In the Census 2011, 21,762 people (22% of the population) in North East Derbyshire district declared that their day-to-day activities were limited due to disability or long term ill health.
Social Model of Disability
Disability relates to the way society is organised, rather than by a person’s impairment or difference. If we remove barriers that restrict life choices for disabled people they can be independent and equal in society, with choice and control over their own lives.
How we're improving access and opportunities for disabled people
One of the ways in which we are removing barriers and improving opportunities for disabled people, is by making sure that we put reasonable adjustments in place. These help us to communicate with and enable disabled people using our services and help us to support our disabled staff.
Examples include:
- Communicating in different accessible ways in line with our Joint Equality Policy 2018 (.pdf | 218kb)
- Offering a reasonable adjustments service for disabled people so that we send written communications in the appropriate format for you.
- Improving access and facilities for disabled people and others in the buildings we use to deliver our services
- Providing disabled toilet facilities in our buildings, meeting the Changing Places standard on key sites
- Making hearing loops available in our Contact Centre and our public meeting rooms
- Supporting local advice and support services for disabled people as well as inclusive activities and events
- Providing disabled adaptations to homes to support independent living. These are funded by grants from Derbyshire County Council
- Providing specialist disability training for frontline staff so they can respond to individual needs
- Signing up to Disability Confident which supports disabled people in recruitment and at work
- Making adjustments so existing disabled employees can carry out their jobs and feel safe and supported at work
- Supporting staff with an Occupational Health service and an Employee Assistance Programme where they can access information online on a wide variety of practical and wellbeing topics
Helpful Services
- Cyber crime and online safety BSL videos
- Disability Derbyshire Coalition for Inclusive Living works to apply disabled people's ideas and experiences to developing services and public policies.
- Action on Hearing Loss is a national charity which offers information and support to people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Deaf and Hearing Support is based in Chesterfield. It aims to provide the best quality service for deaf and hearing impaired people in North Derbyshire. You can test various aids at their Resource Centre where they have the latest technology on display.
- RNIB offer practical and emotional support to those losing their sight or who are blind or partially sighted.
- Sight Support Derbyshire is a local charity which provides services, support and advice and information for registered blind and partially sighted local people.
- Mencap is a national charity which works to improve the lives of people with a learning disability and their families.
- MIND is a national charity which offers support and information on mental health.