Scottish
Disability Equality Forum���� |
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� Convenor's Report to AGM, 2nd October 2002Since our successful re-launch and AGM held at Dunblane last year, I am
pleased to report your Management Committee has been involved in protracted
talks with the Equality Unit and Community Care Division of the Scottish
Executive.� These took place in an
effort to gain funding to allow SDEF to undertake the work outlined in our
Business Plan which we submitted to Scottish Executive in August.�
We are very hopeful our application will be successful, and I have my
fingers crossed I will be in a position to confirm a firm commitment by the time
we meet.
Those of you who attended the members meetings held in Stirling and
Perth, will recognise from the executive summary sent out with the other papers,
that our business plan follows closely the priority areas you identified on
these occasions.� This reaffirms our
pledge of being an organisation which listens to its grass roots and follows up
issues which are important to its members.��
A copy of the full Plan and Work Programme can be made available to any
member who wishes to have one.
I am also delighted to inform you that our Membership has grown steadily
and currently stands at:
50
full members���
30
associate members����
11
individual members
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your
continuing support and to welcome our new members.
While we are happy with this, we realise only too well that people who
are affected by sensory impairment, learning disability and mental health are
unfortunately under-represented at present, and we have targeted them especially
in our recent mailings.� Without
their input we will all be the poorer, and SDEF will not be the rounded
organisation we wish it to be. ��It is important that we all increase our understanding
of each other�s concerns, and the only way we can do this is by encouraging as
many groups and/or individuals with varying disabilities to come together to
share experiences, and speak with a united voice to achieve change.
We
are continuing to build closer relationships with our membership, through our
consultation meetings, website and our monthly newsletters (edition 7 is now
available).�� Website hits have
now passed the 400 mark.� As I have
stressed in the past at our previous meetings, the 9 elected members of the
Management Committee are your servants and will progress your wishes, but we
must know what they are.� This is an
on-going process and not just when we meet two or three times a year. �A
vital part, in what is a two way process, is the full active participation of
each of our member groups � we need this strength to speak to policy makers
with authority and build credibility.��
If you would like
to see changes in the layout and content of the newsletters or website, please
give us feedback.� Remember this is
one means in which you can help, by submitting articles of news you wish to
share � good practice or problems you have encountered.�
A problem shared is a problem halved, good news is a bonus.�
No doubt others will have come across something similar and found a
solution.� We would remind you, if
you would like to raise an issue which concerns you, do not be shy or think
perhaps it is too trivial, or that the members of the Management Committee will
already know and be dealing with it.� We
do try to keep abreast of things but do not pretend to be aware of everything,
and anything which worries you is never trivial and would never be treated as
such.�� In the meantime I can
be contacted through our secretariat� -
Philippa Bonella at SCVO.
More generally, approximately 1400 disability organisations are now
listed on our database and have all been contacted over the past year.�
The database continues to grow as we expand our knowledge of the sector
in Scotland and make links with other key players.�
This is an important element in our development as we continue to raise
our profile.� These include
Government, Parliament, the Disability Rights Commission in Scotland and the
broader disability voluntary sector.�
As examples, I was invited to become Vice-Convenor of the Cross Party
Parliamentary Group on Disability; we have been invited to join discussion
groups set up by DRC; we have representation on BT Countryside for All Advisory
Committee on a UK basis; and Paths for All Partnership.�
We are also deeply involved in the steering group for European Year of
Disabled People (EYDP) 2003; as well as the steering group for Access Panels,
which ties in so well with our main work programme.��
We are also working closely with Scottish Accessible Transport Alliance (SATA),
assisting in arranging a mobility roadshow next July, and a possible conference
later in the year
We have responded, with your help, to 8 major consultations which we
list below:
This is another area where we would ask for your help and co-operation,
by submitting your observations and views as individual organisations direct,
and letting SDEF have a copy to be included in a corporate response.�
This will again ensure we speak with one voice.
Last, but by no means least, I would like to thank the whole committee
for their hard work and unfailing support during a difficult and important time
in our continuing development. This includes the two new members who joined
since the last AGM -� namely Ron
Skinner and Peter Ingram-Monk who replaced Veronica Rodden when she stepped down
during the year.
Elma
Mitchell MBE, Convenor
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� Scottish Disability Equality Forum Working together for the disability movement SDEF is a recognised Scottish charity no. SC031893 end of page |