Tell us about your networks
Equality 2025 has been asked to advise Government on how it can involve disabled people in putting its Independent Living Strategy into action. The Independent Living Strategy is a 5 year action plan aimed at improving disabled people’s life chances and their experiences of services. Produced in partnership with disabled people, it is a strategy that reaches right across Government.
In particular, we have been asked to advise on setting up a “network of networks” of disabled people that will be able to monitor, evaluate, and comment on the implementation of the strategy.
To do this, we would like to ask you some questions about the networks you have with other disabled people. This is so we can get evidence that will allow us to give Government good advice about how well disabled people are connected to one another.
Download the questionnaire (MS Word document, 6 pages, 42 KB)
Meet Equality 2025 this summer
Equality 2025 continues its programme of public meetings through 2009.
The first major London meeting will be at Upton Park, the home of West Ham Football Club, on Tuesday 30 June (a change from the originally published date), where topics will include the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled People and Independent Living. On Thursday 9 July Equality 2025 will be visiting Southampton's DeVere Grand Harbour Hotel.
Further information about the London event can be found in the press release below:
- London hosts major disability event (press release) (PDF, 2 pages, 40 KB)
- London hosts major disability event (text-only press release) (rtf, 2 pages, 27 KB)
If you are disabled and would like to attend either event, please contact Equality 2025 via eq2025.secretariat@dwp.gsi.gov.uk or by telephone on 020 7449 5073. Equality 2025 will reimburse reasonable expenses relating to your attendance, but please check any likely costs before you visit.
Follow news of upcoming events, as well as updates on the meetings held in Aberdeen and Northern Ireland earlier this year, at www.odi.gov.uk/equality2025.
Equality 2025 members at Naidex 2009
Equality 2025 members will be present at the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) stand (Number 56) on 28-30 April at Naidex 2009 at the NEC, Birmingham. The members will be taking to opportunity to meet with disabled people at the event.
Work Plan
Equality 2025's 2009-10 work plan (PDF 81KB 12 pages) has been developed through a range of engagement activity with disabled people and Government officials over the last year and has recently been approved by Jonathan Shaw, the Minister for Disabled People. We hope you find it both interesting and informative.
Equality 2025 Public Meeting in Aberdeen
Equality 2025 will be holding its first public meeting in Scotland, in Aberdeen, on 31 March 2009. The event is run in partnership with two disabled people's organisations, Inclusion Scotland and Aberdeenshire North Access Panel (ANAP).
The event is an opportunity for Scottish disabled people to tell Equality 2025 their views on issues including welfare reform and employment, housing, and how disabled people in Scotland want to get their voices heard, particularly in Westminster. If you are interested in attending, please email eq2025.secretariat@dwp.gsi.gov.uk or telephone 020 7449 5073.
Equality 2025 deals with reserved (non-devolved) issues in Scotland, where decisions taken at Westminster continue to impact on the lives of disabled people in Scotland.
Fiona Wallace from Dalkeith and Prabhat Barot from Inverness were appointed to engage with disabled people and their organisations in Scotland on these matters, and to be a conduit for disabled people's interests to the Westminster Government.
Meetings in Wales
Two engagement events were held in Wales last month, at Haverfordwest on 8 January 2009 and at Brecon on 28 January 2009. These meetings were arranged by local groups Pembrokeshire Access Group and Brecknock Access Group and were led by Equality 2025's Reserved Appointee for Wales, Katherine Thomas.
These events provided the opportunity for disabled people in Pembrokeshire and Powys to give detailed feedback to Equality 2025 on the UK Government proposals for specialist disability employment advisory services, and to discuss the implementation and monitoring of the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons. Feedback from these events is already being used in Equality 2025's advice to the Government.
Katherine, from Ceredigion, was appointed to engage with disabled people and their organisations in Wales on reserved matters, and to be a conduit for the interests of disabled people in Wales to the Westminster Government.
Page last reviewed: 30 June 2009