Cllr Vicky Wakefield Jarett

As part of their activities around International Day of Disabled Persons, Green Cllrs signed up to the Every Disabled Child Matters campaign, which aims to get rights and justice for every disabled child in the UK.
 
The campaign is calling on Westminster and local government to:
 
Give disabled children and their families new rights to the services and support they need to lead ordinary lives.
 
Invest in new resources to make sure these rights can become a reality.
 
Give disabled children and their families a new level of priority, and work with them to improve the services they receive.
 
Greens will also be attending celebrations held by the Brighton & Hove Federation of Disabled People at Brighton Dome.

Green Cllr Vicky Wakefield Jarrett, who speaks for the Greens on Equalities, said:
“People living with disabilities can experience stigma and discrimination, and all too often face real barriers to participating in their communities. Just getting an education and a job, or access to basic health services, can be really difficult.
 
“Disabled children and their families are one of society’s most vulnerable and marginalised groups. Of the UK’s 770,000 disabled children, only around 6 per cent receive any form of regular support, while almost a third are living in poverty.
 
“Greens support the Every Disabled Child Matters campaign call to see the Child Poverty Bill currently before parliament include measures to address the specific needs of families with disabled children, taking into account the cost of care and barriers to accessing work that they experience.
 
“I am also deeply concerned that Tory council budget proposals published this week may mean reducing the support given to disabled children in Brighton & Hove. Plans to reduce council spending on supporting children and young people with special educational needs risk harming one of the groups likely to be most hurt by the current financial crisis."

For more information about the Greens view: www.brightonandhovegreenparty.org.uk