Formal Inquiry into disability-related harassment
The Commission has announced that it intends to conduct a Formal Inquiry into disability-related harassment in Britain and how public authorities are protecting disabled people’s human rights to live free from violence and abuse.
Evidence already gathered by the Commission indicates that targeted violence or hostility towards disabled people is widespread in Britain. People with learning disabilities or mental health conditions in particular experience high levels of victimisation.
A report on the safety and security of disabled people published by the Commission earlier this year found that disabled people are four times more likely to be the victim of a crime than other people and are twice as likely to be the victim of a violent attack.
At the end of the Inquiry, public authorities found not to be doing enough to tackle the problem and to protect the human rights of disabled people could face legal action to force them to comply with their legal obligations.
The Commission has produced guidance to help public authorities understand what its duties and responsibilities are and how these duties should be implemented.