Involving Disabled People

1. Involving Disabled People Councillor Marie Pye Cabinet member for Housing and Communities London Borough of Waltham Forest

2. Why involve disabled people? • Disabled people and people with long-term medical conditions were likely to make up around 15% of your adult population. • Not involving such a large group would undermine your community engagement. • Recent research by OPM has shown significant benefits for public sector bodies of involving disabled people. • ‘With the emphasis now on a patient-led NHS, providers are now making services more inclusive – there is a business case for equality.’ • (Martin Wilson, Senior Manager, North East Strategic Health Authority)

3. Why would disabled people want to be involved? • Disabled people use services just like everybody else and therefore are just as likely to have views. • There will be particular barriers within some services experienced by disabled people and disabled people will be the experts on these. • There is a long history of doing things for disabled people rather than with them, hence the slogan "nothing about us without us".

4. Involving disabled people, not necessarily something special. • Many of your mainstream consultation mechanisms will already be reaching disabled people. • Whether it is a patient's forum, tenants meeting or school parents evening disabled people will already be there. • You can encourage more disabled people by making sure your consultation is accessible, relevant and welcoming.

5. It's not all about access but... • Find different ways of publicising events, accessible websites, clear leaflets, text messaging, local radio adverts. • Communication needs to be accessible, the RNIB See It Right guide can help in terms of printed material. • For events ensure accessible venues and publicise the fact these are accessible for everybody. Offer communication support and have a budget to meet the cost of this. • Provide disability equality training for officers but also give disability equality etiquette advice to anybody who is speaking.

6. Specifically involving disabled people • There will be occasions when you want to specifically seek the views of disabled people, including around your statutory duties around the Disability Equality Duty. • Use a range of mechanisms to reach disabled people. • Ensure the involvement is effective, don't involve disabled people for the sake of it. • Remember this is involvement, not professional advice. We should pay for professional advice. • One off involvement has a limited impact, so consider your long-term involvement strategy.

7. The Waltham Forest Experience • We worked with our local organisation of disabled people to facilitate involvement in our Disability Equality Scheme. • As well as some small group work, questionnaires and engagement throughout community councils we held a Big Disability Conversation. • A full day, with transport and lunch, the agenda very much set by disabled people, senior officers and councillors there all day, including leader and chief executive. • Very influential on the priorities and actions in our Disability Equality Scheme.