About the Office for Disability Issues

Find out about what the Office for Disability Issues does and how it is working towards disability equality

What does the Office for Disability Issues do?

The Office for Disability Issues (ODI) leads the government’s vision of achieving equality for disabled people. We believe disabled people should have the same choices and opportunities as non disabled people. We are a cross-government organisation that works with government departments, disabled people and a wide range of external groups.

We work collaboratively with government departments to make sure the needs of disabled people are reflected in their work and our own projects. We provide strategic advice and analysis, we share tools and develop skills among government staff.

We engage with disabled people, disability organisations and service users, and believe that those affected by a service or policy should be involved in designing it. This co-production approach adds value to work across government and leads to innovative and practical solutions.

We’re working towards disability equality through:

effective leadership. ODI leads the government’s work on disability equality. We collaborate with government departments to set out the strategy that shows how we will work together to achieve this goal. We use research and analysis so government departments understand how their work contributes to equality.
building skills within government. To achieve equality it’s key that civil servants have the right skills, expertise and confidence to involve disabled people in their work. We guide government departments to find practical ways to involve and engage disabled people to meet their own strategic objectives. We share our knowledge and experiences, and provide tailored advice.
innovating and creating. We have a proven track record as innovators, testing out new policy ideas and new ways of delivering services. We try different things and we base our work on robust research and analysis, coupled with a deep understanding of the barriers disabled people face.

Why was the Office for Disability Issues set up?

ODI was set up in January 2005 to coordinate disability policy across government. Since then ODI has led the way across government, encouraging best practice, co-production and engagement with disabled people.

About the Office for Disability Issues

What does the Office for Disability Issues do?

Why was the Office for Disability Issues set up?

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