With the date the UK is scheduled to leave the EU (29th March 2019) ever-advancing, the Government has published a series of papers on how the UK will cope in the event of a no-deal.
While a potential deal is still being debated in parliament, there are fears the UK could leave the EU without a deal at the end of March. While many are happy with this scenario and would prefer a no-deal to a bad one, there is no doubt a no-deal Brexit could drastically affect the UK.
The Government has already announced it will set a new budget if it is unable to reach a Brexit deal with the EU and next March’s Spring Statement could be upgraded to a full Budget.
Disabled people make up one in five of the UK population and will be affected in specific ways by policy and legislative change following the UK’s decision to leave the EU – and yet disability has barely been mentioned in public and policy debate on the implications of Brexit.
A Brexit manifesto from Disability Rights UK outlines six main topics for discussion that will affect disabled people in the event of a no-deal Brexit – topics that need to be discussed now.
These topics include:
- Disabled people’s priorities in society (including accessibility and funding)
- EU disability law and policy
- Embedding disability rights in the UK (and devolved) law and policy
- Funding for research and services
- Freedom of movement of people
- Strategies for influence
The report from Disability Rights UK indicates a need for the disability sector, working with others, to re-frame the Brexit debate and put disability rights at its heart.