Disability Landscape
Why Do We Need to Discuss Reducing Inequalities?
Key Demographic Data
- 518,000 disabled people (17.8%) live in the WMCA region, higher than the England average of 17.3% (Census 2021).
- The Family Resource Survey estimates this to be 26.7% (777,000).
- Only 188,000 WMCA residents receive Personal Independent Payments (PIP), with 20,767 aged 16–24.
- Most disabled people have multiple impairments.
Demographic and Economic Insights
- Disability does not discriminate and spans all life aspects, including social mobility, race, gender, age, and circumstances.
- Disabled individuals are:
- More likely to live in deprived areas.
- Nearly 50% of those in poverty live with a disabled person.
- Require an additional £1,070/month to maintain the same standard of living as non-disabled households.
Economic Costs:
- Disability costs account for 67% of household income after housing costs (Scope, Disability Price Tag).
- Businesses in the West Midlands lose significant revenue due to poor accessibility and service quality.
Key Skills Data
- Only 15.4% of disabled students in the WMCA achieve academic attainment compared to 47.3% for non-disabled students.
- Disabled students in the region perform worse than the national average for students with SEN (17%).
- 5.7% of 16–17-year-olds with SEN are NEET (not in education, employment, or training) compared to 1.8% without SEN.
Key Employment Data
- Disabled people in WMCA face:
- Lower employment rates than non-disabled individuals.
- The 2nd largest disability pay gap in England.
- Disabled women have lower economic activity rates and wages compared to their male counterparts. - 817 WMCA-based organisations are Disability Confident certified.
Key Housing Data
- 79% of West Midlands homes predate accessibility standards.
- 28% (466,000 homes) cannot meet minimum accessibility standards.
- An estimated 11,425 wheelchair-accessible properties will be needed by 2040, but only 5,714 are proposed in local plans.
- Disabled individuals are nearly three times as likely to live in social rented housing.
Key Transport Data
- 2 out of 3 disabled individuals encounter issues during rail journeys.
- 87% of TfWM rail stations have step-free access, but over 40% of British rail stations do not.
- Only 9% of public transport journeys are made by disabled people.
Key Health and Wellbeing Data
- Disabled individuals in the West Midlands experience:
- Higher loneliness rates compared to non-disabled individuals and the national average.
- Reduced disability-free life expectancy at birth (0.3 years for males and 1.5 years for females).
- 37% worry about losing benefits when being physically active.
Reflections and Recommendations
- Significant inequalities exist across all life aspects for disabled people.
- Collaborative regional efforts are essential to address interconnected challenges.
Contact and Resources
- Contact:
- Bethany Parkes: Bethany.Parkes@birmingham.gov.uk
- Eleanor Fry: Eleanor.Fry@birmingham.gov.uk - More Information: Birmingham JSNA Deep Dives