Disabled People’s Rights Plan 2025 to 2035: children’s rights impact assessment

What decision are you impact assessing?

The Welsh Government is committed to improving the lives and opportunities of disabled children and adults in Wales. We will make Wales an inclusive, accessible nation where disabled children and adults can participate fully in every aspect of Welsh life, without limits, restrictions, or discrimination. This vision will be realised through the delivery of the Welsh Government’s 10-year Disabled People’s Rights Plan, which sets out a comprehensive approach to dismantling barriers, promoting equality, and supporting disabled people to reach their full potential.

The Minister-led Disability Rights Taskforce was set up following the Locked-out liberating disabled people’s lives and rights in Wales beyond COVID-19 report. The Taskforce brought together people with lived experience, Welsh Government Officials and representative organisations to identify the issues and barriers affecting the lives of many disabled people in Wales. 

A ‘Children and Young People Working Group’ was set up to hear from organisations who work closely with disabled children and young people as well as direct feedback from disabled young people themselves. Additionally, the Taskforce held a workshop for parent/carers of disabled children to hear their views.

To better inform the outputs of the Children and Young People working group, the Disability Rights Taskforce team engaged with a sample of volunteer schools:

• Ysgol Ty Coch: special school for ages 3 to 19 in Pontypridd.
• Ysgol y Deri: special school for ages 3 t o 19 in Penarth.
• Greenfields school: special school for ages 3 to 19 in Merthyr Tydfil to capture the perspectives of children and young people themselves on disability and impairments. 

The Taskforce also organised an event in collaboration with organisation ‘Children in Wales' and their Young Wales Forum, to gather the perspectives of children and young people on inclusion and access for disabled children. Additionally, the Children and Young People Working Group held a parent and carer discussion to hear lived experiences from those whose children were unable to participate, to advocate on their behalf, and to understand the realities of their caring roles.

A workshop was held focussing on disabled people’s well-being. This included topics such as access to culture and sport. Over 100 members attended the Well-being workshop.

One of the Children and Young People Working Group chairs is a disabled young person. This decision was made to ensure that the voices and experiences of disabled young people are heard and meaningfully represented.

The Taskforce’s recommendations have been used to inform the actions and outcomes of the Disabled People’s Rights Plan. These recommendations will continue to be an important resource that Welsh Government can return to in the future, to set out its medium to long-term actions to deliver the ambition and outcomes for disabled children and adults.

The public consultation on the draft Disabled People’s Rights Plan began on the 15 of May 2025 and concluded on the 7 of August 2025. Analysis looked across all consultation questions and answers to highlight overarching areas of consensus, concern, and priority.

During the consultation period, we held several workshops. Our engagement included commissioned focus groups led by:

• All Wales People First
• The Royal National Institute for Deaf People and Wales Council for Deaf People
• Vision Forum Wales: Guide Dogs Cymru and Wales Council of the Blind
• My Life, My Voice: Disability Arts Cymru and Autistic UK
• Children in Wales
• Fair Treatment for Women in Wales
• Disability Wales

There are no foreseen negative impacts as a result of the proposals. 

UNCRC articles or options protocols which relate to our proposed legislation

Articles 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6

The Welsh Government observes these articles in taking forward the policy proposals. The actions in this plan will ensure that disabled young people are aware of their rights, entitlements and responsibilities.

Status: Enhances

Article 12

We commissioned the organisation ‘Children in Wales’ to ascertain the views and wishes of disabled children and young people, while also considering the perspectives of parents and carers on the disabled People’s Rights Plan.

Status: Enhances

Article 13

The Disabled People’s Rights Plan will be published in a range of accessible versions including children and youth friendly, easy read, Braille, Welsh and Audio English and Welsh. We will also publish the Plan in British Sign Language and Welsh.

Status: Enhances

Article 15

The Disabled People’s Rights Plan recognises the importance of inclusion and access for disabled children during their early years and throughout their school life, and as essential for them to achieve their potential. The Plan also recognises that from childhood, disabled children must be able to engage in local accessible play, recreation, and leisure activities alongside their peers.

Acknowledged by the Plan is that early inclusion and participation together ensure children develop a strong sense of belonging and self-worth, which is foundational for their overall development. Access to engage in play activities with their peers is essential to disabled children’s development.

Status: Enhances

Article 18

The Disabled People’s Rights Plan addresses information and misinformation by providing clear data, analysis, and evidence on how disabled children and adults are disproportionately affected in areas such as education, employment, and income.

At the heart of our approach is the Social Model of Disability, which focuses on societal barriers rather than impairments. The Social Model of Disability shifts responsibility to society, calling for the removal of barriers: structural, cultural, and discriminatory, which hold back disabled people's participation. By challenging these views, society can demonstrate that having an impairment or difference is not a negative, and society and communities are stronger and more cohesive with a diversity of people, including disabled children and adults. This model empowers disabled people to claim their rights and celebrate their diversity and contributions.

