Mid Suffolk Disability Forum Action Plan

Our Forum brings together local people, councillors, and community groups. We work together to make our district more accessible and welcoming for everyone.

Although we work closely with Mid Suffolk District Council, we are independent and led by our members.

Mid Suffolk District Council have worked with us to develop our action plan. The council are committed to supporting the plan and delivering their priorities.

About the Forum

What We Want to Achieve

Our action plan focuses on clear and practical steps to:

Improve access to shops, businesses, leisure centres, and sports facilities
Make local transport easier to use and more affordable
Make sure council services are inclusive
Include accessibility in planning work
Support more employment opportunities for disabled residents
Increase involvement and representation within the council
Raise awareness and improve communication

Priority areas

Our forum has chosen four areas to focus on:

Inclusive Housing: Making sure there are more accessible homes and suitable adaptations
Co-producing Services: Giving disabled residents more chances to help shape services and information
Accessible Nature and Green Spaces: Making outdoor areas easier to use and supporting activities that help people enjoy nature
Training and Guidance: Exploring specialist training and Easy Read resources to help improve accessibility across council services

Below is a summary of our action plan.

If you would like more information, join the Mid Suffolk Disability Forum to receive updates or get involved.

What some of the words in our plan mean:

Accessible: easy for people to reach, enter or use. Such as a building being easy for someone with a disability to enter safely, or a service being simple to use.

Funding and grants: giving money to an organisation to use for a specific purpose. Such as giving a shop money to make an entrance easier to use.

We will improve access to shops, businesses, leisure centres and sports facilities by identifying barriers, supporting businesses to make changes, and celebrating good accessibility.

Aim: Make it easier to access to local businesses and public venues.

How we will do this: The Council is offering accessibility grants for shops, with funding available through an application process.

Aim: Forum members will raise accessibility issues they experience in Mid Suffolk.

How we will do this: The Council will talk to the landlords and support them to make changes. Grants are available to help business make changes.

We will work with Suffolk County Council Highways and other partners to understand and address accessibility issues, such as uneven pavements and the need for dropped kerbs.

Aim: Celebrate businesses with good accessibility.

How we will do this: Our Forum will set up yearly awards for accessible businesses.

Aim: Use information from access surveys to decide what changes are needed in Stowmarket and Needham Market.

How we will do this: We have worked with the Council to create a plan of the changes needed. New signage has been put in place following our recommendations.

We will make local transport easier to use and more affordable, while also improving access to nature and inclusive outdoor activities.

Aim: Make Taxi’s more accessible

How we will do this: The council introduced a new Taxi licensing policy in 2024.

Local councils in Suffolk meet regular meetings to share best practice.

The council are considering running training sessions for Taxi drivers or companies and carrying out inspections. They are also considering setting up an award to recognise excellent customer service in Taxi companies.

Aim: Make transport services more affordable and accessible.

How we will do this: Review accessible transport schemes and raise awareness of them.

The Council are currently funding and supporting ‘Rural Connect’ and the Mid Suffolk Taxi Bus which offer wheelchair accessible transport. The Sustainable Travel team at the Council are keeping our Forum updated about accessible transport and seeking our feedback on future changes.

Aim: Make pathways and trails more accessible, especially for people using mobility aids.

How we will do this: The Council are improving sustainable travel options including walking and cycling routes. This will make them safer, more inclusive and accessible. Find out more: www.midsuffolk.gov.uk/sustainable-travel

Aim: Create places where off road mobility equipment can be hired.

How we will do this: Suffolk County Council’s ‘Way to Go’ team are exploring options to create cycle hubs in Stowmarket, Thurston, and Stanton to improve access to inclusive cycling facilities.  

Mid Suffolk District Council continue to deliver e-bike rental at Needham Lakes and will launch e-bike rental in Stowmarket soon.

Aim: Help residents get support from ‘green social prescribing.’ This means residents can access nature-based activities that improve health and wellbeing (how you feel).

How we will do this: The Council will support NHS and other groups to deliver nature-based activities and raise awareness so that more residents use the service.

