Dear Member,

As the Disability Officer for the Sedgefield CLP, my remit is to ensure that disabled members are fully involved in the work of the Sedgefield Constituency Labour Party, as well as taking a leading role in making sure that the campaigning work of the constituency reaches out and engages with ‘the disabled’. My role is multifaceted; to remove barriers - both real and illusory - that prevent or discourage YOU from taking a full and active part in building a better future and fairer society for us all.

The provisions of the Equality Act (2010), as implemented by The Labour Party, potentially sanction positive discrimination across a whole range of disabilities. We wish to encourage YOU to reach your full potential and become active within the Party. However, this is not a Press Gang! We seek to foster an environment that gives you encouragement and opportunity, if you so desire.

When joining the Labour Party, or perhaps since then, you may have self-identified as having certain disabilities (physical, mental, emotional and so on). Do you feel that your disabilities have prevented you - perhaps, because of a lack of confidence or opportunity - from Working to ensure the concerns of disabled people are reflected and included in policy debates?

I would love to listen to your views on politics, accessibility and how we can assist each other. You know, it is often hard living with disabilities. Some days, it is just not easy to motivate oneself; everything is just too much bother. Yet we keep plodding on - don't we - and we get there in the end.

You may have heard of GDPR. It has to do with data protection and your privacy. Any information that you give us has to be kept in a secure Data Asset Register and can only be used for the purpose that it was collected. Penalties can be punitive for the misuse of your private information.

In conclusion, I ask that you contact me through the Sedgefield CLP Secretary, Barbara Clare (sedgefieldsecretary@outlook.com). Only then with your consent and in the strictest confidence, will your information be forwarded to me. I am contactable by landline, mobile, Skype, whats app, email, or if the opportunity arises, even over a cup of coffee.

 

Respectfully yours,

Derek G Atkinson.

Sedgefield CLP Disability Officer.