Trailblazing way to stop hate bullies

A GRASSCROFT man is taking part in a nationwide investigation into disability hate crime.

Mark Walker is among more than 300 young disabled people known as Trailblazers for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign.

The group of 16 to 30-year-olds will examine the bullying, taunting, intimidation and physical abuse of disabled teenagers and young people.

They will look at how offences are currently being dealt with and how to ensure serious incidents do not go unreported.

Mark (23), who has a muscle-wasting condition, said: “Young disabled people across the UK experience intimidation at the hands of non-disabled peers and Oldham is no exception.

“I want to know how widespread this problem is here and how people feel about reporting bullying and verbal abuse.”

The campaigners have focused on issues facing young disabled people including higher education, employment, access to leisure facilities and public transport.

They set up the first parliamentary group for young disabled people at Westminster earlier this year.

Trailblazers vote to choose the focus of each new campaign, with their hate crime investigation sparked by the bullying, intimidation and verbal abuse of a disabled female student by university security staff last year.

It follows figures released by disability charity Scope which show a marked increase in perceived discrimination against disabled people in the past year.

Trailblazers project manager Bobby Ancil said: “Disabled people have received a very raw deal in the media over the past year and the affects of this are becoming clear.

“We hope this will be the first step towards changing the attitudes of the perpetrators and of young disabled people who do not feel able to report it.”