Campaigning

Scope has a team who organise campaigns around issues to do with furthering disabled people’s civil rights.
You can contact Scope to find out more:
Scope, Freepost LON 23017, Sheffield, S98 1ZP
Telephone: 020 7619 7334
Website: http://www.scope.org.uk

Leonard Cheshire charity now also does campaigning work to help further disabled people’s rights. You can find out more on their website: http://www.lcdisability.org

Running a Campaign

If you are thinking of setting up and running a campaign, you should make sure you have realistic and achievable aims. Think about what you want the campaign to achieve, whether this is possible, and how it might happen, before you start.
Find out what happens elsewhere; are there other groups in other areas you can learn from?
Check your facts – if you start off by saying things that turn out not to be true, your campaign will not recover.
Attract other people to your campaign by talking to them, leafleting etc – you cannot sustain a campaign unless there are a number of people willing to help with the work.
Plan a programme of action – this can be anything within the law, including letters to officials or the media, lobbying decision-makers, talking to other community groups and asking for their support, leafleting people who may be affected, contacting Councillors and MPs, petitions, events, stunts or protests that attract the interest of the public or the media.
The important thing is only to take on activities that you will be able to do – don’t try to do too many things, as your campaign will fail if people feel over-burdened.
Letter writing/complaints
Before you write the letter or fill in the complaint form, think about what you want to say, and what action you want to see as a result. You should include a short account of the nature of your issue or complaint, setting out any events in the order they happened.
You should say what you are hoping for as a result of the letter or complaint.
You should provide your name and contact details.
You should always keep your own copy of what you sent – even if it is a handwritten copy.
Make sure you send the letter or complaint to the right person or organisation.

 

Meetings

When attending meetings on a particular issue or subject, it is a good idea to think about the things that are most important to you about this issue or subject. Write them down before the meeting.
Think of what questions you want answered before the meeting.
Go through the Agenda and decide what agenda item is best for brining up your points.
When you make your point or ask your question, try to be brief and keep to the subject, or the Chair of a meeting may prevent you from continuing.
Remember, when you speak, if you stay calm no matter how frustrated you may feel, you are more likely to get a better result - people don’t focus on what you are saying if you are angry.
Organising a meeting
One of the major points when organising a public meeting is to make sure it’s accessible to the maximum number of disabled people.
If you want to organise a public meeting on a particular issue, you need to arrange a time that will be convenient to most disabled people.
It is a good idea to have day times meetings that start at 11.00 because that gives disabled people time of they need help with their personal care, or help with transportation.
If you are holding a meeting in the evening, when employed disabled people will be able to attend, it is a good idea to make sure you finish by 9.00pm.
Make sure you invite the relevant decision-makers if you want your questions answered by them.
Make sure you give people plenty of notice – at least 2 weeks.
Before the meeting
If you are making leaflets and other information about the meeting, make sure they are in a variety of formats, in plain English, and have a picture of the venue (photo or drawing) as well as the address.
Don’t make the information too crowded, and don’t use columns.
Ask people to let you know if they need anything in order to take part, such as Braille information, or a signer or note-taker.
Deciding on a venue
You should try to ensure that your meeting place is easy to get to by (accessible) public transport, with drop-off points outside the door, and designated blue Badge parking outside the door.
If people have to cross the road – is there an accessible crossing point including a tactile surface) nearby? Are there dropped kerbs? Is the pavement and path wide enough and even enough for people with wheelchairs/dogs/sticks?
The venue should also have a short distance from entrance to meeting room, and a route that is not deeply carpeted or heavily patterned.
Entrance
Make sure the building has a level entrance. If this is not possible, make sure there is a ramp into the building, and steps with handrails and colour contrasted edges. Ideally the building should have automatic doors. If the doors are heavy, check that you can prop them open, or have someone standing by the door who can open it for people.
Inside
If your meeting is not on the ground floor is there an accessible lift?
Make sure corridors are wide enough and unobstructed, and the route is marked in a well contrasted colour.
The venue should have accessible toilets that are easy to find.
you may need to make your own temporary signage - make sure it is in lower case arial print and that the paper contrasts with the walls it will be placed upon.
You should arrange for a variety of seating inside - with and without arms, various heights, and with spaces for wheelchairs.
The room should have a loop or infrared system.
The Meeting
Make sure all your speakers face the audience when they speak.
Make sure the chair explains what the meeting is about, and what will happen when, when people can ask questions and make points etc.
If you are providing handouts, provide them in large print and tape as well as standard print.
If you are providing written material as part of the meeting, you need to read this out in the meeting - visually impaired people may not be able to read any written handouts, and deaf and hard of hearing people may now be able to read the handout and follow the meeting.
You may want to run the meetings using coloured cards with “I have something to say”, on, that people raise when they want to speak – using coloured cards to agree, disagree, or speak is a system used by some groups of people with learning disabilities.
If you are serving drinks etc, make sure there is someone around who can offer to bring drinks to people.
Finally, make sure everyone feels welcome, and free to speak, encourage people to participate – you can have an ordered meeting that is also a relaxed and friendly meeting!