Brexit Answer:Disability Rights and Brexit
Brexit Answers is a series of online Q&A discussions, hosted by Brexit Civil Society Alliance, to bring policy experts and civil society organisations together.
In these difficult and uncertain times, Brexit is quite rightly taking a back seat but, unless it changes, the UK is still set to leave the transition period at the end of 2020. What comes after is currently unknown as the future relationship between the EU and the UK is being negotiated. During this civil society faces uncertainty about the impacts Brexit will have on their organisations and the communities it works with.
Brexit Answers: Disability Rights and Brexit. This session of Brexit Answers is an opportunity for civil society organisations to learn more about the impact of Brexit on disabled people and the organisations that support them.
To explain the impact and answer your questions we will be joined by Clare Gray from the Shaw Trust, Susie Fitton from Inclusion Scotland and John Baron from Cloisters.
Our Brexit Answers series is free and available online. Disability Rights and Brexit will be on the 12th May from 10:00 to 11:30. Sign up to attend this session and others with the button below. You can also submit a question to the experts when you sign up.
A bit about our experts:
Clare Gray, the Shaw Trust, who is a Disability Specialist, formally recognised on the Global Diversity List by the Economist. She has over 20 years’ experience working in the specialist field of disability, equality and inclusion, with first-hand experience of societal barriers as a disabled person.
Clare works for Shaw Trust as their Disability Advocacy Adviser informing Shaw Trust policy and advocating for others to advance equality and future provisions for disabled people.
She is actively involved in responding to governmental accessibility and inclusion consultations for adults and children and has a leading role in managing relationships and meeting government officials and specialists to represent the views of Shaw Trust participants.
Clare is a member of the Independent Living Strategy Group, a member of the APPG for Disability and the Professional Advisory Group for the Disability Confident Scheme. In 2018, Clare became a member of the Advisory Board for the government think tank at 'Reform' and more recently she has become a member of the Health Model Advisory Group for DWP and lead for the Power 100, a publication in its fifth year profiling the most influential disabled people in the UK.
Susie Fitton, is a Policy Officer for Inclusion Scotland a ‘Disabled People’s Organisation’ led by disabled people. The charity is governed by a board which is made up of a majority of disabled people.
Inclusion Scotland, “Our mission is to achieve positive changes to policy and practice, so that we disabled people are fully included throughout all Scottish society as equal citizens. We do this by influencing decision-makers, supporting disabled people to be decision-makers themselves, and developing capacity, awareness and engagement.”
“Inclusion Scotland works to make sure that decisions affecting disabled people’s daily lives are informed by their views and lived experience. Together, with our members and supporters, we work for the removal of the barriers to disabled people’s economic, social and civic inclusion, and to promote their rights, choices and voices, as full and equal citizens.”
John Horan specialises in all kinds of anti-discrimination work and employment law.
On the day before the millennium John Horan had a stroke - it changed his life and made him a passionate discrimination lawyer. His extensive experience in battling for the rights of disabled people has led to expertise in employment, goods and services, education and public authorities.
John was the first barrister to receive guidance from the EAT about disabled people's rights before any court or tribunal. In 2016 John was listed by Power 100 as one of Britain's most influential people with a disability. In 2015 John hosted the European Commission's Monitoring Conference in Brussels on the Rights of People with Disabilities and the Courts.
John successfully challenged the state honour system in Trindad for fostering differences and not being in compliance with international law. He also successfully challenged the terms offered to part-time high court judges as discriminatory at Croydon Employment Tribunal.
His views have lead to him being regularly interviewed by BBC's Ouch! and the national media and press. He champions the rights of the disability community and was awarded Bar Council "Pro Bono Lawyer for the Year" in 2003.
John appears frequently for law centres, the FRU, ELAAS, Bar Pro Bono Unit and the Disability Law Association as well as well-known solicitors firms.