Welsh Government warned disability plan lacks key targets

South Wales Guardian

a day ago

Mark Isherwood, chair of the Senedd's cross-party group on disability, raised concerns that many long-term objectives in the draft 10-year plan lack firm commitments.
He said Natasha Hirst, who was part of ministers' disability rights taskforce, pointed to a lack of funding and clear, robust targets.
Mr Isherwood quoted Joe Powell, chief executive of All Wales People First, who said: "For this plan to succeed we need the appropriate investment into the infrastructure and services to make this aspiration a reality.
"We need clear targets about how we are going to achieve this.
"Without these, it is very difficult to see how the plan will make a difference to disabled people in Wales."
The Conservative told the Senedd: "Damian Bridgeman, who chaired the disability rights taskforce's housing and community working group, said the draft document was a smokescreen rather than a plan.
"He pointed to the absence of new money and a mechanism to track delivery of the action plan further, adding that, 'disabled people have been reviewed to death, what we need is action – and there's none of that here'."
Mr Isherwood warned the plan lacks a commitment to enshrine the UN convention on the rights of disabled people into Welsh law.
He also cautioned that the UK Government's plans to cut benefits risk further disabling people in Wales by compounding poverty and exclusion.
Jane Hutt described the plan as a landmark moment in the Welsh Government's commitment to ensuring an inclusive and accessible society for all.
She urged organisations and disabled people to respond to a consultation on the draft plan, running until August 7.
Sioned Williams warned the plan has been a "long time coming," stressing the importance of legally enforceable rights.
Jenny Rathbone supported efforts to embed the social model of disability, while Laura Anne Jones warned the plan "falls short in many critical areas."