Tackling crime against disabled people must be an urgent priority, says DRC

A third of disabled adults say that they don't feel safe in their locality and almost a quarter say they have difficulty using police services, a new poll by the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) reveals today.

The poll, conducted by Ipsos MORI (1), comes on the day the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) unveils its new policy to deal with cases of disability hate crime (2) and to promote greater confidence for disabled people in the criminal justice system.

The poll also found that 35 per cent of women with a disability or long-term health condition disagreed when asked if they felt safe from harm in their local area. This finding rose to almost half of all adults (44 per cent) who have a mental health problem.

The CPS policy is a new and proactive approach to tackling disability hate crime. For example: ensuring all elements of the criminal justice system - such as the police giving the right support to a disabled victim, through to the sentencing process - are accessible and equitable to disabled people. The CPS will also start monitoring hate crime against disabled people from April this year.

Sir Bert Massie, Chairman of the DRC, said: "Making communities safer and tackling crime against disabled people is at the heart of the DRC's Disability Agenda. Many disabled people clearly feel unsafe or unwelcome in their area and many have been on the sharp end of verbal abuse and even violence. This has a devastating impact on their lives and on their families. Crimes such as these are based on ignorance, prejudice, discrimination and hate. They have no place in an open and democratic society.

'It is vital that everyone in the criminal justice system understands and recognises the serious nature of this type of crime and ensures that disabled people are given equal access to justice.'

The DRC is running a cinema advert highlighting the serious impact that harassment and hostility has on disabled people. 'Nice Day', which features the everyday abuse that a young man with a learning disability experiences from strangers in the street, will be in selected cinemas at the end of March.