This page gives details about Disability Action Northern Ireland, an organisation funded by the Partnership Grants Scheme.
Disability Action works to ensure that people with disabilities attain their full rights as citizens, by supporting inclusion, influencing Government policy and changing attitudes in partnership with disabled people.
As a campaigning body, DANI represent the views of 180 member groups, working to bring about positive change to the social, economic and cultural life of people with disabilities and consequently to the entire community.
DANI offer a range of services including information and policy, employment and training support, capacity building, training, transport and mobility assessment, all aimed at improving the quality of life of people with disabilities in Northern Ireland.
- visit Disability Action Northern Ireland's website at www.disabilityaction.org.uk
Count Us In project
Working with their 181 member organisations, Disability Action run training courses for people with disabilities and capacity building workshops. They also established seven Disability Working Groups, and run awareness raising events with disabled people in order to increase their confidence and participation in the democratic process. This includes events at Stormont speaking to MLA's from all the major parties as well as Councillors attending the sessions.
Our grant part funds salaries, training & travel, events, venue hire, training facilitation costs, transport for participants, interpreting/signing, materials production and evaluation.
Project outcomes
- increased awareness of the democratic process among people with disabilities in NI
- 25% increase in political participation among disabled people in NI
- enhanced skills and confidence of disabled people in playing a more active role in the electoral/decision-making process
Outcomes achieved
Over the course of three years, Disability Action NI Count Us In project increased the awareness of more than 900 disabled people through awareness raising events. The project also carried out extensive media work and produced a DVD aimed at increasing understanding of democracy and the electoral processes in the UK and Europe. The project also organised Democracy Working Groups to increase understanding and participation in the democratic process in Northern Ireland. 128 people joined the Joint Democracy Working Group database and actively participate in decision making processes that affect their local communities.
Case study
Brian is a wheelchair user who lives full time in a residential home. He was recruited for the Count Us In Training course through contact with his local Disability Action office. Brian always wanted to set up a disability group in his local area to address local issues. While heavily involved in community work, he readily admitted that he did not have the confidence to 'go it alone'.
As a direct result of the training, and as an active member of the Democracy Working Group, he has established a group with some of the other participants and is in preliminary talks with his local council regarding support. Brian said 'The project has resulted in me feeling a part of the community and recognised as a person in my own right as opposed to a statistic. As a direct result of this project I have re-fired a long-held dream to set up a local disability group in my area to work on local issues. It was always in my mind, but now I have the confidence to actually do it.'
