Open Meetings

We hold bi-monthly open membership meetings to involve and engage disabled people by working in partnership with service providers mainly in local authority and health services. People with physical disabilities and/or sensory impairments are given a voice and an opportunity to influence policy and service delivery.  Join our membership.

Upcoming Meetings

2023

  • October 24th

Reports/Minutes/Articles From Previous Meetings

2023

2022

2021

  • November 23rd – Open Meeting, including another visit from Citizens Advice and our AGM – Details
  • October 26th  – including Citizens Advice on heating your home economically this winter – Report
  • September 28th  – our first meeting back is a social event, with buffet and a chance to catch up and chat – full details

2020

  • January 28th 2020 – We had four outstanding, informative and inspirational presentations, all on the subjects of visual and hearing impairments and the support available to help with them – read our detailed report, plus transcripts and videos of all the presentations.

2019

  • November 26th 2019 – At this meeting we heard from the men’s mental health movement, Andy’s Man Club, plus Skillshop Day Centre, who told their inspiring story. And, as ever, our trustees and workers will also be on hand for a chat.
  • September 2019 – Disability Partnership Calderdale AGM: Our AGM centred on reports from our trustees on the 12 months up to the end of March 2019, which saw the organisation secure significant funding leading to the appointment of three paid workers.
  • July 2019 – DEX (Deaf Ex-Mainstreamers) and the Victoria Theatre: Our July meeting featured presentations by DEX, an entirely deaf-led organisation that raises awareness of the struggle that deaf children have in mainstream education; and the Victoria Theatre, looking at their current and future accessibility levels.
  • May 2019 – Taxi Licencing & Calderdale’s Visual Impairment Service: Our May open meeting saw members, friends and guests enjoy a packed evening with two main presentations: the first looking at taxi licencing and the training of taxi drivers, with Calderdale council’s licencing team; the second was from rehabilitation officers with Calderdale Council’s Visual Impairment Team.
  • April 2019 – Community Funding & 3-Year Project Launch: At our April open meeting, we celebrated the launch of our three-year National Lottery Community Fund award of £186,400. The Mayor of Calderdale, Councillor Marcus Thompson was on hand to officially open the event, which was hosted by the organisation’s Trustees, who outlined their plans for the funding.
  • March 2019 – Accessible Calderdale Project: A report from our March open meeting where details of this exciting new initiative were presented. There was also news of the established Accessible Hebden Bridge Project, which has been going three years and has begun to have a big impact on the town.

2018

2017

About our Open Meetings

At our meetings, we engage with service providers and commissioners, mainly in local authority, health and transport sectors. The aim is to identify barriers faced by disabled people and improve service design and delivery so that disabled people have better access, experiences, improved wellbeing and quality of life. By involving significant numbers of disabled people, we can have a big impact on decision makers. By using this model, disabled people have a voice, are listened to, are empowered and can influence policy and service delivery.

We are the organisation set up and ready for consultation and involvement on issues that affect disabled people in Calderdale. We are respected by the local CCG, hospital trust and leading Calderdale Council officers and Councillors, Our meetings are often attended by the Cabinet member for Adults Health and Social Care and by the Director. We are the organisation set up and ready for consultation and involvement on issues that affect disabled people in Calderdale.

Venue: About the King’s Centre where we hold our open meetings

To ensure that our meetings are inclusive and accessible to all, we always use an accessible venue. The King’s Centre, which we use for most meetings (please check meeting details before travelling, as we do occasionally use other venues) is spacious and very clean. It has ramped access to wide double doors (not automatic) into the large foyer area leading to the main hall. There are spacious and very clean accessible toilet and kitchen facilities. The King’s Centre is excellently managed by people who really understand what accessibility and inclusion is all about.

The Kings Church
3 Park Rd,
Halifax
HX1 2TS

Parking is available on Park Road. There are two disabled bays outside the King’s Centre. Also blue badge holders can park for unlimited time on the street. Drivers who are not blue badge holders are limited to two hours before six pm and unlimited time after six. More info on finding the King’s Centre can be found on their own website.

Accessibility At Our Open meetings

To enable everyone to be included and to be able to participate at our meetings, we have the following access arrangements:

  • A technician operates a PA system. This has powerful radio microphones which are handed to any person (audience or presenters) who is speaking at the meeting. This enables people to hear what is said. The system is connected to the hearing induction loop system for the benefit of people who use hearing aids.
  • There are two large screens where slides can be projected.
  • Two Sign Language Interpreters are present at meetings to ensure that Deaf sign language users can understand proceedings and make their contribution to discussions by the interpreter ‘voicing over’ the sign language they use.
  • We have a ‘speech to text’ (Palantype) operater. This highly trained professional person makes sure that everything that is spoken appears as text on the screens. This assists people who are deaf but are not sign language users.
  • We provide a refreshment buffet because our open meetings are usually held at tea time between 5pm and 7.45pm.
  • We reimburse the cost our members’ car mileage, public transport and taxi fares. For many disabled people, the cost of accessible and convenient transport may be a real barrier to attending and participating in meetings. Which is why the DPC reimburse transport costs.