Birmingham Council consults on new Equalities Bill

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Birmingham Council consults on new Equalities Bill

Organisers of a consultation event which took place in Birmingham on 26th January are welcoming a new commitment from Birmingham City Council to consult with disabled people on services in the city. The event was run by the newly formed Birmingham Disability Network which is bringing together disability organisations to provide a representative and consultative voice for disabled citizens.

The event which took place at the Bordesley Centre in Sparkbrook was chaired by Louise Simmons who is chief executive of Birmingham Disability Resource Centre and chair person of the Network and it was funded by Birmingham City Council who used the occasion to launch a new dialogue with Birmingham's disabled community around the Council's duties under disability and equality legislation.

Councillor Alan Rudge, who is Cabinet Member for Equalities and Human Resources, gave an opening speech in which he welcomed the opportunity to consult disabled people through the Birmingham Disability Network. Stephen Hodgkins from the national organisation Disability LIB spoke about the history of disabled people's organisations in the UK and the support being provided by Disability LIB to groups across the country and Simone Aspis of the Alliance for Inclusive Education spoke in detail about the new Equality Bill which is currently making it's way through Parliament and will both complement and supersede existing legislation. Simone also explained the points within the Bill on which the disabled people's movement are consulting and lobbying nationally.

In the afternoon, delegates took part in workshops led by Birmingham City Council officers around employment and communication. The intention is that similar workshops on other issues will be organised in the next few months in preparation for the Equality Bill becoming legislation. The event itself was made accessible through support features such as British Sign Language interpreters and through graphic illustration organised by Cerebral Palsy Midlands in Harborne.

Pete Millington, who is Information Manager at Birmingham Disability Resource Centre and one of the organisers of the event said:

"It is great to see this new potential for disabled people and disability organisations in Birmingham to consult with the Council. Today's event represents a step towards building a longer term relationship between the Council and the Network so that ultimately the views of disabled people can be heard and responded to on an ongoing basis. It is encouraging to learn how issues in Birmingham are mirrored around the country and that there are disabled people's organisations lobbying Parliament at a national level".

For details about the next consultation event please email bdrc@disability.co.uk

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