren’t working, we explain about discrimination in the workplace. The Government is planning a public awareness campaign for employers. There are plenty of initiatives going on but for the spring in 2008 we are focusing on listening to disabled people and focusing on Hate crime.

I want disabled people to know about us so you know what the Government is up to. I have business cards with my contact details so contact me and I’m happy to listen. This isn’t just about my role or my job.

As a disabled person, I’ve been campaigning since I was about 4 years old. Now I’m nearly 40 but I am meeting with cabinet ministers so I’m starting to see a change. Help me to take your views to Government. Help me to make sure my voice doesn’t get any quieter as there are many reasons why our voices can go quieter.

We have been working on a website for a year now but it takes time when working from inside the Government.

Yes, but we are struggling because we have to use the Government’s website providers and its taking so long because what they are doing isn’t accessible enough for us. I will ask you for help if you give me your information.

Questions — What do you think of individualised budgets? I think they are a good thing.

Speaking as myself, it does sound like a good thing. But it depends on the person who is doing your assessment with you. If they think living is about getting up and getting some food then you won’t have enough money to do the things you want to do. So it needs to be implemented well. And the trouble with this is that you only know what doesn’t work when it goes wrong and that’s to late for the disabled person. It’s a catch-22.

1) Independent Living — at the moment its still under the Department of Health but discrimination isn’t about health so it needs to move out of being a ‘health’ issue.

2) Hate Crime — This is important because even in the past few months disabled people have been killed by people who don’t think we should be alive. So this is really important.

3) Benefits and employment — it’s a big issues for the Government so we need to grab hold of the Government.

This doesn’t mean other things aren’t important. For example we are trying to get the UN Conventions on the rights of disabled people to be adopted wholesale, without any allowances and we are working with Anne McGuire, the minister for disabled people to try to do this.

To contact Rowen Jade: rowen@equality2025.org

To contact any other member of Equality 2025:

E-mail: info@equality2025.org
Telephone: 0845 4602025

And leave a message or request the individual’s direct line/email address.

Profile: Rowen Jade

Rowen is a survivor of mainstream education and has always been a passionate campaigner for an inclusive education system. After graduating with a Law degree Rowen has worked for the Alliance for Inclusive education, several centres for Inclusive Living and is now a freelance consultant in disability equality.

Rowen specialises in working with young disabled people and has pioneered the setting up of a Personal Assistance Support Scheme in Bristol.

Rowen is a parent, artist, counsellor, partner and writer and her publications include `Bigger than the Sky' (an anthology of writing by disabled women on parenting issues), `Whose Voice is it Anyway' and 'Creating Independence and Inclusion'.