30 May 2018.
This Friday (1 June) our Grapevine CEO Clare Wightman takes to the stage again to talk about Grapevine’s ongoing work across Coventry and Warwickshire – this time at the Inclusion International World Congress in Birmingham.
This 17th World Congress takes place over three days (30 May – 1 June), bringing together people and organisations from all over the world to influence how inclusion can become a reality for people with intellectual disabilities and their families.
The event, held at the International Convention Centre, will be a forum for self-advocates, families and professionals to learn from and inspire one another to achieve this mutual aim.
Clare’s topic on the event’s final day ‘Inclusive cities’, examines how people, families and organisations can form civic partnerships – working with political and professional leaders to make our cities better for everyone.
Here is an excerpt of the paper Clare will present for the first time at this event, co-written with Lucie Stephens and David Towell.
The ‘Cities for all’ research paper* includes an interesting and accurate reflection of part of Grapevine’s current work with learning disabled people. It was originally founded in 1994 as a project to offer a drop-in centre for people with intellectual disabilities.
If you would like to know more, read on!
Cities for all: Disabled people as partners in making our towns and cities better for everyone
“Put at its simplest, Grapevine is a team, at the heart of local communities, working to change things so that those at most risk of exclusion can help make their community a better, fairer and more welcoming place for everyone.”
“…Today we work with many others facing disadvantage: young people, migrants, families in crisis and many groups of disabled people and their families.
“…If people can get the resources they need and can make the best use of public services, then they can shape their own lives. At different stages of finding their own paths to community, people may need different kinds of support, all of which we try to make available. We characterise the main kinds of support as:
- Partnership – Some people need someone along with them on the journey, at least for a while, to keep them strong and hopeful.
- Preparation – Some people need help to prepare for personal change and transition, to get inspiration, support to plan or practical assistance.
- Self-direction – Some people just need to access information and networks to find the right resources for themselves and their families.
“…Over [this] 20 years at Grapevine, citizen advocacy has become community advocacy. This is not just because the community is itself critical to every person’s ability to lead a valued life. It is also because the community needs these different voices and experiences in order to become fully itself.
“The goal is not just that the individual becomes part of the community; the goal is that the community becomes more truly what it should be, a place that welcomes, supports, and is in turn nourished by, all of its members.”
*Click here to read the full paper in the Centre for Welfare Reform’s library.
For more information about the Inclusion International World Congress click here.