An analysis of the ‘Six disabled lives’ report in the UK: Important or impotent?

Abstract

Background Rights of disabled people are enshrined in an international convention mediated by the United Nations (UN). However, a recent Ombudsman's Report in the UK: ‘Six lives: the provision of public services to people with learning disabilities’, adds to a long line of similar reports showing evidence that such citizens are denied equitable treatment from health and social care organizations. Content This article offers an analysis of the Ombudsman's Report in the context of current disability legislation and the work of other bodies which have an obligation to ensure equitable treatment in UK health and social care settings. The report found that many vulnerable groups have suffered extreme injustices in their encounters with health and social care professionals, which have resulted in avoidable deaths and unnecessary distress and suffering. These findings, and how these injustices may be avoided and overcome in the future, are discussed. Conclusions Despite a plethora of official commitments to good practice to ensure that the rights of disabled people are upheld, these vulnerable citizens are still not being protected. Mencap, a UK disability-related charity has labelled this ‘institutional discrimination’. It is suggested here that individual professionals, in practice, education and research, must take on the responsibility to challenge and change underlying attitudes and behaviours in relation to disabled people.