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Report aims to elevate disability issues in EU debate

The Papworth Trust has produced a report explaining how disabled people could be affected by the EU referendum

A report on how disabled people could be affected by the European Union (EU) referendum has been highlighted by a charity.

The Papworth Trust has published The EU and disabled people report with the aim of getting disability issues into the national debate on the UK's membership of the EU.

The report, which does not report the trust's view on whether to vote in or out, covers the issues for disabled people to consider ahead of the June 23 referendum.

It contains information about the relationship between the EU and disability in the UK as well as what the rival campaigns are saying ahead of the critical vote.

Papworth Trust chief executive Vicky McDermott said: ‘Although this is a decision that could have significant consequences for disabled people, almost nothing has been made available publicly about the potential impact of the vote on the 12 million people with a limiting long-term illness, impairment or disability who live in the UK. This report has been produced with this in mind in order to help inform the debate.

‘What is clear is that there are significant pieces of legislation that affect disabled people which could be scrapped if we left the EU and replaced with something else.

‘Equally, there are arguments that the UK treats its disabled people far better than any other member state, so we could do a better job at legislating to protect disabled people if we were free from the EU.

'It’s important that disability is discussed before the vote, so that disabled people are fully aware of the impact on their lives of both results.'

Further information:

The EU and disabled people report

Read our analysis on this subject: Should we stay or should we go? Referendum reflections for nurses

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