Brighton and Hove City Council leader Bella Sankey welcome union members from across the country to their annual conference.
Councillor Sankey spoke to the Unison disabled members conference at the Brighton Centre.
She said: “I am proud that one of our first acts as a new Labour administration last year was to pass Brighton and Hove’s first Accessible City Strategy, embedding accessibility and disability inclusion principles into how we work as an employer and service provider.
“Our vision is to make Brighton and Hove welcoming, inclusive and accessible for the diverse community of people who live, work or visit Brighton and Hove, irrespective of their access requirements.
“With the Accessible City Strategy, we aim to put accessibility at the heart of how we think, work, design and deliver our services from the very start.
“We aim to support all individuals we serve to have equal access to everything our city has to offer.”
Councillor Sankey said: “The Accessible City Strategy follows a social model of disability, which says that people are disabled by barriers in society, rather than by their impairment or difference.
“We aim to be informed by best practices and to go beyond the minimum legal compliance with the Equality Act.
“So I am proud that since taking office last year we have refurbished and reopened our public toilets in the city including opening three Changing Places toilets since last year, recognising their importance for inclusion
“And that we’ve taken action on unchecked weed growth to ensure our pavements are safe.
“And I am proud that one of our early actions as a new Labour council was to take action on a transport policy that we inherited, which had pedestrianised a street in Brighton and Hove, effectively making a disabled woman housebound.”
Councillor Sankey added: “For the past two years, at Brighton and Hove City Council, we’ve voluntarily published our disability pay gap report. And our latest data for 2024 will be published next month.
“This commitment to transparency is not just about numbers; it’s about understanding the experiences of our disabled staff.
“In 2023, our mean disability pay gap was 5.3 per cent, with disabled employees earning an average of £17.36 per hour compared to £18.34 for their non-disabled counterparts.
“While we’re below the national average of 12.7 per cent, we know that statistics alone don’t tell the full story. This is why we’re not stopping here.
“Disability pay gap reporting is a vital step, but it must be part of a broader conversation. We recognise that stigma still exists around disability and not everyone identifies as disabled, even if they face challenges.
“This is why our focus is on the stories behind the numbers. We’re working closely with Unison and our employee networks to ensure we hear all voices and take meaningful action.
“Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our People Promise. Since April 2019, we’ve had a Fair and Inclusive Action Plan in place.
“I’m proud to say that 9.8 per cent of our workforce identifies as disabled, a number that has been steadily increasing. However, we aim for even more representation—our target is 11.7 per cent.
“While we’ve made progress, we see disparities in representation across pay bands. Around 10 per cent of our staff in lower and middle pay bands are disabled, but only 7.8 per cent in senior roles.
“This is a call to action for all of us. We must continue to recruit and uplift disabled staff into leadership positions.
“To support this, we’re launching a Future Leaders Diverse Talent programme specifically for disabled and black and racially minoritised staff.
“We’re also proud to be a Disability Confident Employer and while we aspire to be a Disability Confident Leader, we know there’s more work ahead.
“Our recent staff survey highlighted that disabled employees feel less confident about fairness and inclusivity in our organisation. This feedback is invaluable and we’re committed to turning it into action.”
Councillor Sankey also said: “I want to take a moment to acknowledge the incredible work of our unions. Unison and TUC have been champions for disabled workers, particularly during the covid-19 pandemic.
“Their advocacy in the public inquiry has been crucial, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on disabled individuals.
“A disproportionate number of disabled workers died during the pandemic or have long-term effects from it. It’s vital that we continue to support these efforts.
“As we move forward, let’s remember that unions are essential in protecting the most vulnerable among us from corporate excess and austerity. Together, we can create a fairer, more inclusive society.”
Councillor Sankey concluded: “Together, we can ensure that our workplaces are not just diverse but truly inclusive. Let’s continue to lift each other up, share our stories and drive meaningful change.”
Welcoming a conference is one thing, but actually supporting disabled people to access the financial support they need, not welcomed by the Labour Government it seems. A Party that’s proposing sending job coaches to hospital which may intimidate some people with fragile health is not a good look.
The Disability News Service said: “The confusion over Kendall’s comments is just the latest example of DWP’s chaotic and hostile communications policy under the new Labour government.”
The excellent charity Mind say:
“Mental health hospitals can too often be left out of public conversations on mental illness and it’s important there is a spotlight on them. Right now, too many people with the most serious mental health problems are left more traumatised by their stay in hospital. If we want people to join or rejoin the workforce, they need safe and compassionate care that helps them truly get better. But for many, the reality is feeling unsafe, unheard and facing coercive treatment on run-down wards that feel “prison like”. We need the government to prioritise raising the standard of inpatient care and reform the Mental Health Act, to make sure people can get the care they need, when they need it.”
“comrades” – yeesh – that cat is out of the bag now..
While on topic have the disabled parking spaces taken away by the green plague all been returned yet ?
The Greens are busy plotting new ways to punish the old and disabled
‘comrades’ is the tradtional greeting at a Union conference and has been from the year dot.
Not sure what cat / bag you’re on about.
The whole Green Labour scam is built on an ableist agenda. Don’t be old or disabled.