Pan Disability Forum

The Disability Forum covers a diverse and wide spectrum of disabilities and represents people with all types of disabilities including learning, physical, mental and sensory across Shropshire. Its purpose is to improve the standards, eliminate discrimination, and facilitate inclusion, participation and independence for people with all types of disabilities.

Shropshire Disability Forum promotes the working relationship between the voluntary and community sector and any statutory partners they may engage with across Shropshire, it seeks to provide a channel of communications to inform and help to improve decision making by organisations involved in providing services specific to the interests of all those with disabilities.

Forum membership is made up of representatives of disability led organisations and the chairs of the Disability Network, Visual Impairment Forum and the Hearing Impairment Forum.

The Forum is represented through its members on the Learning Disability Partnership Board, Physical and Sensory Disability partnership Board, Parent and Carers Council for Shropshire and Shropshire Partners in Care.

This year members and partner forums are actively involved in:

• Developing a User Led Organisation (ULO)/ Centre for Independent Living (CIL) for Shropshire
• Shropshire Disability Forum lead a steering group to form a ULO/CIL for Shropshire, currently the group is considering how it might take the project forward, a funding bid has been submitted for resources to support and take the initiative forward along side developing a long term sustainable funding strategy. 
• Growing the membership and were delighted when Telford and Wrekin 'Listen not Label' User Led group joined the forum which is led by Tina Jones.

Forum members are soon to elect a new chair and will review achievements to date and develop the strategy for the next two years.

The Shropshire Disability Forum is open to representatives of all local voluntary and community sector organisations that wish to participate and see the Disability Forum as relevant to the work of their organisations. The Disability Forum aims to meet bi-monthly. If you are interested in finding out more about the Shropshire Disability Forum please contact Kathy McCracken on 01952 245 015 or email kathy.mccracken@landau.co.uk