Disability Equality Training (DET) is a dynamic, participative approach to changing traditional attitudes to disability.  It uses an interactive and reflective process which aims to:

• Sensitize participants to disability issues in the context of the programmes, projects and activities they plan, run, support or promote.
• Introduce participants to the basic tools and concepts that they need in order to make changes to these activities, in order to ensure the equal participation of people with disabilities.

DET differs in many ways from traditional approaches to disability awareness training:

• It works from the rights-based equality model enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
• It aims to identify practical solutions for promoting equality of participation by people with disabilities.
• It focuses closely on the implications of disability for the conceptual and practical components of participants' work.
• It involves participants in making plans for necessary changes - practical plans that can really happen!

Very importantly, DET undertaken with professionals builds on their existing knowledge and skills as experts competent in their own fields.  It assists them to see how disability inclusion benefits their own work or core business, as well as ensuring equality for disabled people.  By rooting the learning in participants' own expertise, and being respectful of this, DET is more practical, more action-orientated, more effective and less 'threatening' than traditional methods of raising awareness of disability issues.

In the best DET the expertise of the person running the programme adds to the expertise of the participants in cooperative way.  The best way to achieve this involves the application of facilitation skills to learning goals.

This programme aims to equip participants with the skills they need to deliver DET effectively and with confidence.  During the programme participants will:

• Learn, critique and practice the core skills necessary to design and deliver effective DET
• Consider and develop culturally appropriate DET content
• Explore how to target DET to suit specific audiences
• Practice facilitation skills
• Plan their DET strategy

As far as possible, the training will be responsive to participant needs related to the topic, and will seek to address these during the session.