Content adapted from http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/legal-and-policy/inquiries-and-assessments/inquiry-into-disability-related-harassment/
Have you seen the Facebook based Disability Hate Crime Network?
Mike Smith, Lead Commissioner for the Inquiry into disability-related harassment by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) explains that the online community helps disabled people from across Britain to share their experiences. The sad reality is that by visiting the Facebook page “you will see daily reports of attacks against disabled people. Day after day, people are being targeted because of their disability.”
Ten serious cases
As part of the inquiry the EHRC examined 10 very serious cases in which disabled people have died or been seriously injured. The cases show beyond doubt that the experiences of Fiona Pilkington and her children were not a one-off. In many cases, according to the EHRC, the appalling abuse of disabled people was greeted with disbelief, ignored or mishandled by the authorities, with tragic consequences.
Despite the tragic cases above, there are some good practice examples of organisations making a difference to disabled people's lives as highlighted by the EHRC:
Housing initiatives
Housing providers have an important role to play in identifying and preventing disability related harassment by making tenants feel safer in their communities. The Chartered Institute of Housing has produced a briefing note for housing providers that provides a checklist and case studies covering how to tackle disability related harassment. Read the briefing note.Helping people with learning disabilities
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| David was a 64-year-old man with learning disabilities who died following harassment from at least 26 people |
PeopleFirst Scotland is a disabled people's organisation run by and for people with learning disabilities. They have taken a multi-agency approach to tackling disability related harassment by raising awareness with primary school children, Local Authority workers, student Social Workers, support providers and the Police. The Police in Lothian are now trained to recognise someone with a learning difficulty and how to communicate in a way that can be understood.
Support in Essex
You can call AskSAL (The Safeguarding Adults Line) on 08452 66 66 63 for anything from straightforward information and advice about the abuse and the safety of the more vulnerable adults in Essex; to the disclosure of a specific concern about your own safety of somebody that you know. Should you wish to report maltreatment of an adult in Essex, AskSAL will take your concern seriously and ensure that it is investigated appropriately.
If you would like to receive the Ask SAL number in a text message, text ASKSAL to 60777.
National Support Organisations
The experience of being bulled or harassed can be very difficult to deal with alone. There are a number of organisations at national level that can offer support:Older People
Homeless people
Victim and Survivors
Education
More information about disability related harassment and the inquiry can be found on the EHRC website.
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