Introduction
There are significant disparities in the wellbeing of those with disabilities compared to non-disabled people. The purpose of my research was to discover how wellbeing for disabled people in the UK could be improved by learning from the experiences of other countries.
Research process
I began with a literature review and then carried out qualitative research, travelling to New Zealand and Australia, both of which have mature, Western, multicultural democracies with developed health and social care similar to the UK. They also have successful strategies and ongoing research for improving the wellbeing of disabled people. I met with a wide range of organisations and disabled people, their families and carers. Following my return to the UK, I had virtual meetings with organisations and experts in Canada, Ireland and the USA to learn about specific projects in order to broaden my knowledge and understanding.
What is wellbeing?
Wellbeing is inherently subjective. How you feel about your life largely depends on the way you view it, therefore a clear definition of wellbeing remains elusive.
Wellbeing for disabled people is influenced by many factors, some of which can be seen in the diagram on the right. It encompasses quality of life and the ability of people to contribute to the world with a sense of meaning and purpose. It is, in essence, how a person feels about their life.
Disabled adults in the UK experience poorer ratings than non-disabled adults for all the wellbeing measures; life satisfaction, feeling that things done in life are worthwhile, happiness and anxiety (ONS survey, 2021)
Background
Disability is deeply personal and how disabled people choose to understand disability varies. Society often perceives disability as a single, homogenous entity, whereas, in reality, disability is highly dynamic and varied, encompassing a wide range of impairments and unique experiences.
“Too often, disability is thought of like a light bulb: on or off. A person either has a disability or does not. In reality, most disabilities fall somewhere along a spectrum, and viewing them through a binary lens can have profound consequences” - Zina Jawadi, AAMC
Disabled adults in the UK are...
More likely to experience barriers to employment
More likely to experience unfair treatment at work
3 times more likely to have no qualifications
More likely to be a victim of crime
Twice as likely to experience low income
More likely to live in unsuitable housing
More likely to experience loneliness
More likely to experience poor wellbeing
Disabled people comprise approximately 25% of the UK population (16 million in 2021) and almost everyone will temporarily or permanently experience disability at some point in their life. As the World Health Organisation stated “disability is a part of being human”.
Despite this, negative attitudes towards disability remain prevalent in the UK with 72% of disabled people having experienced negative attitudes or behaviours in the last five years.
Societal attitudes and understanding of disability has also seen many disabled people reluctant to participate in social, leisure and cultural activities which can contribute to social isolation and poor mental and physical health, all affecting their wellbeing.
Although the UK is one of the most progressive nations globally, it still faces significant challenges in ensuring equal opportunities, access, and support for its disabled citizens.
A 2016 UN inquiry found that conditions for disabled people in Britain was tantamount to a “human catastrophe” with “grave and systematic violations of disabled people’s human rights”. The Centre for Welfare Reform calculated that disabled people endured nine times the burden of the welfare cuts compared to non-disabled people with people with the most severe disabilities being hit nineteen times harder.
The 2023 Covid-19 inquiry concluded that disabled people were an afterthought in the UK response to the pandemic with 60% of people who died from Covid in the first year being disabled. Learned disabled adults were eight times more likely to die than the general population.
2023 saw the downgrading of the government minister for disability to a junior role resulted in the loss of a disability perspective at the highest table.
Failure to consult or listen to the voices of disabled people can often result in policies not addressing true issues of concern which impacts disabled people’s wellbeing. In 2022, The National Disability Strategy, was dismissed by Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) as a series of empty promises with disabled people not having been properly consulted or listened to:
“There is nothing that addresses the disability employment gap, health care, social care, transport and housing or the cost-of-living crisis. These are the real issues that are preventing people with disabilities to thrive and contribute to society yet there was no mention of them.”
Poorer wellbeing outcomes for disabled people in the UK need to be addressed. Learning from other countries is an important step to understanding how to improve wellbeing for disabled people in the UK.