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Every Disabled Child Matters

The National Blind Children’s Society has endorsed the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition Government’s pledge to improve the lives of disabled children and their families.

Both parties want to increase childcare assistance for all families, ultimately aiming for free nursery care for all pre-school children from the age of 18 months.

In April 2010 the Conservatives wrote to the Every Disabled Child Matters campaign (ECDM), stating: ‘ A future Conservative Government will aim to make a real difference to the lives of families with disabled children.’

They also set out their priorities, now published in their Contract for Equalities, which are ‘increasing the number of health visitors; simplifying the assessment process for accessing services; and making it easier for parents to access respite care’.

They went on to say that they would put ‘more power and control into the hands of parents and young disabled children themselves’ and ‘continue to involve and consult disabled children and their parents in implementing and reviewing policies which affect them’.

EDCM board member Christine Lenehan said: ‘ EDCM looks forward to working with the new Government to make sure that every disabled child has a full, happy childhood and that every family with a disabled child gets the support they need to lead an ordinary life. We will be calling for an early commitment to a national vision for disabled children that clearly states what every disabled child and their family can expect from the new Government. This should include details of how national policy will build on the current programme of service transformation, and the way in which local areas will be supported to ensure they can meet local needs.’

The Conservatives have also said they will protect the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and work to ‘simplify the assessment process for accessing services so that parents of disabled children do not have to go through the stressful ordeal of multiple assessments with numerous different professionals, as well as hours of form-filling.’

George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, has also announced that Government funding for Child Trust Funds for disabled children would be 'redirected to other forms of support for disabled children'.

The new Government has pledged to provide £20m each year, starting in 2011, to be spent providing additional respite breaks for severely disabled children. This would allow for upwards of 8000 week-long breaks for families.

NBCS Chief Executive Carolyn Fullard said: ‘We fully support EDCM’s endorsement of the coalition Government’s pledge to improve the lives of all disabled children, including those with visual impairment.

‘Their families often face considerable hardship and stress, and any measures and redirection of funds aimed at relieving that hardship is to be welcomed. We will be watching with interest to see how this promise is transformed into real measures in providing for disabled children, improving the quality of their lives and helping them to achieve their full educational and recreational potential.’