A Leeds based charity for people with learning disabilities has been awarded £150,000 from previously awarded funding as part of a £5 million research programme into independent living for disabled people.
CHANGE, the organisation for people with learning disabilities, will run the project, called ‘Learning By Doing Together’ in conjunction with academics from Leeds University Business School. It will explore the best ways to get more people with learning disabilities paid jobs as peer support employees, by organisations which run services for learning disabled people.
It’s been awarded funding from the DRILL (Disability Research on Independent Living and Learning) programme, a five year scheme led by disabled people and funded by Big Lottery Fund.
The project will be led by disabled people or people with long term health conditions, who will be working alongside other organisations as well as academics and policy makers.
These include The Brandon Trust, Keyring Living Support Networks, The Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust and a wider network such as NHS Employers and Health Education England, academics and practitioners.
Evan Odell from Disability Rights UK, which is supporting DRILL projects in England said:
“We’re delighted to be funding this project, run by and for disabled people. The results will help support disabled people to live more independently, and be part of the communities they live in.”
Philipa Bragman from CHANGE added:
“Only a tiny percentage of people with learning disabilities are in paid work. If organisations delivering services to people with learning disabilities employ more disabled people, not only does it create interesting and purposeful jobs for people with learning disabilities; it creates an inclusive workforce and a better service. It also shows other learning disabled people the art of the possible, and helps to shape and influence the culture of an organisation”.
DRILL has also announced that it is calling for new applications for research or project funds. More information is available from
www.drilluk.org.uk.
Launched in 2015, the DRILL programme is fully funded by Big Lottery Fund and delivered by Disability Rights UK, Disability Action Northern Ireland, Inclusion Scotland and Disability Wales. DRILL is expecting to fund a total of up to 40 research pilots and projects over a 5-year period, all led by disabled people. Around £1,000,000 has been allocated in this round of applications.