About Us

Who we are:

TheFDF (formerly the Flintshire Disability Forum), is based in Mold, Flintshire, North Wales. We are a partnership organisation for disabled people, all working together to nurture, develop and support enablement, equality, independent living and mobility throughout Wales.

This means that we focus our activities on the provision of free, impartial, confidential, information, advice, guidance, support and practical help together with a whole range of services to all who have a physical and / or sensory impairment, including families and carers.

There are essentially two sides to the “disability,” coin – the medical model and the social model.

The Medical Disability Model:

This suggests that individuals are disabled / disadvantaged solely by their illness, impairment and / or disability, which could / should / might / will, be “cured” entirely by medical intervention. However, the medical model simply focuses on the condition in isolation and takes no account whatsoever of a person’s individual needs, capacity, capability, means, constraints, social values, and attitudes. Thus, creating low expectations, loss of independence, limited choice, and diminished control over their own life.

The Social Disability Model:

This suggests that it’s not a person’s disability, impairment, or difference at the heart of the problem, but simply the way that society organises itself to artificially create both physical and attitudinal barriers, based on prejudice and / or entrenched personal views that determine and often restrict life choices and equal opportunities for disabled, impaired, disadvantaged people.

This means that individuals with physical and / or sensory issues, whether obvious or invisible are facing monumental issues every single day. Sadly, even in todays, so called “enlightened” society socially disabled individuals, their families, and / or their carers, are rarely treated on an equal and inclusive basis.

The Solution:

Here at TheFDF we are committed to the removal of all social barriers, so that all disabled people are not simply judged by the extent of their impairments or differences and can actually become independent and equal in society, with choice and control over their own lives.

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