Disabled Parents Network at the
National Centre for Disabled Parents
Disabled
Parents Network, a national peer support network, has funding from
the Department of Health to produce a handbook that will for the
first time gather information for disabled parents from a wide range
of sources including health and social services, parent education,
family welfare, schools and sources of support in the community.
A DPN report, It shouldn’t be down to luck, describes what
over 150 disabled parents had to say about getting hold of information
and support.
Disabled
parents’ revealing comments will help to inform what should
be in the DPN handbook. They will also be invaluable for service providers
and voluntary organisations seeking to include disabled parents fully
in what they offer, in line with the 1995 Disability Discrimination
Act.
There
are handbooks on rights, benefits and services for disabled people
but these rarely cover parenting. At the same time information aimed
at parents and families tends to omit the issue of disability.
Disabled
parents have the same practical and emotional needs as any other parents
– to be able to go in search of information and find it without
too much of a struggle, to be able to get to the shops, access to
affordable and suitable equipment, a timely word of encouragement,
support with a child who is going through a challenging phase, someone
to turn to in a crisis…
Getting
hold of: It shouldn’t be down to luck
The
full report of DPN’s consultation with disabled parents, including
disabled parents’ comments, can be read or downloaded from DPN
web site: www.DisabledParentsNetwork.org.uk
There is also a summary of findings in simple English.
A shorter, printed version (also available on tape) can be ordered
from:
The National Centre for Disabled Parents. (Please send £4.00
in stamps to cover postage and handling)
Unit F9, 89-93 Fonthill Rd, London, N4 3JH
DPN telephone line: 0870 241 0450
Freephone: 0800 018 4730. Textphone: 0800 018 9949
Fax: 0207 263 6399
Please contact the author, Michele Wates, if you would like to discuss
any aspect of the DPN Handbook, have information that might be included
or would like to know what disabled parents said about the following:
* Access to and communications with schools
* Access to maternity services
* Access to parenting education and family support
* Relationships with service providers
* Access to practical supports
* Access to advocacy and legal support
* Community supports and peer support
* Recommendations for further research
