Geoff Adams-Spink BBC News Online disability affairs reporter

The organisers claim to represent 400,000 people

Over the next two days up to 70 disabled people will work out the details of a "rights and freedoms bill" which they hope will influence government policy.

One of the proposed additions to the bill is "the right to a sex life and a publicly recognised relationship".

Another refers to "the right to be born and the right to be alive".

The event, which is being held in Birmingham, is being organised by the British Council of Disabled People.

Through its member bodies, the BCODP claims to represent about 400,000 disabled people.

Barristers are, and have been, running a coach and horses through disabled people's rights BCODP director Andy Rickell

Among those attending the gathering will be the disability minister, Maria Eagle, and the chairman of the Disability Rights Commission, Bert Massie.

The minister will probably be pressed to include measures like the right to independent living and improved access to public transport when the government publishes its promised draft disability bill later this year.

The BCODP's director, Andy Rickell, told BBC News Online that existing legislation was not working.

"Barristers are, and have been, running a coach and horses through disabled people's rights," he said.

Mr Rickell points to transport as being one focus for concern.

"There are as yet no end dates when all trains will be made accessible or when all buses will be made accessible."

'True voice'

The BCODP describes itself as the true voice of disabled people in the UK.

It says that large charities that claim to speak and act on behalf of disabled people are not disabled-led.

The parliament is composed of individuals from the BCODP's member associations.

Mr Rickell stresses that they are not there to represent their own organisations.

"It's about people representing other people," he said.

BCODP director Andy Rickell: "It's about people representing other people."

He concedes that there were too few applicants to hold a competitive selection process, but hopes that future parliaments will have contested elections.

"It's a little bit like the development of any parliament, let's say Westminster.

"The first parliament that happened in the 13th century, I'm sure was a lot less democratic than the one we have now."

Another parliamentarian and BCODP treasurer, Sheila Blair, said the ultimate goal was integration into mainstream politics.

"What we want is to give people the confidence and the ability to stand in mainstream elections, where they can represent disabled and non-disabled people."

For Stephen Brookes, the gathering is an opportunity to press the media to abandon stereotypical portrayal of disability.

"The representation of disability and impairment in life is not as it should be," he said.

Draft debated

A draft disability rights and freedoms bill has already been drawn up so much of the weekend will be spent scrutinising and amending it.

While the parliament might be in its infancy, the rules of engagement might surprise some in the House of Commons.

Guidelines issued to disabled parliamentarians state: "Anyone who makes a personal attack on another person at any time...will be asked to leave by the chairperson unless they say sorry to the person they have attacked."