| Name of Constituency: | Conservatives Abroad | |||||||
| Name of CPF Group: | British Conservatives in Paris (BCiP) | |||||||
| Name of CPF Coordinator: | Paul Thomson | |||||||
| Email address: | Paul.thomson@saint-gobain.com | |||||||
| Number of attendees: | Aged <25 | 25-39 | 40-65 | >65 | ||||
| Members: | 1 | 3 (+ 1 who sent in comments) | ||||||
| Non-members: | 1 (+ 1 who sent in comments) | |||||||
| Date of meeting: | 18th December 2018 | |||||||
| If you have a Conservative MP, please tick this box to confirm that you have sent a copy of this response to your MP: | ☐ | |||||||
| Please indicate whether you used the accompanying video and powerpoint presentation and, if so, how useful you found them or in what ways you might suggest they could have been improved: | ||||||||
| Video | Powerpoint | Feedback: | ||||||
| We used it | ☐ | ☐ | ||||||
| We did not use it | X | X | ||||||
| 1. Housing: How might we better build homes and buildings that everyone can access and use, so as to build a society in which all can participate fully? – (i) For both social and private housing projects a minimum percentage for disabilities-friendly units should be imposed by law. (ii) Already used measures for assisting the disabled should be expanded as much as reasonably possible eg (a) automatic/push buttons doors, (b) installation of escalators or lifts, (c) providing sufficiently wide corridors, WC’s etc so that those in wheelchairs or otherwise encumbered (eg with crutches) can nevertheless move about. (iii) Explore the use of robots to facilitate life for the disabled mainly at home but also in the workplace & in public spaces. (iv) The potential for public private partnerships should be explored and (with suitable safeguards) realised. (a) There have been successful examples in the UK eg Civitas. (b) In France the housing sector for elderly people not able to look after themselves has been usefully expanded by recourse to privately funded entities working within the framework of public standards (including enforcement mechanisms). (c) The trend toward increasing focus by (large) private companies on “corporate social responsibility” could no doubt be tapped by encouraging companies to contribute to more disabled-friendly buildings (special financial incentives? Bestowing of a flattering public label expressing recognition of “good works”?). (d) Resort to specialised services companies may also allow innovative solutions to particular needs to be achieved. In France this is a sector – in particular in relation to services provided in a hospital setting – which is undergoing a spectacular degree of development, notably through services accessible online but allowing tailoring of what is actually carried out to meet users’ specific needs/wishes. (v) For those already housed but having developed a disability post-moving in the provision of financial support for making necessary adjustments to the home environment – may result in the person being able to continue to carry on a relatively normal existence in society where, without such support, he/she would not be able to do so (or not without being a greater burden on public services in other ways).
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| 2. Transport: How might we better adapt our transport systems so as to offer people with disabilities the same access to transport as everyone else? – (i) Expand use of special markers to guide the disabled. (ii) Avoid steps in trains & buses. (iii) Encourage the provision of services in trains (insofar as not already available) to alleviate the difficulties of those with mobility problems. (iv) So far as reasonably possible provide lifts & escalators in train & bus stations – & indicate on corresponding maps which stations provide ease of access for those with mobility limitations. (v) More broadly: include in the government’s “Transport Strategy” regulations for disabled passengers to facilitate access to & egress from taxis, buses, trams, trains & air transport systems. (vi) Take measures to avoid blockages on pavements (eg rubbish bins) which can create major problems for those moving about by wheel chair (eg if the pavement is not wide enough to avoid the obstacles without going onto the roadway). Perhaps introduce fines to discourage a-social behaviour in this area? (vii) Ensure ongoing recognition of disability badges issued by other EU member states – even after Brexit & even if no specific agreement on reciprocity on the subject is achieved between the UK & EU27 or other member states individually.
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| 3. Health: How might we more effectively reduce the health gap experienced by people with a learning disability, mental health conditions or autism, so as to help everyone to live full, healthy and independent lives? – (i) Supply training programmes to favour the employability of the disabled. (ii) Provide/facilitate regular medical and/or psychological surveillance of those in need in order to avoid a gradual (or abrupt) disengagement from society. (iii) Foster a culture of respect for those with disabilities – underlining the shared humanity of us all; and the importance to all of us of our vital needs being given due consideration by society. (iv) Expand the Health Charter to include health care providers to those with learning disabilities, mental health conditions or autism.
