Engagement, focus groups & co-production
Empowering Change: How Disability Focus Groups Drive Accessibility
Disability focus groups are a powerful tool for ensuring the needs and experiences of disabled people are central to decision-making. These facilitated discussions bring together individuals with disabilities to share their perspectives on everything from park accessibility to public transport options.
Harnessing Lived Experience
We are experienced facilitators who create a safe and inclusive space for open dialogue. Our focus is on bringing out the best in each group, ensuring everyone feels valued and has an equal voice. These focus groups provide invaluable insights for local authorities, transport providers, and other organizations working to improve accessibility.
Shaping the Future: From Awareness to Action
Through disability focus groups, participants have the opportunity to directly influence change. Their insights feed into local and national consultations, raising awareness of access issues and paving the way for improvements.
Here’s the revised blog post aiming for a Yoast green light:
Empowering Change: Disability Focus Groups Drive Accessibility
Disability focus groups are a powerful tool for ensuring the needs and experiences of disabled people are central to decision-making. These facilitated discussions bring together individuals with disabilities to share their perspectives on everything from park accessibility to public transport options.
Harnessing Lived Experience
Also, we are trained facilitators who create safe and inclusive spaces for open dialogue. Because our focus is on empowering each group member, ensuring everyone feels valued and has an equal voice. These disability focus groups provide invaluable insights for local authorities, transport providers, and other organizations working to improve accessibility.
Shaping the Future: From Awareness to Action
Certainly, through disability focus groups, participants directly influence change. Their insights feed into local and national consultations, raising awareness of access issues and paving the way for improvements. This ensures that the needs of disabled people and their families are considered from the very beginning of planning and design stages. We’ve worked with a diverse range of organizations, including local councils, transport authorities, tourism boards, and healthcare providers.
Collaboration is Key: Working with Developers and Planners
Equally, we believe in close collaboration with town planners and developers. Besides facilitating disability focus groups, we ensure the voices of disabled people are heard at the heart of new builds and redevelopment projects. This proactive approach fosters inclusive design principles that benefit everyone.
Case Study: Unlocking Access to Green Spaces
A recent collaboration with Active Calderdale and Countryside Service exemplifies the power of disability focus groups. In March 2021, we facilitated sessions to understand the experiences of disabled people visiting parks and green spaces.
Participants, representing a wide range of disabilities, provided detailed feedback on the barriers they encountered. Concerns included lack of accessible pavements, limited accessible transport options, and inadequate parking facilities.
These insights highlighted the significant planning required by disabled people before venturing outdoors. The fear of encountering obstacles significantly impacts their independence, sense of equality, and can lead to feelings of isolation.
Conclusion
Consequently disability focus groups play a crucial role in promoting accessibility and inclusivity. By harnessing lived experience and fostering collaboration, these sessions empower positive change for disabled people across the UK.
Please do give us somewhere to go – we can’t get active unless we have places to visit!
“I often feel we are just used to lack of equality and inclusion but it’s not really acceptable, we face so many challenges which could be put right e.g. smooth even pathways, a route without steps, availability of toilets and decent public transport. We are human, we want to be out there, to be part of an inclusive society to feel the physical benefits of open spaces”
In co-production with ACDAF we have carried out many other consultations via our focus groups including, disabled women’s health, pavement parking, Ogden Water, A629 improvements, the new leisure centre, the refurbishment of the Halifax bus and train stations and taxis. The feedback shapes local decision making on matters of access and inclusion that are important to disabled people.
“Making places accessible for disabled people makes them accessible for all – parents with buggies, older people, it helps with social integration and a more independent life”