The Disability Independent Advisory Group (DIAG)

There are several IAGs across the City. Independent Advisory Groups generally advise and inform others about the specific knowledge, skills and experience of the members and others for whom they try to speak; their specific group. Others IAGs have been founded to include Younger People, Older People, Black & Minority Ethnic / Race, Faith, Gender, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Trans-sexual people.

The Disability Independent Advisory Group (DIAG), as our name suggests, is primarily a consultation group. Our members are disabled people, representatives of disability groups or organisations and others for whom disability is a main concern. The DIAG has been in full operation for over 3 years and during that time we have been consulted by organisations that range from those employing just a few people from one small office to those with literally hundreds of employees engaged in work across the City.

Notable successes include the DIAG advising on disability issues with regard to Disability Equality Duties and the associated Action Plans that several organisations approached us about.
Those employers included The City of Sunderland, Gentoo (Sunderland’s major housing company), Sunderland University, Northumbria Police and also City Hospitals.

Membership.
Our members are disabled people, representatives of disability groups or organisations and others for whom disability is a main issue in their lives. An important goal for the DIAG each year is an increase in membership. Whilst already having a good sized membership we are always keen to increase it to as wide and varied a representation of disabled people as possible so that the DIAG gives as accurate a reflection as it can, of the views of local disabled citizens. To that end we wish to contact as many disabled people as possible and invite them to join us.

If you are a disabled person, a carer or a representative of disabled people and/or carers and wish to meet us first with perhaps thinking about joining us later then you will be very welcome.

Meetings.
The dates of our monthly meetings are sometimes unavoidably changed, so to discover the date, time and venue of our next meeting please
Telephone : 0191 566 2154,
where a representative of the Disabilities Alliance Sunderland (DAS) will be happy to take your call and forward to you the information that you require.

We would be very happy for you to join with us in the work of the DIAG. So if you are experienced about disability issues and /or are disabled or a carer of a disabled person then please get in touch. We would welcome your input at our meetings and if you have the time and aptitude then we are always looking for people who might consider becoming a joint chairperson or an administration / secretary volunteer.

Co-Chairpersons: DIAG.

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