DIAL UK News - Annual Increase in Compensation Limits

Statement from the Office For Disability Issues

Publication date: 15/02/2006

Thank you to DIAL UK for contributing to the consultation exercise we held in September. As you may remember, one of the things that we talked to people about was the establishment of an Office for Disability Issues (ODI) and what its remit might be.
I am pleased to tell you that the ODI is established from today. It will spearhead the implementation of the cross-government strategy to improve the life chances of disabled people.

The ODI will help ensure that we achieve the Government's 2025 vision of substantive equality for disabled people. It will focus on challenging Government from within, driving forward better and more joined-up policy making and service delivery, identifying gaps and inconsistencies in provision, being an exemplar in equal opportunities, providing a centre of expertise and information on disability, and influencing public perceptions and awareness. The Office will be responsible for reporting annually on progress to the Prime Minister and publishing this information on the web.

But more than this, the ODI signals a sea-change in the way in which we in Government will work with one another and with disabled people and disability organisations. The Office will be a collective resource for Government departments; it will be staffed by a mix of people - not only civil servants - with different expertise and life experiences. And we will be advertising an Assistant Director post early in the New Year. It will work openly and inclusively, and seek opportunities for early sharing of thinking, and informal as well as formal exchanges of views. It won't be able to realise our twenty-year vision overnight, but it will help ensure that we are continually moving forward in a transparent way.

We look forward to working closely with you in the future.

To find out more about the ODI you can visit our website: www.officefordisability.gov.uk

Paul McCourt
Office for Disability Issues
Adelphi
1-11 John Adam Street
London
WC2N 6HT