A report published today, 12 September, by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) reveals systemic institutional failure to tackle harassment of disabled people. Evidence from the EHRC inquiry shows that hundreds of thousands of disabled people regularly experience harassment or abuse but a culture of disbelief, or “collective denial” is preventing public authorities from tackling it effectively. The report, “Hidden in Plain Sight”, says that many disabled people have come to accept harassment – including verbal and physical abuse, theft and fraud, sexual harassment and bullying – as inevitable. The inquiry makes recommendations to public authorities on how to address the problems it has uncovered, which the EHRC plans to consult on before publishing a manifesto for change in the spring of 2012.

CSIE welcomes this report, painful reading though it makes, and encourages schools to promote disability equality in the curriculum and all other aspects of school life. The 2010 CSIE publication “Developing a single equality policy for your school: a CSIE guide” provides practical ideas of how this can be done.