Status: Enhances

Article 19

The Disabled People’s Rights Plan recognises the importance of working with local authorities and service providers to improve the provision of accessible accommodation for disabled people, their carers, and their children when fleeing from violence.

This Plan also sets out a long-term outcome to ensure disabled victims/survivors of violence, sexual abuse, and domestic abuse have access to appropriately resourced, high quality, needs-led, strength-based, intersectional and responsive services across Wales.

Status: Enhances

Article 23

The Disabled People’s Rights Plan considers the needs of disabled children by focusing on inclusion, accessibility, and participation throughout their early years, school and post 16 education. 

This Plan recognises the importance of disabled children being able to engage in local play and recreational activities with their peers and supports access to essential equipment and instruction. 

Equitable access to healthcare and support services is promoted, with regular monitoring to adapt to children’s needs. 

Additionally, the plan advocates for financial support and measures to improve living standards, aiming to enhance well-being for disabled children and their families. These actions collectively support the needs and independence of disabled children.

Status: Enhances

Article 24

The Disabled People’s Rights Plan is designed to address the barriers faced by disabled children in accessing health services. The Plan emphasises the importance of equitable healthcare provision, ensuring that disabled children have timely access to appropriate medical support, therapies, and health information. By promoting inclusive practices within the NHS and encouraging collaboration with families, schools, and local authorities, the Plan aims to improve health outcomes and reduce disparities for disabled children. 

Furthermore, it advocates for regular monitoring and evaluation of healthcare accessibility to ensure that the needs of disabled children are consistently met and that services evolve in response to their feedback.

Status: Enhances

Article 26

Funding for this Plan will be mainstreamed across policy areas; this is a cross-government Plan.

Status: Enhances

Article 27

The Welsh Government, through the Disabled People’s Rights Plan, is committed to improving the standard of living for disabled children and families. The Plan recognises that disabled children and their families often face additional barriers in accessing adequate housing, education, and social support. It outlines actions aimed at addressing these inequalities by ensuring that disabled children and adults receive the necessary support to participate fully in society, advocating for accessible services and financial assistance where needed. These measures are designed to ensure disabled children’s well-being. 

Status: Enhances

Article 28 and 29

There are a number of actions in the plan which support disabled children and young people’s learning and development, with an aim to ensure disabled children can reach their full potential.

Status: Enhances

Article 31

All children have a right to relax and play and join in a wide range of activities. The Disabled People’s Rights Plan recognises inclusion and access for disabled children during their early years at play and throughout their school life are essential for them to achieve their potential. Early inclusion and participation ensure children develop a strong sense of belonging and self-worth, which is foundational for their overall development.

Status: Enhances

Using the evidence you have gathered, what impact is your policy likely to have on children and young people? What steps will you take to mitigate and/or reduce any negative effects?

The anticipated impact on disabled children and young people is strongly positive. The proposed actions are designed to reduce marginalisation and foster greater inclusion for disabled children across all aspects of their lives. By improving access to housing, education, healthcare, transport, and social activities, the Plan aims to ensure that disabled children and young people are fully supported to participate in society. These measures will help to break down barriers, enhance their sense of belonging and self-worth, and promote equal opportunities, ultimately enabling disabled children to reach their full potential.

How does your proposal enhance or challenge children’s rights, as stipulated by the UNCRC articles and its Optional Protocols?

Section G: children with disabilities

The Disabled People’s Rights Plan aims to ensure that disabled children and young people receive support throughout all stages of life, beginning from birth and the early years, and continuing into adulthood.

This plan explicitly references the rights of disabled children, setting out commitments to personalised support, inclusive education, and active participation in community life. It promotes non-discrimination, anti-bullying, and is designed to ensure that disabled children’s voices are heard in policy development and service delivery. Children and Young People will have a role in influencing the External Advisory Board. 

The Plan’s short-term actions for disabled children include ensuring transport organisations consult regularly with them and their carers; developing an education workforce plan that addresses gaps, especially in specialist roles; updating guidance on healthcare, attendance, behaviour, and exclusions to reflect disabled children’s needs; and encouraging event organisers to improve access for disabled children and adults.

Section H: basic health and welfare 

The Disabled People’s Rights Plan outlines a 10-year cross-government strategy to ensure disabled children and adults thrive as equal members of Welsh society. The Plan aims for a discrimination-free society, tackling bullying and harmful attitudes by promoting understanding of disabled people’s rights and experiences across all sectors. We will work with advisory groups and stakeholders to ensure disabled voices are represented and heard.

This Plan has been structured against 4 overarching areas, which are aligned to the 7 National Well-being Goals of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act:

• Neighbourhoods, places, and transport
• Employment, income, and education
• Independent living, health, and social care
• Justice and supporting Environments

For each of these 4areas, this plan sets out our overarching high-level outcomes and more detailed outcomes we want to achieve over the next 10 years. 

