British Leader Wants To Cut Red Tape For Those With Special Needs

The man widely expected to be Britain’s next prime minister says he’s “determined to make life simpler for parents” of people with disabilities.

In an article for The London Independent, opposition leader David Cameron writes about what he learned from having a child with cerebral palsy and how he will use that knowledge to change public policy in that country.

Cameron describes being “plunged into a world of bureaucratic pain” after learning of his son’s diagnosis and says bureaucracy needs to be minimized in order to best help people with disabilities.

In February, Cameron’s son Ivan, 6, died unexpectedly. He had cerebral palsy and epilepsy and was unable to feed himself, walk or talk.

One idea Cameron would like to explore is a model used in Austria to help families after a diagnosis. There, a team of medical experts come together to assess a person’s needs and execute them rather than forcing families to undergo multiple assessments.

Cameron talked about the importance of respite care. And, he says he supports more choice for parents and people with disabilities in terms of how funding is used and says that both inclusion and segregated classroom situations should be available so that no one is forced into a “square peg-round-hole situation.” To read more click here.