About Us

Who we are

D.I.S.I.P. is a small charity governed by its Board of Trustees, which is ultimately responsible for the management and conduct of the charity. This board supports staff in the planning the strategic direction enabling D.I.S.I.P. to work towards achieving its goals.

Our mission

To help all disabled individuals to live life on their own terms through the provision of current, relevant and accurate information and to provide support to help them realise their self-management potential. Read more about our mission and values here

What we do

D.I.S.I.P. enables people with disabilities/impairments, and carers, to access information on issues important to them, empowering them to live their life on their terms,and thereby having greater feelings of inclusion and well being. Each client’s needs are unique, as are their circumstances, so each enquiry is personalised for the individual client. Our service allows our clients to experience an improved quality of life overall, as they benefit from the therapeutic results of acting on the information we provide

In 2010, D.I.S.I.P. received £37,000 from Long Term Conditions Alliance which has allowed the development of a support service within D.I.S.I.P. for people living with a long term health condition. The purpose of this service is to support individuals in self-managing their condition through delivering 6 week self-management courses which includes topics such as symptom management, positive thinking, relaxation, diet and exercise and setting achievable goals. These sessions are delivered within a peer support group setting so that group members can learn from each other and support each other through the process of gaining self-management skills and a greater understanding of their condition.

The aim is to empower individuals to live with a long term condition in a way that gives them a sense of control, increased awareness and the ability to make informed decisions which will positively affect the quality of their lives.

We have also established an on-going fortnightly peer support group where individuals can continue to access support and maintain their self-management skills.

Read more about our Enquiry Service and Long-Term Conditions Service

Our History

During the late 1990’s a Disability Forum was created in Perth to act as a voice to the council and represent all forms of disability related situations. In 1999 The Disability Forum unanimously agreed the single most important thing that every disability sector lacked was access to disability related information which would assist everyone to live life on their terms.

The Disability Forum agreed it should be disbanded and seek to reform as a central information hub for all Disability and impairment related issues, funding and volunteers should be sought and a mapping exercise of all available information throughout Perth and Kinross should be commissioned.

In 2000 The Perth and Kinross Health and Physical Disability Task Group mapping exercise confirmed that there was a reasonable level of available services locally, but that there was a severe lack of knowledge about how these services could be contacted. The recommendation was the formation and support of a one stop signposting shop. D.I.S.I.P. obtained several grants, acquired premises and volunteers and started to compile a massive information resource of disability related information which would be available to all. The 2001 census indicated that there were 24,000 people with long term illness and 12,100 carers in Perth & Kinross.

D.I.S.I.P. has endeavoured to fill this gap for the last 10 years and handle multiple enquiries from enquirers signposting them to the individual sources of specific information or services.

The continuing usage of the D.I.S.I.P. service by around 1500 people annually clearly demonstrates that the information provided is needed by the residents of Perth & Kinross.

Our Volunteers

We are so very fortunate in having a solid and enthusiastic team of volunteers who are the backbone of our service and without whom we could not function. We have trained volunteers in all aspects of the service. Some have specialised in the database , others in dealing directly with customers, some with general administration, and others have supported the outreach rural work.

Our volunteers have given their time free to the service and made a priceless contribution, not only to support and help others, but to create the marvelously enthusiastic atmosphere that fills the office at St. Catherine’s Road. It should be noted that this year our volunteers contributed over 2,800 hours of their time which the equivalent of nearly 2 full time employees.