HomeEquality 2025
Summary: Equality 2025, the group of disabled people who offer the Government advice and expertise on disability equality issues, is being reviewed in order to develop and build on its success, according to the Minister for Disabled People, Jonathan Shaw. The group will also be looking for new members next year.
Equality 2025, the group of disabled people who offer the Government advice and expertise on disability equality issues, is being reviewed in order to develop and build on its success, according to the Minister for Disabled People, Jonathan Shaw. The group will also be looking for new members next year.
Writing exclusively for Able magazine, Jonathan Shaw explained:
"Equality 2025 demonstrates the Government's recognition that disabled people know best what the barriers to disability equality are, and what it takes to overcome them. I believe that policy can be more effective and better targeted if it is informed by disabled people's perspectives.
"We launched Equality 2025 in December 2006 as an innovative and ambitious initiative. As with any new venture there were initial teething troubles. However, it is now established, has been building links with influential players and decision-makers, and is making a valuable contribution to policy-making across government.
"Rowen Jade is the group's inspirational chair, and Rowen and I meet regularly to discuss and progress disability equality and the work of the group. The group has made some solid achievements, notably around the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People, Independent Living and the Social Care agenda, all of which will have a significant and long term impact on the experiences and life chances of disabled people.
"I am particularly pleased see the level of trust that has developed between Equality 2025, senior civil servants and the Government.
"Looking to the future, we now need to work out how best to build on the foundations of the previous years' experience and the important work that has been done to create a sharper definition of the areas in which Equality 2025 will operate. To help us to do this, and in line with good practice, we recently commissioned an internal review.
"This suggests that an effective way for the group to move forward is to further develop its role as a strategic, expert group. Publicly recruited members of the group would offer high level advice to contribute to the process of leading and supporting change initiated by Government"
"They will need to reinforce strong links with key disability organisations and umbrella groups across the UK, to ensure that they remain in touch with disabled people's views and be aware of the current issues of importance to disabled people.
"Membership of the group lasts for three years. We will shortly be looking to recruit some new members, under Rowen as Chair. We are taking this opportunity to streamline and refocus the group to meet the needs of the future - ensuring it is not too big and unwieldy to work in the most effective way.
"The group will work to build good relations with ministers and officials while making sure they retain their independence. Sometimes this will mean finding constructive ways to tell us things we'd rather not hear!
"Refining numbers to an 'expert group' model would also help to reduce costs while yielding greater results.
"I really value working with Rowen and Equality 2025 members and look forward to meeting some of the new members that we will appoint early next year. I would encourage any disabled person in the UK who feels they have the skills and drive to influence government to apply."
Recommendations from the internal review can be viewed at: http://www.odi.gov.uk/working/news/#eq2025
The Government intends to publish a report of the review in the first half of 2010.
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