Department of Health

Website of the Department of Health

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Background

  • Last modified date:
    29 July 2008

In January 2005, the Government set out, in Improving Life Chances of Disabled People (a Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit report), an ambitious vision to improve the life chances of disabled people. It made a commitment that ‘by 2025, disabled people in Britain should have full opportunities and choices to improve their quality of life and will be respected and included as equal members of society’.

The report, which has been agreed as Government policy, makes recommendations across four key themes:

  • Independent living
  • Early years and family support
  • Transition to adulthood
  • Employment

The Office for Disability Issues (ODI) has been given the role of driving forward the Life Chances strategy. The ODI is a strategic unit responsible for co-ordinating cross-government work on disability and ensuring that this fits with the wider equalities agenda. The main recommendations for DH in the Life Chances strategy relate to the objectives to help disabled people achieve independent living, to support young disabled people and their families including during the transition from childhood into adulthood and to support disabled people to find and retain employment.

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