To ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged through a lack of knowledge of their rights and responsibilities, or a lack of awareness of available opportunities.
We empower, and when necessary offer support to enable disabled people to express their wants, needs and wishes effectively.
Our aims are:
• To overcome the poverty, financial and social exclusion faced by disabled people.
• To ensure that disabled people do not miss out on the benefits and services which they are entitled to.
• To promote independence and the inclusion of disabled people in society.
• To ensure that disabled people’s participation in and contribution to community life is not limited through a lack of information or opportunities.
• To influence service planning, provision and policy and decision making processes wherever possible in terms of the needs and wishes of disabled people.
Our ethos and values:
• DIAL (LEEDS) is a local holistic disability information, advice and support service run on a not for profit basis.
• Our model of service delivery is facilitated self help through peer support – by disabled people for disabled people.
• We are a user led organisation that is controlled by disabled people - we are run by and for the kind of people our organisation represents, supports and is set up to work with..
• We are committed to the social model of disability and removing the barriers that ‘disable’ people with impairments.
• We seek to empower and enable disabled people to maximise the choice and control they have over their lives.
DIAL (LEEDS) is committed to equality and diversity across all aspects of our organisation.
We work towards eliminating the disadvantage and discrimination that disabled people face in everyday life by raising awareness of abilities and rights.
The services we offer are:
• Free/not for profit
• Confidential
• Comprehensive
• Independent
• Impartial
• Accessible
• Empowering
• Inclusive
DIAL (LEEDS) has a unique impact that makes a real difference for disabled people in our city. We bring together people with lived experience of physical and sensory impairment, learning difficulties and others who use support services.
Through employment, permitted work and volunteering opportunities for disabled people, we deliver our service to benefit all disabled people in Leeds - either through direct support for individuals or collectively via our social policy and awareness raising work.
DIAL (LEEDS) is jointly commissioned by Leeds Adult Social Care and Leeds Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) to deliver the Leeds Disability Information and Advice Service for disabled people, their carers and associated health and social care professionals. This service is free of charge and can be accessed directly without the need for a professional referral. It is independent, impartial and delivered through peer support - for disabled people by disabled people. Holistically focused, it covers all aspects of disability information and advice, welfare benefits advice and casework including help with appeals and tribunal representation.
We also work with agencies and services in Leeds to promote and represent the interests of disabled people in order to enable others to create equality and to value diversity in the way that we do within our organisation and networks.
Recently we have started to develop a range of other services for individuals, groups and organisations. These are social enterprise activities and include:
- Wheelchair hire;
- RADAR accessible toilet keys;
- Talks, presentations and workshops;
- A trades directory;
- Assistance with developing policies and procedures;
- Health and safety assessments;
- Information Prescriptions.
As well as being income generating schemes they also support and complement our core objectives and activities.
