Bullying and discrimination against disabled people remains a serious problem in the UK. According to a recent Equality and Human Rights Commission report “people with disabilities in the UK face harassment, insult and attack almost as a matter of routine, while a collective denial among police, government and other public bodies means little is done to challenge the situation”.
Over half of disabled people have been bullied or harassed in the workplace because of their impairment, whilst 21% try to hide their disability from their employers, according to research by disability charity Scope. Wheelchair users still face being refused access to public transport and ill equipped event venues.
A number of recent high profile incidents have highlighted difficulties experienced daily by many. A BBC journalist reported being left on a plane at Gatwick earlier this year when special assistance staff failed to turn up, and Samantha Renke, an actor with brittle bone disease, said she “feared for her health” when the disabled area she reserved on a train was filled with bags.
To understand more about disablism we’d like to hear from people anywhere in the world with different types of disabilities, to document their experiences of discrimination for a new Guardian project. If you’d like to get involved please get in touch by filling out the form below.
