It’s New Year’s Eve. I’m full up after an overindulgent Christmas, and full of hope for the year to come. But, on reading the recent Office of National Statistics Life Opportunities Survey, my generally positive mood has been tempered by the survey’s bleak outlook for people with disabilities.
The survey reveals that, wherever you turn, there is a really significant and huge gap between the quality of existence enjoyed by most, compared with that of disabled people. Of course, social barriers are not the sole domain of people with impairments, however, the survey showed it to be an inescapable fact that disabled people are much more likely to feel a) distanced from society, b) cash-strapped, and c) unable to fully participate in leading a normal life.
I don’t want this to sound like a turgid market research report, however a brief overview of some of the numbers reveals just how serious the problem is:
Nearly 1 in 5 disabled adults felt so stressed that work was beyond them. 1 in 8 felt so insecure that they wouldn’t use trains or buses (if they could). About 1 in 3 “disabled” households struggle to pay off loans (compared with 15% of the population). And 12% of disabled individuals even had difficulty getting into or around their home.
All of the figures point to a group of people with limited opportunities. The danger is that this lack of opportunity goes on to become a lack of ambition or aspiration. You can perhaps understand why some disabled people give up trying to better their lives.
The danger that this will happen is even more likely at this time of austerity. The government is restructuring the way benefits are given to disabled people, and many would say this restructuring is negative, damaging, and counterproductive.
All of this dampens my own positivity. Disadvantage and exclusion are on the up. Achieving a level playing field and full inclusion for disabled people remains a goal, but is still a long way off.
The maddening thing is that this is happening amongst a very sizeable and valuable group of people. It is 11 million strong and with a spending power of well over £80bn. It is a group that, on a level playing field with everyone else, could really contribute to society and swell the coffers of this country’s companies.
