Our response to the Disability Action Plan

On 5 February 2024 the Government released its long-awaited Disability Action Plan, which features a range of practical policies and changes that could make a real difference to the millions of disabled people across the UK.

At Kids, our focus is on children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who have a wide range of needs. Given that play is such an important aspect of any child’s life, we are pleased to see that the plan aims to make playgrounds not only accessible, but also more inclusive.

Yet at a wider level, the plan neglects many areas that have a big impact on disabled youth as they transition through to adulthood. In order to deliver an effective plan, the Government will need to actively listen to those who are most impacted by those areas. This is especially true as wider issues, such as cost of living, continue to further disadvantage the daily lives of disabled people.

A whole-family approach

At Kids, we support the whole family and are acutely aware of the issues parents and carers have when trying to navigate such a complex system. Our ‘Navigators’, who provide invaluable one to one support, already demonstrate positive outcomes for many families. Our vision is for every family to have access to a Navigator, and we’re therefore pleased the consultation highlighted to Government the need for a ‘whole-family’ approach to provide the best support. As a result, the Government will explore and develop a new, accessible online information hub for families with disabled members to make it easier for them to find resources and information about government policies.

We also welcome the plan’s progressive proposals which will benefit disabled young people across the country. This includes helping disabled people get into elected office, and investigating whether the UK should host the 2031 Special Olympics World Summer Games.

More broadly though, the plan fails to tackle major issues for disabled young people, such as transport, transitions and housing. Disabled children and young people need and deserve a Disability Action Plan that accounts for their needs and works for all, to create a truly inclusive society.