Disabled young people from Wolverhampton took the opportunity to put questions to a Government Minister at a conference organised by national disability charity Include Me TOO and sponsored by the Equality & Human Rights Commission.

The Minister for Disabled People, Jonathan Shaw, attended  and launched the charity’s RESPECT code of practice. The code supports the participation and involvement of disabled children and young people, and their parents and carers, in all matters and decisions concerning them. Youngsters attending the conference included Kavita Paul and Samantha Richardson from Colton Hills Community School , Hannah Wilkinson from Penn Hall Special School. Hannah’s question on independent living and Kavita’s on equal opportunities were put to the Minister in front of a packed conference room at the Molineux Stadium. Jonathan Shaw said: “I am pleased to have this opportunity to hear direct from young people about their priorities. The Government is committed to ensuring that disabled people have the same chances in life as everyone else.”

Parmi Dheensa the founder and executive director of Include Me TOO, said: “There are scores of disabled young people who do not have a ‘voice’ in our society. This was a chance for their voices to be heard and for their questions to be answered by the government minister representing them on a national level.”