This webinar series brings the powerful calls to action from “Setting the Blueprint for a More Equal and Prosperous Wales for People Who Use Substances” to life — one session at a time.
Each webinar focuses on a specific “ask” from the Blueprint, offering space to explore what it means in practice, why it matters, and how we can all play a part in making it real. From amplifying lived experience to embedding harm reduction, this is an opportunity for frontline workers, policymakers, advocates, and community members to come together, learn, and collaborate.
Let’s move beyond words and into action — together.
Our webinars will be free to attend and you can sign up to the respective session via the dedicated tab below. You will also be able to view previous webinars on our YouTube channel, or listen to them on the go via our podcast ‘Drugs Unwrapped’, available where ever you get your podcasts from.
CLICK here to register for our next webinar on Monday 8th December
#7 Equality Act Alcohol Exclusion Clause
Monday 8th December 2025 – 14.00pm
Our 7th webinar within our Manifesto Sessions webinar series will focus on the specific alcohol exclusion clause within the Equality Act (2010). As part of our ‘Setting the blueprint for a more equal and prosperous Wales for people who use substances’, we want an alcohol-related exclusion clause removed within the Equality Act 2010. The Equality Act 2010 is legislation that legally protects people from discrimination, both in the workplace and in wider society.
However, it does not protect people with alcohol dependency. Within the Act it specifically excludes alcohol, noting ‘addiction to alcohol, nicotine or any other substance is to be treated as not amounting to an impairment for the purposes of the Act.’ Compared to international counterparts including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States, the UK stands alone with its alcohol dependence exclusion stance within discrimination law.
Our speakers are:
Ailar Hashemzadeh
Director of Research and Public Affairs, Alcohol Change
Ailar joined Alcohol Change UK in January 2022. She brings nearly a decade’s worth of policy and influencing experience, having worked for an MP and national charities Breast Cancer Now and Versus Arthritis. She is responsible for developing the charity’s evidence base on alcohol harm through our research and policy work. Ailar also leads on our influencing work, making sure that the government hears the voices of those impacted by alcohol harm through our amazing network of campaigners, and targeted public affairs activities to make sure that we are affecting alcohol policy in a meaningful way.
Dr. Sarah Wadd
Senior Researcher, University of Bedfordshire
Dr Sarah Wadd is a Principal Research Fellow at the University of Bedfordshire with more than 20 years of experience in alcohol and drug research. In 2021, Sarah and colleagues at the University of Bedfordshire held a citizens’ jury with Ipsos Mori to find out whether members of the public thought alcohol dependence should be excluded from the definition of disability for the purposes of the Equality Act. She has also reviewed disability discrimination legislation in the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand to find out whether alcohol dependence is considered a disability.
You can watch all previous webinars via our YouTube channel, or below, or listen to them via our Drugs Unwrapped podcast, where ever you get your podcasts from.
Webinar 1 – Why language is important
Webinar 2 – Family and concerned others
Webinar 3 – Drug Overdose Good Samaritan Act
Webinar 4 – Safer Inhalation Devices
Webinar 5 – Trauma-Informed Practice
Webinar 6 – Young People at the heart of service design and delivery
Coming soon
