Independent Living NOW!
The Independent Living NOW! Campaign will run from April 2010 to March 2011 and provides an opportunity for all disabled people in Wales to make their voices heard ahead of the 2011 Welsh Assembly elections.
The campaign was launched on 28 April 2010 at Future Inns, Cardiff Bay and has six main strategic aims:
· to raise awareness and understanding of what Independent Living means for disabled people in Wales
· to call for a National Strategy for Independent Living
· to develop a Manifesto for Independent Living throughout the campaign to influence policy makers
· to collect disabled people’s stories to establish an evidence base for Independent Living in Wales
· to develop a stronger coalition of disabled people’s organisations and disability activists
· to develop stronger links to the wider Independent Living movement
The first ILN! Campaign Briefing was held in Porthmadog on 26 May 2010. Organised in partnership with Arfon Access Group and CIL De Gwynedd, who hosted the event, over 30 people attended the briefing and contributed their ideas to the development of our Manifesto for Independent Living.
The second Campaign Briefing was in Powys on 7 July and was organised in partnership with Disability Powys and Dewis CIL. Again, we had some very interesting discussion about the priorities for a Manifesto for Independent Living.
We were also invited to give an update on the campaign at a well attended event in Wrexham on 28 June which was organised by the Association of Voluntary Organisations in Wrexham, the Centre for Disability Studies at Glyndwr University, and Wrexham Council.
Following discussions with a wide range of people, including DW members, participants in the ILN! campaign briefings, and also with respresentatives of several national disability organisations, we have produced a Manifesto for Independent Living to highlight disabled people's main priorities. This can be accessed by clicking here.
Planning is now underway for the final ILN! Campaign Briefing in SW Wales, which we are organising in partnership with Pembrokeshire Access Group and Pembrokeshire Young Voices for Choices. This free event will be held on Saturday 18th September from 12.30pm – 4.00pm, starting with lunch. The venue is Haverfordwest Community Education Centre, Old College Campus, Dew St, Haverfordwest SA611ST.
Disability Wales can offer a limited number of bursaries to assist disabled people living in Wales with travel, support and/or accommodation costs incurred in attending this event. The bursary scheme enables disabled people who are individual members or from full member groups to attend Disability Wales events that might not otherwise be able to attend. For further information about bursaries please contact Paula Reed on 02920 887325 (use announcer for minicom), or email: Paula.Reed@disabilitywales.org
For further information and to book a place please contact: Disability Wales, Bridge House, Caerphilly Business Park, Van Road, Caerphilly CF83 3GW, Tel: 02920 887325, Email: info@disabilitywales.org
Please bookmark this page and keep visiting for updates on the campaign.
Comments
Really pleased to see somethings being done to raise awareness of independent living for disabled people in Wales.
