Our latest news

The latest news from Difference.

Co-Production for Change!

9 July 2021

This blog post marks the end of National Co-Production Week. But what does co-production mean?   This week has seen so many organisations celebrate #CoProWeek. Co-production can be a slippery term. Many people have different definitions for it.     Nothing about us without us To us, co-production means sharing power and working equally to… Read more »

Denial and Doubt: Women and Chronic Illness

30 June 2021

Denial and Doubt A report by Chronic Illness Inclusion (CII) has found that disabled women with chronic illnesses are frequently gaslit by medical professions. They are left undiagnosed and accused of hysteria. CII received almost 800 responses to a survey about the healthcare experiences of disabled women with energy-limiting chronic illness and chronic pain. The… Read more »

Autistic Pride and Prejudice

18 June 2021

I’ve just finished hosting our virtual picnic for Autistic Pride Day, and wanted to share a few reflections.    Wow, just wow.    Where to start? So many great things to say. First, a big thank you to Kate Fox, who chaired a panel discussion and Q&A superbly, before quickly swapping hats to come back… Read more »

Newsletter June 2021

10 June 2021

Difference North East Newsletter – June 2021  Go to this Sway

Developing Skills, Forming Good Habits

12 May 2021

We’ve just completed our fourth Digital Accessibility workshop and I thought I would use this post to share some thoughts on how they have gone and what impact they will have.  The workshop series was funded by the National Lottery Awards for All fund, and are part of our work as a partner in the… Read more »

SHINE

2 March 2021

Back in December, we marked International Day of Disabled People with a celebratory showcase called SHINE. Highlighting a selection of just some of the creative, disabled talent from across our region.     It has been curated by:   Richard Boggie (Bogsey) – poet, playwright and disability campaigner at Difference North East. Ruth Patterson – lead singer with… Read more »

Digital Accessibility – Barriers Survey

12 February 2021

The aim of this survey is to gather feedback from disabled people in the north east about the problems they face when using online systems and services. The results will help inform Difference’s North East Digital Accessibility project, funded by the National Lottery, so that we can provide suitable support and resources to help overcome… Read more »

Trustee Opportunities (Voluntary)

2 February 2021

Difference North East is a user-led charity, which means we are run by disabled people for disabled people.  Our aim is to make the North East a better, more equal society for disabled people to live, work and study. We want to achieve change at the highest levels, advocating and campaigning for equal rights, and… Read more »