Disabled people will be at the forefront of designing an innovative new £5 million UK-wide programme on Disability Research on Independent Living and Learning (DRILL).

DRILL is fully funded by the Big Lottery Fund and will be delivered across the UK by a consortium of national disabled people’s organisations, including Disability Wales.

The DRILL programme, which is launched in Wales on 22 September, will see disabled people working alongside academics and policy makers to develop the programme. The programme will gather evidence on the social barriers to independent living and learning which disabled people face. Research findings will be used to develop pilot projects and inform policy development and practice to bring about real improvements to the lives of disabled people.

Rhian Davies, Chief Executive of Disability Wales, said:

“This is the first research programme which ensures disabled people, and the issues that matter to us, are central to research funding decisions. The aim is to build a solid evidence base on the initiatives and support which enable disabled people to fully participate in society. When everyone can participate in the world we live in, it makes sense for us all. Given the emphasis in Wales on ‘voice and control’, the DRILL programme is very timely and will provide a golden opportunity to provide the evidence that will shape future policy and legislation from the citizen’s perspective”.

DRILL is expected to fund a total of 40 research proposals and pilot projects across the UK. It will investigate how public money can be best used to support disabled people’s social, economic and political inclusion. The research programme will aim to identify the solutions that work best for people living with a range of impairments, chronic health conditions and circumstances.

The funding criteria will be decided after a series of engagement events with disabled people, under the research themes of peer support, autonomy, resilience and social, economic and civic participation. Disabled people and their organisations will be supported to work on their research bids in partnership with academics and policy makers.

A Central Research Committee (CRC) will decide which research proposals are taken forward. Disabled academic Dr Tom Shakespeare, chair of the CRC, said:

“Research can make a real difference to disabled people’s lives. It documents our experiences, and the barriers we face. But the best research is done in partnership with disabled people themselves. I am looking forward to the new research findings with real excitement.”

A call for research proposals will be issued early next year and the first round of funding is expected to be announced in April 2016.

For further information please go to www.drilluk.org.uk

Pobl anabl i arwain rhaglen ymchwil £5 miliwn

Bydd pobl anabl yn chwarae rhan flaenllaw wrth gynllunio rhaglen arloesol gwerth £5 miliwn ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig – Ymchwil Anabledd ar Fyw’n Annibynnol a Dysgu (DRILL).

Cyllidwyd DRILL yn llawn gan Gronfa’r Loteri Fawr er mwyn ei weithredu ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig gan gonsortiwm o gyrff pobl anabl, yn cynnwys Anabledd Cymru.

Yn dilyn y lansiad ar 22 Medi, bydd DRILL Cymru yn cymell pobl anabl i gydweithio ochr yn ochr ag academyddion a llunwyr polisïau i ddatblygu’r rhaglen. Bydd yn crynhoi tystiolaeth am y ffactorau cymdeithasol sy’n rhwystro pobl anabl rhag byw’n annibynnol a dysgu. Yna, bydd yn defnyddio’r canlyniadau i ddatblygu projectau peilot a hysbysu datblygiad polisïau er cyflwyno gwelliannau gwirioneddol i fywydau pobl anabl.

Dywedodd Rhian Davies, prif weithredwraig Anabledd Cymru:

“Hon fydd y rhaglen ymchwil gyntaf i sicrhau bydd pobl anabl, a’r materion sy’n bwysig i ni, yn ganolog i benderfyniadau ar gyllido ymchwil. Y nod yw datblygu tystiolaeth gadarn ar fentrau a chymorth er galluogi pob anabl i chwarae rhan lawn mewn cymdeithas. Mae’n gwneud synnwyr i alluogi pawb i gyfrannu at gymdeithas. Gyda’r pwyslais yng Nghymru ar ‘lleisio barn a rheolaeth’, mae rhaglen DRILL yn amserol iawn ac yn gyfle gwych i gasglu tystiolaeth er siapio polisïau a deddfwriaeth o safbwynt dinasyddion.”

Rhagwelir bydd DRILL yn cyllido 40 project peilot ac ymchwil ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig. Bydd yn ymchwilio sut orau i ddefnyddio arian cyhoeddus i gefnogi cynhwysiad cymdeithasol, economaidd a gwleidyddol pobl anabl. A’r bwriad yw nodi atebion ar gyfer pobl gydag amrediad o amhariadau, a chyflyrau ac amgylchiadau iechyd cronig.

Pennir y meini prawf cyllid ar ôl cynnal cyfres o ddigwyddiadau gyda phobl anabl, o dan themâu ymchwil megis cymorth cyfoedion, annibyniaeth, dycnwch a chyfranogiad cymdeithasol, economaidd a dinesig. Bydd yn helpu pobl anabl i weithio ar gynigion ymchwil mewn partneriaeth ag academyddion a llunwyr polisïau.

Bydd Pwyllgor Ymchwil Canolog yn pennu pa gynigion ymchwil fydd yn derbyn cyllid. Dywedodd yr academydd anabl Dr Tom Shakespeare, cadeirydd y Pwyllgor:

“Mae ymchwil yn gallu gwneud gwahaniaeth gwirioneddol i fywydau pobl anabl, wrth nodi ein profiadau a’r rhwystrau byddwn yn wynebu. Ond yr ymchwil gorau yw gwaith gyda phobl anabl eu hunain. Rwy’n edrych ymlaen at weld y canlyniadau ymchwil.”

Bydd y rhaglen yn gwahodd cynigion ymchwil yn gynnar yn y Flwyddyn Newydd, gyda’r nod o gyhoeddi’r cymal cyllid cyntaf yn Ebrill 2016.

Manylion pellach yn www.drilluk.org.uk