What do we do?

DAS is a Disabled Persons’ Organisation (DPO). These are representative organisations where persons with disabilities constitute a majority of the overall staff, board, and volunteers at all levels. DPO’s primary aim is the empowerment and growth of self-advocacy of persons with disabilities. DPOs understand disability in accordance with the social model, which notes that barriers are caused by society, rather than by a person’s disability.

The entire service is run by just one full-time manager and six part-time staff – with the help of around a dozen skilled and committed volunteers. Additionally we have 9 active trustees.

About two thirds of our staff/trustees live with a disability.

In 2020 we handled over 5,600 enquiries advising 1,086 clients representing 75 at appeals with a 100% success rate.

The total Year 1 benefit gain for clients was £2,111,829, however, when the average longevity of benefit awards is taken into account this scales up to £7,175,091.