The Network seeks to provide a structure whereby young disabled people can be supported to play a full and active part in the decision-making processes that affects their lives.

The Network aims to give young disabled people opportunities to:

• Meet and have fun.
• Understand their rights.
• Raise issues of concern to them in their everyday lives.
• Have a voice in decision-making affecting themselves and their peers.
• Build their capacity, by increasing their confidence and self esteem, to become effective participants in the decision making process.

If you feel that you want to be involved in decisions that affect you and your life then sign up to become a member. You will be able to add your own web page, join in with discussions and live chat and find out what training or events are being held. For more information use the contact page to write, telephone or e-mail the coordinator of the project.

david.baker@childreninwales.org.uk

If you want to see what we are discussing now the open the message board area or  

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Where did the Network come from'

A number of consultations and projects involving disabled young people mad professionals completed during the last few years have identified the need for a Network for Young Disabled People in Wales

• The ‘Have your Say’ day on December 3^rd 2001 (when young disabled people met with AMs in the National Assembly for Wales)
• The ‘Vista-Breeze’ consultation project on transition issues which was led by Scope in November 2002
• The views of professionals working with young disabled people who have attended the Children in Wales Disability Forum meetings over the last four years
• Rights into Action 2003- the 1^st International Congress of Young Disabled People held in Swansea in July 2003

Whilst recommendations for a network had come out of all the above projects it was Rights into Action 2003 that provided the real impetus needed to kick-start the work around developing a network.

Four groups of young disabled people from across Wales were at the center of the planning and delivery of the congress (Interplay, Viva, Jigsaw and NSPCC). Collaborative working on a complicated project such as this not only strengthened the links between these organizations but ensured that we at children in Wales knew exactly what would be involved in setting up a network and how to go about it. Previous plans were refined and a funding bid submitted to Comic Relief.

Network Update:

The network young people have requested training so that they can deliver the message from disabled young people. Individuals and groups have received training in Disability awareness and participation.  This training will be on going during 2008 -2009.  It is hoped that the young people can then deliver the training in their local area.  The young people have also been involved in the Disabled Children Matter Wales campaign by helping to prioritise what the campaign is aiming to do, talking to the media about how they feel and contributing to the website.  The network would like to expand so that it is a National Network with one voice campaigning for the rights of young disabled people from all over the UK.  Hopefully this is something that may happen in the future.

To learn a bit more about what the Network is and what it does then you can watch the DVD which was filmed in Stackpole in 2006

just click here  http://www.vervehouse.co.uk/the%20network%20video%20page.html