Disability Positive is a registered charity and a Disabled People's Organisation (DPO) based in Northwich, Cheshire, that provides services, opportunities and a voice for people with lived experience of disability and long-term health conditions, and their families.
We were established in 1992 as Cheshire Disabilities Federation, then Cheshire Centre for Independent Living, rebranding as Disability Positive in 2020.
We offers a range of services that support disabled people in their everyday lives, including:
- Help arranging care and support planning - assisting people to employ a Personal Assistant (PA).
- Payroll services - help with payslips, tax and HMRC for people who employ a PA.
- Supported Banking - administrative support for people who find it difficult to use a bank account, including paying staff and invoices.
- Community Connections - practical support to enable young people to take part in community activities.
- Advocacy - support with housing, education and benefits issues as well as statutory advocacy.
We run a range of fully accessible community groups for people of all ages with lived experience of disability and long-term health conditions. These include 'Good Company', our user-led social and life skills group for adults aged 18+, and fully accessible youth groups for disabled young people aged 5-18..
We also work with service users to share experiences to influence positive change with local, regional, and national government. In addition, we provide services for businesses including disability equality training, customer experience audits and support to become a Disability Confident Employer.
From April 2023 - March 2024 we provided over 57,668 hours of support to 9,105 people with lived experience of disability, long-term health conditions, and their families or carers. 96% of people we supported reported improvement in independence, self-confidence, dignity, choice and control, mental health, upholding of rights or reduced social isolation. Demand for our services is increasing year on year.
Fundraising plays a huge role in the sustainability of our Community Engagement services, with income raised each year through a conbination of grant funding, corporate support and individual giving.
Reaching our crowdfunding target through Spacehive will cover the costs of delivering Tarporley Social Circle for six months.