About Us

We work with disabled people, businesses, architects and designers, the public sector and the voluntary and community sector in Greater Manchester and elsewhere. We promote best practice in accessible and inclusive design and access standards through:

• The Manchester Disability Collaborative (MDC), through the Built Environment Workstream, the Disabled People’s Sounding Board, the MDC Forum
• Membership of the Manchester Highways Access Group, Greater Manchester Disabled People’s Panel, the Housing Working Group (run by GMCDP), The Disabled People’s User Forum (South Manchester Hospital Trusts), The Disabled People’s Sounding Board (mainly around health issues), RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) Group, GM Moving – Commitment to Inclusion – leisure, travel, dance, exercise, GM Digital Inclusion Taskforce, GMCDP (Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People) GMCVO (Greater Manchester Council of Voluntary Organisations), various transport, health, housing and other meetings,
• Access audits, access surveys and access appraisals
• Access Statements and Design and Access Statements
• Consultancy and contributions to local, regional and national consultations including NPPF, BS8300 and others
• Providing advice on consulting with disabled people
• Training and information for organisations and companies and training on access auditing for disabled people
• Publications
• Provision of information on the Equality Act, Building Regulation, planning guidance and best practice access standards, including developing materials on writing Design and Access Statements
• Projects and joint activities with local authorities, regeneration projects and the voluntary and community sector
• Providing information, advice and consultancy to other infrastructure organisations in the voluntary and community sector in Greater Manchester
• Active involvement with other disabled people’s organisations and with the voluntary and community sector in Greater Manchester
• Support for the development of Disability Equality Schemes, including impact assessment, information gathering, consulting with disabled people, access audits,disability equality training.
• Campaigns. We are involved in a number of campaigns. For more information, contact us.
• We meet regularly and hold additional consultation, training and social events.

Further reading

Mission Statement Trustees and Staff