Aim: Tell residents about inclusive walking groups and nature-based activities.

How we will do this: We will give feedback about which walking groups and walking routes are suitable for people with disabilities and suggest improvements where we can. The council has also recruited an additional ‘Feel Good Suffolk Advisor’ to connect residents to local activities.

Aim: Create more accessible green spaces.

How we will do this: The Council has a Climate and Nature Recovery Team. Their plan will improve access to green spaces, and enhance nature recovery over the next two and a half years.

We will make sure council services are accessible by improving information, reviewing locations and processes, and supporting residents through inclusive communication.

Aim: Provide cost of living support to residents who have disabilities.

How we will do this: The Council will work with our Forum to make information and support easier to access. This includes key information being available in Easy Read format.

Aim: Make voting in elections more accessible.

How we will do this: The Forum will review the elections process and suggest ways to improve accessibility. The Council are currently information about the voting process more accessible including:

Easy Read information and video guides
Aids and equipment to support residents with loss of visual or hearing
Training for staff to support voters

Aim: Make council services accessible for residents with disabilities.

How we will do this: We have reviewed the council’s public facing locations and accessibility recommendations were actioned. We will continue to raise any issues which arise.

The Council have also worked with Thinkclusive to review their letters and communications. They are making their letters more accessible.

Aim: Make information about the council’s services accessible.

How we will do this: The Council will create Easy Read guides for key information.

Aim: Help staff at the Council understand why accessibility matters to residents.

How we will do this: Work with the council to review training opportunities and share information with staff.

Aim: Increase opportunities for residents with disabilities to work.

How we will do this: The Council are a ‘Disability Confident Employer.’ The Council will share information about inclusive opportunities with our Forum.

The Councils’ Economic Development team will encourage local employers to create inclusive job opportunities. They also support social enterprises (businesses have good social or environmental impact).

We will help make Mid Suffolk an inclusive place to live by encouraging accessibility housing.

Aim: Make sure the councils’ ‘planning application process’ considers accessibility. (This process is how the council agrees new buildings can be built, or existing buildings can be changed.)

How we will do this: The planning team will have a champion to work with the Forum. The planning process for major applications already includes a ‘Wellbeing Impact Assessment.’ This checks if the building will have a good or bad impact on residents. We will work with the champion to review how accessibility is checked.

The council will also ask our Forum to review and comment on applications for buildings that are used by the public.

Aim: Ensuring the Council has suitable council homes to meet the needs of residents with disabilities.

How we will do this: We will support the council to develop an accessible housing strategy.

Aim: Reducing waiting times for home adaptations.

How we will do this We will work with Mid Suffolk District Council and Suffolk County Council to suggest ways to reduce waiting times, such as improving access to occupational therapy assessments or improving support for applicants.

We will strengthen the Forum’s role in council decision making and raise awareness of our work through clearer information, stronger branding, and better communication.

Aim: To appoint a Councillor Champion within Mid Suffolk District Council.

How we will do this: The council has appointed Councillor Terence Carter as the Councillor Champion. The champion will raise awareness of ways the council can make improvements for residents with disabilities and support the council to be inclusive.

Aim: For the Forum to have a formal role in policy consultations.

How we will do this: Our Forum is included in any wider corporate consultations that are carried out across the Council.

Through the Equality Impact Assessment process, Council services are encouraged to engage our Forum, so that lived experience helps to inform decision‑making.

The Council’s internal communications also encourages services to involve our Forum when developing or reviewing any resident-facing policies.

Aim: To make sure the Forum will continue to work with the council after the ‘Local Government Reorganisation’ changes in the next few years.

How we will do this: Our Forum and the council will work with other disability forums in Suffolk to prepare for changes and influence what happens in our area. The Council will also engage with us about the impact of Local Government Reorganisation for residents with disabilities.

Aim: Raise awareness of our Forum and the work we do.

How we will do this: We will create a logo for the forum and develop new leaflets, website pages and share regular information and updates.