The end of a year always sparks a period of reflection and we certainly aren’t resisting this opportunity to take a look back at the past twelve months.
2024 has been a challenging time for DW with an organisation restructure seeing us waving goodbye to two valued members of staff. However, we have continued to strive for disabled people’s rights and equality and want to take this moment to thank our members, supporters and allies for bolstering our work and continuing on this journey with us.
We presented our Annual Report for the 2023/24 financial year at our recent AGM which also operated as a planning session as we prepare for our strategic review in the new year. It was refreshing to hear directly from our members and the discussions from the breakout rooms will no doubt play a big part in mapping out the future direction of DW and what our priorities should be moving forward.
For those who weren’t able to join us on the day, we wanted to bring a part of the AGM to our website to highlight DW’s work in the last financial year. Here, our Chief Executive, Rhian Davies, gives her report.
Chief Executive report 2023/24
During another challenging year for disabled people where the cost-of-living crisis added to the long-term impact of austerity and the pandemic in exacerbating poverty and inequality, DW continued to pursue our aim of influencing policy and decision makers at all levels on behalf of members.
These included utilising some high-profile opportunities to call policy makers to account such as the review of UK Government implementation of the Convention of the Rights of Disabled People at the UN in Geneva, as well as at the Covid-19 Inquiry Hearings in Cardiff.
Moreover, our influential report into the impact of the cost-of-living crisis Barely Surviving which drew on members experiences was presented to Welsh Government ministers and Senedd Members at meetings and briefing events and helped inform policy and budgetary discussions.
Despite the challenging context, we continued to actively contribute towards DW’s aim to develop and support the work of Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs). This included provision of vital information to support members during the cost-of-living crisis via new website pages, social media activity and our monthly e-news.
We brought members together with media organisations through successful delivery of our popular hybrid annual conference Challenging Stereotypes, Changing Society: Disabled People and the Media.
Furthermore, we arranged our first in-person event in North Wales since the pandemic – the North Wales DPO Summit. It provided a memorable opportunity to showcase the valuable work of local DPOs to funding bodies and discuss their needs for capacity building.
Our strategic objective of designing and delivering training and development programmes for members was met through a series of 5 online events on the Social Model of Disability which reached 213 participants.
Moreover, the final year of the Equal Power Equal Voice Mentoring Programme run in partnership with Women’s Equality Network Wales, EYST and Stonewall Cymru, recruited a record 38 disabled people to participate in a transformative programme of events, visits and mentoring opportunities aimed at achieving greater diversity in public life.
Our exciting work with the National Trust, involved training for 52 volunteers from DPOs in providing feedback on access and inclusion at 10 historic properties around Wales from Plas Newydd in Ynys Mon to Dyffryn Gardens in the Vale.
My thanks and appreciation as ever for the support, dedication and hard work of DW’s Directors and Staff.
Rhian Davies
Chief Executive
