Blackburn Labour Party Disability Officer

Blackburn Labour Party has once again elected Tony Makin as its’ disability officer who has assumed the following responsibilities in a role for which he has a great empathy.

To promote the active involvement and empowerment of disabled Blackburn Labour Party members.
To ensure that, in taking account of the needs and views of disabled members of the Party, the Party adopts the social rather than the medical model of disability - that it does not concentrate on the detail of individual impairment, rather it seeks to eliminate the barriers to full participation in the Party
To support and campaign for comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation.
To raise awareness of the needs and view of disabled members within Blackburn Labour Party in particular and the community generally.
To openly challenge organisations and events which discriminate against or patronise disabled people.

Tony is reporting back from the last LPDMG executive meeting, (LPDMG EXEC Meeting 12/4/08)

held at Gateshead on Sat 13th April 2008. 'The most important item discussed was the UN Human Rights and Disability Convention. This can be viewed at www.un-convention.info. Having had its twentieth Ratification it will came into force on the 3rd May. The UK has still to ratify it and the Disability Movement has set up a petition asking the government to carry this action out. A petition has been set up and handed in to the prime minister and I would hope that a lot more people will sign it after reading the benefits that will come to Disabled People. Further information and the petition will be found at www.scope.org.uk/disabilism/

The AGM of the group will be held on the 7th June at Croydon Town Hall and if anyone would like Tony to bring up any disability issues for discussion, don't hesitate to contact Tony on t.makin@ntlworld.com .