ISPA website formally launched on Global Accessibility Awareness Day
Today saw the formal launch of a new microsite hosted by Housing LIN that will share the findings from an important new research project exploring the impact of stigma on fuelling inequalities experienced by UK disabled adults in later life.
The ISPA (Intersectional Stigma of Place-based Ageing) study, led by the University of Stirling in partnership with the universities of Bristol, Newcastle and St Andrews, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) and the Housing LIN, is a 5-year project that will examine the inequalities and stigma experienced by older and disabled adults. It will identify interventions related to home and environmental modifications that encourage inclusive approaches that support people to age well within homes and communities across England, Scotland and Wales.
The ISPA project partners came together at a 2-day event (18 and 19 May) in Scotland to coincide with Global Accessibility Awareness Day to celebrate the formal launch of the project and the creation of the Inclusive Living Alliance (ILA).
The founding ILA members include:
- Care and Repair Scotland
- Horizon Housing Association
- LINK/C-urb
- The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (Scotland)
- Foundations
- Public Health Scotland
- Motionspot
- The Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities
- the SFHA
- and the Housing LIN.
Dr Vikki McCall, the Principal Investigator on the ISPA project at Stirling University, commented:
“The Intersectional Stigma of Place-Based Ageing (ISPA) Project is taking a longer-term
and nuanced look at how we come together to tackle all kinds of stigma that is attached to place, age and disability. Through our Inclusive Living Alliance we will facilitate organisational change that supports accessible and inclusive practice in homes and neighbourhoods. All are welcome to join our Inclusive Living Alliance and become involved in this important project, which at its heart aims to integrate and promote inclusive design that tackles exclusion.”
Jeremy Porteus, CEO at Housing LIN, said:
"We are still a long way off building inclusively designed homes and designing our built environment inclusively in the UK. We need to wake up to the fact that this is an equalities issue and must urgently update our housing and planning policies, practices and procedures so that they are accessible and adaptable for all. This codesigned research project will enable us to do just that."