Draft Disability Strategy - our concerns and key asks

[Frank Warwick]

Dear Colleague Thought you might find this of interest. Frank.

We are writing to express our concerns about the Draft Executive Disability Strategy and outline our key asks for addressing them.

Background

You may be aware that the draft Executive Disability Strategy has been published for consultation. The consultation can be viewed here https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/consultations/consultation-ni-executive-disability-strategy-2025-2035.

Imtac co chaired the Disability Strategy Co Design Group that worked with the previous Communities Minister and her officials between 2020 and 2022. We agreed on both a positive vision and eight outcomes for the Strategy but Deaf and Disabled people had no part in developing the 58 commitments subsequently included in the draft Strategy. This has resulted in an extremely disappointing Strategy with very few tangible commitments that will make delivering the outcomes impossible. 

We have waited so long for a Disability Strategy, and we believe Deaf and Disabled people deserve better than what has been produced.

What are our concerns?

Imtac has been working with some of the other members of the Disability Strategy Co Design Group and the Expert Advisory Panel who developed a report to inform the Strategy. Our concerns are summarised in the attached briefing paper and include:

• Inadequate involvement of Deaf and Disabled people in coproducing the Strategy
• Poor quality and wholly inadequate commitments in the Draft Strategy
• The absence of any resources to help deliver the strategy

Overall we believe the draft Strategy will leave Deaf and Disabled people feeling devalued and disillusioned. We, alongside others, are calling for significant revisions to the final Strategy. 

How you can help

A strong response is needed to the consultation, which calls for significant changes to the Draft Strategy. We are asking as many people and organisations to respond to the consultation and raise their concerns. Please feel free to use and share the briefing paper when developing a response. 

Imtac hopes to have our draft response available in the next few weeks and we will share it widely before the closing date for responses which is the 20th March 2026.

Imtac has also worked with others to draft an open letter to Executive Ministers calling for renewed engagement with Deaf and Disabled people to agree on changes to the final Strategy. We are asking Deaf and Disabled people, our organisations and wider stakeholders and allies to sign the letter and send the clear message to our Executive that the draft Strategy is unacceptable. A copy of the letter is attached. You can email us directly to ask to be included as a signatory. There is also a Google Docs link included below where you can add your name or organisation. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/145FXsO49VUcBda4-tJTgdEZOumFJzfpLhayVl41HCSw/edit?usp=sharing

Next steps

Please feel free to share this email and the information it contains. 

We are happy to discuss issues further and will continue to share further information both before and after the consultation closes. We also plan to hold an event where Deaf and Disabled people, our organisations and our allies can come together to identify what we want from the final Disability Strategy.

Please direct any queries to Michael Lorimer or Angela George at our secretariat. 

Thank you

Imtac Members

IMTAC

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