Please note that our website is currently under construction and as yet is not accessibility friendly. We sincerely apologise for this but are working towards further development.
WELCOME
Disability Inspired Alliance (D.I.A) is a new Social Enterprise Organisation championing
for the way people living with ‘UnSeen Disabilities’ (USD's) are seen and perceived in
society as a whole.
It is important to know that 'UnSeen Disabilities are simply ailments that debilitate a person but are not always physically visible.
Disability Inspired Alliance has
been working tirelessly to develop and introduce ‘a new symbol of
recognition.’ The symbols in question has
been designed to represent people whose disabilities are not obvious.
Disability Inspired Alliance realised
the need for a new signs was long overdue since several members in the organization are themselves living with unseen disabilities.
Fundamentally, Disability Inspired Alliance are striving for
social change at a local,regional, national and international level. Acceptability, inclusion and accessibility
were the three main areas that inspired Disability Inspired Alliance to explore the need for change.
With the use of both a new pictorial
image and the letters U.S.D (UnSeen Disability), Disability Inspired Alliance will push for their signs to be both standardized
and used as Public Information Symbols both locally, nationally and globally. We want the use of the pictorial signage and letters not only to
be used to convey a message but to act as an effective way of providing
important visual information.
Arduous research carried out by Disability Inspired Alliance,
showed that people living with unseen disabilities were more likely to
experience discrimination and prejudice not only from able-bodied people but from
other disabled people, particularly those in wheelchairs (mobility chairs) and
those with walking sticks.
Disability Inspired Alliance could find no signage or
symbols representative of unseen disabilities with the exception of
three signs that represented Visually Impaired or Partially Sighted people (see Symbols 1,
2, 3 and 4 below) and the Access to Hearing.
Symbol !
Symbol 2.
Partially
Sighted or Visually Impaired
Symbol
3
In fact the only generic sign misrepresenting disabled people is the pictorial image of the standardize
wheelchair itself which is currently used nationally and internationally. The is a global feature.
Symbol
4
Disability Inspired Alliance’s Pictorial ‘Symbol of
Recognition’ and letters USD (UnSeen
Disabilities) aims to use symbols/signs which will not only deliver a message, but move towards developing a better
understanding towards those living with UnSeen Disabilities.
We feel it is important for you to fully
understand who we are, what we do and the objectives of our organization. Disability
Inspired Alliance (D.I.A) was initially
set up after lengthy discussions with people living with both seen and unseen
disabilities.
We found that people living with Unseen Disabilities feel they have to
‘prove’ their disabilities at times to general members
of the public. People living with Unseen disabilities are presently
misrepresented by only one existing generic sign; the wheelchair! We have
designed several new generic Public Information Signs which truly represents
Unseen Disabilities and are currently working on others.
Disability Inspired Alliance are a
Social Enterprise and Community Interest based organization, with less than five employees, carried out research and recognized the need to create
change within society and began championing arduously for people living with
Unseen disabilities such as:-
As a community we
should all ask ourselves two fundamental questions – ‘What does disability look
like? And whose perception is it? What is important to remember, ‘Not all
disabilities are seen.’ One of the
Directors
Eureka, is herself disabled and knows only too well of the prejudices of having
a disability.
OUR KEY PRINCIPLE PHILOSOPHY –
- ·To champion on behalf of Adults and
Children living
with Unseen Disabilities
- To raise awareness of the prejudices associated with
Disabilities
- To create new Public Information
Signs for Accessibility
- To work towards creating awareness of
Public Information Signs locally, nationally and internationally.