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| 4. Employment: How might we work more effectively with employers and people with health conditions so as to help as many as possible to get into and stay in employment? – (i) Require employers with above a given threshold of employees to employ a minimum percentage of disabled persons or to contribute to one of a designated set of programmes favouring the inclusion in the work force of the disabled. (ii) Grant financial support to employers (where appropriate) to assist in the recruiting & training & retention of disabled persons. (iii) Develop sophisticated but pedagogically effective on-line & obligatory training models for (a) HR personnel, (b) non-disabled (future) fellow employees & (c) the disabled – to provide a guide to the integration of the disabled in the work place: akin to what is presently done in the field of compliance in large organisations. (iv) Determine with employers the special needs of specific groups eg (a) ex-servicemen (cf PTSD), (b) ex-prisoners etc.
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| 5. Participation in Society: How might we better support candidates with disabilities to stand for public office, so that those elected better reflect the diversity of society? – (i) Supply public assistance eg for transport for candidates with disabilities (ie so it would not have to come out of the campaign budget). (ii) Create a very low minimum required number of representatives of disabled persons – to habituate the general public to the idea that being handicapped is not necessarily incompatible with assuming public responsibilities. (iii) Avoid too “macho” a political culture – though this is not intended to suggest that robust debate & rhetoric should be discouraged. Gestures suggesting physical contact should be proscribed (if this is not already the case). (iv) Opinion “elevation” campaigns could be carried out to promote the idea that the public realm is one in which, to be sure there is a healthy competition for voter support – but which also should by definition be open to all: we should all look at our fellow members of the body politic & of society with a heightened sensitivity for our common humanity & our shared interest in making work the society & institutions of the UK. (v) Those interested in politics & possibly standing for office should be encouraged to join the Conservative Parties (or even other parties if they must!) & should be given canvassing support initially at the local council level & then at the national level – in appropriate cases, but these should be sought out – to achieve a demonstration that persons with handicaps can contribute to society also in politics (cf eg Robert Halpen MP; or indeed, to look abroad, Wolfgang Schäuble – longtime Finance Minister for Germany & today President of Germany’s lower chamber of parliament (Bundestag) & one of the most senior & most highly respected politicians in the land – notwithstanding being confined to wheelchair since the 1990s.
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| 6. Culture Change: How might we all deliver further positive change for people with disabilities, so that society does not miss out on the contribution of any person? – (i) Role models in public media (news/weather presenter) can be helpful: there have been positive examples in the British media including the BBC. (ii) See § 5(iv) above. (iii) Honouring the disabled in a convincing/effective way ie designed to attract public attention & sympathy is worthwhile: eg the Invictus Games. (iv) As a complement to § (iii): avoid going “over the top” ie making exaggerated or non-credible affirmations/claims. (v) The Transforming Care programme at local community level & aimed at improving health outcomes and quality of life for those with a learning disability and/or autism could be promoted by: (a) giving it more exposure in the media, (b) being expanded, (c) organising the sharing of experiences among/across local communities & (d) supporting the police in their dealings with those presenting “challenging behaviour”.
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| 7. Is there any other question you think should have been asked or observation you would like to make? – (i) The Government (& the Conservative Party) should communicate much more about all that has been done in this area – which is absolutely considerable (cf Brief). It is wrong that we should be perceived as unfeeling etc when on the contrary so much has been undertaken – in a serious, hands-on, long-term based fashion. This represents a failure of communication, but also – and let us be positive – an opportunity to better inform the people of the UK & give them a fairer, and more uplifting, view of what the Conservative Party is. (ii) As a corollary to the foregoing: PR disasters such as the one deriving from the so-called “dementia tax” are best avoided. (iii) The goal in the latest manifesto of getting one million more people with disabilities into employment (an increase of almost 30%) should not be kept under a barrel – and its greater social significance, namely of allowing all those people to be much more fully a part of society, should be clearly spelled out for the general public. (iv) Special educational needs are a related topic. Excellent results have been achieved in the education of children with Asperser’s syndrome over recent decades – allowing those concerned to limit considerable suffering & also to contribute in a material way to society (through the exceptional skills of the persons suffering from the same). However, the provision of specialist help is considered by one of our participants as patchy – with greater concentration on this area being called for.
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| FEEDBACK ON PAPER |
| What did you find useful? – The paper as a whole was useful & well done. Congratulations!
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| What did you not find helpful? – Nothing
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| Do you have any suggestions for how we might improve future briefings? – Not at this stage
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Thank You. Please return to: CPF.Papers@conservatives.com