DISABILITY
DISABILITY
IN PRISON Illustration by PPaint
Living with a disability can be really tough at times, especially if you are in prison. Here are a few tips which should hopefully make these circumstances a little more bearable.
The Equality Act 2010 – This act is designed to help stop victimisation, discrimination and harassment related to certain personal/”protected” characteristics. “Protected Characteristics” are particular features that can be used to discriminate against others. These characteristics are defined in the Equality Act 2010 section 4 as: l Age l Disability l Gender reassignment l Marriage and civil partnership l Pregnancy and maternity l Race l Religion or beliefs l Sex (female/male) l Sexual orientation
If you have a disability, the healthcare team are there to assist you but you need to make your concerns known to them so that they can offer you the support you need. Remember - they are just like the doctors’ surgery in the community; if you don’t make an appointment, then the nurses and doctors won’t know that you need support! Putting an app in to see the nurse is the first step. From this point, all the necessary referrals can be made. There is a Diversity team in each establishment, so, please, talk to them and they will be able to advise you on the provisions that may be available to you. Alternatively, you can speak to your Offender Manager who is also able to make referrals on your behalf. The key to accessing disability support in prison is… Communication, communication, communication! H E A LT H M AT T E R S !
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