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Training and Consultancy on Disability

Contents:

  Are You Reaping the Benefits of Diversity?

  Exceptional Trainers and Consultants

  Satisfied Customers

  Breakthrough UK at the Cutting Edge

  Disability Awareness and Disability Equality Action Training

 The Disability Equality Duty (DDA 2005)

Are You Reaping the Benefits of Diversity?

In the UK there are 10 million disabled people with an annual spending power of £80 billion. Being a good employer of disabled people and including disabled people in the way you deliver services makes good business sense.  By understanding disability and making the necessary changes in your organisation, you will:

   attract and retain able staff

   increase staff morale and productivity

   use resources more effectively

   attract more customers

   meet the requirements of inspection bodies

   meet legal requirements

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Exceptional Trainers and Consultants

All our trainers and consultants are disabled people who combine expertise in their subject with lived experience.  They have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the barriers faced by disabled people and how these may be removed.  Whether working with managers on strategy and policy, or delivering training to customer services staff, our trainers use engaging, thought provoking methods, which lead to action.

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Satisfied Customers

We work successfully with a wide range of organisations from the public, private and voluntary sectors.  We have also developed innovative training in independent living for disabled people and value our work with disabled people’s organisations.

‘the approach is more proactive and makes you aware of the real issues’

‘very informative and practical’

‘very professional day, well organised and presented’

‘lots of food for thought. I feel the need to go back to my organisation and ensure that other key officers are fully aware and trained on disability issues’

‘the best single day of training I have had in 30 years of local government’

Course participants from Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council, pictured above. Photographs by Jane Placca.

Satisfied customers in 2006 and 2007 include:

Disability Rights Commission

Jobcentre Plus

Northwest Development Agency

Liverpool City Council

Manchester City Council

Manchester University

Testway Housing

Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council

Wrexham Direct Payments Peer Support Group

BBC

Woolworths PLC

University of Salford

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Breakthrough UK at the Cutting Edge

Breakthrough UK is at the cutting edge of strategy on disability at local, regional and national level.  In recent years we have contributed to the following:

   Government White Paper on the Commission for Equality and Human Rights

  ‘Able to Work’ report from the Employer’s Working Group on Disability

      subgroup of the National Employment Panel

  ‘Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People’ report from the Prime

     Minister’s Strategy Unit

   Local Strategic Partnerships

   Local Authority disability advisory groups

We are represented on the following bodies:

   Disability Employment Advisory Committee (DEAC) at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

   National Employment Panel

   North West Equality and Diversity Leadership Group

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Why We Do Disability Action Training Rather Than Disability Awareness

Many of our customers contact us about disability awareness training.   We believe that traditional disability awareness training is not as effective as our approach, which we call Disability Equality Action Training.  Once our customers have experienced our training, they agree.

Disability Awareness Training:

   is aimed at increasing the confidence of non-disabled staff when providing

     services to disabled people.

   is often delivered by non-disabled people.

   often concentrates on one impairment, such as visual impairment or hearing

     impairment.

   often involves simulation exercises, such as using blindfolds or ear defenders.

Awareness training does not challenge assumptions and attitudes, which is necessary to support a fully inclusive culture within organisations.  Concentrating on impairments rather than barriers may lead participants to believe that disabled people are prevented from doing things by impairment rather than lack of inclusive planning in society.  Simulation exercises may encourage stereotypical assumptions.

Disability Action Training:

   is delivered by disabled people

   includes issues such as etiquette, customer care and use of appropriate

     language.

   encourages discussion of how disabled people are disabled by attitudes and

     barriers present in society.

   enables participants to identify barriers and positively demonstrate what an

     organisation needs to do remove them.

   is underpinned by the Social Model of disability.

The Disability Rights Commission recommends that training on disability should be from the perspective of the Social Model of disability. Using simulation techniques means that the emphasis is still on the Medical Model.

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The Disability Equality Duty (DDA 2005)

The Disability Equality Duty (DED) is the most recent part of the Disability Discrimination Act and came into force in December 2006.  The DED requires public sector bodies to promote the equality of disabled people. This means that people working for organisations such as local authorities, hospitals, schools and the police will be required by law to consider how their work affects disabled people and to take action to tackle any inequality.

What must public sector bodies do?

When carrying out their duties public authorities should pay ‘due regard’ to the need to:

   eliminate unlawful disability discrimination

   eliminate disability-related harassment
   promote equality of opportunity for disabled people

   promote positive attitudes towards disabled people
   encourage the participation of  disabled people in public life

Many public bodies also have to produce a Disability Equality Scheme which sets out how they intend to meet the five duties above. The Disability Equality Scheme must contain a three-year action plan together with information on how the organisation intends to measure the impact its activities have on disabled people.  Disabled people must be involved on an ongoing basis in identifying and prioritising barriers and issues to be addressed by public organisations.  Disability Equality Schemes must be made public and progress in relation to action plans must be reported annually.

Any member of the public can apply to the courts for judicial review of any organisation in breach of the duty. Failure to act in accordance with a compliance notice issued by a court could ultimately result in the Chief Executive facing prison.

Breakthrough UK Training and Consultancy is supporting a number of public sector organisations in relation to the Disability Equality Duty.  To find out more, please visit the link below.

  What we can offer

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