The next meeting is on Tuesday 18th October 2005,
7pm at the Vauxhall Centre, Norwich, NR2 2SA.
Welcome from NAG’s New Chair:
Hi, it’s Ann Young here and I just wanted to say welcome to everyone, especially new members and visitors to our website.
I’m very excited to be the new Chair of NAG and just hope I can use this time effectively. NAG has been going for a very long time, I think I must have joined about 1998. In that time a lot has been achieved through the hard work of various individuals members and policy makers.
So, who am I? A question I often ask myself. Like everyone, I have lots of different roles and hats. My most cherished life roles are; partner to Alan and mother to Carter (9). I work for Creative Arts East as their Create! Officer (Disability Arts & Culture) and offer Disability Equality Training and Consultancy Services as a freelance, self-employed person, in my spare time. I love to write and find that much of my inspiration comes from my unique perspective as a disabled person, known in the trade as ‘Disability Arts and Culture’.
My only qualifications for being Chair of NAG are that I can be very bossy, I like being in control and I talk a lot! That and the fact that nobody stood against me at the last AGM! I also believe that Disabled People do have a valuable contribution to make to society, not just in terms of making our environment more accessible (Low floor busses, decent lifts and great loos!) for everyone but also the unique perspectives we have on life which, I think, gives us a real edge!
It could be argued that, with the introduction of the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act, we no longer need pressure groups. After all, service providers now have a legal duty to make premises accessible. However, as disabled people, we know it isn’t that simple. There is still a lot of work to be done by NAG and others to raise awareness about what is actually needed as opposed to what service providers assume we need.
True access and equality can only be achieved when ALL people are given the same choices and opportunities to participate in all aspects of life and the communities in which we live. I truly believe that this will happen otherwise, I wouldn’t be giving up my valuable time and energy to NAG!
We welcome all disabled people living or working in and around the Norwich area, so if you fancy coming along to a meeting, please get in touch
Ann Young
Chair (August 2005)
DRC Disibility Debate
The Disability Debate is the opportunity to play an active part in shaping a new forward looking agenda for action, towards a society in which disabled people can genuinely expect to participate and contribute as equal citizens.
Link to DRC Disability Debate
Is there an inaccessible shop in your area of Norwich?
Could it be reasonably adjusted to allow easy access?
Let us know who they are and what the problem is.
We'd like to remind them of their responsibilities under the DDA.
Contact us at the number or email below.
Future Meetings:
- Tuesday 15th November, 05
Christmas Break - Tuesday 17th January, 06
- Tuesday 21st February, 06
- Tuesday 21st March, 06
- Tuesday 18th April, 06
- Tuesday 16th May, 06
- Tuesday 20th June, 06
- Tuesday 18th July, 06 AGM