Disabled People’s Rights Plan 2025 to 2035: short-term actions
Actions we are taking to improve the rights of disabled people living in Wales.
This file may not be fully accessible.
In this page
These actions will uphold the principles of the articles outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People (UNCRDP) and align with the Welsh Government’s National Equality Objectives (NEO). The information below maps each action to an article of the UNCRDP and NEO.
Guided by the External Advisory Board and Welsh Government, we will evidence progress of actions in a live tracker. This will be published on the Welsh Government website. It is expected that all short- term actions will be complete by 2027. Many of these actions will require medium-term and long-term follow-up actions. Any actions that result in longer-term actions will be reviewed in 2027. Additional medium-term and long-term actions, intended for delivery by 2031 and 2035 respectively, will be informed by the recommendations of the Disability Rights Taskforce, working in partnership with disabled people, disabled people’s organisations, the External Advisory Board and the Welsh Government.
We will continue to work at both UK and Wales ministerial and official level to develop ways forward, embracing a shared commitment to enable welfare reforms which are person centred and compassionate for the benefit of disabled people, their households, communities, and the wider economy.
Neighbourhoods, places, and transport
Travel
Action
The Welsh Government to work with local authorities and transport operators to collect and update data on the availability and location of parking spaces for Blue Badge holders and integrate them into transport websites.
- UNCRDP: Article 9 (accessibility)
- National Equality Objective 3
- Welsh Government policy area: Transport Strategy and Planning
Action
The Welsh Government to improve the engagement with disabled people in the development of accessible transport services and oversight arrangements.
- UNCRDP: Article 4 (general obligations)
- National Equality Objective 3
- Welsh Government policy area: Transport Strategy and Planning
Action
The Welsh Government to ensure that transport organisations conduct regular and inclusive consultations with disabled children and young people and their parents and cares.
- UNCRDP: Article 7 (disabled children)
- National Equality Objective 3 / 5
- Welsh Government policy area: Transport Strategy and Planning
Action
The Welsh Government to develop a standardised programme of training for all customer facing staff in transport including rail, bus, taxi, private hire vehicles and airports. The training includes Social Model of Disability, equality legislation including guide and assistance dogs, and good customer care for disabled people.
- UNCRDP: Article 8 (awareness-raising)
- National Equality Objective 3
- Welsh Government policy area: Transport Strategy and Planning
Action
The Welsh Government to work across government and with transport operators to ensure digital and assistive technologies are available and accessible across transport modes to enable disabled people to confidently plan and undertake trips that meet their needs.
- UNCRDP: Article 9 (accessibility)
- National Equality Objective 3
- Welsh Government policy area: Transport Strategy and Planning
Action
The Welsh Government to ensure that our Travel for All approach and broader transport policies and grant funding consider disabled people's accessibility needs, especially in rural areas where there is often a greater degree of dependency on them.
- UNCRDP: Article 9 (accessibility)
- National Equality Objective 3
- Welsh Government policy area: Transport Strategy and Planning
Accessible and affordable housing
Action
The Welsh Government to work 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.
- UNCRDP: Article 16 (freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse)
- National Equality Objective 3 / 4
- Welsh Government policy area: Cohesive Communities
Action
The Welsh Government to review the Welsh Development Quality Requirements 2021, including its impact and effectiveness.
- UNCRDP: Article 28 (adequate standard of living and social protection)
- National Equality Objective 2 / 3
- Welsh Government policy area: Housing and Regeneration
Action
The Welsh Government to work with local authorities to continue to improve accessibility and coordinated delivery of housing adaptions and the supply of equipment.
- UNCRDP: Article 19 (living independently)
- National Equality Objective 3 / 2
- Welsh Government policy area: Housing and Regeneration
Action
The Welsh Government to work with housing organisations to help improve the dissemination of more accessible housing information to disabled people, including those who are digitally excluded.
- UNCRDP: Article 21: (freedom of expression)
- National Equality Objective 3
- Welsh Government policy area: Housing and Regeneration
Action
The Welsh Government to work with disabled people’s organisations and experts to design and deliver training to housing organisations.
- UNCRDP: Article 4 (general obligations)
- National Equality Objective 3
- Welsh Government policy area: Housing and Regeneration
Action
The Welsh Government will engage with disabled people to understand the specific barriers to housing, for example for disabled Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller people.
- UNCRDP: Article 19 (living independently)
- National Equality Objective 2
- Welsh Government policy area: Equality and Human Rights
Social Model of Disability
Action
The Welsh Government will reflect the Social Model of Disability and promote the Disability Confident Scheme through its approach to socially responsible procurement.
