Call for an Independent Living Conference in Dudley

As you are doubtless aware, the Government strategy document "Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People" makes it explicitly clear that all local authorities should make sure disabled people have the opportunity to run and control a user-led organisation (ULO) within the locality. From our perspective, ULOs run and controlled by disabled people should adopt the Social Model of Disability, as well as the concept of Independent Living as described by the UK Disabled People's Movement.

We, as representatives of several organisations run and controlled by disabled people, strongly urge Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council to fund an Independent Living Conference from cash that central government has provided in order to transform social care.

Several local and national user-led organisations run and controlled by disabled people have informed us that they would be more than willing to participate in this conference (see signatories below, among others).

Local disabled people, cutting across all impairment groups, could be invited to offer their contributions to the process of establishing a local Centre for Independent/Inclusive Living run and controlled by local disabled people, in line with the Social Model of Disability, as well as the concept and philosophy of Independent Living as described by the Disabled People's Movement.

Paul Bowley (Disabled People's Direct Action Network)

Tina Boothroyd (Chair of Access in Dudley)
Tom Comerford (Disabled People's Direct Action Network and former Development Worker for Birmingham Coalition of Disabled People)
Steve Graby (Director of Birmingham Centre for Inclusive Living)
Ken McClymont (Member of National Centre for Independent Living)