Leonard Cheshire International’s mission is to enable disabled people to improve their quality of life and to campaign for the removal of the barriers which hinder them
Their approach is as follows:
A Rights-based approach
- Disabled people’s rights will be at the centre of everything that we do. We will promote and defend the UN Standard Rules, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,the European Human Rights Convention and other international instruments that seek to promote and protect the rights of disabled people.
Working primarily through local organisations and institutions
- Strengthening the capacity of local organisations and institutions to implement services and drive campaigns is the most effective way for us to work, and will be our primary approach. However, where necessary we may also work directly on policy or service development.
Changing attitudes and responses to disability
- Whether campaigning and mobilising others, or supporting innovation and standards in service delivery, our work will always seek to change attitudes and responses to disability and have a positive impact on policy.
Building enabling communities
- Although our policy work has a national application, we will continue to develop community-based programmes that have an impact on disabled people’s lives. To help build enabling communities we will work on integrated programmes that engage all aspects of the community, and mobilise educators, health providers, families, community leaders, the business sector and news and information providers.