- UNCRDP: Article 4 (general obligations)
- National Equality Objective 2
- Welsh Government policy area: Procurement
Action
The Welsh Government to make Social Model of Disability training available for all public sector workers by adding an e-learning module on Learning@Wales. This will complement training already available to the private sector on Business Wales.
- UNCRDP: Article 27 (work and employment)
- National Equality Objective 6
- Welsh Government policy area: Fair Work
Action
The Welsh Government to review and revise existing HR policies, to ensure that they do not create barriers for disabled people. Involve disabled people in the design, implementation and monitoring of new and improved policies, practices, and procedures.
- UNCRDP: Article 4 (general obligations)
- National Equality Objective 2 / 5
- Welsh Government policy area: Organisation Development and Engagement
Action
The Welsh Government to publish a Just Transition Framework to help policy developers and decision makers consider the wider impacts and opportunities of climate change on different groups of people, including disabled people.
- UNCRDP: Article 4 (general obligations)
- National Equality Objective 7
- Welsh Government policy area: Climate Change
Action
The Welsh Government along with the External Advisory Board to return to the full set of recommendations co-produced by the Disability Rights Taskforce at the beginning of the development any new actions for disabled people relating to this Plan.
- UNCRDP: Article 29 (participation in political and public life)
- National Equality Objective 5
- Welsh Government policy area: Equality and Human Rights
Employment, income (money), and education
Employment and income
Action
The Welsh Government's Disabled People’s Employment Champions to signpost employers to information, advice and guidance on fair, flexible and inclusive recruitment and working practices.
- UNCRDP: Article 27 (work and employment)
- National Equality Objective 6
- Welsh Government policy area: Fair Work
Action
The Welsh Government to engage with employers, unions, Disabled People’s Organisations, and the public, to raise awareness of disabled people’s employment rights, challenge stereotypes, and improve understanding of the benefits of employing a diverse workforce and the support available to do this.
We will deliver this by: using our network of Disabled People’s Employment Champions and creating opportunities for key partners such as employer representative bodies, trade unions, Disabled People’s Organisations, and others to come together and collaborate in efforts to foster a more inclusive and supportive working environment.
- UNCRDP: Article 8: (awareness-raising)
- National Equality Objective 6
- Welsh Government policy area: Fair Work
Action
The Welsh Government to establish a Disability Confident Leaders Forum for Wales. This will bring key stakeholders together with employers who have achieved Disability Confident Leader status to share and spread good practice and use peer learning to encourage other organisations in Wales to join the scheme and progress to Leader status.
- UNCRDP: Article 27 (work and employment)
- National Equality Objective 6
- Welsh Government policy area: Fair Work
Action
The Welsh Government to improve accessibility and awareness of support services for self-employed, freelancers and disabled people who are business owners.
- UNCRDP: Article 27 (work and employment)
- National Equality Objective 1 / 6
- Welsh Government policy area: Entrepreneurship and Business Wales
Action
The Welsh Government to conduct an evaluation of the Inclusive Apprenticeships plan, and to update where required.
- UNCRDP: Article 27 (work and employment)
- National Equality Objective 1 / 6
- Welsh Government policy area: Social Partnership, Employability and Fair Work
Children and young people
Action
The Welsh Government to work with Medr to consider ways to improve access to non-academic and alternative pathways to employment for disabled people, such as vocational training, apprenticeships, and internships.
- UNCRDP: Article 27 (work and employment)
- National Equality Objective 6
- Welsh Government policy area: Social Partnership, Employability and Fair Work / Education-Learner Experience
Action
Medr to develop, consult on and publish a condition of funding and registration to advance equality of opportunity and equity in tertiary education to support learner success.
- UNCRDP: Article 24 (education)
- National Equality Objective 6
- Welsh Government policy area: Education
Action
The Welsh Government to work with local authorities to develop an education workforce plan through understanding workforce gaps and workforce planning, including the specialist workforce for disabled children and young people.
- UNCRDP: Article 27 (work and employment)
- National Equality Objective 6
- Welsh Government policy area: Education-Support for Learners
Action
The Welsh Government to update guidance on healthcare needs, attendance, behaviour management and exclusions, taking account of the needs of disabled children and young people.
- UNCRDP: Article 24 (education)
- National Equality Objective 3
- Welsh Government policy area: Education-Support for Learners
Action
The Welsh Government to work with Dysgu to develop training programmes to improve skills and understanding on how to support disabled children and young people and incorporate the Social Model of Disability.
- UNCRDP: Article 8 (awareness-raising)
- National Equality Objective 3
- Welsh Government policy area: Education-Support for Learners
Action
The Welsh Government to update its anti-bullying and safeguarding guidance to protect disabled children and young people.
