Mid-Ulster Disability Forum

Public benefits

Purpose- To promote the benefit of people with disabilities and their carers in the Cookstown District Council area. The benefits which flow from this purpose include prevention/relief of poverty, advancement of education and promotion of social inclusion by providing opportunities for marginalised groups. These benefits are demonstrated through

programmes such as the Youth Included Project and others. The Youth Included project is for young people with disabilities and their non-disabled peers. The project promotes this through increased leisure and educational opportunities in a safe and controlled environment. This builds self-esteem and confidence. The project also encourages the development of individual capabilities, competencies, skills and understanding. The forum uses their charitable resources to provide specialist equipment and training opportunities to voluntary/ community groups, parents and non- disabled peers in the Cookstown area that may not otherwise always be available. Through fundraising activities we were able to support various organisations by the provision of a range of equipment such as iPads, tandem bicycles, video cameras etc. This promotes the service provision for children and young people with disabilities in the area. These are all for the use of those with disabilities exclusively and helps to promote the service provision for children and young people with disabilities in the area. Cookstown and District Disability Forum in partnership with others were able to access substantial funding to create a fully accessible website which will be an information tool to provide access information on shops, leisure and commercial buildings in the Mid Ulster area e.g. accessible with speech software for those with eyesight impairments. This is an ongoing project and will promote social inclusion, social and community infrastructure and accessible social and community infrastructure will be a legacy. The forum is comprised of a range of volunteers from community and voluntary organisations. It is a consultative body used by the council and other agencies to inform strategies which impact on the lives of local disabled people who live in the locality. This advances and promotes equality and eliminates discrimination on the grounds of disability, thereby insuring the advancement of human rights. We have assessed the potential for harm and believe that there is none. The charity’s beneficiaries are those people with a disability and their carers in the area. We have assessed the potential private benefits and believe that there is none.

What your organisation does

Mid Ulster Disability Forum works for the benefit of those with disabilities and their carers in the Mid Ulster District Council area.