The UK Independence Party (UKIP) will be campaigning at the general election on policies that aim to turn back the clock on inclusion.
UKIP’s manifesto says the party supports “congregate” communities, believed to refer to village communities, in which people with learning difficulties live in large, segregated settings run by charities.
The manifesto also says that both “community care” and the policy of inclusion in education should be “re-examined”, with support for special schools for children with learning difficulties.
No-one from the party was available to provide further details about these policies.
UKIP’s manifesto also calls for the “misconceived” Human Rights Act to be repealed, while key benefits such as incapacity benefit and jobseeker’s allowance would be replaced by a single, flat rate “basic cash benefit”, set at the same weekly level as jobseeker’s allowance.
UKIP manifesto length: 16 pages
Mentions of the words “disabled”, “disability” and “disabilities” in the UKIP manifesto: 2
14 April 2010
UN debate will be reminder of true inclusive education