CWU Disabilities Conference Report and pictures

Disabilities conference report - Paul Donovan

Hate crime against the disabled and anger at ATOS, dominate Disability Conference agenda
The issue of hate crime against the disabled and anger at the role being played by private company ATOS in assessing fitness for work dominated the agenda at the Disability Conference on Saturday.
National Equalities Officer Linda Roy raised the issue of bullying and harassment against disabled people.
She recalled the case of David Askew, who died of a heart attack at the age of 64, after being harassed by 26 different people. One 19 year old was convicted of harassment rather than murder and hate crime. He got 16 weeks. "Some of the agencies involved took action but there was no joined up approach, no checking of repeat victimisation.
The police dealt with the incident in isolation, " said Linda, who questioned why so many people in society think of people with disabilities as different. She then cited the Panorama programme on Southern Cross as highlighting the danger of private sector companies, driven only by the profit motive, operating in the care sector.
Linda attacked the process of the private company ATOS - that is assessing individuals capability for work for government - as fatally flawed. "The high success of appeals against decisions prove it," said Linda, who highlighted how much worse it is for people with disabilities in a discriminatory jobs market where already there are five people chasing every one job. "The CWU know that the disabled are under-represented in work and civil society," said Linda.
Guest speaker Stephen Broakes, MBE, co-ordinator of the Disability Hate Crime Network, told how the study, Hidden in Plain Sight, revealed the high levels of hate crime being directed at disabled people.
Disability hate crime is defined by the Crown Prosecution Service as "any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person's disability or perceived disability."
Stephen, who had been involved in compiling the report for the Equality and Human Rights Commission, called on people to stand up to the bullies who felt it was ok in society to practice this form of discrimination against the disabled. He gave a couple of personal examples of how he had suffered some abuse on a bus and at a London Underground station. As a result of his reporting the incidents to the requisite authorities corrective actions were taken to address the problem. "Hate crime needs confronting. If we don't stop hate crime, then there will be an escalation," said Stephen, who believes that "there are not more cases now just more reporting of bad incidents."
Stephen revealed that the police believe that 90 per cent of disability hate crimes are not reported."They are not reported due to fear of not being taken seriously and fear of reprisal," said Stephen, who believes failure to stand up on these issues will see more injuries and deaths involving the disabled. "There is also the danger of a fast return to the institutionalised model of disability seen in the past," said Stephen.
Chair of the Disability Advisory Committee Tony Sneddon highlighted the criticism there has been of ATOS, pointing out that 40 % of the decisions had been challenged in England and 70 % in Scotland.
Tony suggested that the higher levels of employment in Scotland and the Equalities Act 2010 had given workers greater confidence to challenge ATOS decisions in that country.
He called on members to use the Equalities Act 2010 to take on employers who knowingly discriminate against employees.
During the debate of motions, there were strong feelings expressed on the role being played by ATOS, both in terms of the work it does for government in assessing those on incapacity benefit relating to fitness for work and in its role working for companies like Royal Mail.
Sandy Best of South West Number 7 called for "ATOS to be made much more accountable."
"If ATOS are not providing the service they should be brought to task," said Sandy.
Addressing the same motion, which called for the union to conduct a full investigation of ATOS and the services they are providing, Andy Hide of Kent Invicta criticised the way that the company dealt with people's problems via telephone interviews.
Tony Pedel of York and District Amal also criticised the telephone interview technique and suggested that some companies use ATOS's services as a way of removing people from work.
There was support for a motion calling for a renewed effort to increase awareness of the dangers of ongoing undiagnosed diabetes. Efforts were made with the help of the CWU under the BT Workfit campaign last year but there was a recognition that the increasing levels of obesity and unhealthy lifestyles in the UK today make diabetes that much more likely to occur.
The campaign had found that a quarter of those working for BT who had diabetes were unaware of their condition.
Chic McGlynn for the DAC described diabetes as "the silent assassin."
Globally 20 million people die from diabetes related causes. "The evidence shows that if people are given the information they will act on it," said Chic.
A motion calling for a joint working party to be established with Royal Mail to deal with ongoing problems for disabled members due to the lack of training for managers was passed.
There was also strong support for work to be done with employers to ensure that their adverse weather policies were up to standard. Reports ensued of injuries to workers who had been sent out regardless of adverse conditions on the streets caused by weather.
Somewhat surprisingly a motion calling for choice to be allowed relating to assisted suicide was passed without debate.
Proposing the motion for the DAC, Anne Marie McCall recalled her own experience of having to watch her brother in law suffer and die at home. She agreed the issue was controversial and drew parallels with the question of abortion when it first came up. "It is about having choice," said Anne Marie.
The essence of the motion was that at present the upper classes, who have the means, can fly to Switzerland and visit specialised euthanasia clinics. This is a choice denied to the poorer in society who don't have that chance.
Seconding for the DAC, Dave Curtis described assisted suicide as an equality issue.
There was also strong support for a motion calling for better coverage of the Para-Olympics in the media.