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This website has been designed so that Disability Matters can be more easily accessed and so that Disability Matters North Down and Ards can show the reader what we have been doing since our launch in September 2005 – when we began as Disability Matters North Down .
Read our 2010 newssheet to see how we are adapting to political developments. If you require assistance, contact us and we shall send you the current newssheet in another format. You can also become a member via our facebook group Disability Matters North Down and Ards.
Minutes +/ or suggested agenda from each bi-monthly meeting/ annual general meeting will be posted on this site – see ‘About us’.
We have already received necessary monies for ongoing projects and we are grateful of any financial help that allows us to continue this very important work. We understand that we are a young group, but we recognise that the local needs of people with a disability, need to be represented and need to be recognised.
After an important meeting of friends and founders in April 2009 – at Christ Church Primacy, Balloo Road, Bangor; it was decided to spend the following five years :
Short/general development Plan For Disbaility Matters North Down and Ards
Aims Outcomes Involvement Dates From - To
1.Developing council links with regard to the new boundaries.Time wise this will always be ongoing and we very much look to our local interested individuals. In May 2009 we reformed our group as Disability Matters North Down and Ards. One of our members has been made director of Down and Ards Rural Development, another is a director of Disability Action. There is a trained accessibility consultant. We also have a number of enthusiastic individuals, with excellent experience of awareness and equality training. All are keen to work with other public bodies in both a public and informative manner. Disability Matters purposly had its launch in Ards Town Hall in April 2010 and the group looks forward to developing the same good, strong links in Newtownards that have happened in North Down.
2.Continuing work with our local building consultants – very important work has gone into devloping the plans for the new leisure centre. Disaility Matters NDA acted as disability building consultants to the design firm 22/7 who were winners of the prestigious ‘architech of the year’ 2008.
3.Working on a new entertainments guide (considering new areas). Disability Matters NDA understands the importance of good, easily accessable information and we look forward to developing an ‘accessible entertainments guide for the North Down and Ards area’, with assistance from the VDA, amoungst others over the following five years.
4. Developing another word and task specific book for children experiencing main stream education, at Key Stage Two. Disability equality/awareness training at Key Stage Three has been recieved very enthusiastically. Disability Matters looks forward to continued good work with the SEELB and the PSNI. The next book is to be completed just after the merger of the two councils.
See ‘About Us’, or if a hard copy is required, ‘contact us’ to view a detailed 7 page 5/8 year
development plan