Many disabled people experiencing hate crimes, study shows

4th November 2009

Nearly ten per cent of disabled people in the UK have experienced some form of hate crime, according to a survey.

Research by Leonard Cheshire Disability revealed the extent of the challenges still being faced, with employment a major focus for the investigation.

According to the charity, 43 per cent of respondents believe their impairment has caused them to be turned down from a job - that figure representing a seven per cent rise from a year ago.

Commenting on the results, director of policy and campaigns John Knight noted that disabled people are twice as likely to live below the poverty line.

"With disabled people entering the recession on a profoundly unequal footing to non-disabled people, the need for a government strategy to tackle disability poverty is now more urgent than ever," he said.

Paul Corry of Rethink recently observed that people with mental health illnesses are more likely to face financial difficulty.

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