I received an unusually high number of responses to my blog on User Led Organisations (ULOs) below. Steve at NDTi kindly shared the link to a report by Inclusion London, called A Matter of Survival, Funding experiences of London’s Deaf and disabled peoples organisations and implications for disability equality.
The findings are stark: 1 in 5 expect to close, most have been cut and most will be cut again this year. The cuts are already having an impact upon those organisations’ ability to both support the (rising number of) individuals who need them, but also on their roles as campaigning and influencing organisations. Most report that communications with their local authorities were deteriorating, with half saying the council’s plans were unclear.
This picture is a long way from the model of ULOs bringing citizen’s voices to the heart of commissioning processes. http://www.inclusionlondon.co.uk/its-a-matter-of-survival
Escaping the invisible asylum 