Disability Action Plan 2026-2029: Equality Screening Outcome Report - Section B

Section B

Information on the consultation process, supporting evidence gathered and has four key questions outlining the likely impacts for equality and good relations

6. Outline consultation process planned or achieved

Prior to the public consultation, engagement meetings were held with the council’s Disability Advisory Panel, ABLE (Disability Staff Network) and the Members’ Disability Working Group to discuss the contents of the draft Disability Action Plan 2026-2029. Comments were received and integrated into the plan, where relevant.

This section will be further updated before publication of the screening, incorporating results from the public consultation on the Disability Action Plan, which is scheduled to take place from October 2026 to January 2027 for a period of 14 weeks

7. Available evidence

Section 75 category

Details of evidence information and engagement

Religious belief

The development of the plan will be informed by engagement activity with disabled people and various disability representative organisations. No adverse differential impact was identified relating to this particular group during the pre-consultation.

Political opinion

Racial group

Age

According to the 2021 Census, 34.12% of Belfast residents aged 65+ are limited in day-to-day activities.

Marital status

Sexual orientation

Men and women generally

The development of the plan has been informed by engagement activity with disabled people and various disability representative organisations. No adverse differential impact was identified relating to this particular group during the pre-consultation.

Disability

The 2021 Census asked people to what extent a long-term health problem or disability (that is, which has lasted or is expected to last for at least 12 months) limits their day-to-day activities.
At 26.8 per cent, Belfast has a higher proportion of people with a limiting health condition or disability than the general Northern Ireland population (24.4 per cent).

Activities	Per cent of Belfast population	Per cent of NI population
Day-to-day activities limited a lot	13.6	11.5
Day-to-day activities limited a little	13.2	12.9
Day-to-day activities not limited	73.2	75.6

According to the 2021 Census:

19,527 (5.5 per cent) of Belfast’s population has a hearing loss.

There are approximately 3,500 BSL users and 1,500 ISL users living in Northern Ireland, according to the Department for Communities (Sign Language Framework). With regard to sight loss, the 2021 Census indicates this impacts 6869 (2.02%) of Belfast’s population. According to the 2021 Census:

35 per cent of Belfast households have at least one person with a limiting long-term health problem or disability;
5659 people living in Belfast require the use of a wheelchair; and
42002 people living in Belfast have mobility or dexterity difficulties.

Outcomes for disabled people across inequality domains are consistently worse than non-disabled peers. For example, the Labour Force Survey (LFS), which is the primary source for UK disability employment statistics. Shows a significant “disability employment gap”, with disabled workers facing nearly double the unemployment rate and triple the economic inactivity rate of non-disabled peers.

Dependants

According to the 2021 Census, there are 325,629 carers in Belfast.

8. What is the likely impact (indicate if the policy impact is positive or negative) on equality of opportunity for those affected by this policy, for each of the Section 75 equality categories? What is the level of impact?

Section 75 category	Likely impact	Level of impact
Religious belief	Positive – disabled people across all categories will benefit.	Minor positive
Political opinion	Positive – disabled people across all categories will benefit.	Minor positive
Racial group	Positive – disabled people across all categories will benefit.	Minor positive
Age	Positive	Major positive
Marital status	Positive – disabled people across all categories will benefit.	Minor positive
Sexual orientation	Positive – disabled people across all categories will benefit.	Minor positive
Men and women generally	Positive – disabled people across all categories will benefit.	Minor positive
Disability	Positive	Major positive
Dependants	Positive	Major positive

9. Are there opportunities to better promote equality of opportunity for people within the Section 75 equalities categories?

Section 75 category	If 'yes', provide details	If 'no', provide reasons
Religious belief	This plan is likely to have a positive equality impact on households with differing religion or community backgrounds, as it has been developed to meet the aim of improving the lives and outcomes of all disabled persons, regardless of religion. By emphasising the social model of disability, the plan will strengthen the recognition of social and environmental barriers that disabled persons face, leading to actions in participation and active citizenship, and positive attitudes to disability.
Political opinion	By emphasising the social model of disability, the plan will strengthen the recognition of social and environmental barriers that disabled persons face, leading to actions in participation and active citizenship, and positive attitudes to disability.
Racial group	By emphasising the social model of disability, the plan will strengthen the recognition of social and environmental barriers that disabled persons face, leading to actions in participation and active citizenship, and positive attitudes to disability.
Age	By emphasising the social model of disability, the plan will strengthen the recognition of social and environmental barriers that disabled persons face, leading to actions in participation and active citizenship, and positive attitudes to disability.
Marital status	By emphasising the social model of disability, the plan will strengthen the recognition of social and environmental barriers that disabled persons face, leading to actions in participation and active citizenship, and positive attitudes to disability.
Sexual orientation	By emphasising the social model of disability, the plan will strengthen the recognition of social and environmental barriers that disabled persons face, leading to actions in participation and active citizenship, and positive attitudes to disability.
Men and women generally	By emphasising the social model of disability, the plan will strengthen the recognition of social and environmental barriers that disabled persons face, leading to actions in participation and active citizenship, and positive attitudes to disability.
Disability	By emphasising the social model of disability, the plan will strengthen the recognition of social and environmental barriers that disabled persons face, leading to actions in participation and active citizenship, and positive attitudes to disability.
Dependants	By emphasising the social model of disability, the plan will strengthen the recognition of social and environmental barriers that disabled persons face, leading to actions in participation and active citizenship, and positive attitudes to disability.

10. To what extent is the policy likely to impact (positive or negatively) on good relations between people of different religious belief, political opinion or racial group? What is the level of impact?

Good relations category	Likely impact	Level of impact
Religious belief	Disabled people across all good relations categories should benefit, deepening an understanding of shared concerns.	Minor positive
Political opinion	Disabled people across all good relations categories should benefit, deepening an understanding of shared concerns.	Minor positive
Racial group	Disabled people across all good relations categories should benefit, deepening an understanding of shared concerns.	Minor positive

11. Are there opportunities to better promote good relations between people of different religious belief, political opinion or racial group?

Good relations category	Likely impact	Level of impact
Religious belief	By emphasising the social model of disability, the plan will strengthen the recognition of social and environmental barriers that disabled persons face, leading to actions in participation and active citizenship and positive attitudes to disability. Disabled people face multiple barriers, regardless of religious belief, political opinion or racial group. Opportunities through events to discuss this could be explored.
Political opinion	By emphasising the social model of disability, the plan will strengthen the recognition of social and environmental barriers that disabled persons face, leading to actions in participation and active citizenship and positive attitudes to disability. Disabled people face multiple barriers, regardless of religious belief, political opinion or racial group. Opportunities through events to discuss this could be explored.
Racial group	By emphasising the social model of disability, the plan will strengthen the recognition of social and environmental barriers that disabled persons face, leading to actions in participation and active citizenship and positive attitudes to disability. Disabled people face multiple barriers, regardless of religious belief, political opinion or racial group. Opportunities through events to discuss this could be explored.

Good relations category

Likely impact

Level of impact

Religious belief

By emphasising the social model of disability, the plan will strengthen the recognition of social and environmental barriers that disabled persons face, leading to actions in participation and active citizenship and positive attitudes to disability.

Disabled people face multiple barriers, regardless of religious belief, political opinion or racial group. Opportunities through events to discuss this could be explored.

Political opinion

Disabled people face multiple barriers, regardless of religious belief, political opinion or racial group. Opportunities through events to discuss this could be explored.

Racial group

Disabled people face multiple barriers, regardless of religious belief, political opinion or racial group. Opportunities through events to discuss this could be explored.

Section A

Section C

Back to site