Getting out and about can be challenging for many reasons: mental health issues, chronic illness, autism, hearing or mobility impairments, communication difficulties.
Do you identify as disabled, deaf or have a long-term health condition? Do you experience barriers that stop you from fully accessing life in the Hebden Bridge area?
Whatever your personal experience of disability, Hebden Bridge Disability Access Forum (HBDAF) would like to hear from you.
Here’s how to contact them:
- E: sechbdisabilityaccess@gmail.com
- Tel: 01422 844 914
Hebden Bridge Disability Access Forum are a hard-working, action-focused, disabled-led working group of around thirty members. The Forum was formed in 2016 to improve access for those who live, work or visit Hebden Bridge, as well as celebrating good practice and finding positive solutions.
There are many ways to get involved:
- Tell Hebden Bridge Disability Access Forum what difficulties you have accessing any aspects of local life – places, work, housing, education, care & support services, transport, information, advocacy…
- Join their google group for members’ discussion of access issues
- Come to their meetings, third Monday of each month at Hebden Bridge Town Hall, 2.30 – 4.30pm
Much of Hebden Bridge Disability Access Forum’s work has, and will continue to, tackle the more obvious, physical barriers people face.
Their numerous achievements include:
- Producing a step-free access map of Hebden Bridge
- Giving out 14 portable ramps to town centre premises
- Increasing Blue Badge parking spaces at Hebden Bridge station
- Consulting on plans for housing, development and flood alleviation
- Publicising issues about chronic illness and invisible disabilities
They’d like to concentrate more on raising awareness and creating better access for those with mental health issues and other invisible disabilities. This is a broad demographic that would include people with learning differences or dementia and Autistic people. If you have lived experience of any form of disability or support those who do, please get in touch.