On 18 June, the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Dementia, in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society, launched a new report, “Hidden no more: Dementia and disability”. APPGs are informal cross-party groups formed by Members of the House of Commons and House of Lords, and the Alzheimer's Society provides expert advice and administrative support to the APPG on Dementia. The APPG on Dementia and the Alzheimer’s Society coordinated a year-long inquiry on dementia as a disability. Under UK domestic law and international convention, dementia is a disability. Thousands of people who responded to the inquiry agreed that they see dementia as a disability. Despite the clarity in legislation, the report reveals that society is lagging behind and failing to uphold the legal rights of people with dementia.
The evidence revealed that, across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, people with dementia are not having their disability rights upheld. Focusing on equality, non-discrimination, participation and inclusion, the report highlights the human impact this discrimination is having on people living with dementia. The public, employers, organisations, governments and public bodies need to be more aware of, and recognise, the rights of people with dementia, the Alzheimer’s Society stresses.
It revealed that 98% of the 2,521 survey respondents thought that people living with dementia are treated differently to those with other health conditions or disabilities. This is due to the progressive but “hidden” nature of dementia, the individuality of dementia and its symptoms, and the stigma surrounding the condition. The inquiry identified a range of societal barriers that are preventing people with dementia from living independent lives.
The report outlines that action needs to be taken across six key areas: employment, social protection, social care, transport, housing, and community life. The report makes recommendations for change that seek to increase awareness of the disability rights of people with dementia, as enshrined in the Equality Act (2010) and Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and identify ways people can be supported to participate as equal citizens in society. It is time that the rights of people with dementia are finally recognised, just as all disabled people’s rights should be, the Alzheimer’s Society concludes.
Read the report in full here: https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/sites/default/files/2019-06/APPG_on_Demen…