- UNCRDP: Article 16 (freedom from exploitation, violence, and abuse)
- National Equality Objective 4
- Welsh Government policy area: Education-Equity in Education
Action
The Welsh Government to work with event organisers, venues, and operators to encourage the implementation of fair and transparent pricing policies that consider the needs and circumstances of disabled children and adults, and provide discounts, concessions, or free admission, where appropriate.
- UNCRDP: Article 30 (participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure, and sport)
- National Equality Objective 5
- Welsh Government policy area: Arts, Culture, Tourism Development and Events / Creative Wales
Independent living, health, and social care
Wellbeing
Action
The Welsh Government to include information relating to the Social Model of Disability in the grant application and the evaluation process for all projects.
- UNCRDP: Article 19 (living independently)
- National Equality Objective 5
- Welsh Government policy area: Organisation Development and Engagement
Action
The Welsh Government to work with cultural, heritage, arts, sport and leisure organisations to encourage the availability of, and improve the quality of, accessible exhibitions, performances, matches and events, ensuring they are representative of the diversity of Wales; also ensuring that spaces and programmes are accessible to disabled people at national and local levels. This includes removing physical barriers with clear provision of British Sign Language, audio description/autism friendly, and Welsh language, for example.
- UNCRDP: Article 30 (participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure, and sport)
- National Equality Objective 5
- Welsh Government policy area: Culture, Heritage, Sport and Welsh Language
Action
The Welsh Government will create more opportunities for disabled people to actively engage in and shape cultural activity, including the development and expression of their own cultural identities and creativity at grassroots level.
- UNCRDP: Article 4 (general obligations)
- National Equality Objective 5
- Welsh Government policy area: Culture, Heritage, Sport and Welsh Language
Action
The Welsh Government to ensure culture is inclusive, accessible and diverse, as stated in Ambition 1 of its Priorities for Culture published in May 2025, by improving equality, diversity and inclusion across the culture sector workforce and addressing pay differences in relation to gender, ethnicity and disability.
- UNCRDP: Article 30 (participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure, and sport)
- National Equality Objective 5
- Welsh Government policy area: Culture, Heritage, Sport and Welsh Language
Action
The Welsh Government to review how the Childcare and Early Years Capital Programme supports the accessibility of the physical environment for inclusive registered childcare and play services.
- UNCRDP: Article 7 (disabled children)
- National Equality Objective 3
- Welsh Government policy area: Early Years
Action
The Welsh Government to work with local authorities and sector stakeholders to support childcare and play workers to access training and resources required to support disabled children to access childcare, in Welsh and English.
- UNCRDP: Article 7 (disabled children)
- National Equality Objective 3
- Welsh Government policy area: Early Years
Action
The Welsh Government to establish an external advisory board to provide advice and support on the delivery of the cross-Government Disabled People’s Rights Plan.
- UNCRDP: Article 29 (participation in political and public life)
- National Equality Objective 2
- Welsh Government policy area: Equality and Human Rights
Independent living: health and social care
Action
The Welsh Government to collaborate with disabled people's organisations to design and deliver a new funding stream that addresses social care needs.
- UNCRDP: Article 19 (living independently)
- National Equality Objective 3
- Welsh Government policy area: Social Services and Chief Social Care Officer
Action
The Welsh Government to involve disabled children and adults in considering how to take forward work to embed rights on disability.
- UNCRDP: Article 4 (general obligations)
- National Equality Objective 2 / 5
- Welsh Government policy area: Equality and Human Rights
Action
The Welsh Government to work with disabled people on the findings of the National Centre for Independent Living feasibility study.
- UNCRDP: Article 19 (living independently)
- National Equality Objective 5
- Welsh Government policy area: Equality and Human Rights
Action
The Welsh Government to work in partnership to support health and social care employers to provide targeted additional health and social care workforce learning and development to ensure systems are accessible, individual needs are met, and rights are protected.
- UNCRDP: Article 25 (health)
- National Equality Objective 3
- Welsh Government policy area: NHS Workforce and Operations / Community Safety
Action
The Welsh Government to work in partnership with the Learning Disability Ministerial Advisory Group to develop future priorities for improving health and social care and support.
- UNCRDP: Article 4 (general obligations)
- National Equality Objective 3
- Welsh Government policy area: Social Services and Chief Social Care Officer
Action
The Welsh Government to work with organisations who create assistive technology so that they can embed consideration for bilingual (English-Welsh) use cases in their work. We will promote our Quick and easy toolkit on bilingual software for developers to continue and expect prospective tenders to consider this in bids to us. We will continue to look for further opportunities for technology to support the use of Cymraeg in assistive technology and beyond in line with our priorities in More than just words.
