Sunday 3rd December 2017 is the annual celebration of the International Day of People with Disability (IPDP), started 25 years ago by the United Nations General Assembly. The day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilise support for the dignity, rights and wellbeing of disabled staff. It also seeks to increase awareness of the benefits of the integration of disabled people in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.

This year the theme focuses on ‘transformation towards a sustainable and resilient society for all’ and we are being encouraged to notice the central importance of resilience. As a police support network, the Disabled Police Association is encouraging our local disability networks to strengthen the role of disabled people as agents of change.

As members of UK police forces, we live in times of great challenge, both economically and politically. It is sometimes difficult to be constant in your belief that it is possible to reach a tipping point in the recognition of talents of disabled people. It takes great strength and courage to believe disabled people, whether they are in work, or not, can transcend protracted periods of welfare reform, economic austerity and political uncertainty.

But as networks, we can! One of the ways we can encourage our police forces to do this is by learning directly from disabled people and celebrating and investing in our disability networks, and building our communities in the UK and across the globe.

The Disabled Police Association are encouraging all our local networks to mark this celebration to raise awareness of disability. Purple Space are championing Purple Light Up to celebrate the economic and leadership contribution of disabled employees.

Some facts about the economic contribution of disabled employees (Labour Force Survey 2016/Scope Economic Research):

• Over 3 million people who identify as being disabled are in work: they are today’s senior managers or the managers of the future
• Disabled employees contribute over £16.02 billion per annum in tax
• 3.6% of businesses have one or more disabled owners, representing roughly 10,700 companies employing 78,000 people
• 6.6 million people with a disability or health impairment are in work, making a huge wealth of skilled and committed disabled people in the UK who make a vital contribution to the economy
• A 5% point increase in the disability employment rate would lead to an increase in GDP of £23bn by 2030

“Police Forces and their Disability Support Networks across the UK are looking forward to shining a purple light on disability on the 3rd December. A variety of awareness raising activities are planned with a focus on joining our private sector partners in celebrating the value of staff networks for disabled people.”

Rob Gurney
President, Disabled Police Association

“Supporting Operational Resilience” DPA Limited Duties Conference, 13th January 2016 Salvation Army Citadel, St Chads, Queensway, Birmingham

The Disabled Police Association recently held a national limited duties Conference entitled “Supporting operational resilience”. West Midlands Police hosted the event that was opened by David Wilkin, Director of Resources. The theme for the conference was “Improving Deployability” and was useful to participants in enabling them to better understand the subject of ‘X-Factor’ pay reductions. Attendees also received informative presentations from Slater and Gordon Solicitors, The Police Federation of England and Wales, members of the Disabled Police Association Executive Committee and representatives of West Midlands Police Force.

The meeting provided a fine opportunity to network and discuss some of the pressing issues facing disabled people in the police service across the UK resulting from the new Limited Duties regulations. All participants in attendance were able to contribute to a constructive debate around Limited Duties reforms. Those participating came from a variety of backgrounds ranging from serving police officers and staff, Federation and Union representatives through to HR specialists and lawyers. In essence the meeting provided a mechanism to pull together views and ideas as to how the police service might consider addressing the proposals outlined in the Winsor report.

Visiting speakers included Andy Fittes, General Secretary of the Police Federation; DPA Vice-Chair Andy Garrett; Chair of the Metropolitan Police Staff Association Simon Tovee; and Tristan Hallam and Simon Cuthbert of Slater and Gordon Solicitors providing legal opinion.

Our congratulations were extended to Mr Mick Braycotton of WMP who was recently elected as national “Vice-Chair for Police Staff” within the Disabled Police Association. DPA Chair Robert Gurney said: “I have no doubt that he will be an extremely valuable asset to the police service and especially the disabled communities that we support”.

You may note that the DPA exists with no financial provision whatsoever and we rely on the generosity of Chief Officer Teams supporting us by acting as host forces to our quarterly meetings as we move around the UK.

Robert Gurney
Chair of the Disabled Police Association

On Tuesday 16th July 2013, Dyfed-Powys Police hosted the national meeting of the Disabled Police Association at its police headquarters at Llangynnor, Carmarthen.

Formally launched at the House of Lords in November 2012, the Disabled Police Association is a national body representing staff disability networks from police forces across the UK. The aims of the Association are to promote the ability of disabled, ill or injured members of staff and officers working within the police service, and to promote equality of opportunity for them.

The United Nations identifies that over one billion people, approximately 15% of the world’s population, live with some form of disability, and it is estimated that a third of employees in the UK are disabled or are close to a disabled person.

Opened by DCC Jackie Roberts, the meeting was attended by representatives of police forces throughout England and Wales as well as local members of the Dyfed-Powys Police Ability Support Network, providing an opportunity to discuss key issues affecting disabled people working in the police service as well as the impact of hate crime on disabled people living in our communities.

Speaking at the meeting, DPA Chair Rob Gurney said: “We were absolutely delighted to have been invited to hold this incredibly important meeting at Dyfed-Powys Police Headquarters. Members from across the UK were able to formulate a consolidated response to some critical elements of the Winsor review, and our report will be presented to Government.”

The meeting also saw Dyfed-Powys Police Inspector, and Chair of the Dyfed-Powys Ability Support Network, Lynn Rees appointed to the post of Vice-Chair of the DPA. Insp Rees has 20 years’ service in a variety of operational and national posts, and in 2010 was diagnosed with idiopathic intracranial hypertension, a very rare neurological illness.

Insp Rees said: “It is essential that the police service is representative of the communities that we serve, and officers and staff with personal experience of disability have an invaluable insight that we can use to build links with vulnerable people, inform service delivery and address the problem of hate crime.

“It is a privilege to be appointed as Vice-Chair of the Disabled Police Association at such a critical time, and I look forward to supporting colleagues facing the challenges posed by disability on a national basis.”