The Independent Living, Health, and Social Care section of the Plan demonstrates a strong commitment to supporting disabled children within health and social care by prioritising coordinated, timely, and accessible care. It highlights the importance of removing barriers whether physical, organisational, or attitudinal to ensure disabled children can access the right services without delays, especially during transitions between providers or as their needs change with age. The focus on accessible care settings means that children receive support in environments tailored to their requirements, promoting autonomy and choice for both children and their families.

Additionally, the Plan emphasises the involvement of disabled people and their carers in shaping care policies, ensuring that services reflect their lived experiences and meet their diverse needs. By equipping care providers with the knowledge and resources to understand and uphold disabled children’s rights, and by promoting clear, accessible communication, the Plan seeks to reduce inequalities and foster more inclusive, person-centred care. Unpaid carers of disabled children and adults are also recognised as important partners, with clear commitments to valuing their contributions and ensuring they have access to information and support.

Section I: education

The ‘Employment, Income, and Education’ area of the Plan recognises the importance of supporting disabled children and their right to equitable access to education. It aims to address barriers faced by young people in educational settings by promoting inclusive learning environments and ensuring reasonable adjustments are made to accommodate individual needs. Furthermore, the plan emphasises collaboration with schools, families, and relevant agencies to foster participation, achievement, and wellbeing amongst disabled children.

The Disabled People’s Rights Plan emphasises the importance of ensuring disabled children and young people have their educational and health needs identified and addressed within policy development. It advocates for meaningful engagement of disabled learners and staff in shaping education policy through a rights-based approach, ensuring children’s voices are heard in the planning and provision of support across educational settings.

This Plan also highlights the necessity for education providers to have the resources and understanding required to embed the rights of disabled learners, including recruitment of disabled staff and provision of specialist training and equipment. The Plan emphasises the need for inclusive, accessible, and regulated learning environments, effective transition to further and higher education.

Monitoring and review

To ensure robust oversight and meaningful guidance throughout the implementation of the Disabled People’s Rights Plan, we will establish an influential and independent External Advisory Board. This Board will play a critical role in shaping the direction, monitoring progress, and maximising the impact of the Plan, acting as a crucial link between disabled children and adults, policy makers, and service providers. 

Membership of the External Advisory Board will be drawn from a diverse range of individuals, including people with direct lived experience of disability and key representatives from disabled people’s organisations, and other relevant stakeholders across Wales. This inclusive approach will guarantee that the Board reflects the breadth of experience and expertise necessary to address the complex and evolving issues faced by disabled children and adults in society.

The Board will be established in 2026 and will operate in accordance with the principles of the Social Model of Disability, ensuring that all discussions and recommendations are grounded in the realities of disabled  children and adults’ lives. 

Ministerial advice and decision

Officials in the Division set out proposals regarding the development of the Revised Plan in a submission to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip. The Cabinet Secretary agreed to the overall approach.

Over 350  individuals, including children and young people, have given their time to talk to us and help us understand what we needed to prioritise. A full 12-week consultation took place on the Disabled People’s Rights Plan, closing on 7 August 2025. Responses were invited through a webpage as well as directly to the relevant Policy Team either by email or by post. A summary of responses document was published on 30 October 2025.

The Minister agreed to a final version of the Plan on 31 October 2025. The Welsh Government Cabinet approved the Plan for publication on 17 November 2025 . The final Disabled People’s Rights Plan for Wales, together with its Actions Document , was published on 15 December 2025.

Communicating with children and young people

We produced a ‘Youth Friendly’ version of the Plan for consultation and shared this with all the organisations that supported pre-consultation engagement with disabled children and young people.

We will publish a Youth Friendly version of the final plan and promote it in a similar way. We are considering other ways to best communicate with children and young people about the plan itself and about the work to deliver it. This includes thinking about social media channels and accessible format media.

Monitoring and review

The Disabled People’s Rights Plan has been shaped by disabled children and young people, families and organisations who have given their time to help us understand what will make the greatest difference to them. We are committed to continuing this way of working as we deliver the revised plan.

An External Advisory Board will be set up to provide advice and support on the implementation and delivery of the Disabled People’s Rights Plan. The Welsh Government’s Disability Disparity Evidence Unit has also set out how it will evaluate the implementation of the plan and monitor progress towards its outcomes. This approach has been designed to ensure transparency and accountability across the duration of the Plan, and to help identify areas for improvement at each stage of delivery. This Plan is a 10-year vision, responding to what we learn over time. We will continue to work closely with disabled people and their organisations, as well as other partners, to monitor and review our implementation and impact.

We will also take advice to help us find the best ways to directly involve disabled children and young people with lived experience in helping us to understand whether we and our partners are making progress through the delivery of the plan. Most importantly, in helping us to understand if the work delivered under the plan is promoting the rights and outcomes for disabled children and young people.

The next Disabled People’s Rights Plan Progress Report will be available in 2026 to 2027. We will also consider the best approaches for communicating our progress to children and young people.