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more than words mwy na geiriau 1 2007 The Journal of Disability Wales/Cylchgrawn Anabledd Cymru/£3 Disability Equality more than words ISSN 1467 6095 contents mwy na geiriau cynnwys Issue/Cyhoeddiad1 4 EDITORIAL THE DAWNING OF A NEW ERA • Penni Bestic 7 DISABILITY EQUALITY EQUALITY ISSUES • Rhian Davies 9 TRAINING OR TRAINING SIMULATION OR IMITATION • Training for Equality UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUES • Delivering Disability Equality Training OUR WAY • Disability Awareness Training 18 SOCIAL MODEL A TOOL FOR EQUALITY • Delivering the Social Model of Disability in Wales 22 PAST AND FUTURE END OF AN ERA • The Disability Rights Commission ALL BEING EQUAL • Wales and the Commission for Equality and Human Rights 31 HUMAN RIGHTS THE HUMAN RIGHTS DIMENSION OF DISABILITY FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS • UN convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 42 POEMS SHAKE, ROCK AND SHAKE AGAIN PURE WHITE LOUDER THAN WORDS Published by © Disability Wales / Anabledd Cymru, Design: design@andydark 3 Bridge House, Caerphilly Business Park, Print: Cardiff Bay Press Van Road, Caerphilly CF83 3GW Editor: Penni Bestic Tel: 029 2088 7325 Fax: 029 2088 8702 Editorial Advisors: Maggie Hampton, Disability Arts Cymru; Sara MacKay, Disability Arts Cymru E-mail: [email protected] Disability Wales/Anabledd Cymru is a registered charity, No. 517391 and a Company Limited by guarantee, No. 1998621 disability wales Why you should join Disability Wales • Strengthen the voice of disabled people in Wales • Influence people in power about disability issues • Change attitudes towards disabled people • Remove barriers to participation in everyday life • Ensure choice and control for all disabled people • Bring about equality for disabled people Our membership packages offer a range of services: • free membership pack • training on a range of issues • regional network events • DW conferences and workshops • Membership Information Service • Campaign Packs • monthly e-bulletin – DW E-news • Consultation briefings • twice yearly journal on disability issues Membership of DW provides: • A unique opportunity to network with other disability organisations and allies right anabledd cymru across Wales • A chance for all disabled people in Wales to have a united voice at all levels of government – local, Assembly, Westminster, Europe… for further information check out our website: www.disabilitywales.org or call us on: Tel: 029 2088 7325 (use announcer for minicom) or write to us at: Disability Wales, Bridge House, Caerphilly Business Park, Van Road, Caerphilly CF83 3GW mtw/mng/1 ‘07 Disability Wales is the national association of disability organisations in Wales. The views expressed in More than Words are not necessarily the views of Disability Wales You are welcome to reproduce articles from More than Words unless copyrighted to the author. Please contact Penni Bestic for further information. Please contact us if you would like this magazine in either Braille, large print or on disc or audio tape. 4 If you would like to submit an article (in either English or Welsh) please contact Penni Bestic. Disability Wales reserves the right to edit any article submitted Copy deadline Issue 2: 9 January 2008 editorial Penni Bestic More than Words is a new venture for Disability Wales: it is designed to provoke debate and get everyone talking about issues that matter to disabled problems of taking the Social Model from people in Wales. The title is a reminder of theory into practice. She argues that for how we would like to see the commitment the Social Model to work effectively, its to disability equality carried forward by principles have to be embedded ‘within all institutions in Wales – More than Words. mainstreaming policies and practice’. Rhian Davies, Chief Executive of However, the threat that the Single Disability Wales, reminds us (page 7) that Equalities Bill brings is potentially many of those institutions still a have way dangerous to the teetering baby steps to go. She points out that over half of the made by institutions in adopting the Social local authorities’ Disability Equality Model, especially if it is to be Schemes had significant weaknesses. She mainstreamed into all equality practice. also questions whether the government’s Will Bee (page 22), until this autumn, is proposals for a Single Equalities Bill will the Director of the Disability Rights actually be able to deliver equality for Commission in Wales: we were a little wary disabled people. at the beginning but he proved to be a As well as these external debates on dependable friend and ally of Disability how best to deliver equality, there is an Wales. The relationship between DRC internal discussion (page 9) on the best Wales and Disability Wales blossomed. We way for disability activists to train non- found we could compliment each other: disabled