0151 236 0855Community inclusion
Promoting inclusive and accessible communities where everyone belongs
Creating thriving communities where everyone belongs
We believe it’s vital to live in a community where inclusion thrives, and everyone can belong. However, people with disabilities still face barriers in their communities. Some of these barriers may be ‘seen’ – such as a venue not having an accessible bathroom, or ‘hidden’ – like a neurodiverse person needing extra support at their workplace, or ‘not understood’ – such as a business only accepting card payments and the negative impact this has on the people we support.
Options has a dedicated Community and Inclusion team who:
Collaborate with local community organisations
Hold social events for people we support in their communities
Deliver disability awareness training
Campaign for better rights and access for people with disabilities
Community Partnerships
We love working with other people, businesses and organisations. We look to partner with people who share the same vision and values as us.
Equilibrium North West CIC, locally known as ‘the Livvy’, is a community centre in Birkenhead. Many people supported by Options go there, and those people have influenced and shaped the community from that space. Options felt this was a really important asset to our community. We were using space in the building for team meetings, clubs, and activities. But we wanted to do more. We decided to sponsor one of the community centre’s rooms, which means that we get to use that space when we need it, and the centre gets guaranteed income.
Campaigning
Many injustices affect the people we support, and that’s why we campaign for people’s voices to be heard, and to be included. Our recent ‘Here’s a tip’ campaign, aims to highlight how cashless businesses have a negative impact on people with disabilities. This campaign educates business owners and staff in a gentle and informative way. We developed a paper money-like note that people can write their own experience of how they have been affected. The other side of the note explains that not all people have access to electronic payments and asks if the business would consider accepting cash so people can spend their money with them. This gentle form of campaigning empowers people to act with kindness, compassion, and creativity.
Make your business inclusive and accessible with our training
Our training can help your business become inclusive and accessible for people with disabilities. We can assess your business through an audit to identify any barriers people may face, and work with you to educate and provide solutions.
To find out more about our bespoke training email Christine.Bithell@optionsempowers.org.uk
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