Independent Transport: The key to independent living

"The Independent Living Strategy is unique in its vision to make a real impact on people's lives, working closely with disabled people and across Government. We believe that every single disabled person should be able to choose how they live their lives.

"This Government is committed to enabling independent living, and at DfT we have taken significant steps towards this aim. From our work to make trains and buses more wheelchair accessible, to the development of an England-wide bus pass we have shown our dedication to improving public transport for disabled people."

The Government's Independent Living Strategy sets out over 50 commitments covering all aspects of disabled people's lives, from housing, employment and health to transport and social care. It also focuses on important turning points in people's lives, for example the transition to adulthood for young people, the needs of disabled parents, and the experiences of growing older.

The Strategy is unique in Government because it is jointly owned by six departments and has been co-produced with those whose lives will be directly affected by its policies: disabled people. It commits the Government to monitoring its impact year on year.

Today's event brought together disabled people, local service providers and government officials to discuss how to involve disabled people in implementing and monitoring the Strategy.

The Department for Transport has made good progress in improving accessibility to public transport. The most comprehensive review of the Blue Badge scheme for a decade was recently announced, with the aim of providing a scheme fit for modern users and which will meet changing needs. A similar consultation on taxi accessibility will be launched later this year.

In 2006, the DfT announced #370 million to improve access to railway stations and this year has announced that a further 40 stations and

223 small schemes will benefit from this funding. This is in addition to the extended concessionary fares scheme, which was introduced on 1 April. Following DfT funding of #212 million, up to 11 million elderly and disabled people can now travel anywhere in England for free by bus.

The Independent Living Strategy was developed in response to the Independent Living Review, which was launched in July 2006 and aimed to find imaginative ways of supporting independent living for disabled people; it was a cross-government project led by the Office for Disability Issues.

The involvement of disabled people, from all parts of the country, of all ages, backgrounds and experiences will be critical to delivering the vision of independent living. It is this involvement, at both national and regional levels that will ensure the success of the Strategy.

Notes to Editors

1. The Independent Living Strategy can be viewed online at:

http://www.officefordisability.gov.uk/working/independentlivingstrategy.asp

2. The Independent Living Strategy is jointly owned by the Office for Disability Issues, the Department of Health, Department for Children, Schools and Families, Department for Transport, Department for Work and Pensions, Communities and Local Government, and Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

3. The Government has recently announced funding for schemes that will enable people to have more choice and control in their everyday lives. Brought together by the ILS, these include:

* a 31% increase in funding for the disability facilities grant  over the next 3 years (a total of #460m); and #33 million to enable an extra 125,000 older people every year to get repairs and adaptations to their home to support them living independently , announced on 25 February by Communities and Local Government ,as part of the Lifetime Homes Lifetime Neighbourhoods strategy;

* An additional #520 million to help Local Authorities transform social care services to deliver personalisation, choice and control announced by Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Health on 10 December;

* New investment of #340 million to help transform services for disabled children, including #19m in a Transition Support Programme for young disabled people aged 14-19 announced in "Aiming High for Disabled Children" in May 2007. The new initiatives in the Strategy involve new investment of up to  #3million in 2008 to 2011.

4. The Independent Living Strategy is jointly owned by the Office for Disability Issues, the Department of Health, Department for Children, Schools and Families, Department for Transport, Department for Work and Pensions, Communities and Local Government, and Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

5. The Office for Disability Issues was set up in 2005 to help government  achieve its vision of equality for disabled people by 2025. It works to make equality a reality for disabled people by:

* promoting joined-up government to improve policy making and service delivery

* involving disabled people in what we do and encouraging others to do the same

* being a source of evidence and expertise on disability for the rest of government

* promoting human rights and ensuring effective disability equality legislation

* communicating what is happening on disability across government.