Equality and Human Rights Commission formal inquiry into disability related harassment

26 July 2010

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (Commission) is presently conducting a formal inquiry into disability related harassment (disfigurement is classified as a disability in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and in the Equality Act which will come into force soon). The aim is to find out what public authorities can do to prevent harassment against people who have a disability or a disfigurement.

If you have a disfigurement and have experienced harassment you could help public authorities to improve measures to stamp out harassment. You can help by completing the questionnaire below. The questionnaire is also relevant if you are family member, friend or associate of someone with a disfigurement and have experienced harassment because of your relationship to them.

What is disfigurement?

When we refer to disfigurement, we mean someone who has a mark, rash, scar or skin graft on thier skin or lack of symmetry or paralysis to their face or body including:

  • A birth condition e.g.: a birthmark, neurofibromatosis, cleft lip and/or palate, craniofacial condition

  • Scars from accidents, burns or mistakes in cosmetic procedures

  • An injury from warfare and violence, for example, acid and knife attacks

  • Cancer and its treatments, surgery for head and neck cancer etc
  • Paralysis including strokes and Bell’s Palsy
  • A skin condition such as acne, eczema, vitiligo and psoriasis
  • An eye condition, loss of an eye.

What is harassment?

Some people use the word ‘bullying’ when they are talking about harassment. Harassment in this context means unwanted, exploitative or abusive conduct which has the purpose or effect of either:

1.    Violating the dignity, safety, security or autonomy of the person experiencing it or

2. Creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading or offensive environment.

Disfigurement-related harassment:

  • Extends to such behaviour against the family, friends and associates of a person with a disfigurement because of their connection with them
  • Encompasses bullying and hate crime against people with disfigurements
  • May involve repeated or one-off incidents.

Examples of harassment include:

  • derogatory, demeaning or humiliating remarks
  • name-calling or ridicule
  • offensive or patronising language
  • insults
  • threats and intimidation
  • invasion of personal space
  • unnecessary touching
  • unwanted comments about appearance or disability
  • intrusive questioning about appearance or disability
  • offensive jokes, banter
  • abusive verbal or written comments related to disability or appearance
  • offensive emails
  • cyber bullying, using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones to threaten, bully or intimidate
  • offensive graffiti
  • financial exploitation of a disabled person including taking their benefits money
  • deliberately putting aids and adaptations out of reach
  • damage to a disabled person’s property, including aids and adaptations
  • sexual abuse, rape and sexual assault, physical assault, ranging from lower level assaults up to murder.

You can download the inquiry form here or if you would like to speak to one of our policy advisors about the inquiry in more detail please email info@changingfaces.org.uk. Evidence for this inquiry will be gathered until Friday 10th September 2010.

Personal information will be treated as confidential and will not be used except for the purposes of the Inquiry. The Commission may refer to your evidence in the final report or may publish extracts from it. Information will be anonymised unless you consent to being identified. If the Commission propose to publish evidence identifying you, they will contact you beforehand to discuss this. 

Research

In 2009, the Commission conducted research into the safety and security of disabled people, including people with disfigurements. The full research can be downloaded here.