Disability hate crime
We want to see a society free from hate. One where disabled people have the same protections under the law.
To fight for the changes we need to see, United Response has established a dedicated disability hate crime research team.
Made up entirely of researchers with lived experience of disability, and funded by the Motability Foundation, the disability hate crime research team ran a groundbreaking survey between July and December 2024, designed to capture your experience of disability hate crime on public transport in England.
We’re also running four focus groups nationwide, and we would love for as many people to attend as possible. Click the following link for more information:
What is disability hate crime?
A disability hate crime is any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person’s disability or perceived disability.
You can learn more about disability hate crime by checking out the latest edition of our disability hate crime blog.
You can also listen to the latest edition of our DHC podcast.
Many people don’t realise they are victims of hate crimes and don’t go on to report it. It’s vital that anyone who’s been a victim of a disability hate crime reports it to the police.
Why are we doing this disability hate crime project?
Disability hate crime is an area that remains poorly understood, even though more than 13,000 disability hate crimes were recorded last year. In 99% of reported disability hate crimes, no one was charged with an offence.
We all want the number of people experiencing disability hate crime to go down. Increasing awareness, gathering vital stories, bringing together public bodies and charities, protecting and expanding the rights of disabled people, and making sure the government takes action are all aims of our project.
What you can do to help:
- If you want to share a particular case study, story, or idea with us, you can contact the research team directly by emailing policy@unitedresponse.org.uk.
- In the New Year, we’re running a second and final round of focus groups to find out how disabled people want our transport systems to change, and there will be opportunities to participate. Spaces are available for our Leeds and London sessions. You can find out more and submit your interest here.
The change we want to see on disability hate crime:
To stamp out disability hate crime, we also need to see large-scale investment from the government in disability training, awareness raising, and support for victims.
Our new survey has collected the opinions of a huge number of victims of disability hate crime. We have asked them what they want the government to prioritise when it comes to dealing with disability hate crime, and how they rate five policy suggestions:
Improve disability awareness training for authorities
Many disabled people have told us that authorities just don’t understand their concerns. United Response is meeting with Passenger Transport Executives, justice bodies, and other organisations to spread awareness of DHC, and find ways to collaborate on improving staff awareness.
Hire dedicated disability staff at all police services
All services should receive appropriate central funding to appoint at least one dedicated Disability Liaison Officer trained in disability awareness and engagement. These officers would to support their colleagues in improving disability awareness, as well as providing a link to the disabled community.
Ensure all victims of hate crime have the same legal protection
In 2021, the Law Commission recommended that all protected characteristics (LGBT+, disability, race, religion) receive the same legal protections.
The new government, elected in 2024, promised to do this in their manifesto, though this was not specifically mentioned in the 2024 King’s Speech. United Response calls for the government to take action on this as soon as possible.
Improve signposting for DHC
The government, police services, public bodies, and charities should all work together to help victims and witnesses of DHC report the incidents to the correct authorities.
Improve accessibility for victims
It can be difficult for anyone to understand if they have been a victim of DHC. Information about DHC, and about victim’s rights, must be made available in formats that are accessible to a wide variety of disabled people. United Response’s Easy Read DHC Guide is an example of what we want to see from other organisations.