The Disability Union, which was founded in 2020 to further disability rights and increase inclusion , has released its annual report.
Among their achievements in 2022 were:
- The team of caseworkers helped over 80 members with their disability-related issues. including benefit applications, PIP appeals, legal referrals and reasonable adjustments in the workplace, as well as also providing well-being support.
- Created a Disability Rights Campaign Toolkit – a fill-in-the blanks toolkit to host a successful campaign.
- Hosted 27 online social events from DIY adaptive clothing workshops to BSL classes and seated yoga.
- Hosting a Disability & Democracy webinar (watched by over 100 people), joined by MPs, councillors, and trade unions to discuss how disabled people can become more involved with politics and remove the barriers within the system to enable them to take part in local and national politics.
- Having multiple meetings in Westminster with MPs. Founder and director George Baker is now a part of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Disability.
The Union is now planning a project for the second half of 2023 that will provide online coaching and educational support to train disabled people to run for elected positions in the local government campaigns or other user-led groups. This will be a pilot study to create an ongoing mechanism of training disabled people for political office.
George said: “This has been an exciting year of expansion and consolidation. Having got through its earliest stages of development, The Disability Union has been broadening and professionalising its work. We’ve expanded our community projects and have begun our political work. 2023 is going to be about building upon our successes with our community and political projects.”
You can download the report here.