people. Disability Equality there were things that we were free to say Training is rooted in the Social Model of whilst they were bound by their political mtw/mng/1 ‘07 Disability. However, there are a small masters (and mistresses) to keep silent. number of groups in Wales firmly Will suggests that our relationship with committed to using simulation (putting the new Commission for Equalities and non-disabled people in, for instance, Human Rights (CEHR) will be substantially wheelchairs). In this issue of MTW we are different. He says ‘it will want to develop a reflecting upon some of the, at times new vision of equalities for a world of heated, debate taking place around Wales. multiple-identity’. And this means In January 2002, the Welsh Assembly Disability Wales positioning itself at the 5 Government committed itself to working core of any debate to ensure that disability to the Social Model of Disability. In her equality and the Social Model are article, ‘A tool for equality’ (page 18), embedded in the agenda and language of Miranda Evans, looks at some of the the new Commission. editorial Cover picture: “Mirror” by Francis Aviva Blane Neil Wooding writes (page 28) that the CEHR has the potential to transform how The cover painting is reproduced with we think about equality and human rights. the kind permission of BlindArt. They He also points out that we have to grasp find and fund a permanent collection of the new opportunities that the CEHR multi-sensory artwork, which is creates. However, it is up to us to ensure accessible to everyone, both physically that disabled people remain visible and are and emotionally. not side lined by the ‘more experienced’ www.blindart.net equality strands. In some senses, we have more of an opportunity in Wales to ensure About the artist that this does not happen. For many years, Blane’s work might broadly be called the different equality strands, from both expressionist. Her paintings encompass the public and voluntary sectors, have both figurative and abstract. They are been working together, recognising our about paint; paint is allowed to find its common concerns. natural space, it’s allowed to drip, it is It is important to remember that the squeezed and dragged straight from CEHR is not just about equality, because tubes. Her energetic, rough wrapped around our various struggles for brushstrokes and her use of sumptuous equality is the all-embracing issue of colours reflect sensuality and raw human rights. Dr Richard Light has been emotions. Exploring Blane’s work representing disabled people in the UK at through touch can bring us closer to the the United Nations as it forged the artist’s creative process. Blane Convention on the Rights of People with comments: “I want to break the surface Disabilities. down and mush it up. The paint than mtw/mng/1 ‘07 has its own integrity. It can either fall Although the language of the UN does into dissolution or become something not necessarily reflect our understanding more challenging. I should like to of the Social Model it is, nevertheless, an escape the tyranny of tradition”. important change at a global level in recognising the, sometimes appalling, situation of disabled people. The EASY READ Convention reminds us that millions of disabled people around the world are An Easyread version of More than 6 living in unimaginable poverty and many Words is available either on-line or face daily torture and abuse. Because of by getting in touch with Disability this we have a duty to ensure we make the Wales at [email protected] most of our own laws and institutions and make the CEHR work for us. or calling us on 029 2088 7325 DISABILITY EQUALITY Equality issues ’ Rhian Davies, Chief Executive, Disability Wales Equality and all matters related seem to be very topical. The DRC has recently produced a report on the Disability Equality Schemes (DES) produced by the 22 local authorities in Wales. The UK Government has published its ‘Green’ paper on the proposed Single Equalities Bill. The new Labour/Plaid Cymru Coalition Government devoted a whole chapter to Equality and Social Justice in its One Wales document. The Assembly recently launched formulating actions based on priorities or the European Year of Equality at the barriers identified by disabled people, Senedd. And preparations are well producing one year instead of three year underway for the introduction of the new action plans, no ownership of the Scheme Commission for Equality and Human Rights by the Chief Executive or Lead Member on (CEHR) in October. Equality and not providing the document Such attention to equality issues might in alternative formats. suggest that the veteran campaigners This of course was a first attempt for among us have done our job and can now everyone in producing DES’ and no doubt mtw/mng/1 ‘07 relax with a cup of tea and survey the fully we will all learn from this experience for inclusive society that we have helped to the future.