Time to Get Equal Week: Disabled people treated as ‘second-class citizens’ by disablist Britons

85% think that British society treats disabled people as ‘second class citizens’

Over half of Britons have witnessed or experienced disablism

Disabled people are treated as ‘second-class citizens’ by their fellow Brits, according to new research out today.

In a survey conducted by disability charity Scope, over half of us said we had witnessed or experienced disablism – discrimination against disabled people.

The most common form of disablism is patronising behaviour (35%). This was closely followed by access problems for wheelchair users (34%) and verbal abuse (20%). Five per cent of people had even seen physical abuse against a disabled person.

The research, which was released today at the start of Scope’s Time to Get Equal Week, also found men to be more prejudiced than women, especially in terms of attitudes in the workplace.

A quarter of men said they would either have reservations about a boss with cerebral palsy or they would simply prefer not to have one. Sixty-two per cent of women said it would not make any difference at all if their boss had cerebral palsy, compared to just 47% of men.

Scope’s Time to Get Equal Week aims to fight disablism and encourages people to recognise disabled people's equality and human rights.

When asked what they thought ‘disabled people’s equality’ actually meant, three-quarters of respondents said it meant disabled people having the same right as everyone else to live independently, i.e. to live where and how they choose. People also thought the Government should provide the financial support to make this happen.

But the research also found that we would be willing to dip into our own pockets to make a difference. Over a quarter of respondents would pay £1 a week extra council tax to ensure disabled people in their area could get the support they need – and nearly one in ten people would pay an extra £5 a week or more.

To mark the first day of Time to Get Equal Week, scores of disabled people and disability rights campaigners will gather outside Downing Street today for an Independent Living Rally, to urge the Government to adopt the Independent Living Bill.

Independent Living is a philosophy based on the principle that disabled people should have the same choices and control over their everyday lives as non-disabled people. This means having a choice over where to live, and how and where to earn a living. It is also about basic everyday choices - like what time to get up in the morning and go to bed at night.

Commenting on the survey's findings, Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive of Scope, said:

“Disablism is not a myth. Our research shows that many people still have entrenched negative attitudes about disabled people, particularly when they are involved in their everyday lives, such as having a boss with cerebral palsy.

“However, encouragingly our survey also reveals strong public awareness about the gulf that often exists between the lives of disabled and non-disabled people and that there are many people out there willing to help change this.

“It is clear that that Government needs to provide more financial and practical support for disabled people. However, just as importantly, we need the general public to be more aware of the barriers disabled people face - or disabled people will continue to be treated as second-class citizens.

“In this day and age we would not condone sexism or racism in the workplace or in any social situation; so we cannot, and should not, be allowing disablism to continue."

Other findings of the survey:

One in ten people said that, if they had a colleague who became disabled, they would expect their employer to retire their colleague on medical grounds, terminate their employment or demote them to a less senior position.

46% think that employers discriminate against disabled people because they believe disabled employees will be more expensive due to equipment or adaptations needed.

Over a third of us do not know a disabled person. One in five people do not know a disabled person and cannot name a famous disabled person. Of those who could name a famous disabled person, Stephen Hawking was the most frequently cited name, followed by Tanni Grey-Thompson and then Heather Mills McCartney.

Over 60% of respondents said that the word ‘disablism’ should be put in the dictionary so that people are made aware of this in the same way they are aware of sexism and racism.