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 include Younger People, Older People, Black & Minority Ethnic / Race, Faith, Gender, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Trans-sexual.
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 only been in full operation for approximately 2 years and yet 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 this year is a notable increase in membership. Whilst already having a good sized membership we are 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 we 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 our secretariat at
Wear Able on: 0191 522 9913 or also
Disabilities Alliance Sunderland (DAS) on: 0191 566 2154.
We'd be very happy for you to join with us in the work of the DIAG.
Paul Smith & Elizabeth Clark.
Co-Chairpersons: DIAG.
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