ECDP - Essex Coalition of Disabled People - Introduction to Disability Equality Training

Introduction to DET

What is DET?

Disability Equality Training has been developed by disabled people themselves over the last twenty years, in order to enable service providers to develop appropriate and accessible services for disabled people. Consequently there is a moral ownership of ‘equality training’ with the Disability Movement.

It is the only type of training to be endorsed by the United Kingdom's Disabled People's Council (UKDPC) - The international voice of the Disability Movement in the UK.

Why DET?

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995, for the first time, gave disabled people legal protection against discrimination both as users of services and as employees. This means that all organisations need to be confident that their staff will behave appropriately towards disabled people at all times. Unless you can justify that you have taken reasonable steps to prevent any inappropriate behaviour, you will be held responsible under the law.

We believe that the need for training is not just about complying with the law; it is about providing better customer care to all users of your services, and creating a better working environment for all staff. This way you benefit from increasing your market (disabled people spend £40 billion each year in Britain), and you will be able to retain existing staff who acquire an impairment. Ultimately you will be able to recruit and keep the best person to do the job.

Aims of DET

To promote the Social Model of Disability
To promote an understanding and the use of a disability equality perspective including a ‘rights not charity’ approach
To promote a policy of inclusion
To promote the ‘Independent Living’ agenda giving disabled people choice and control
To develop and improve policies and procedures which may create a barrier to disabled people’s inclusion.
To develop and share guidelines for best practice.

The Training Process

By creating a relaxed and friendly training atmosphere, participants will have the space to explore new approaches to their work and the time to question and challenge most of the misinformation and myths, which create both fear and embarrassment when dealing with disability issues and/ or disabled people.

The training session is not the end result. It is the start of a process of changing the culture and principles from which people work. Other specific training in legislation, such as the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the Human Rights Act 1998, as well as general equal opportunities training should be used to compliment the ‘equality’ training. Not that these may be dealt with within the disability equality training environment.

What qualifies us to deliver DET?

ECDP is a full member of the United Kingdom’s Disabled People’s Council (UKDPC). As such ECDP is recognised as being an approved provider of Disability Equality Training. You can check this out by logging onto www.bcodp.org.uk.

ECDP also ensures that its trainers are trained to a high standard. Please see DET Opportunities