The Office for Disability Issues (ODI) is providing a 1 year grant to fund the next stage of the development of the DAA and its long-term strategy.
As part of this grant the steering group has decided the DAA’s chairing organisation, Disability Rights UK should undertake the secretariat function for the period of the grant. Though Government facilitated the DAA’s birth, it is felt that now is the time to put disabled people at the heart of the DAA’s delivery.
The Disability Action Alliance (DAA) is now in its third year of existence, has over 400 members and can point to some tangible outcomes that have been achieved through members working together. The steering group, supported by Disability Rights UK, is now developing a long term strategy for the DAA.
The strategy will both focus on ensuring the long-term sustainability of the DAA and build on natural evolutions in the way that members are engaging with each other. As a starting point the Steering Group is reviewing the DAA’s impact so far and considering how best to build on achievements. This is with the aim of better enabling collaborative working that makes a positive difference to disabled people’s full participation.
Liz Sayce, chief executive of Disability Rights UK and chair of the DAA, said: “The unique thing the Disability Action Alliance does is act as a catalyst. It brings organisations that don’t know each other together, across different sectors, linking people with good ideas to others who can ‘open doors’, with practical results. It’s great that disabled people are setting the direction, with many allies, and that organisations led by disabled people are strongly represented on the Steering Group. I look forward to working with the DAA’s members to forge a successful future for the DAA, enabling collaborative work that leads to strategic and practical change and ultimately to greater participation of disabled people across society’.
The Steering Group welcomes input from DAA members and will be approaching the membership for input in April and May.
For more information about this work or the changes to the secretariat, please visit the DAA website.