Enfield Disability Action (EDA) is a pan-impairment organisation run by and for disabled people of all ages. EDA works to, and promotes, a social model of disability.

As an umbrella organisation for local disability groups, EDA shares training, policy development and best-practice guidance to facilitate the development of this section of the local third sector. Our partners include:

• CAPE - Carers And Parents of people with learning disabilities in Enfield
• EMU - Enfield Mental Health Users Group
• Enfield Vision
• ENDIG - Enfield Deaf Image Group
• One-to-One Enfield

EDA works strategically with Voluntary and Statutory partners, provides input to local planning and consultative mechanisms, conducts research, enables project development, sources funding, provides a core organisational infrastructure, facilitates quality-assured practices and hosts the following services:

• Advocacy & Community Forum Project – for groups and individuals
• CancerLIFE – also offers Cancer Awareness and Healthy Living sessions
• Challenging Abuse and Tackling Hate Crime
• Deaf Project – working with Deaf people who use British Sign Language, and with deafened and hard of hearing people who do not use sign language, including those who have caring responsibilities
• Udirect- formerly known as Direct Payments Support Service
• Disability Information & Advice Project
• Enfield Advice Plus Partnership Project
• Independent Living Project - including Enfield Wheelchair Users Forum & Self Directed Assessment

All services are provided free to disabled people and carers and are not conditional upon membership.

As a large, modern User-Led Organisation, the ethos of EDA is shaped by the voice of local users and developments in the Independent Living movement. The following statements summarise the organisational approach and values. In all aspects of our work, we…

• …aim to inform, enable and support the choices that disabled people make towards independent and diverse lifestyles
• …support disabled people’s evolving aspirations as service uptake increases their options and confidence
• …place the emphasis on what support the individual needs to achieve their goals, NEVER assuming that the person cannot manage
• …work towards removing the prejudice of low-expectation, whether it comes from the client, or elsewhere
• …are committed to ongoing consultation with our clients, in order to bring about continual improvement in line with their needs
• …work with other agencies and organisations to maintain productive and positive working relationships