Action on Disability (AOD) offers free and independent benefits advice and assistance to disabled adults and children of all ages, including parents and carers of disabled children, living in the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham. AOD is particularly proud of its association with the Lyric Theatre and Dance West and had been making plans to run a new performing arts project in 2020.
When the pandemic changed everything, AOD found itself unable to offer the usual face-to-face activities which were so vital to the mental health of young people with disabilities. With the impact of lockdown, the charity was worried about the wellbeing of the young people they supported, aware that even in ’normal’ times young people with disabilities are often isolated.
Action on Disability was forced to close its doors but its Team worked very hard to continue offering the same level of vital support and advice during the challenging lockdown period. AOD established a phone and online service, tailoring its operations to be as accessible as possible. They introduced virtual support meet-ups via Zoom or other video chat platforms.
However, it became apparent that only a handful of young people were able to access AOD’s resources using digital technology and that the organisation needed more funding to help these vulnerable disabled young people access what they could offer. Action on Disability was awarded emergency funding from John Lyon’s Charity via the London Community Response to support additionally support these young people. This funding enabled AOD to access digital devices and technology to continue offering support and communication with its vulnerable young people, in the hope of preventing further loneliness and isolation. As the impact of the pandemic eased, AOD has been able to restore its activities programme to pre-Covid-19 levels. The extra funding enabled AOD to restore 28 sessions of their youth club and holiday activities and 85 disabled young people and their families were able to enjoy face-to-face activities.
Without the core emergency funding, AOD would have faced uncertainty, instability and severe limitations on all the services they can offer. In the summer of 2021, Action on Disability began to return to full delivery with 45 young people a day accessing its projects. The charity hopes to continue delivering and developing its resources in the future.