Greens: Not Just Pretty Vegetables

Many thanks to Adrian Cruden, who linked to this information in the comments section of the post below. I thought the Green Party was simply environmentally friendly, but their policies on disability have convinced me that there’s a lot more to them than that. I’m very impressed, and think they should be shared with as many DisAbled people as possible, so I’m sharing them with all of you in the hope that you’ll find them useful, whether or not you vote this Thursday. Please spread the word to anyone who cares about DisAbility:

Disability

The Green Party operates from the social model of disability, which regards society’s response to disability as being the problem, rather than the medical model of disability, which focuses on the attributes of disabled people and offers charity rather than rights. The social model demands an integrated society: not just integrating disabled people into a non-disabled world but re-defining society according to the perspectives of all people, not just the non-disabled.

The Green Party:

• Supports an integrated educational system and a presumption that all schools can provide for the needs of disabled pupils and that adequate state funding should be provided for this purpose. It is recognised that in respect of children with emotional and behavioural difficulties a balance must be struck between their needs and those of others around them, but considers that on the whole these children do not need to be permanently segregated.
• Will seek to make all public buildings, facilities and services fully accessible and ensure through reform of the Building Regulations that new buildings are accessible to disabled people.
• Will put together a comprehensive plan for fully accessible transport so that public transport is usable by all. In addition, the necessary arrangements will be made to meet any extra reasonable transportation needs of disabled people that go beyond that which can be provided for by general public services.
  
  • Will review existing disability discrimination legislation to ensure that it provides the highest level of protection feasible for disabled people
• Will set up an independent monitoring commission made up of disabled people to check the effectiveness of legislation and policy relating to disability and will be fully involved in reviewing and reforming the law.
• Will raise public awareness about the day-to -day barriers faced by disabled people and how they feel oppressed.
• Will put in place a Citizen’s Income which ensures that disabled people as well as able-bodied people are able to have a decent standard of living and live with dignity.