No disabled academics on government equality panel

By Cathy Reay

An panel set up by the government to study inequality in Britain does not have a single disabled member, its chair has admitted.

The National Equality Panel of nine academic experts, chaired by professor John Hills, will build on research by the government and the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

The panel has been asked to provide the government with an authoritative analysis of inequality in Britain by the end of 2009.

Women and equality minister Harriet Harman said: "The robust evidence base that the panel will produce will help us properly target measures to address persisting equality gaps and build on the good work that we have already done."

But Sir Bert Massie (pictured), who chaired the Disability Rights Commission, said: “Disability is an issue which potentially affects everyone in the country – we could all become disabled. It is important to have a disabled person on this panel.”

The chief executive of the Employers’ Forum on Disability (EfD), Susan Scott-Parker, said: “We need the day-to-day experience of disabled people and employers to be included in this panel’s work for it to be a success.”

And Professor Peter Beresford, professor of social policy at Brunel University and a mental health service-user, added: “There are disabled professors with contributions to make. We are capable of speaking for ourselves.”

Professor John Hills, chair of the new panel, agreed that its membership was not representative of the minorities it would be researching.

He said: “Once it is up and running, interested organisations will be able to make submissions that help us with this task, and we will look forward to benefiting from their knowledge.”

Professor Colm O'Cinneide, of University College London, an expert in equality law, said: “The panel as I understand it is supposed to be composed of academic experts - it is not a representative panel. If it was, then why are there no poor people on it?”

A Cabinet Office spokeswoman said: “While the panel was not set up to be representative of particular backgrounds or perspectives, one of the panel members in particular has strongly focused her work on disability issues, and will provide expertise in this area.”

The panel is due to start work next month.
22 September, 2008