British families with disabled children face prejudice, new survey says

From The Guardian in the UK:

Families in the UK with disabled children feel excluded from society due to a shortage of services and negative attitudes, according to a charity survey published May 19.

Nearly 70% of families with disabled children found that understanding – and acceptance – of disability among those in their community is poor or unsatisfactory, the organisation Contact a Family reported.

The study of 615 families with disabled children revealed that almost half had experienced problems when vital support services – such as short breaks, key workers or childcare – were unavailable.

More than 60% of respondents said they did not feel that professionals listened to their concerns and a similar proportion believed that their roles as carers were not valued by society.

Srabani Sen, Contact a Family's chief executive, said: "It is shocking that in the UK today, attitudes towards disabled children, from professionals and members of the public, are among the barriers preventing families from leading ordinary lives.

"Families with disabled children have enough challenges to overcome to secure the support they need without also having to cope with prejudice and ignorance."

The charity, which marks its 30th anniversary this year, is calling for campaigns to raise awareness of the needs of families with disabled children, a stronger focus on disability awareness in schools and more widespread disability equality training. Welcoming investment in short breaks services (which provide parents with regular breaks from caring) in England, the charity expressed its concern that they should be sustained in future budgets.

There are estimated to be 770,000 disabled children living in the UK. The number has risen significantly since the 1970s due to medical advances and increased diagnosis and reporting, according to Contact a Family. Between 1975 and 2002, the disabled child population rose 62% while the general population increased by just 7%.

"Families with disabled children want the same things as other families," said Sen. "They want to see their children reach their full potential, they want to be included and accepted by their community and they want to enjoy time together and have fun.

"For this to happen, professionals need to recognise each child's capabilities rather than seeing only disability. They must also recognise the value and expertise of parent carers. And every one of us needs to be more understanding and accepting of disability."