The recent publication of the report “Over-looked Communities, Over-due Change : how services can better support BME disabled people”, jointly published by the Equalities National Council and Scope, has been followed by a debate in the House of Lords on 10th Jan 2013. (Transcript available here).
The motion, ‘that this House takes note of the report by Scope, Over-looked Communities, Over-due Change, on disability services for people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds’ was moved by Lord Boateng, and subsequently agreed.
Several members of the Lords made perceptive and telling contributions, sometimes based on their own experience of disability and its impact on families. These make the transcript of the debate worth reading, despite its length(!). The key wish expressed was for the effective implementation of government policy and a clear strategy. A government response is awaited to issues raised in the debate.
Lord Boateng made these concluding remarks: “My Lords, the noble Baroness is right: there are many role models in the disabled and black and minority ethnic communities. Our concern is that they should be role models for what they are, not for their success in overcoming the barriers that they have had to face because they are black or minority ethnic or because they are disabled. This has been an important debate. Members who have spoken on all sides of the House have demonstrated a depth of experience, knowledge of the subject and passion that is truly inspiring to us all. I am grateful to the Minister for her willingness to write to us to address the detailed questions that many Members of the House have raised with her, and I urge her to adopt the suggestion of the noble Baroness, Lady Browning, of lodging all of those in the Library, so that we have a comprehensive response of the Government to the debate and the report.“