Our latest news

We want to focus our campaigning work on 5 key priorities – campaigns where we can have an impact and in areas that are important to disabled people across our region. We want to make sure that our campaigns reflect what is most important to Disabled people in the North East.  You can fill our… Read more »

This weeks blog is by Rachel Couch, from Atypical CIC who promote and advocate for people with hidden disabilities in the workplace. They run events and hire neuro-divergent project leaders to help promote their businesses and to give them a chance to expand their options. Atypical CIC aim to provide a safe and understanding support… Read more »

A few tips on access guides from Richard Boggie.   When we invited 50 people along to our Disability at Work Summit earlier this year, we spent quite a bit of time preparing an Access Guide for the event. Why? Because we wanted the event to be as inclusive as it could be, and that… Read more »

It is Disability History Month and the UK theme this year is Health and Wellbeing. Difference Campaigns and Events Officer, Nic, talks about how we look after our own wellbeing whilst campaigning. Disability Activism We know that activism can often lead to exhaustion and burnout- especially when we come up against systems and cultures that… Read more »

Difference is seeking new Trustees and a Treasurer to join our Board. We are a small, award-winning regional charity aiming to change perceptions of disability to create a more equal North East for disabled people. We are run by disabled people, for disabled people and we have some exciting voluntary opportunities for people who share… Read more »

Star and Shadow Cinema is a volunteer-run DIY space for Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, and the North East UK.  It is set up as an open-to-join co-operative housed in a building it owns, dedicated to culture coming from and/or programmed by the grass roots – particularly cinema and music. And they’re ready to open the doors to… Read more »

At Difference, we want to dismantle the barriers that exclude disabled people from participating. A rights-based approach seeks ways to respect, support and celebrate human diversity which means not only allowing, but supporting the full participation of disabled people. A Human Rights-Based Approach Last year we took part in a community research project with the… Read more »

Richard Boggie shares his top digital accessibility tips.   Okay, I know that people and organisations don’t deliberately set out to exclude disabled people from their digital content and services. Why would you? It would be illegal, bad for business and reputationally damaging. But I also know from my own experience that barriers exist online… Read more »

This week’s blog is by Difference Director, Christopher Hartworth. He discusses the seen and unseen ‘costs of living’ as a disabled person.   As state sanctioned poverty (or a ‘cost of living crisis’ as the government insist on calling it) sends the UK population into further precarity, disabled people face a worse humanitarian crisis. As… Read more »