- UNCRDP: Article 9 (accessibility)
- National Equality Objective 3
- Welsh Government policy area: Cymraeg 2050 / Health, Social Care and Early Years
Action
The Welsh Government will continue to ensure appropriate and up to date terminology exists in the Welsh language. Welsh language standardised terminology in this field, as published in the Welsh Government's TermCymru online terminology database and the Porth Termau terminology portal by Bangor University's Language Technologies Unit, was recently updated in line with the Social Model of Disability. The continued mainstreaming of this framework will aid in consistency and awareness of these terms. Welsh language terminology in this area will continue to be updated proactively to meet the needs of users.
- UNCRDP: Article 9 (accessibility) / Article 25 (health)
- National Equality Objective 3
- Welsh Government policy area: Cymraeg 2050 / Health, Social Care and Early Years
Action
Welsh Government will adopt a partnership approach to shaping policies and practices that pertain to prevention, preparedness, response and recovery from public health emergencies. This includes working with disabled people to consider their views and lived experience.
- UNCRDP: Article 11 (situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies)
- National Equality Objective 2 / 7
- Welsh Government policy area: Health Protect
Action
The Welsh Government to continue to work with all providers, including local authorities, to ensure that disabled individuals are able to live independently at home, wherever possible.
- UNCRDP: Article 19 (living independently)
- National Equality Objective 3
- Welsh Government policy area: Housing and Regeneration
Action
The Welsh Government will map and review how deaf children are identified through early years healthcare screening. This work will assess the current provision of BSL available to enable early language acquisition for deaf children and their families from the point of diagnosis.
- UNCRDP: Article 25 (health)
- National Equality Objective 3 / 5
- Welsh Government policy area: Equality and Human Rights
Action
The Welsh Government to work with its Inspectorates and Regulators of health (HIW) and social care services (CIW) to embed the Social Model of Disability into guidance for inspection teams.
- UNCRDP: Article 25 (health)
- National Equality Objective 3
- Welsh Government policy area: Healthcare and Social Care Regulators
Action
The Welsh Government to convene a task and finish group to review the use of health economic measures, including Quality Adjusted Life Years and Disability Adjusted Life Years impacting on NHS Wales resource allocation decisions, to explore any differential impact on disabled people, and make recommendations for any necessary changes.
- UNCRDP: Article 5 (equality and non-discrimination)
- National Equality Objective 3
- Welsh Government policy area: Health Quality and Nursing
Action
The Welsh Government will continue to promote the duties on local authorities and health boards to provide information for unpaid carers and to identify sources of support. Information should be available in a number of formats, recognising that unpaid carers may also be disabled.
- UNCRDP: Article 19 (independent living)
- National Equality Objective 6
- Welsh Government policy area: Social Services
Action
The Welsh Government will continue to support national improvement work in the provision and delivery of carers’ needs assessments, so there is greater access for unpaid carers for disabled people, in line with statutory responsibilities of local authorities.
- UNCRDP: Article 19 (independent living)
- National Equality Objective 6
- Welsh Government policy area: Social Services
Action
The Welsh Government will continue to engage with local authorities regarding sufficiency and suitability of respite provision, to improve availability for unpaid carers for disabled people to have a break from caring when required.
- UNCRDP: Article 19 (independent living)
- National Equality Objective 6
- Welsh Government policy area: Social Services
Action
The Welsh Government will continue to ensure the role of unpaid carers is embedded in Hospital Discharge Guidance and the role of unpaid carers is recognised and highlighted in its strategic plans for health and social care. This will promote inclusion of unpaid carers for disabled people in care planning and hospital discharge plans.
- UNCRDP: Article 19 (independent living)
- National Equality Objective 6
- Welsh Government policy area: Social Services
Justice and supporting environments
Access to justice
Action
The Welsh Government to contribute funding to the Hate Hurts Wales 2025 to 2027 campaign, ensuring there is a focus on crimes against disabled people.
- UNCRDP: Article 16 (freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse)
- National Equality Objective 4
- Welsh Government policy area: Cohesive Communities / Equality and Human Rights
Action
The Welsh Government to continue coordinating the cross-government review/tracking and providing returns/escalations on International Committee Reports. Relevant subject policy teams will lead on recommendations from their area.
- UNCRDP: Article 35 (reports by states parties)
- National Equality Objective 2
- Welsh Government policy area: Equality and Human Rights
Action
The Welsh Government will provide disabled survivors and victims, with equal access to appropriately resourced, high quality, needs-led, strength based, intersectional and responsive services across Wales.
