• ISLINGTON Labour Party’s Making Disabled People’s Rights into Reality meeting last Thursday heard protests from users of two Mind Centres, at Ashley Road and Southwood Smith.

Town Hall leader Richard Watts said nothing had been decided. The council wanted to engage in genuine consultation and was open to innovative ideas.

He said that, despite massive cutbacks imposed on Islington, the council would continue to support disabled people.

It continues to provide funding for free advice and advocacy through the Maximisation of Income Unit, CAB, Disability Rights and Disability Action in Islington, leading to 90 per cent success in personal independence payment (PIP) appeals.

All new homes have to be built to accessibility standards. The council supports inclusive education in our schools. Ellen Clifford described how the government had been held to account and found wanting by the UN over its treatment of disabled people.

Michelle Daley said disabled children and students were being increasingly excluded and sent to segregated special schools, as mainstream schools were forced by the government to concentrate on the education of high achievers and ignore the needs of disabled students.

Kirsten Hearn explained the issues involved in running to be a councillor as a blind person and how her local Labour Party provided the extra support she needed.

Now re-elected with a much-increased majority, she is a cabinet member on Haringey Council. She appealed to disabled people to get more involved in the Labour Party and seek office.

MP Emily Thornberry said issues disabled people faced would be addressed by an incoming Labour government, guided by discussions with disabled people and their organisations.

In 2017, Labour had been the only party to produce a manifesto with and for disabled people. The callousness of the Department for Work and Pensions in cutting benefits of disabled constituents was daily brought to her attention. The whole system needed changing to bring social justice to disabled people.

We need to challenge disability discrimination throughout Islington. The Labour Party needs to get better at including disabled people.

The council should send to every household information leaflets on disability rights and on how to challenge PIP, employment and support allowance assessments and universal credit.

RICHARD RIESER
Islington North Constituency Labour Party disability officer