An Equal Future: Our strategy from 2023 to 2033

Today, we’re setting out our aims for the coming decade as we launch our new 10-year strategy.

Our purpose is unchanged – to end disability inequality. Our ambitious new strategy, ‘An Equal Future’ sets out how we’ll transform society and support greater opportunities for disabled people.

We want the potential of the UK’s 16 million disabled people to be recognised.

We’ve worked with over 450 disabled people, colleagues, volunteers, and our trustees, to create our vision of An Equal Future.

With equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of everything we do, our strategy will focus on 3 themes.

We want to see a more inclusive society. One where attitudes towards disability, disabled people and disabled families are transformed. There is no excuse for the prejudice and inequality that disabled people still endure.

Our research shows that 3 out of 4 disabled people have experienced negative attitudes or behaviour in the last 5 years. And 9 out of 10 disabled people who have experienced negative attitudes say that it has had a negative effect on their daily lives.

We'll campaign for better media representation, deliver school programmes, and shift attitudes in the workplace. Because we want a future where disabled people no longer have to put up with negative attitudes and discrimination.

We want to see disabled people and their families have an equal standard of living to non-disabled people. This means ending the extra costs associated with disability. On average, disabled households need an additional £975 a month to have the same standard of living as non-disabled households.

There’s lots that needs to happen to end the price tag. Businesses must make specialist goods and services more affordable, for a start. A fairer and more dignified disability benefits system is also crucial. A future where disability is no longer linked with poverty is possible, and we must go after it.

We will continue to campaign to secure the introduction of an energy social energy tariff, to make sure disabled people are not unfairly penalised by the energy market.

We will work with disabled people to propose a fairer, more dignified and supportive approach to disability benefits.

And we will work with businesses, helping them better understand their disabled customers. And making sure that specialist goods and services are accessible and affordable.

There are around 1 million disabled people out of work who want to work. While the employment rate for disabled people is 54%, compared with 83% of non-disabled people. This is a scandal.

We know that some disabled people will never be well enough to work. And the benefits system must be there to provide support where needed.

But we also want a society where all disabled people who want to work can progress in work. And we need to be recognised for the value we bring to the workplace.

We’ll campaign to secure the political commitment needed to make this a reality. We’ll also continue to support disabled jobseekers into work and develop a leadership programme for workplaces.

We know that equality is a right that cannot be taken for granted. We are relentless and impatient for this right to be afforded to every disabled person.

But we can’t achieve this societal change alone. We are part of a diverse movement of disabled campaigners, allies and organisations demanding change. Creating an equal future requires all of us. Together we will be unstoppable.

Read our new strategy.