Discrimination against Disabled People

Women and Equalities – in the House of Commons at on 9 October 2024.

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Photo of Connor Rand Connor Rand Labour, Altrincham and Sale West

What steps she is taking to help end discrimination against disabled people.

Photo of Stephen Timms Stephen Timms Minister for Equalities (Department for Education), The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions

We want a more inclusive society with less discrimination, and our election manifesto committed us to putting the views and voices of disabled people at the heart of all we do. As a first step, we are legislating to deliver equal pay for disabled people, with disability pay gap monitoring for larger employers.

Photo of Connor Rand Connor Rand Labour, Altrincham and Sale West

A huge part of tackling discrimination against disabled people is challenging preconceptions about what people can achieve. Will the Minister therefore join me in congratulating the phenomenal Joseph Adams, a 21-year-old with Down’s syndrome in my Constituency, who recently ran ten 10 km races in ten different countries in just five days as part of his “no limits” challenge? He has raised a staggering £400,000 for a disability sports and employment programme in my community.

Photo of Stephen Timms Stephen Timms Minister for Equalities (Department for Education), The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions

I am delighted to congratulate Joseph, and I welcome my hon. Friend’s drawing his achievements to our attention. I spent an inspiring few days at the Paralympics in Paris not long ago. It was partly inspiring because we came second behind only China—ahead of the USA, and ahead of all the other European countries as well. My hon. Friend is right to highlight the importance of this issue. We are going to work with disabled people and their organisations to make sport more accessible and to remove the barriers that are too often in place.

constituency

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Minister

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