Disability Friendly
Access for People with Disabilities in Hebden Bridge The Disability Access Forum is a working group of the Hebden Royd Town Council that was established in 2016 with the objective of enhancing accessibility to everyday life in the Hebden Royd neighborhood. New members with any kind of disability are warmly welcomed into the organization, whether it be an impairment of mobility, vision, hearing, communication, neurological issues, mental health issues, neurodiversity, learning disability, or chronic illness.
Governance
In the year 1891, the Hebden Bridge Urban District came into existence at the level of the district. In 1937, it merged with the urban district of Mytholmroyd to form what would later be known as the Hebden Royd Urban District. Hebden Bridge was a town that was a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire when it came to the county's administrative structure. As part of the changes that were made in response to the Local Government Act of 1972, these were done away with. The West Yorkshire Metropolitan county, the Calderdale Metropolitan Borough, and the Hebden Royd Town Civil Parish took their place. The town council is considered to be a parish council for the purposes of the law.
Meetings
When & How
Attending the regular meetings, which are held on the third Monday of each month, is one way that members contribute. Other ways include participating in the conversation on our online forum and communicating with one another in person, over the phone, or via email. Participants are encouraged to contribute in whatever capacity they are able to do so.
The Goal
A further goal of the Hebden Bridge Disability Access Forum is to increase local awareness of disability-related issues and access requirements, as well as to make the areas of Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd, and the surrounding villages more accessible and user-friendly for disabled people who live there and those who visit.
Social Model of Disability
They advocate for the Social Model of Disability, which asserts that people with impairments are considered to be "disabled" because of the barriers that exist in society that cause them to be excluded and discriminated against.
In the time in between meetings, there is always work for members who are able to contribute and are willing to do so. Any and all contributions, no matter how large or how small, are gratefully received.
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1The gathering takes place over a Zoom video link on the third Monday of every month from 3:00 to 4:30:30 pm.
If you would like someone to assist you at meetings, whether it be a personal assistant, a support worker, or anyone else, you are more than welcome to bring them. You are more than welcome to come to the meeting on a regular basis, occasionally, or even just for a portion of it depending on what best suits your requirements.
Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus, the HBDAF also meets for an informal drop-in chat on the first Monday of every month at 3pm via Zoom video link. There is no agenda, and there are no minutes taken during these meetings. At either of the meetings, new members will receive a warm welcome.