Larry asked about the effect of cabinet style local government in the UK and
the effect this has had on the involvement of disabled people.
In my home town the Council is cabinet style. No one gets much chance to
participate and disabled people and people in other groups such as ethnic
minorities do not seem to be represented in the decision making process. The
Council have made some effort to find accessible premises but there are
hardly any and the main problem is that information about when area
committee meetings are being held is very poor. Meeting involving
Councillors are held very early in the morning or from 5 p.m. onwards - not
very helpful for disabled people with personal assistant requirements and
transport issues to organise. I have known these to be held in a building we
previously had boycotted because of the stairs to get in.
It seems to me and my circle that equality issues of any sort are not given
any priority and are ignored more than ever. Disabled people have worked for
a long time to get recognition but when there was a change in the political
make up of the Council any understandings we had were lost. We had managed
to get 2 or 3 posts created around equality and access but these seem to be
sidelined now.
There have been several changes which have had an adverse effect on disabled
people - we were not asked of course because we would have said we do not
agree, why would the Council want to ask us when they know the answer would
hinder their plans?
Disabled people have been pushing for over ten years for a technical access
officer but this has now been denied out of hand saying it sidelines rather
than includes disabled people's issues. We are still arguing this one.
After media criticism that they were putting a stop to a free home delivery
of meals on Christmas day, this is the Council that said it is an
infringement of Human Rights to not expect people to pay for their Christmas
Dinner. Now I'm not one for free hand outs but I think if people are in need
of a dinner on Christmas Day a UK Local Council is simply being mean to
start charging for it when they haven't before and to then to use Human
Rights as the reason for charging really can only illustrate the lack of
their understanding of what human rights is about.
I think disabled people and other community groups need to have a rethink
around tactics of how to influence what happens in Cabinet style Councils.
Our previous way of doing things had a bit of an effect but does not seem to
work at all in this new system.
Pam.
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