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Stephen has announced further details of the Government’s newly-established Independent Disability Advisory Panel. It will provide direct advice to Ministers on policies affecting disabled people and those with long‑term health conditions.
The Panel held its first meeting this week and forms part of the commitment set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper to ensure that lived experience informs policy development. Its remit covers several key areas, including Access to Work, Disability Confident, and recommendations from the Keep Britain Working Review.
Ten members have been appointed from across Great Britain following an open application process. They bring experience in disability rights, health services, employment support and policy research. The Group is chaired by Zara Todd, a disability rights specialist.
Speaking about the panel, Stephen said: “Far too often, decisions about disabled people have been made without them. We are changing this.
“This Panel brings together years of experience and valuable insight. The voices of disabled people will count because they will be in the room where decisions are made, and where policies are shaped. We will listen, we will learn, and together we will build a system that truly works for disabled people.!
The Panel will run separately to the Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment, and will have a wider remit across health and disability policy, but expertise and insight will be shared between the two.