Disability Equality Training Programme

DESSA provides Disability Equality Training to groups of CDPs and FRCs within a region or to individual projects.

What is the difference between Disability Awareness Training and Disability Equality Training?

Disability Awareness Training tends to focus on giving information about various disabilities with a view to conveying what the needs and experiences of disabled people are. Some trainers will provide an opportunity to wear blindfolds or give people the experience of sitting in a wheelchair. While this type of training can create some opportunity to think about disability issues it is often criticised as it places the disabled person in the role of the victim.

Disability Equality Training on the other hand strives to place the issues facing disabled people in the context of equality. It explores disability by looking at the Medical and Social Models of disability and aims to support peoples understanding in terms of a rights based approach.

Disability Equality Training will support projects to understand how the Social Model of Disability compliments the community development ethos and how they can work towards the inclusion of disabled people within the project.

What topics does the training cover?

  • Exploration of Impairment and Social consequences,
  • Definitions of Disability
  • Exploration of Models of Disability,
  • Use of Language,
  • Strategies for Inclusion

How long is the training?

Disability Equality Training can be delivered in one full day or two half day slots. We try to be as flexible as possible to accommodate projects requirements.

Projects Commitment

There is an expectation that any projects undertaking Disability Equality Training will make a commitment to work with DESSA to develop strategies to include disabled people within the project.