At Disability Law Service (DLS) our aim is to support Deaf and Disabled people to exercise their rights and achieve justice. For decades our charity has provided free legal advice, support and representation to Deaf and Disabled people and their carers across England and Wales. We focus on areas like community care, housing, discrimination, employment, public law and welfare benefits.
An essential safety net
Almost half of people living in poverty in the UK are Disabled or living in a household with a Disabled person. This makes access to legal advice difficult, especially with the decline in local advice centres for Disabled people and the prohibitive costs in securing legal advice.
Every year, we provide a vital service to more than 5,000 Disabled people. For some, it’s helpful advice over the phone or an online factsheet, for others it is full representation at a tribunal. Our work changes lives, securing over £3 million in financial gains for our clients, enabling them to access their entitlements and live more independently. However, the true impact is likely much higher, as we often do not hear the outcomes when one-off advice is provided.
Beyond financial support, our advice and services directly reduce stress and anxiety for our clients and their families. A recent survey revealed that 82% of our clients were highly stressed before reaching out to us, while nearly 90% reported that our help significantly eased their stress.
The outcomes we achieve are truly life-changing. For example, we have helped clients increase their community care support plans, allowing them to live with greater independence and dignity. We have also prevented unlawful evictions, ensuring clients can remain in their homes, protected client’s rights in the workplace and assisted clients in accessing Disabled Facilities Grants, enabling them to adapt their homes and maintain their independence.
Our impact extends beyond individual support. Through our disability law training programme, we are equipping more organisations with the skills to advocate for and assist Deaf and Disabled people in navigating complex legal systems. Through our policy work we are campaigning for changes in laws that disadvantage Deaf and Disabled individuals.
Our advocacy has led to significant achievements, including a high-profile case at the European Court of Human Rights and direct contributions to shaping case law.
Challenges ahead
The challenges our organisation faces are immense. The lack of long-term funding is a constant strain on our resources and staff. Legal aid revenue helps sustain some of our work and we engage in fundraising efforts, such as marathons and other running events. We receive some corporate support, including funding from Linklaters law firm and the London Legal Support Trust, recognising our role as a Centre of Excellence.
Whilst many of our current project contracts have been extended by at least another year, these short-term extensions make it challenging to plan for the future and secure the sustainability of our services. One of DLS’s major core grants ended last year, and the growing competition within the sector has made it increasingly difficult to secure new core funding.
Helpline under threat
Our Community Care and Housing Helpline is entirely unfunded and is supported by our core funds. Without new financial support, this vital service is under threat. Cuts to legal aid and the closure of advice centres have created ‘advice deserts’ across the country. Many of our clients reach out to us in extreme distress through our helpline, knowing that DLS might be their last chance to secure the care or housing they need. Unfortunately, there is declining support within the funding sector for this type of critical, client-focused work.
DLS has, as far as we are aware, the largest team of community care law experts in the country. There are very few – if any – other services that provide the level and type of support that DLS offers in community care and housing law.
If we are forced to reduce our operational capacity, the consequences for Disabled people would be severe. Many individuals already struggling to access community care and housing support would be left without the vital legal assistance they need.
The proposed changes to national insurance contributions by the Government will also place an additional financial strain on us. This change will require us to closely monitor our finances and to seek additional funding to avoid compromising our service delivery.
Why lived experience matters
My experience of hidden disability fuels my passion for the work of DLS. Navigating life with ADHD has taught me how isolating and frustrating it can be to fight systems that don’t understand or accommodate to your needs. It has also reinforced the unique strengths that come from lived experience.
At DLS we are not only advocates for the Disabled community – we are part of it. At least 75% of our Board of Trustees and more than half of our staff are Deaf or Disabled. We believe this approach is essential, as it allows us to fully understand the daily challenges of living with a disability so that we can provide tailored and empathetic support.
Deaf and Disabled people face discrimination and inequality on an unparalleled scale. They are among the poorest in society, were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, and must fight daily to uphold their most basic human rights. It is essential that organisations like DLS exist, as we are often the only avenue for many of our clients to access justice.
I am proud of the quality, breadth and depth of the work that DLS has been undertaking to support Deaf and Disabled people in England & Wales since 1975. Through our frontline services and our policy work we will continue to fight for justice and ensure that Deaf and Disabled people have the opportunity to live with dignity, independence and hope.
