Make hate speech against disabled people a criminal offence.

Children and young people who have additional needs are more likely to end up in a youth offending programme, less likely to have their mental health needs taken seriously and more likely to be lower earners. Our society disadvantages those with any form of disability in subtle ways. Verbal abuse, the use of words that are as insulting to disabled people as the worst racist abuse, are demonstrative of underlying social acceptance of this discrimination. We need to take a stand, make this not just socially unacceptable but criminal.