Aims And Values

Our Mission

We believe that disabled people have the right to have children and that they should be properly supported to carry out that right at each stage of parenting.

Our Vision

To work towards the day when disabled people and parenthood are accepted by the wider public without question.

Our Values

To work towards our mission, we will:

provide disabled parents with balanced advice and information on the responsibilities that statutory bodies legally have a duty to provide, in meeting assessed needs.
open the eyes and minds of people and organisations to the needs of disabled parents in the United Kingdom *.
concentrate on becoming a progressive ethical organisation, built on the principals of ethnic and inclusive diversity.
work towards the removal of physical and social barriers limiting or denying disabled parents ability to take part in society on an equal basis with non disabled parents by providing support, information and advice.

* The exact number of disabled parents in the UK is not known. Estimates range, according to how they are calculated, from 1.2 to 4 million parents, and numbers are thought to be increasing. [Social Services Inspectorate Jigsaw of Services March 2000]

Our definition of a disabled parent is deliberately broad and includes:

Any person with actual or perceived physical, sensory, emotional, learning impairment, long-term illness, HIV, drug or alcohol dependence or a person with a mental health issue.
These impairments may be obvious, hidden, long term or short term may be congenital or acquired before or after the birth of a child, e.g. road traffic accident.

Our definition of Parents include:

prospective parents, grandparents, and same sex couples, those who raise, adopt or foster children, stepparents as well as biological parents.

last updated: 26 Sep 07

tags : About Aims Values

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Registered Office: Disabled Parents Network, 81 Melton Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, NG2 8EN. Registered Charity No: 1087662