- UNCRDP: Article 16 (freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse)
- National Equality Objective 3 / 4
- Welsh Government policy area: Cohesive Communities
Action
The Welsh Government to support disabled people's understanding of what a hate/mate crime is, how to report it, and where to get support, via collaborating with disabled people and Disabled People's Organisations.
- UNCRDP: Article 8 (awareness-raising)
- National Equality Objective 4
- Welsh Government policy area: Cohesive Communities / Equality and Human Rights
Action
The Welsh Government to make representations to the UK Government to improve our access to data on the disabled population in prisons, including women prisoners accommodated in England.
- UNCRDP: Article 31 (statistics and data collection)
- National Equality Objective 2
- Welsh Government policy area: Community Safety
Action
The Welsh Government to ensure appropriate training on the Social Model of Disability is in place for health and education staff working in prisons, and to make representations to partner agencies on the importance of training where justice staff are the responsibility of UK Government.
- UNCRDP: Article 4 (general obligations)
- National Equality Objective 2
- Welsh Government policy area: Community Safety
Action
The Welsh Government to ensure the rights and needs of disabled people are reflected in our broader representations to the UK Government on justice matters, especially on key issues that create barriers to accessing justice.
- UNCRDP: Article 13 (access to justice)
- National Equality Objective 3
- Welsh Government policy area: Community Safety
Action
The Welsh Government to ensure prisoners are assessed appropriately and early in order to improve access to education in Wales. The assessment would be restricted to communication for the purposes of education.
- UNCRDP: Article 24 (education)
- National Equality Objective 1 / 3 / 5
- Welsh Government policy area: Social Partnership, Fair Work and Employability
Action
The Welsh Government to ensure the needs of disabled people are central to the 10-year strategy for Preventing and Responding to Child Sexual Abuse. This includes embedding this as a central tenet of the strategy document and terms of reference for groups being established to take forward the work; working with the BSL stakeholder group and other disability groups to ensure key safeguarding messages are accessible; ensuring that the Victim-Survivors Advisory group and Children and Young People’s Advisory group actively seek representation from disabled children and adults. These actions will be reviewed and updated throughout the lifetime of the strategy to reflect ongoing learning.
- UNCRDP: Article 31 (statistics and data collection)
- National Equality Objective 2 / 4
- Welsh Government policy area: Social Services and Chief Social Care Officer
Access to services
Action
The Welsh Government to raise awareness and provide training to its Press teams, Legal Services and Staff in the Social Model of Disability.
- UNCRDP: Article 8 (awareness-raising)
- National Equality Objective 2
- Welsh Government policy area: Organisation Development and Engagement
Action
The Welsh Government to raise awareness and provide training to Cabinet Secretaries, Ministers, and their staff in the Social Model of Disability.
- UNCRDP: Article 8 (awareness-raising)
- National Equality Objective 2
- Welsh Government policy area: Equality and Human Rights
Action
The Welsh Government will collaborate with disabled people's organisations and commission a public campaign to challenge ableism, promote positive attitudes, address language barriers for the deaf BSL signing community and Welsh speakers, and focus on the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled People, highlighting the right to independent living and the barriers of a cashless society.
This will include continuing to standardise Welsh language terminology in line with recent work done under Social Model of Disability principles.
- UNCRDP: Article 8 (awareness-raising)
- National Equality Objective 2 / 5
- Welsh Government policy area: Equality and Human Rights
Action
The Welsh Government to encourage organisations and employers to appoint a Disabled People’s Champion and share examples of good practice and resources.
- UNCRDP: Article 27 (work and employment)
- National Equality Objective 2 / 6
- Welsh Government policy area: Equality and Human Rights
Action
The Welsh Government to work to help everyone use more Cymraeg in tools where Welsh isn’t supported to the degree it needs to be, through identifying gaps and offering data and resources to motivate companies to support Welsh. This includes better embedding of bilingual synthetic voices and speech recognition for people who need them.
- UNCRDP: Article 12 (health)
- National Equality Objective 5
- Welsh Government policy area: Cymraeg 2050 / All working on technology for disabled people
Action
The Welsh Government, working with stakeholders, to develop and evaluate a national digital inclusion grant scheme aligned with the ambition of the Minimum Digital Living Standard. The grant will be focused on supporting identified localised needs, enabling people across Wales to access the basic digital skills and tools they need and choose how best to use them in their daily lives.
- UNCRDP: Article 9 (accessibility) / Article 21 (freedom of expression and access to information)
- National Equality Objective 4
- Welsh Government policy area: Digital Inclusion / Equality / Social Justice